Brown Bag Speaker’s Forum: An Inconvenient Truth

 
As part of the ongoing Brown Bag Speaker’s Forum, Andrew Gunther gave a slideshow and talk about Global Warming. Gunther trained with Al Gore and most of the photographs he presented were from Gore.
 
The talk was sobering. He began with the 3 factors that are contributing to global warming: the population explosion, the scientific and [...]

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Cave Canem at the Albany Library

Every month the Albany Library hosts a special evening dedicated to listening to poetry. Held on the first Thursday, this event usually includes a featured poet followed by an open mic.

For October, five Cave Canem poets will be present. The Cave Canem Foundation is a home for the many voices of African American poetry [...]

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The Challenge of Learning

 
This column appeared in the Journal on September 21, 2007. More columns are available at juliewinkelstein.com
“Learn: To gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.” From Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition 
I recently attended an exercise class at the Albany YMCA. It consisted of great music and many dance movements, all [...]

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Where are the travel books?

This is a frequently asked question at the library. Librarians usually respond with, “Where are you going?” I just returned from a trip to New York equipped with the Albany Library copy of Moon Metro New York City. Even for a former New Yorker like myself, it was handy to have a small book of [...]

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Great Children’s Books

 
This column appeared in the Journal on September 14, 2007. More columns can be read at jwinkelstein.com
“When I was a kid, growing up in Iowa, I didn’t know that just anyone could pick up a pencil and write stories. I thought you had to have permission, maybe, or someone else had to designate you as [...]

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Beautiful Libraries

 
The Bay Area has some lovely library buildings — but take a look at this “Compendium of Beautiful Libraries” from around the world.  Some of these libraries are more than a hundred years old; all of them embody love and respect for books and learning.

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Why I Love LibraryThing

Okay, so I’m not nearly organized enough to catalog every book I’ve read or would recommend to others. But thanks to those book lovers who do take the time to put their library into LibraryThing, there’s now a great way to find out what other people have read and liked and would recommend. (Yes, Amazon [...]

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New California Budget Bad News for Libraries

 This column appeared in the Journal on September 7, 2007. More columns may be read at juliewinkelstein.com
“We are deeply disappointed in the Governor’s actions today, particularly in light of the inconsistent message, wherein he funded both of these programs last year in the approximate same amounts that he cut this year…” Lobbyists Mike and Christina [...]

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Solano Stroll 2007

 
 
Friends of the Albany Library, Albany Library Board members and Albany Library staff had a great time at the Solano Stroll this year. Did you go to the Stroll this year? And did you win a prize at our booth?

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Early San Pablo Avenue

The Spring Construction Company paving San Pablo Avenue, circa 1910.  Notice the streetcar in the distance.

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