Albany Arts Committee Seeks New Poet Laureate

The city is looking to fill the position of poet laureate for a term beginning in Fall, 2013. The brochure below is prepared by the Albany Arts Committee, the group which oversees the application process and makes the final selection of the poet. (Please do not contact library staff about this opening. See application and contact information in brochure.)

AlbanyPoetLaureateBrochure

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Poetry Writing Workshop Takes the Stage

Christina Hutchins, local poet and former Albany laureate, leads an excellent poetry writing workshop on the first Wednesday of each month. On April 9, four workshop members joined Christina as featured readers for our Second Tuesdays Poetry night.

The poets’ styles range widely, as you can see in the youtube below. If you are interested in participating in the workshop, just drop in on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm.

April_9_wkshop_reading

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Albany City Council Recognizes Library

It’s no secret that libraries matter to the people of Albany and surrounding communities. Adults, teens and children continue to stream through the open doors to use public computers, attend programs and browse for books and movies.

In recognition of National Library Week, Mayor Peggy Thomsen, read a proclamation honoring Albany Library. Ronnie Davis confirmed the statistics cited in the proclamation, introducing Library Board President, Rosalie Gonzales, and the new children’s librarian, Dan Hess.

The 2013 theme for Library Week is “Communities Matter.” See this motto come to life at Albany Library.

2013-LibraryWeek

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Friends Fly High!

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LOL @ Albany Library

Last year the library meeting room got a major upgrade–new projector, DVD player, chairs, and even a new coat of paint–courtesy of a bequest left to the library by Margaret and Gardener Young. Shortly afterward, we were approached by a film buff offering to curate a film series for us. This happy coincidence led to a new film series, to the delight of the movie lovers in our community.

The comedy series kicked off in January with a little-known Peter Sellers film, After the Fox. This month, we showed A New Leaf, a quirky movie starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May. The post-film discussion got people talking about movies from Heaven Can Wait to Ishtar.

Join us March 26 for After Hours, another offbeat comedy, this one following a evening in the life of Paul, a word processor who has a date from hell followed by series of unfortunate events in 1980s SoHo. This is Martin Scorsese’s funniest movie yet.

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Wherever There’s a Fight!

This month’s Brown Bag Lunch Speaker forum was a real history lesson! Stan Yogi took us on a virtual tour of the sites mentioned in his book on civil liberties: Wherever There’s a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California (Heyday Books, 2009 ISBN: 9781597141147). Yogi and co-author Elaine Elinson inspire us to be optimistic but watchful over the wide array of civil liberties most of us now enjoy. However, Yogi showed how empathy for the plight of others is the real key to securing freedom for all. Many civil liberties are not secure and can disappear during a crisis. In response to a comment about the lack of passion and commitment to civil liberties, Yogi advised us not to become too reliant on committees and watchdog groups to “take care of our rights.” Individuals must still stand up and fight.

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Catherine Anderson’s Basket Display

Be sure to see the basket display in our case this February. Catherine Anderson is both a collector and maker of baskets, so the display features work from around the world and her own intricate designs.

One interesting feature of the collection is the array of subtle colors, with grass, straw, paper, and other dyed fabric. Stand back and see the whole case to gain an appreciation of the useful (and beautiful) basket!

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A New Children’s Librarian for Albany!

The Albany Library is pleased to announce that Dan Hess has been selected as the new children’s librarian.

Dan has worked at the Albany Library for the past three years as part of the team that has provided library services to children. He is the impresario for all the special summer family events, including the now annual Albany Talent Show which has been featured on Albany Patch and YouTube. With funding from the Friends of the Albany Library, Dan produced last year’s Puppet Festival featuring some of the Bay Area’s best puppeteers.  Dan has worked closely with the Albany schools and the Alameda County Arts Commission and is the curator of wonderful student art that is displayed throughout the library. Dan is the online voice of the Albany Library through our blog and Facebook page. Dan is also well known to people, young and old, who come to the library and receive wonderful help from him at the Library’s reference desk.

Always at home in libraries, Dan held student jobs at his hometown and college libraries. He has worked for Alameda County Library since 1992. Before coming to Albany, Dan provided library services to inmates at County Jails as part of Extension Services and worked with the Bookmobile’s Hot Wheels Program, which brings books and storytimes to home daycare centers in the southern part of the County. Dan earned his Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in 2010.

We are excited that Dan will now be able to devote his professional skills and creativity to provide library service to the children of Albany.

Ronnie Davis

Albany Library Manager

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One Wacky Winter, Two Wonderful Puppeteers!

Grunch, brother to the Grinch, has been toy-snatching from the Master Toymaker’s workshop. He just can’t stand the fact that toys are given away to children during the winter holidays.  He plots and schemes with the help of a wind-up henchman to take over Toyland and make all toys “Collectibles,” where they will be sure to be valued and loved and turn him a healthy profit! All goes according to plan till his magic backfires and the brave sheriff of Toyland, Frosty the Snowman, catches Mr. Grunch and the Snow Queen’s magic trumps his evil plan.

Three cheers for Oakland Fairyland’s Puppet Company for this spoof of all our favorite holiday tales!

 

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Daughters of Yam at Albany Library

Opal Palmer Adisa & devorah major read at Albany Library in California, as part of Second Tuesdays Poetry Series. “You cannot disappear into the crowd. You have been named.” –Opal Palmer Adisa

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