One of the best things about the library is that it’s in the middle of such a vibrant community.  There’s always something going on.

While you may know about the weekly Clematis by Night concerts and the seasonal greenmarket, there’s so much more happening in West Palm Beach!

• The city of West Palm Beach keeps an online event calendar listing everything from events in local restaurants to kids’ activities at the South Olive Community Center.  They’ve also got a Twitter account to keep you updated.
• West Palm Beach’s Downtown Development Agency keeps their own event calendar that focuses on the Clematis District and Cityplace.
• Or course, there are always events happening right here at the library!  (Don’t forget our Twitter updates.) Our Friends group puts on some great programs as well.
• While we love to have you at the city library, the county library has some pretty darn good programs and events too.  Choose your local branch to see what they’ve got going on.

If you’re curious to see how the community is changing, check out the Clematis Street Blog.

If you want to know what’s going on right this very second, @aGuyonClematis posts information and pictures about the here and now on Clematis Street.

Next time you’re in the neighborhood, make sure to stop by the library!  If none of these events appeal to you, we’ve got loads of materials on cooking, crafts, and hobbies.  We’ll make sure to keep you busy!

**Britta**

Oct. 2^nd is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and I remember my mother also on that day because there are so many memories of my mother associated with Gandhi. She was a true Gandhian and used to tell us stories about Mahatma Gandhi when we were growing up. Now I realize that by telling all those stories she was telling us how to be brave, truthful, and courageous.  I grew up understanding Gandhi through those stories.

 But there is one story about Gandhi my mother never told us.  I found that even in the literature about Gandhi there was some unspoken blacking out of Gandhi’s son Harilal from Gandhi’s daily world.  This is evident from his secretary Mahadev’s meticulous record keeping; even that is totally silent about Harilal.

 I would like to share my thoughts about that.  It is a story of a failed father who carried a deep wound in his heart –his son Harilal, roaming the streets like a beggar, converting to Islam and then back to Hinduism, and finally dying of syphilis and alcohol abuse.  Harilal was Mahatma Gandhi’s eldest son and a most inconvenient truth.  He rebelled against his father’s idealistic principles and sought to live a life where he would not have to carry the burden of being the son of Mahatma Gandhi.

 I wondered why Mahatma Gandhi could not save the soul of his own son when he was transforming the soul of the nation. The conflict between father and son is complex; I tried to read whatever I could find on that aspect of Gandhi.  It makes me sad but I can never make Harilal a yardstick to understand a great man like Gandhi, nor do I have the moral authority to even question a man like Gandhi.

To me this is a conflict of a principled father and an unfortunate son.  Gandhi became a greater human being by putting his principles and quest for human dignity above everything else - even his own son. He made a personal sacrifice; a very difficult choice to make.

 P.S. I am sure after reading this you would like to know more about Harilal and the good news is – Harilal Gandhi: A Life is on order and will soon be available for checkout.

Manju

Hello again.  I am eager to tell you about a wonderful upcoming event at the West Palm Beach Public Library:  92YLive – Mitch Albom: Have a Little Faith.  It will be held in the library auditorium (3rd Floor) on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:45 PM.

I highly recommend that you try to attend this event.  I had the privilege of hearing Mitch Albom talk at an American Library Association conference a few years ago, and he was absolutely fantastic – one of the most moving and delightful experiences ever!  A really memorable occasion!  He is not only a great writer but an enthralling public speaker: inspiring, fascinating, and entertaining. He had all of us in the audience laughing, crying, and frequently doing both at once!

Mitch Albom is as gifted a speaker as he is a writer.  He brings to life the connection between his sports writing and human interest stories of empathy and drama in such books as Tuesdays with Morrie and Five People You Meet in Heaven.  His new book Have a Little Faith proves to become another great read.  I plan on attending this event on November 4 if at all possible.  For anyone who wants to be truly entertained (and enlightened!), it is strongly recommended.  Come and share this and many other terrific events with the Library Friends.  Enjoy!

Have a Little Faith: Mitch Albom

Writer and broadcaster Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie (the best-selling memoir of all time with more than 14 million copies sold), The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day, has become an inspiration to millions of people around the world. His forthcoming book is Have a Little Faith: A True Story of a Last Request. Albom is a columnist for the Detroit Free Press and the host of two radio shows that are broadcast in 38 states.

Live from NY’s 92nd Street (92YLive) is a live, satellite-broadcast event, that allows people all over the nation to access the Y’s cultural and educational programs. This event is ongoing, with our first program being the Forum on Sustainable Global Enterprise.

This program will provide an opportunity for the audience to ask questions of the presenters, as if they were in the New York audience.  For more information about the 92YLive programs go to http://www.92y.org/live

Friends members can attend for $5.00, the General Public can attend for $10.00.

Remember, Friends receive email notices and reminders of events and can access many events at discounted prices or attend for free.

To register, please visit the website of our Friends group:  http://www.friendswpblibrary.org/

Esther Fawn Van Allen, Reference Librarian
West Palm Beach Public Library

I am a procrastinator.  No doubt about it.  However as I began my job of  forwarding  library event information to various organizations I realized that one particular event hit a nerve.   In promoting our “Hispanic Breast Health” lecture program I have heard numerous stories from individuals who have either experienced first-hand breast cancer or know others who have dealt with this terrible disease.   So no more postponing my physical! The date is set and I am also making sure I attend this valuable and informative program.

Please make every effort to take your breast health into consideration!  Be  proactive and attend the West Palm Beach Public Library’s Hispanic Breast Health presentation this Saturday from 1:00-2:00pm.  Dr. Elisabeth A. McKeen will present the latest information on breast health for the Hispanic population. She will speak about breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment. Dr. McKeen will also answer questions from the audience. A translator will be provided.

Particularly for our Hispanic community we need to get the word out!  Did you know that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic/Latina women?   Also, according to the National Cancer Institute it estimates that a woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of developing invasive breast cancer during her lifetime! 

So bring your mother, sister, grandmother, and anyone else you care about to the library’s breast health presentation and let’s not put off hearing about what we can do to learn and possibly prevent breast cancer.

• Date/Time: Saturday, October 10 1:00-2:00pm
• Location: West Palm Beach Public Library Auditorium
• Cost: FREE

See you there,

Theresa

Once a year, libraries around the United States salute intellectual freedom by highlighting books that have been banned or challenged in school libraries and public libraries.  Banned Books Week, which is September 26 – October 3 this year, celebrates our freedom to read materials which may have controversial content or unpopular viewpoints. 

If you come into the library in the next week or so, you’ll see our Banned Books Week display in the New Fiction section on the first floor.  We’ve highlighted some of the most often challenged and banned books.

You would expect to see books such as Lolita and Harry Potter on display, but many of the books frequently challenged in schools and libraries are surprising.  Here are a just a few examples:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
• The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• King & King by Linda de Haan
• The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé
• Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle (one of my personal favorites)

Come to the library and check out something from our display.  Open your mind by getting to know a different point of view.

**Britta**

From September 15 to October 15 every year, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the country. We celebrate the traditions and values of the various cultures, and the contributions Hispanic immigrants and their descendants have made to this country.

It’s an important activity, since the Hispanic population and its impact on the United States continue to grow, as this press release from the U.S. Census Bureau attests. The list of numbers and statistics they’ve compiled about Hispanics in the U.S. included some surprises for me.

Can you believe, for example, that the only country with a greater Hispanic population than the United States is Mexico?

Out of the 50 states, New Mexico is the state with the most Hispanics – 45% of their total state population. (Florida is about 20% Hispanic.)

Our US Hispanic population contributes to American society in many ways. 79,400 of US Hispanics are chief executives. 50,866 are physicians and surgeons. 48,720 are postsecondary teachers. 38,532 are lawyers, and 2,726 are news analysts, reporters and correspondents. Plus, 1.1 million Hispanics are veterans of the U.S. armed forces. And, of course, we now have our first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor.

It’s good to be bilingual! Many immigrant groups lose their language over a couple of generations, but Spanish is alive and well in the US. 78% of Hispanics 5 and older speak Spanish at home. More than half of these folks also speak English very well.

Check out all the stats from the Census, and raise your awareness in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month 2009!

~Tara

It’s just around the corner and WOW do we have some exciting events planned for Hispanic Heritage Month!  

September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States, a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of Latino/Hispanic Americans.  To celebrate, the West Palm Beach Public Library will host a variety of programs beginning Saturday, September 13th.  On this date the Children’s Department will present their “Sundays @ 2 for families” series with a Mayan Hieroglyphics interactive workshop,with local artist, Steve Brouse. 

In addition the library will present a cooking demonstration on Saturday, Sept. 19th at 2:00pm.  La Esquina del Ceviche Restaurant will actually be showing us how to cook ceviche, Peru’s most renowned dish.  Yummm!

And that’s not all!  Take a look at some of our other FREE programs celebrating Hispanic Heritage:

• iCinema series: the Cuban Arts and Cultural Association will present the film “El Super.” They will also host a special reception afterwards.  Sunday, September 20th @ 2:00pm.
• La Paloma Dancers: Mexican folkloric dance group from the Hispanic-Latino Cultural Alliance of Palm Beach County. Fresh chips and salsa will be provided by Aleyda’s Restaurant. Kids will also be invited onstage for a pinata!  Saturday, September 26th @ 2:00pm.
• Live Argentine Tango Performance: George and his students from the dance studio Exclusively Argentine Tango @ George’s will show off their best pieces onstage.  Sunday, September 27th @ 2:00pm.
• Homage to Rafael Hernandez: The Puerto Rican Cultural Society will present a taste of Puerto Rico’s rich musical and cultural heritage. Sunday, October 4th @ 2:00pm.
• Bolivian folkloric dancing: Part of our “Sundays @ 2 for families” series. Kids from the cultural center Semilla Boliviana will perform in full costume Bolivia’s traditional dances. Sunday, October 11th @ 2:00pm.

Also a special display titled “La Florida: Spanish Colony” will be located in the Florida Room on the 4th floor of the library.

The West Palm Beach Public Library invites you as well to browse and borrow materials from our Spanish Language collection. The library offers books, DVD’s, CD’s, popular magazines and more!  Just search our online catalog.

For more information about these great programs please call 561-868-7723 or 561-868-7701 or be sure to visit www.mycitylibrary.org.  BTW: Kudos to Tara Moreno, the library’s Hispanic Outreach Librarian, who has coordinated the scheduling of these great programs!

See you soon!

Theresa

important to understand “the diversity of the Hispanic community — Hispanics in the U.S. come from not just Mexico, but also from many different places in Europe and the Americas,

Are you curious about solar power or other forms of renewable energy? If so, come out to the library on Thursday, September 10th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Brian Betron from Abundant Energy will be here to discuss how to make your home more green!

Renewable energy is energy that is naturally replenished and generated from natural resources. This includes energy from the sun, wind, and rain. If you want to learn more about renewable energy check out the Go Green section located on the first floor of the library. We have an amazing assortment of books to help you reduce your carbon footprint, start your own business, or even have a green wedding! Check out our catalog and see how you can be green.

See you at the library,

Annya

CC by Flickr user bglasgow

With Ana petering out, Bill hightailing it up North, and Claudette already gone, we’ve been pretty lucky so far this hurricane season.  However, those of us who have lived in Florida for awhile know how quickly circumstances can change.

The city of West Palm Beach has implemented an emergency notification information website to keep people in the know about a wide variety of possible emergency situations.  There you can find a link to the latest hurricane guide, information on hurricane preparedness, details about the different stages of evacuation, important phone numbers to keep on hand, and many other emergency-related resources.

Here are some other hurricane-related websites you may find useful:

• The National Hurricane Center
• Hurricane Tips from FEMA
• Hurricane Emergency Preparedness and Response from the CDC
• The National Hurricane Survival Initiative
• Bad Weather Safety Tips from the Florida Highway Patrol

**Britta**

I saw Kindle!

My neighbor bought her Kindle reader and showed it to me.  Essentially Kindle is a hand-held device roughly the size of a paperback book.  It has a large screen on which you can download your book.  The idea is that we won’t have to buy books: all books will be available to anyone who has access to Kindle.  I can understand the logic behind Kindle, but I hope it won’t make the books obsolete in times of technology onslaught.

For me it is the romance of buying a book or borrowing a book from the library that I will miss if Kindle drives the book into obsolescence.  It is sheer pleasure for me to go to a bookstore or library go and through the book shelves, perusing each book and flipping through the pages and making my selections.

Reading a book is an experience.  There are people like me who would like to take the book in their bed and would miss the feel of a book in their hands.  I read for pleasure and Kindle reading cannot be pleasurable as you are reading from a machine.  This technology might not provide the same reading experience, and I wonder if it would test my power of concentration too.  I hope, even if Kindle technology catches on, there will always be a market for books.

There is nothing like finding a book, smelling the pages, holding it and turning its pages, discovering the world.  Is there anything comparable to this pleasure?

What do you think?

- Manju