Remembering...

As we bid adieu to 2010,

the staff fondly remembers patrons who will no longer walk through the Library's doors. We are grateful to have known them. They enriched our lives and the lives of so many in our community.

Flora Rubio Acosta

Mabel Ballard

Jessie F. Bray

Bob Davis

John Fischer

Pat Garvey

Don Gasperson

Sue Kniss

Dorothy Lukas

Marvin

Dan Murphy

Ray Stumbo

Lee Yarborough

We apologize for anyone we have inadvertently forgotten. Kindly let us know, and we will add them to the list.

'Tis the Season

People were in and out of the Library today, stocking up on holiday reading, picking up DVDs to watch over the long weekend, browsing through magazines in the reading room... The weather and the holidays make this a cozy time of year.

This week we've had so many Pagrovians and patrons stop by to wish us "Happy Holidays." And more than a few have dropped dollars into the donation jar, written a check, added canned goods to the Food for Fines bin.

'Tis the Season for giving. And the spirit of generosity manifests in numerous ways... Here in the Library, we have all our wonderful volunteers who help the staff get books back on the shelf; pull the holds you request; check book lists; type inventories; take books and CDs to homebound neighbors, sort through the mountain of book donations we receive... We watch one computer user assist another with setting up an email account. People browsing the New Book Shelf share favorite reads with the person standing next to them. One reader helps another carry their books out to the car.

This season, the Library has also been the recipient of some creative gift-giving. One Book Club skipped their annual gift exchange, and had all their members write checks to the Library. Another patron picked up some Fund Our Library donation slips, and filled them out in honor of friends on her gift list, (and attached a check). For the second December in a row, we received a donation of $10,000. The donor asked to remain anonymous.

All these gifts share the spirit of caring and sharing, generosity and gratitude. All these gifts capture the spirit of the Library - and You - the community that uses, depends on, and loves the Library.

We thank you for your many kindnesses. We are grateful for your generosity. And we wish you all a holiday filled with comfort and cheer.... and good books, great movies, and wonderful music.

A New "New Book" Display

Everybody loves new books. And Thanks to the Friends of the Library, we have a new Book Display to feature our recent acquisitions.

Each side of the display has 5 shelves. Fiction titles are located on one side; Non-Fiction titles are on the other side.

The New Books Display is currently well-stocked. So come by and pick out a few new titles for your holiday enjoyment.

"Thank You, Friends of the Library"

Emily Dickinson

Last night, Emily Dickinson made a rare public appearance, at our library, and transported her audience into the land of poetry. Every seat was filled. And every person present received a gift - of reverie, "aha!", affirmation, consolation, laughter - something that deeply touched his or her soul.
In celebration of Emily's birth, (December 10, 1830), Dr. Barbara Mossberg shared her scholarship and passion for Dickinson and her poetry. She opened with lines from the well-known poem:

I'm Nobody! Who are you?

Are you - Nobody - too?

Then there's a pair of us!

Don't tell! they'd banish us -- you know!

With wisdom, humor, and splendid storytelling, Dr. Mossberg embedded us into the existence of the unique and gifted poetess.
Watching Dr. Mossberg is not unlike watching a feather with wings. Her voice, face, and body exude lightness, exuberance, wonder and awe.The evening closed with everyone singing "Happy Birthday, Dear Emily," and eating gingerbread made using Dickinson's recipe.

The evening was sponsored and hosted by the Friends of the Library. As Dr. Mossberg said, "The Friends are truly our friends."

New Self Checkout Machine

We're delighted to announce that our new Self Checkout Machine has arrived. It's easy. It's quick. And it automatically prints you a receipt!

We think you'll like it. Come try it out!

The SelfCheck was purchased with monies from our Building & Equipment Fund. Thank you to all who have contributed to that fund!

BIG BOOK SALE SATURDAY!

Looking for a gift - for a friend?
Looking for a gift - for yourself?
Looking for a good read during a rainy weekend?
Looking for a stash of books for the holidays?

If so - come to the

Friends of the Library Booksale!

Saturday, December 4th

noon - 3 pm

Great books, for children and adults!

A Tribute to Emily Dickinson

It's Emily Dickinson's Birthday! And we're having a celebration of her life and poetry.

Dr. Barbara Mossberg returns, in costume, to share the joy and wonder, sorrow and grief, wild definance and humble grace of one of America's favorite poets.

Please join the celebration

Thursday, December 9th

7 p.m.

There is no frigate like a book

To take us lands away,

Nor any coursers like a page

Of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of toll;

How frugal is the chariot

That bears a human soul!

Wanted: Chautauqua Annual Assembly Programs

As most Pagrovians know, the summer Chautauqua assemblies were a vital part of PG's history.

In response to a reference question, we've discovered that the Library has only one original program from these historic events: for the year 1914.

A quick search shows that the Heritage Society has five other programs (1879, 1895, 1898, 1912, 1923). Monterey Public Library has an 1890 program. And the Hopkins Marine Station has the 1892 program.

But that leaves many unaccounted for. If by chance you happen upon a pamphlet for The Pacific Coast Assembly or Summer School of Science or Chautauqua Assembly, please consider making a gift of it to the Library.

We promise to take good care of it, housing it in an archival sleeve, and keeping it in our Local History file cabinets that have recently had locks added, to safeguard items of local interest for future Pagrovians.

Meanwhile, our reference staff will make copies of any programs we can find. And eventually we would like to make digital copies available on the Library's website.

"Chautauqua - an assembly for education and entertainment of adults by lectures, concerts and other cultural activities."

New Color Copy Machine!

There's a new

C-O-L-O-R C-O-P-I-E-R

at the Library!

In response to your requests,

(and because the old machine was worn out),

we have a new photocopy machine.

Black & white copies - 15 cents/page

Color copies - 25 cents/page

It's the latest and the greatest.

Come try it out!

Exhibit on Monarch Alert

Have you ever found a tiny tag on a Monarch Butterfly? If so, you've witnessed the Monarch Alert Program in action.

As every Pagrovian knows, Monarch Butterflies overwinter in California, and PG is one of their favorite destinations. The population of western monarchs fluctuate from year to year, but it can exceed 100,000!

Monarch Alert is dedicated to tracking the population fluctuations in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Their volunteers place tags on the underside of monarch wings.

These tags allow researchers to individually identify butterflies that are later re-sighted. Re-sighting information provides data on movement between overwintering sites, persistence at individual sites, population estimates per site, and migration patterns in spring.

If you locate a tagged monarch, please report the details about your sighting to Monarch Alert. Call toll free at 1-877-897-7740. For more information about this fascinating program:

• Come see Monarch Alert's exhibit at the Library this month.
• Visit Monarch Alert's website.
• Follow the Monarch Alert report in the Cedar Street Times.

1st Saturday Book Sale!

November's Book Sale promises to be one of the biggest and best yet!

The Library has been receiving boxes and boxes of donations, so selection in all subject areas promises to be superb.

A few special sets will be featured:

The Works of Mark Twain (25 volumes, 100 years old, excellent condition);

The Library of the Presidents (82 leather bound volumes with gold-leaf edging, prisitine condition, originally priced at over $6,500);

The Miniature Shakespeare Library(12 volumes, pristine condition).

Don't Miss It!
Saturday, November 6th
noon - 3 p.m.

Local Election Results

Although Measure Q received a clear majority of votes in yesterday's election, it did not get the two-thirds majority required by California law to pass. The official results, as posted on the Monterey County Elections Department website, are:

Measure Q Vote Count
YES -- 2,827 votes -- 61.15%
NO -- 1,796 votes -- 38.85%
Total--4,623votes--100.00%

What does that mean for the future of the Library? Library operations are budgeted through June 30, 2011. After that, it will depend on how the City Council allocates next fiscal year's budget.

5 incumbents were re-elected to the City Council.

Carmelita Garcia was re-elected as Mayor, with 3,503 votes (100%).

Daniel Miller and Robert Huitt were re-elected to 2 Year (Short Term) City Council seats, with 2,768 votes (50.24%) and 2,742 votes (49.76%)respectively.

And Alan Cohen, Ken Cuneo and Rudy Fischer were elected to 4 year (Full Term) Council seats, with 2,546 votes (27.56%), 2,557 votes (27.68%), and 2,209 votes (23.91%) respectively.

Councilman Bill Kampe has 2 years remaining in his term.

Election Day

VOTE

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Read about the candidates & issues,

and find your polling place,

at the League of Women Voters'

Smart Voter website.

Voter pamphlets & polling place information

are also available at the Library.

Follow election results online

at Monterey County Elections Department

How Libraries Stack Up: 2010

In the United States of America:

• More than 12,000 public libraries - including PGPL - provide free wireless Internet access.
• Library cards are almost as prevalent as credit cards.
• Every day, Americans borrow 2.1 million DVDs from libraries. (Pagrovians love our library's DVD collection!)
• Every day, U.S. public libraries circulate as many materials as FedEx ships packages around the world! (Last fiscal year, even with our shortened hours, PGPL checked out more than 200,000 items to our patrons!)

Click here for more fun facts about libraries.

(This information was complied by OCLC, a nonprofit library corporation.)

1000 Librarians in Monterey!

If you've been by the Monterey Conference Center this week, you may have noticed hundreds of people sporting chartreuse bags emblazoned with Internet Librarian 2010. This annual conference is an amazing opportunity to meet and learn from some of the brightest information professionals, who are using technologies in creative and exciting ways for the benefit of library users like you.

After three days of presentations, my mind is swimming with ideas and inspiration. There are so many programs and services our staff would love to develop and share with you: cool websites; more reading recommendations; digital collections on PG's history; more use of social media; and all sorts of programs to educate, entertain and inspire!

We confess, it's happening more s-l-o-w-l-y than we would like, (due to limited staffing and resources), but it is happening. Plans for some new equipment and services are in the works.... and now we have even more ideas! Stayed tuned...

Magazine In the Spotlight

Did you know Scientific American publishes a spin-off magazine called: Scientific American Mind?

Well, they do. And the Pacific Grove Library subscribes to it.

During the past decade, the amount of research (and reference questions) about the brain has increased exponentially. Our collection contains numerous wonderful books on the subject. But in response to your requests, you can now find a copy of this magazine in our Reading Room.

In addition to regular columns like: Head Lines; Illusions; Facts & Fictions in Mental Health; We're Only Human; Ask the Brains; every issue has feature articles on a current research of interest to the general public.

Check it Out. Your Mind will thank you!

26th Annual Haunted House

Save the Date!

The Pacific Grove Library

presents

the 26th Annual

Haunted House!

Thursday, October 28th

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Recommended ages: 4 and up

$2.00 donation at the door
Come in costume - get a treat!

Gorgeous Gourds

October means Indian Summer in PG. But it also conjures up images of autumn leaves, staffs of wheat, bushels of apples, pumpkins and gourds.

We're all familiar with jack-o-lanterns. But the tradition of carving gourds extends far back in time and across cultures - when gourds were used as bowls, bottles, musical instruments, masks, and even national currency.

This month, our exhibit cases feature Gorgeous Gourds from Africa, Mexico and the United States' Southwest, as well as some decorated by local artists. Melissa Pickford has put together an exquisite exhibit that delights and inspires.

The PG Library owns two titles specifically on Gourd Crafts: The Complete Book of Gourd Carving by Jim Widess, and Bonnie Gibson's Gourds: Southwest Gourd Techniques & Projects from Simple to Sophisticated.

Check it out!

Celebrate the Right to Read

Banned Books Week has come and gone. But our Banned Books Display will remain up for the rest of this month. We think it's important to remember what can happen when communities stop celebrating their right to read.

Of course, at the Pacific Grove Public Library, reading is continually celebrated: in our 100 year old Reading Room where adults are absorbed in the latest issues of magazines and newspapers; during story times in the Children's Room; at special events like our Meet the Author series; and wherever someone is sitting at a table or study carrel.

Banning books is not a thing of the past. Every year old and new titles - some as non-threatening as the dictionary - are challenged. Frequently banned books include those on this list from The American Library Association. But there are some surprises too, such as some of those listed in this article by Pam Gaulin of the Associated News.

Next year, during Banned Books Week, we'd like to host a Banned Book Reading - where you can read a page or two from your favorite banned book. Meanwhile, celebrate your right to read whatever you want. Stop by and pick up a book of your choice.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. Banned Books Week is also endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.

The Library was humming with inspiration and laughter last night as Dr Barbara Mossberg entranced the audience with her presentation, The Power of the Butterfly: How Books Have Changed the World.

Her talk wove poetry with history, physics, civil rights, "earth rights," personal anecdote, and fascinating facts about John Muir, Henry Thoreau, Abraham Lincoln, and Emily Dickinson to create a rich tapestry - of creative thought - for reflection and as a springboard to action.

Numerous attendees commented on their desire to hear more from PG's Poet in Residence. And we're delighted to report that she is already scheduled to celebrate Emily Dickinson's birthday with us on Friday, December 10th (in costume and gingerbread made from Emily's recipe).

You won't want to miss it. So Save the Date

December 10th

at the PG Library

with PG's Poet in Residence

"How Books Have Changed the World!"

Please join us in welcoming Pacific Grove's new Poet in Residence,

Dr. Barbara Mossberg

Thursday, October 7th

at 7 p.m.

Dr. Mossberg will speak on "The Power of the Butterfly: How Books Have Changed the World." The evening promises to be a lively literary adventure as she looks at civic, cultural, and spiritual icons such as Jefferson, Lincoln,Twain, Thoreau, King and Gandhi to illustrate the profound importance of books - and libraries - to us all.

This program is sponsored by

The Friends of the Pacific Grove Public Library.

Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

For more information about Dr. Mossberg, visit her website, It's time to slow down for poetry!

Measure Q Debate Tonight!

The League of Women Voters will moderate a public debate on Measure Q - a designated parcel tax for the Pacific Grove Public Library - tonight at 7 p.m.

Come hear both sides of the issue!

Public Debate

Measure Q

Tuesday, October 5th

7 p.m.

Pacific Grove Community Center

515 Junipero Avenue

There is no cost to the public.

This debate is sponsored by the Cedar Street Times.

It's All Happening @ the Library!

The Big Read

Chautauqua Days

Heritage Home Tour

Poet-in-Residence

The Library has a week full of inspirational and entertaining activites planned for you.

Thursday, September 30th, 7 pm: Mark Twain on the Mississippi performed by actor and storyteller, Taelen Thomas.

Saturday, October 2nd, 2 pm: Big Bad Bruce, a puppet show by "Images in Motion."

Saturday, October 2nd, 7 pm: Fortune's Way, or Notes on Art for Catholics (And Others), a play by local playwright, Steve Hauk. (Admission $15 at the door.)

Sunday, October 3rd, 1-3 pm: The Library will be open as part of the Pacific Grove Heritage Society's Historic Home Tour. Come view the old Carnegie Library and bid on six historic paintings donated by the Heritage Society to benefit the Library.

Thursday, October 7th, 7 pm: Meet PG's new Poet-in-Residence, Barbara Mossberg, and listen to her talk about "How Books Have Changed the World."

Please join us for one or all of these special events!

Attention Art Lovers

There's a Silent Art Auction Happening at the Library!

Six pieces of original art work are on display and available to the highest bidder. Artists represented include Howard Landaker, (who painted the mural in the Library's Children's Room); his wife and fellow painter Mabel Landaker; watercolorist Roni Cumming; and Brian Norkaitis.
The Heritage Society is making these works available to the public, as part of the 41st Annual Historic Home Tour. Each piece has been evaluated by Steve Hauk, of Hauk Fine Arts. And all proceeds will benefit the Library.
So come by, take a look, read the background information, and bid on your favorite piece!
The silent auction will continue through the final day of Chautauqua Days, October 3rd.

Mark Twain @ the Library!

Come join us, September 30th, at 7 pm

to welcome

Mark Twain

Twain, portrayed by Taelen Thomas, will take us back to banks of the Mississippi... and regale us with stories and a re-enactment of a scene from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

This performance is part of THE BIG READ, sponsored by the National Endowment of the Arts, in partnership with The Institute of Library and Museum Services. Locally, THE BIG READ is being administered by the Carmel Ideas Foundation.

In conjunction with the event, there is currently a selection of books by and about Twain for your enjoyment. Stop by and check out some Twain!

Magazines - Old & New Titles

There was an interesting article about Consumer Reports in the San Francisco Chronicle recently. In this age of advertising and social media, where money and personal opinion can garner good reviews, Consumer Reports stands steady as one of the few nonprofit advocacy groups, which scientifically tests products large and small - from potato chips to SUVs.

For 74 years, the Consumers Union has been testing products, challenging claims, and publishing the results for the benefit of us all.

We're not sure if the Library has subscribed to the magazine all those years, but it has been in our periodical collection as long as any staff person can remember. We keep 5 years on the index table, (across from the public access computer). And this month we've added something new: Consumer Reports on Health. Get expert, unbiased, fact-based, health information from a trusted source: Consumer Reports - at your Library.

Have You Seen?.... Yes!

Some of our regular readers may recall we received a query in July, asking about the whereabouts of the following quote.

The person was sure it was in PG. But we were unable to locate it. Then lo and behold, Michael Reynolds, (who happens to be on the Library's Advisory Board), discovered the sign at ....

Don's Snack Bar.......

.....in Monterey!

Question answered!
Mystery solved!

Thank you, Michael!

Thank You, Brad!

All the seats were full Thursday evening, when Brad Herzog regaled us with stories from his travels around the United States.

It was one of those golden Pacific Grove evenings: local boy back home, after a journey hither and yon, welcomed back by friends and admirers. Brad held everyone's attention, as he told us about "heroes" he met - people who were more unique and inspiring "than anything I could have ever made up."

Laughter, sighs, and nodding heads punctuated his talk, which was followed by Q&A . Afterwards, a long queue formed for Brad to sign his books.

Everyone who attended agreed, it was a wonderful evening at the PG Library.

Meet the Author: Brad Herzog

Thursday

September 2nd, 7 p.m.

After a summer-long national book tour, Brad Herzog is back home in Pacific Grove. And he's coming to the Library to tell us about his new book and adventures on the road.

Brad has described his latest book, Turn Left at the Trojan Horse, ".... as the memoir of an Everyman searching for the hero within himself." It is part travelogue, part biography - interspersed with philosophical musings.

He promises "a good show -- telling stories, reading, Q&A about my book and the writing life." And he is generously donating all profits on the sale of his books to the PG Library!

So please join the Friends of the Library this Thursday evening: to welcome Brad home;listen to his stories; support the Library; and enjoy a good show.

Click here for more information about Brad & his books.

Database Highlight: Novelist

Are you looking for a list of all the books in a series?

Would you like to find another book like that great mystery you just finished?

Does your Book Club need some background information on what you're reading?

The Reference Staff is always happy to help you answer these questions. But what can you do when the Library is closed?

Check-out NoveList. It's one of our most popular databases. And it just got a facelift, so it's easier to use, has more options, and is much more colorful - with all the latest bookcovers.

Anyone can use NoveList in the Library. And if you have a current PG Library Card, you can log on to it from home, any hour of the day or night. So take a look and find a good read. (Go to our Databases page, scroll down to NoveList, and login with your library card #.)

FYI, NoveList also has a version for children: NoveList K-8.

The Library subscribes to more than 20 databases. And most of them can be accessed from home, with a current PG Library Card. To see a complete list of our databases, click here.

Book Sale Success!

How much money does the Library make at the monthly Book Sale?

A lot!

The chart below shows exactly how much has been raised during the last 2 years.
If you can't read the print, the total is $10,137!

That's due almost entirely to the hard work of two library volunteers, Gary & Frances Spradlin. Month after month, they make this happen.

So come by the Library tomorrow to find a good read... We'd love to top our monthly record of $636 in sales!

City Slogans, 1930-Present

Recently we received a question about Pacific Grove's city slogan. Some know P.G. as "The Last Home Town." Others refer to our town as "Butterfly Town U.S.A."

While searching through the Polk City Directories, we discovered that the city slogan throughout the 1930s was listed as the "City of Smiles." In the 1940s and 1950s it was known as the "City of Homes." And in the 1960s it became known as "Butterfly Town U.S.A." In 1978 the Friends of the Grove (FOG) coined the phrase"The Last Home Town" for bumper stickers used to protest the building of the Pacific Grove Plaza complex on Lighthouse Avenue. The phrase resonated with Pagrovians and continues to be widely used.

Which slogan do you think best fits Pacific Grove? Or have you thought of one that better expresses the most wonderful and unique aspects of our town?

Local Authors for Libraries!

Today's Book Fair at the Barnyard was a huge success! 60 authors were scattered around the gardens: their presentations and book displays as colorful as the surrounding flowers.
Pagrovians were in full force. Everywhere you turned someone was wearing an "I Love PG Library" button. One Friend was wearing 4!

Several Pacific Grove Library Supporters were lending a hand selling raffle tickets.Other Pagrovians were on hand to sell their wares.

Diane Grindol's table featured her delightful Haiku poem collections: Dogku, Haiku, Catku.

Patrick Flanigan was busy at his table selling When Sunflowers Speak.

Walter Gourlay represented authors in Monterey Shorts and Monterey Shorts II.There were thought-provoking and humourous presentions. Belle Yang spoke on her creative process and journey.

Elliott Ruchowitz-Roberts shared a "library" poem by Billy Collins: Marginalia.
And Patrice Vecchion put out a call for a collaborative poem by the Monterey Peninsula: Why I Love Libraries. To send her your contribution visit her website.

A huge round of applause to the Local Authors Live! Committee for a wonderful afternoon. Thank you Phil Bowhay, Dick Burns, Patricia Hamilton, Michael Hemp, Flo Snyder, and May Waldroup.

And Thank you authors. Thank you library volunteers.Thank you to all who came. (For those of you who missed it, I have a feeling it will be happening again next year!)

Local Authors Live!

50 Authors from Monterey County will gather at the beautiful Barnyard Shopping Center Saturday, July 24th to celebrate story, memoir, poetry, illustration and song.

There are truly books for every interest: Biography, Business, Children, Cooking, Design, Education, Essay, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Health, History, Photography, Poetry, Politics, Reference, Science Fiction, Self-Help, Short Stories, Sports, and Sustainable Living.

In addition to over 30 tables, hosted by authors and heaped with books, there's a Raffle, Merchant Specials, and special presentations:

1-2 p.m. KSBW's Dan Green, Emcee,

"Celebrity Author Roast" Special Guest Belle Yang

12 & 2-4 p.m. Sidesaddle & Co.

12:30-12:50 p.m. Bay Belles

2-2:30 p.m. Patrice Vecchione & Friends

Proceeds will be equally distributed to benefit LIBRARIES in Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey, Pacific Grove and Seaside. So come join the celebration!

Some of the familiar faces you'll see from around the Library and P.G. include: Cheryl Block, Phil Bowhay, Susan Cantrell, Dan Cort, Cynthia Fels, Patrick Flanigan, Laurie Gibson, Walter Gourlay, Diane Grindol, Patricia Hamilton, Linda Johnston, Samuel Kier, Bill Minor, Bob Muson, Flo Snyder, and Kerry Wood.

Have You Seen....? Update

After checking our sources in the Library, talking to several Pagrovians, posting the question on this blog and the Library's Facebook page, we have been unable to locate the whereabouts of a quote something thought was inscribed on a building in P.G.

We had a promising lead to a location by Lake El Estero in Monterey... but to no avail. Our source double-checked and discovered it was no longer there. So this remains an unanswered question. If you come across it, let us know. Meanwhile we leave you with this poem by Basho, discovered on a small plaque alongside Lake El Estero.

Awake! the sky is light!

Let us to the road

Again...

Furry caterpillar

Shall we meet again

Here at your flowering

Grave...

Two white butterflies?

Feast of Lanterns Royal Court Visits the Library

The Royal Court of the 2010 Feast of Lanterns

will visit the Library

Wednesday, July 21st

11:15 am.

Come meet and collect trading cards from:

Jenna Hively, Queen Topaz

Lindsey Morgan, Princess Ruby

Celeste Torres, Princess Amethyst

Jennifer Winter, Princess Garnet

Courtney Lyon, Princess Turquoise

Allison Naylor, Princess Citrine

Lauren Thuesen, Princess Pearl

Katy Ohsiek, Princess Sapphire

If you're curious who else has been on the Royal Court, click here for a list of Pagrovian royalty from 1935-2010.

If You Liked The Help....

Without a doubt, The Help by Kathryn Stockett has been one of the most popular books of the year. Every week someone asks if there anything else like it.

It's such a great read, it's difficult to find something "just like it." But the following titles have all been noted for their story and style, and most of them are set in the South.

If you have other favorites you would like to add to the list, please let us know!

Berg, Elizabeth We are All Welcome Here
Briscoe, Connie A Long Way from Home
Fairbairn, Ann Five Smooth Stones
Flagg, Fannie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Gaines, Ernest J. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Hoffman, Beth Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
Jordan, Hillary Mudbound
Kidd, Sue Monk The Secret Life of Bees
Lee, Harper To Kill a Mockingbird
Lent, Jeffrey In the Fall
McCullers, Carson The Member of the Wedding
Morrison, Toni Sula
Naslund, Sena Jeter Four Spirits
Neilson, Melany The Persia Cafe
Nicholas, Denise Freshwater Road
Walker, Alice The Color Purple

Special Evening Summer Reading Program

It's a "Splish-Splashing Singalong"

with Greta Pedersen Wednesday, July 14th

7 pm

Splish Splash with your favorite storybook characters,

imagine Slimy Mud,

create the sounds of rain storms,

and more.

Greta's lively and interactive program includes songs, sign language, and percussion instruments, plus ideas on how to create your own water-inspired instruments!

Fun for all ages!

New Database - Career Transitions

Are you, or someone you know, looking for a job?

If so, the Library has a new database for you.

has been designed to help job seekers:

• Discover Occupational Interests
• Explore Career Paths
• Prepare Resumes
• Find Educational Opportunities (to enhance job skills)
• Find Jobs

Career Transitions is a database freely available, for anyone to use at the Library. Pacific Grove Public Library cardholders may also access it from home. To do so: visit the Library website, click on Databases, Jobs, then Career Transitions. (You will need to enter your library card number and PIN.)

For more information, click here. Or stop by the Reference Desk, pick up a brochure, and log on.

Poetry on the Playa

Come spend a special summer evening,

listening to and writing poetry,with

Patrice Vecchione

The evening will begin with a poetry recitation at Lovers Point, followed by a writing workshop at the Library.

Thursday, July 8th

6-9 pm

(meet at the Library)

$25 per person (all proceeds go to the Pacific Grove Library Book Fund)

Summer Reading Club Program

Local author, Linda Johnston,

joins us

to read her book

My Day with Dad

Wednesday, July 7th at 2 pm

Reminder: Pre-school Storytime continues all summer long, Wednesdays at 11:15 am.

Have You Seen...?

Where in PG is the following quote inscribed:
A man never stands so tall as when he leans over to help a child.

The patron attributed the quote to Abraham Lincoln, but variants of the phrase abound.

We're checked our tried and true sources, but no one has been able to pinpoint the whereabout of this quote to confirm it is inscribed on a building, bench or plaque in PG.

If you've seen this quote around town, please let us know!