Legos in the Library!

If you were in the Library Wednesday afternoon, you probably noticed a lot of activity in the Children's Room. Senior (& Children's) Librarian, Lisa Maddalena, hosted the Library's first Lego Show & Tell event.
It was a HUGE success. Although it was primarily promoted in Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms, boys and girls of all ages came to share their favorite lego creations....

....and look at what others created.

The response was so enthusiastic, that Lisa is considering making it an annual event, and expanding it into an event for kids of all ages. (Yes, even older "kids" with gray hair!)

Tax Forms

Did you know that the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board have stopped mailing individual tax packages to tax payers? Yes, it's true. It is part of their effort to encourage everyone to file electronically.

However, we know that not everyone likes to file electronically. So the Library continues to offer tax forms to the public. You can pick up forms whenever the Library is open. We stock the basic forms:

IRS: 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, Schedules A, B, C, D, D-1, EIC, & SE

FTB: 540 & 540A, 540 EZ, 540 NR

If there are any other forms you need, we can print them for you (15 cents/page) or you can visit the websites and print them yourself:

http://www.irs.gov/

http://ftb.ca.gov/forms/search/index.aspx

Friends of the Library Annual Meeting - Part 2

Ideas. Ideas.Ideas.

During the Friends of the Library Annual Meeting, the room was bursting with participants' dreams for the Library.
During a "Conversation Cafe", facilitated by Elin Kelsey, Pagrovians let their imaginations spill out on paper.
Writing Workshops. Tech Lab. Tool Lending. Satellite Center for Olli at CSUMB. A 2nd story! Open during the Farmer's Market. Book Clubs. Teen Center. Movie Night. Miniature Golf in the Library!

Annual brochure sent to all residents every year. Live Music. A PG Speakers Bureau. New Website. More Ebooks. More databases. MORE MAGAZINES! Restore the interior of the Carnegie Library Reading Room. More Hours: open at least 5 days a week.

You took the theme of Refresh! to heart. And it's all down on paper. Only a few ideas are captured here... A full report is being compiled by the Friends, and will be available soon. Stay tuned.

Friends of the Library Annual Meeting

On Saturday, the Friends of the Library held their Annual Meeting, and it was a wonderful event!

Judy Archibald, the President of the Friends, offered a warm welcome. Dick Grimmer gave an encouraging Treasurer's Report. Six terrific new Board members were nominated and elected to join the existing splendid Board Members. And that was just in the first fifteen minutes!

Next, Judy announced the Friend's receipt of a bequest by Pagrovian, Erna Morris. A $100,000 check was presented to the Friends, with a promise that another $250,000 would be forthcoming in February.

In keeping with Erna's wishes and to help ensure the future of the Pacific Grove Public Library, the Friends' Board announced their decision to establish a PG Library Foundation for long-term fundraising!

Speaking on behalf of the City, Mayor Garcia expressed her appreciation for the Friends and the new Foundation. And she shared that the City supports the Library 100%. And this was only the half-way point of the meeting!

Next Senior Librarian, Lisa Maddalena, gave a brief presentation, Refresh! A Plan for Renewal for the Pacific Grove Public Library. With images and examples from other libraries, she highlighted some of the staff's ideas for revitalizing the Library.

Then for the next 45 minutes, attendees gathered around tables and brainstormed about their dreams and ideas for the Library. The room was bursting with ideas!

It truly was wonderful. And yet another testament to the fact that Pagrovians love their Library. (And have some really good ideas for its future. Some of which will be shared in the next blog post!)

The King's Speech

Is the movie, The King's Speech historically accurate?
That's one of the questions we received at the Reference Desk this week.

We thought others might be interested... So having read several articles and a few blog posts, we refer you to an article in The Telegraph. "How the King Found His Voice." Historian Andrew Roberts offers a decidely British slant on the film, but he does clarify what was exaggerated, which characters were not present at the speech in real life, and why Wallis Simpson was not depicted as positively as in American productions. The Telegraph offers links to several other articles on the topic, so if you're interested,

click away!

Friends of the Library Annual Meeting

This Saturday the Friends of the Library is having their annual meeting, and everyone is welcome!

After a short business meeting, Elin Kelsey will facilitate a discussion of what Pagrovians would like the PG Library to be. The Mayor will say a few words about the Council's vision for the Library. Our Senior Librarian, Lisa Maddalena, will present some ideas the staff would love to develop. And then the floor is yours.

Do you want more E-books at the Library? Would you like more programs offered for your education and enjoyment? Do you think the Library facility could use some refurbishing?

Join us

Saturday, January 15th

2-4 pm

and share your ideas & inspiration.

Exhibit Features South Seas

This month our display cases feature a special part of the Library's collection: artifacts from the personal collection of Alvin Seale (1871-1958). Come in and view the beautiful head dresses made from coral, and ceremonial strings of sea shells and seeds.

Alvin Seale was a famous ichthyologist, well known as an authority on the fishes of Polynesia. He also gained recognition for his work as an aquarium designer. During his career, he worked as a curator for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, headed an expedition to Alaska for the University of California, designed the aquarium for Manila, and assisted in the planning and administration of the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco.

Seale gifted these artifacts to the Library in 1936, in memory of his wife, Ethel Prouty.