Carl Winters, Kalimba King: Coming in Jan. '08

Carl Winters: Kalimba King
Tuesday, Jan. 22, @ 5pm in the community room

All ages are invited to enjoy this one-of-a-kind musical performance by Carl Winters, master of the African kalimba (aka thumb piano). Explore the historical and cultural roots of this interesting instrument as the Kalimba King performs and invites the audience to participate! Find out more about Carl Winters at his website: Kalimba King

10 Years of Books for Little Hands!

Congratulations to San Jose Public Library's Books for Little Hands program on 10 years of excellent service to the youngest members of our community! Books for Little Hands is SJPL's outreach program that fosters early literacy by connecting educators and childcare providers with books, classroom kits, workshops, and other resources to use in the classroom or at daycare for children ages 0-5. Teachers and care providers can visit any SJPL branch, including West Valley, to check out these special materials. Last year alone, 8,328 children in San Jose were served by this program! Check out the Books for Little Hands website for more information.

West Valley library has got a book club!

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls ... our library has undertaken the task of starting-up a new book club and we have high hopes for the future of this literary endeavor. Upon receiving periodic suggestions for the formation of such a group and encountering a small but committed group of library goers and their friends, we have put together a reading club scheduled to begin with the first meeting on January 9th of the new year (2008!) at 6:30pm. And, yes, thank you for asking, we have picked a title to discuss that evening. The inaugural title for the book club will be Snow Mountain Passage by James Houston, a local author from Santa Cruz whose novel is a fictionalized account of the infamous Donner Party. All are welcome and we hope to have a list of future book club selections in the next couple of months for those of you who like to plan ahead. Please help us make this local literary gathering a success and we hope to see you there!

Holiday Season at West Valley Library

It's December! Take some time out from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and spend some time at the West Valley Branch Library! Here are some of our programs going on this month.

Improv Workshop for Youth
Sat. Dec. 1st at 2pm
Please join us for this fun and engaging workshop for children and teens, ages 7 and up. Learn improvisation skills and play fun theater games. This workshop will be led by the Willow Glen Children's Theatre!

Design Some Holiday Gift Wrap or Card
Sat. Dec. 8 at 2pm
Get a head start on your holiday wrapping by joining us for a free holiday craft program. We will be using items around the house or yard to design some unique gift wrap. All materials will be provided by the library. This program is geared for children 5 and up. Please wear old clothes since painting can be messy.
This event takes place in the Community Room.

Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature Discussion Series, Session 5
Sun. Dec. 9 at 2pm
Join us for a lecture and discussion of Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen. This is the last of a five-part book discussion series: Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature - Identity and Imagination. Participants of all backgrounds are invited to explore the theme “Neighbors: The World Next Door” through the reading and discussion of works of contemporary and classic Jewish literature.

Anime & Manga Club for Teens
Fri. Dec. 14 at 4pm
Do you love all things anime and manga? West Valley Branch Library has a new anime and manga club for teens ages 12-18, and we want YOU to join! Watch anime episodes, discuss manga series, try some Japanese snacks, meet new friends, and have fun!

teensReach Meeting
Thurs. Dec. 20 at 4pm
teensReach is our advisory and volunteer group for teens ages 13-18. We meet every third Thursday of the month. Earn volunteer hours, share your ideas, make a difference in your community, and have fun! Please join us at the next meeting!

Game On! Gaming Party for Teens
Thurs. Dec. 27 at 4pm
Teens, join us for our monthly gaming party! Enjoy some snacks and try out some fun new multi-player video games or board games. For ages 12-18.

Reminder: We will be closed Dec. 23-25 (Sun.-Tues) and Dec. 30-Jan. 1 (Sun.-Tues.) for the holidays. Also, all story times will take a break between Dec. 16-Jan. 6th. Happy Holidays!

*NEW* Anime and Manga Club

Anime and Manga Club for Teens
Thursday, Nov. 8 at 4pm

Have you read nearly all the manga we have in the library? Do you sketch characters all over your notebook? Love watching anime episodes and movies?
West Valley Branch Library is starting a new anime and manga club for teens ages 12-18, and we want YOU to join!
Come to our first meeting to help us decide on a name, and submit your sketches or ideas for our logo! We’ll be watching brand new anime trailers and episodes, and we’ll share our favorite manga series. Try some tasty Japanese snacks, meet new friends, and enjoy all things anime and manga! We'll be meeting in the community room.

Edenvale Branch opens tomorrow!

San Jose Public Library has a brand new branch library opening tomorrow! Check it out!

Grand Opening Celebration - New Edenvale Library
Free community celebration, featuring a ceremonial ribbon cutting, entertainment and children's activities. Immediately following the brief dedication ceremony, residents will be able to obtain library cards and enjoy full use of the new Edenvale Branch Library. The Dedication Ceremony begins at 11:00 AM, at the new Edenvale Library, 101 Branham Lane East.

Fall is here, and so are the programs!

Fall is here! We have lots of great events going on here at West Valley this month. Check the calendar for our complete listing of upcoming programs, or be sure to take a monthly calendar the next time you visit! Here are some highlights for these coming weeks:

West Valley's 3rd Annual Bookmark Contest for Children
Oct. 1-31, all month long
In honor of Children's Book Week, help the library encourage everyone to spend time each day with a favorite book by designing an original bookmark promoting books and reading. Children in grades K through 8 are invited to submit their entries to the West Valley Library by October 31st, 2007. One winner will be chosen for each grade level. Winning bookmarks will be printed and distributed at the library during Children's Book Week (Nov. 12 -18th) Everyone is welcome to attend our special presentation program that honors our winners on Tuesday, November 13th at 6:30pm.

Parenting Through Nature
October 13, Saturday, 2pm
Storyteller Wendolyn Bird will lead a workshop for parents about using nature to inspire and educate kids.

Glue and Go Costumes for Kids
October 16, Tuesday, 7pm
Holly Cleeland, author of Glue and Go Costumes for Kids, will demonstrate how to make great costumes out of household materials! Holly Cleeland has made television appearances, including HGTV and the Rachael Ray show.

teensReach Meeting & Teen Read Week Celebration
October 18, Thursday, 4pm
teensReach is our advisory and volunteer group for teens ages 13-18. We meet every 3rd Thursday of the month. Earn volunteer hours, share your ideas, make a difference in your community, and have fun! Please join us at the next meeting! We will also be celebrating national Teen Read Week with food, fun activities, and Nintendo Wii!

Get Crafty!: Teen Craft Activity
Thursday, October 25, 4pm
Teens and tweens, join us for a fun craft activity! We will be making cool crafts to celebrate Halloween and Día de Los Muertos. Decorate a skull or make tissue paper flowers! For ages 10-18.

Game On! Gaming Party for Teens
Friday, October 26, 3:30pm
Teens, join us for our monthly gaming party! Show us your Nintendo Wii skills on a huge projected screen. Enjoy some snacks and try out some fun new multi-player video games or board games. For ages 12-18