We're Moving!

This is the final post in the PACL Reference and Resources blog.

The Palo Alto City Library will now be offering the new, free, online BookLetters service in its place.

This PACL Reference and Resources blog will be replaced by “What's Going On at the Library”, our library enewsletter especially for adults.

The adventure isn’t over, just changing!

Tomorrow, February 13, 2009, e-mail subscribers will receive an e-mail invitation to our new BookLetters service. As current subscribers to this blog, e-mail subscribers will be automatically subscribed to its new version, “What's Going On at the Library.” You won’t have to do a thing to stay with us. If you’d prefer to unsubscribe, you can easily do so from a link at the bottom of the email you receive.

RSS feed subscribers can sign up for RSS feeds right from our BookLetters RSS page.

While you can subscribe to the “What's Going On @ the Library” enewsletter for adults, you’ll also have even more enewsletter options available for your subscription or simply for viewing from our website. Want to find out about the kind of books YOU like, whether they’re mysteries, science and nature titles, or science fiction & fantasy? Want to find books and library events for children or teens? With BookLetters, you’ll get to choose from a wide range of more than 20 free online newsletters and customized booklists geared to your particular interests.

Here are just a few examples of the treats in store for you:

• check out bestseller and award lists


• find fabulous book club choices


• get a sneak preview of upcoming titles


• see which books have been showcased on television and radio


• listen to audiobook clips

BookLetters enewsletters make it easy for you to get your hands on the books you want through links directly into the Palo Alto City Library catalog.

Discover great new reads, keep up with exciting library programs, and learn about useful library resources through our regularly updated BookLetters sent to you by e-mail or RSS feed. Seize this opportunity to get even more from your library experience.

Thank you for following the PACL Reference and Resources blog!
Join us tomorrow at “What’s Going On @ the Library” and the full Palo Alto City Library BookLetters service!

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookglutton/1287984118/ (Flickr Creative Commons)

Local stories, local history

Join us for another two free events in the Palo Alto City Library's Silicon Valley Reads 2009 Program. These two events focus on the history of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto as local residents share their experiences.

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A Place to Call Home

Conversations and personal stories about what it was like making a home in East Palo Alto following World War II. Join historian Steve Staiger and local residents Erma Moore, Larry Bailey and Jimmie Lee as they share their stories.

Friday, February 13

7 pm

Main Library, 1213 Newell Rd.

FREE and open to the public

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Entwined Heritage:

University AME Zion Church & Palo Alto

The University African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was founded in 1918 by Palo Alto’s African-American families. It was the first African-American church between San Mateo and San Jose. The public is invited to come hear about the compelling history of the church and its community.

Sunday, February 22

3 pm

Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd.

FREE and open to the public

The Black History Show

The community-wide celebration of Silicon Valley Reads 2009 at the Palo Alto City Library continues with the next in our series of free events:

The Black History Show

with Tabia, African-American Theatre Ensemble

• date: Saturday, February 7
• time: 7 pm
• location: Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Rd.
• FREE and open to the public

The Black History Show entertains and educates through dance, singing, and spoken word featuring the contributions and culture of African Americans. The show is fun for the entire family.

Tabia African-American Theatre Ensemble is based in San Jose and is in its twentieth season of performances in the Bay Area. Tabia produces stage productions and performs as a traveling troupe, taking the Black History Show to schools, festivals, corporations, churches, and conferences throughout California.

The Friends of the Palo Alto Library has generously provided funding for the program.

Silicon Valley Reads is a Santa Clara county-wide program promoting reading and literacy, and building a sense of community through discussion among widely diverse readers.

Would you like to receive an e-mail reminder about this event?

Our library event calendar can do that!

Click on "Remind Me" for The Black History Show.

You can even download this event to a calendar, email this event to a friend, or ask to be notified about similar events!

cancelled: An Evening with Brian Copeland

An Evening with Brian Copeland on Wednesday, January 28, has been cancelled due to illness.

The Palo Alto City Library will reschedule this event if possible.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Read-Alikes

Have you had an opportunity yet to join the community by reading this year's Silicon Valley Reads book: Brian Copeland's Not A Genuine Black Man?

Would you like to explore other books that are similar to Not A Genuine Black Man?

Well, you're in luck because the staff at the Palo Alto City Library has put together a display of books with similar themes, also known as "read-alikes." You can browse this display in person at the Main library, or you can visit the booklist online. The online booklist even links right into the library's catalog to connect you with any of the books you find interesting.

After I've read a book that has made an impression upon me, I love to discover similar books. The library is a great place for discovering these "read-alikes." We have many free resources to aid in finding your next good read.

Here are just a few of my favorites, with some ideas about how to use these resources to find "read-alikes" using the example of Not a Genuine Black Man:

If you enjoy browsing through books, explore the print resources available in the Reference collection for use inside the library. Try the "What Do I Read Next?" series, for example. You might browse through What Do I Read Next? Multicultural Literature for expert guidance in identifying other titles or authors of African American Literature, after reading about Brian Copeland's experiences as an African American.

Another wonderful book helps you find nonfiction recommendations: The Real Story: A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interests. After reading Brian Copeland's autobiography, you might use The Real Story to find recommendations for other people's life stories or biographies.

The library also provides access to some great online resources for finding your next book. Check out our "Resources Online," in the library or at home, to get a listing of what's available to you with your library card.

My go-to online resource for finding fiction is Novelist. If you want to find fiction that ties into the themes of Not a Genuine Black Man, you might search for subjects like "Africans-Americans," "race relations," or "prejudice." If you particularly like historical fiction, you could narrow your results to only include those titles. You can find Novelist from the library's website under "Resources Online," listed within the subject "Literature, Reading & Music." Have your library card handy so you can access this powerful tool!

Last, but not least, you can come on in to the library in person and ask a librarian for recommendations. Check the Library Branches webpage for the location and hours of the branch most convenient for you.