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!

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.

Best Books of 2008

Looking for the perfect gift? Or something to read over the holidays? This list of the top 100 2008 books is from the NY Times.

NOTE: get ready for the upcoming Silicon Valley Reads 2009 programs in Palo Alto by reading Not a Genuine Black Man before the author speaks on January 28, 2009 at Palo Alto High School's Haymarket Theater. Look for more information in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the holiday season!