Your Personal Genealogist

Central Library is really fortunate to have two great volunteers working in its Genealogy Center on the 4th floor. Both Bernard Marks and John Burke have been generously giving their time for the past year so that the library can offer its popular – and free -- Book a Genealogist service to the public. As volunteers, Mr. Marks and Mr. Burke meet individually with people who are interested in getting a little extra help with their research – both beginners who would like some direction in getting started, and people with genealogy experience who might benefit from suggestions on new research strategies.

By working on his own family’s history for nearly twenty years, Mr. Marks has become passionate about the importance of genealogy and of teaching people to do their own research. He finds that being multilingual helps when working with people who have questions about the spelling of surnames. The ten languages he speaks include Polish, Russian, German, Spanish and Yiddish.

Mr. Burke’s interest in genealogy came from his desire to have a connection with his unknown Irish ancestors – to learn each one’s story. He describes the excitement of finding a long-missing piece of information about an ancestor’s life as “a real rush.” Now Mr. Burke’s goal is to pass along the information he uncovers to his children and grandchildren.

Without the help of these two dedicated volunteers, Central Library could not offer the Book a Genealogist service!

If you’re interested in meeting with one of Central Library’s Book a Genealogist volunteers, please make an appointment by calling the library at 916-264-2920, or visit http://www.saclibrary.org/.

B. Daugherty

Super Bowl Widows Know How To Party!

Central Library just had its Second Annual Super Bowl Widows Party, and it was a blast!

The children enjoyed baby time, played Rock Band on PS2, Mario Kart on Wii, made Valentines and placemats so nice that I just might have to hire those kids to decorate my house.

And what did the adults enjoy, you ask?

Karaoke.

Musicians Life in Song got the party started, interspersing their own music with Karaoke. A mother and daughter team were our first “victims,” but it was the adults who really got into the singing. When it came time to show the movie---the kids voted for Get Smart---the adults informed me that the singing wasn’t over and they had to sing one more song. That one song turned into three. And as they gathered around and sang That’s What Friends Are For, I stared at the group with one thought:

Do these people even have kids, or did they just wander down here from the crowd of adults peering from the first floor railing?

I didn’t find out.

Needless to say, we’re looking into having adult music programs in the future.

Art Programs 4 U @ Central

Thanks to a gift, Central Library is able to present a year-long series of free hands-on art programs for adults beginning this month.

The first program, Working With Clay, is a two-parter. Come and make your clay piece on Saturday, February 14. During the following week it will dry and be fired. Come back on Saturday, February 21 to glaze your work. Registration is required, so sign yourself up while there are still seats!

We have planned additional programs on painting, digital photography, book binding, mosaics, knitting, crocheting, and more. These will be held monthly through the end of 2009.

If this is giving you ideas, and you want to read up before the programs start, here's a short list that corresponds to the first three programs in the series.

• Ceramics
• Digital Photography
  
• Watercolor Painting

We're looking forward to featuring your artwork here!

(rgtmum's image used with permission.)

Catch the Reading Bug ... and Dance

Tomorrow, Katherine Ambuhl and Ikhlas Haleem, instructors from Spotlight Dance and Fitness, will be on hand at Central Library to coach adult readers in a free East Coast Swing dance workshop!

This is the kick-off program for Central's Adult Summer Reading Program. Two addional dance programs, teaching the Fox Trot and Cha Cha, will be held on June 22 and June 29, respectively.

So ... this is a actually an advert for the new-this-year adult participation in the traditional Summer Reading Program, which starts today. The theme - "Catch the Reading Bug." To jazz up your reading experience, go to the library's home page and click the "summer reading" image in the left sidebar. A quick online registration, and you're good to go! Cross off the activities on your reading bingo card, and when you've got 5 in a row, you will receive a free library tote bag (one per participant), and an entry for the end-of-summer drawing for a $50 Target gift certificate.

May I have this dance?

Tired of catching all the wrong bugs?

There are some bugs which you really don’t want to catch, like Ebola and West Nile, and then there are the bugs that are actually good for you, namely the Reading Bug and the Jitterbug. Catch both bugs (the good ones, that is) by reading and dancing the summer away at Central Library!

Summer Reading starts Saturday, June 14th. Everyone from babies to adults can sign up this year. Central’s big kickoff is on Sunday, June 15th. Children can sign-up all day in Kids’ Place and have fun creating cool crafts and Father’s Day cards. Teens and adults can sign up online, then enjoy the first of three instructional dance classes sponsored by Spotlight Dance and Fitness. Learn the East Coast Swing on Sunday, June 15th, the Fox Trot on Sunday, June 22nd, and the Cha Cha on Sunday, June 29th. All classes start at 3 pm.

But why wait until you can officially sign-up online to get in the mood? Check out our Central Express and Kids’ Place displays for a wide selection of books and media. Pick up celebrity biographies, gardening books, great fiction, dance music, books and instructional videos in Central Express. Not sure what to read? Our teen librarian has set up a “What I’m Reading Now” display in Kids' Place. And before you start thinking that teen books are those horrible now-you-know-and-knowing-is-half-the-battle-after-school-special type of stories we were forced to read in high school, pick up a copy of Chris Crutcher’s Deadline.

For those of you who think, “Gee, I would love to come to Central, but the parking there sucks except for Sundays,” I have good news for you. For those who haven’t heard, Central patrons can park for free on Saturdays in the City of Sacramento public parking garages at 10th and I Streets or 10th and L Streets. So we hope to see you this Sunday having the time of your life. (No excuses!)