SAPL:
News - Newsletter
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Bookmarks!
San
Antonio Public Library's e-Newsletter
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October 2002 |
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION
 In
May of 1999 San Antonio citizens approved bond funds to build four new
branch libraries and renovate two existing libraries. These new libraries
will offer a full range of services including access to Internet and
word-processing, computer classes, children’s materials and programs
(including the annual Summer Reading Program), services for young adults
and senior citizens, materials and services in Spanish, and audio, video,
DVD and CD collections. At each location there will be a large meeting
room, a small conference room/quiet study room, comfortable reading areas
and books, books, books. Each location will be inviting and comfortable so
it becomes a favorite destination for the community it serves. Special
attention is being paid to the children’s spaces to make them more
visually appealing and user friendly.
Three of the four new branches are
in various stages of development. The Fourth will be located in District 8
but land for this branch has not yet been located. Planned to open first
is the new 15,000 sq.ft.
Henry A.
Guerra, Jr. Branch
located in the 7900 block of Military Drive West
(between Shady Grove Dr. and Castle Ridge Dr.) The building is being
designed by Sprinkle Robey Architects. Construction is scheduled to begin
in early 2003 and finish in early 2004. The
Library Board of
Trustees
selected the name to honor long-time San Antonio historian,
author and broadcast journalist Henry A. Guerra Jr., who died in 2001. Mr.
Guerra was the author of San Antonio: A Unique History and Pictorial
Guide.
Next in line for construction is
the Mystic Park Branch. Located on Mystic Park between Guilbeau and
Bandera Roads, this site will have new Fire Station 49 as its neighbor.
Both the library and fire station are being designed by Alamo Architects
and will share a coordinated look. Just across Mystic Park is the Nani
Falcone Community Park (previously French Creek Park). New improvements to
the park will include soccer fields and baseball diamonds. When this
project is complete the area will be a community focal point. The
construction start is planned for Spring 2003.
Just getting started is the
Comanche Lookout Park Branch that will be located in the park at the
corner of Judson and Nacogdoches. The architectural firm of Rehler, Vaugh
& Koone has been selected for this 20,000 square foot facility. This
library will make the most of its park setting by integrating sustainable
design and outdoor education concepts. Current plans call for construction
to begin in early 2004.
Library services have changed
dramatically in the past five years. Demand for the Internet and other
computer-based services are growing. More room is also needed to meet
requests for study areas and children’s services. The existing
Brook
Hollow
and
Great Northwest Branches will be getting a fresh new look with
renovation plans that will increase space and improve the layout of each
building. Design work on Brook Hollow should begin this October with the
architectural firm Vitetta. The Great Northwest project will begin with
community focus groups and the selection process for the architect this
fall.
Also in the works is a parking lot
addition for the
Thousand Oaks Branch, which will add approximately 25 new spaces.
Design work with the firm of Independent Design will begin in October. |
FEATURED
DATABASE
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Gale Literary Databases
Contemporary Authors,
Contemporary Literary Criticism, and Dictionary of Literary
Biography are three easy ways for you to get the literary information
you, or your student, needs. Any one of these databases can be searched
individually, or they can all be searched at once for even more
information. For example, searching all three databases at once for
"Barbara Kingsolver" turned up 8 hits: 1 from Contemporary Authors,
6 from Contemporary Literary Criticism, and 1 from Dictionary of
Literary Biography. Your search can be as specific as an author’s name
or more general by using headings, like nationality and genre. So,
either "Andy Rooney" or "American Humorist/Satirist" will get you a
biography on this 60 Minutes commentator. If you search the databases
individually, you have even more options like ethnicity, gender, birth and
death years, birth and death places, honors and awards, and even media
adaptations. However you search though, you are sure to find plenty of
information on Contemporary Literature and its authors. Just go into any
library and ask a library staff member for help, or use your library card to access
the databases through our web
page! |
EVENTS
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Sept. 15 - Oct 15 is
Hispanic Heritage Month. Check out
our calendar
online, or call your
branch library
for fun and exciting programs.
OTHER LIBRARY
EVENTS
Dinosaurs!
To
celebrate the Dinosaurus Tex exhibit, the San Antonio Public Library
has planned a whole month of activities featuring dinosaurs! Pick up
a calendar at your local branch and join us for the sessions that interest you.
Mi
Familia.
Come enjoy family fun with Hispanic Heritage stories & altar
craft. Saturday, October 12, 2:00 p.m.
Central Library
Children’s Area, 3rd Floor.
An
Evening with Lu.
Lu Parker, KABB-TV,
talks with teens about the importance of reading. Wednesday, October
16, 6:30 p.m.
McCreless Branch Library.
Dino
Movie Marathon.
From Godzilla to Jurassic Park, join us for the best dinosaur flicks
ever! Saturday, October 19, from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Central Library
Auditorium.
The
History and Mystery of San Antonio: Excerpts from Docia Williams’
books.
Docia Williams, author of The History and Mystery of the Menger
Hotel and Spirits of San Antonio and South Texas, reads
excerpts from her books. Stay
afterward for discussion.
Sunday, October 27, from 2:00 -3:00 p.m.
Central Library
Auditorium.
Teen
Cinema. The
lights go down and free teen movies begin with live music mixes from
local D.J. Gabe Velásquez, free goodies, a costume contest and more.
Visit the Teen Services webpage for more details. Sponsored by
S.A.F.F.E., Community Service/311, BlueBox Media and Teen Services.
Thursday, October 31, from 6:30 -9:00 p.m.
Central Library
Auditorium.
Guitar
Lessons.
Every Saturday from noon -1:00 p.m.
Bazan
Branch Library. |
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Book
Sales
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HMMM...
 Each
month, the Telephone Reference Department Staff of the San Antonio Central
Library compiles a list of their most unusual questions. These questions
have been recorded since the beginning of May 1995, when the department
was created.
Here are some of the most unusual:
- How many tornadoes does
Oklahoma average a year compared to Texas?
Oklahoma 47
Texas 139
Source: World Book
Encyclopedia - What is caster sugar?
It is British for superfine sugar.
Source: Chef’s Companion:
Concise Dictionary of Culinary Terms - Who said "There is many a
slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip"?
Palladas in the Greek Anthology (7th Century B.C. – 10 A.D.).
Source: International
Thesaurus of Quotations - How many windows does the
Empire State Building have?
It has 6500 windows.
Source:
Ebsco Database.
- How long does the taproot of
a pecan tree grow?
It can reach perched water tables.
Source: Oxford Dictionary of
Earth Sciences - What is the definition of
arachibutyrophobia?
This means a fear that peanut butter will stick to the roof of one’s
mouth.
Source: The Encyclopedia of
Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties - Do fish sleep?
Most fish do not. They are constantly in motion, though the motion is
marked by periods of reduced activity. There are, however, a few
exceptions: some fish in coral reefs do sleep by leaning on rocks or
standing on their tails.
Source: The Book of Answers
The Telephone Reference Department
answers questions from the public at 210-207-2500. Questions
that require more time or a different expertise are forwarded to other
departments at Central. |
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
 A
Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations
Lesley Pratt Bannatyne, 2001
394.2646 BANNATYNE
Better Homes and
Gardens Halloween: 101 Frightfully Fun Ideas
Carol Field Dahlstrom, ed., 2000
745.5941 BETTER
Carving
Jack-O-Lanterns
Sam Gendusa, 1988
736 GENDUSA
Halloween:
Imaginative Holiday Ideas
Marie-Laure Mantoux, 2000
745.5941 MANTOUX
Halloween and Other
Festivals of Death and Life
Jack Santino, ed., 1993
394.2646 HALLOWEEN
Halloween Book of
Fun: Puzzles, Games, Jokes, Ideas and More
Jeffrey A. O’Hare, ed., 2001
JUVENILE 394.2646 HALLOWEEN
Pumpkin Painting
Jordan McKinney, 2001
745.5941 MCKINNEY
The Halloween Book
Jan Bull, 2000
JUVENILE 745.59 BULL
The Pagan Book of
Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes,
Spells, and Lore
Gerina Dunwich, 2000
934.2646 DUNWICH
Check the
online
catalog for availability, or call 207-2500. With a valid library
card, you can even place a hold online! |
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If you
have any questions about the library or would like to see something
included in this newsletter, please contact our Web Administrator at
librarywebadmin@sanantonio.gov.
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Posted/Updated:
06/11/2008 |
