We will be celebrating the end of our highly successful Summer Reading Program with a fun, free all-ages mermaid parade and small party tomorrow, Friday, August 5, from 2:30 – 4 p.m. in the library for everyone from children to adults.
Every year since 1983, Coney Island in New York has put on the largest art parade in the U.S. to welcome summer. Artists come dressed in ocean-themed costumes that show off their skill and creativity. This will be our version of this fun tradition in honor of this year’s Summer Reading Program theme “Oceans of Possibilities.” We hope you will join us.
Please note donations guidelines
Many of you are very generous with your materials donations to the library, and we are grateful. Most of your contributions become welcome items on sale in the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale every summer that raises much-appreciated funds for your library for special projects. The Friends’ most recent contribution was the replacement of all public computers, including those for accessing the internet as well as those designated to search the library catalog of items. As donations begin to come in for next summer’s sale, we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you about our guidelines for materials donations so that you don’t waste your valuable time.
Material donations are accepted for the Friends at the front desk (not down the outside returns slot at the library or the dropbox at City Market, please) when we are open. The Friends are happy to take fiction published in 2012 or newer and nonfiction that is 2017 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Children’s Spanish class today
Join us today, Thursday, August 4, from 11 a.m. – noon for a new Spanish class for kids aged six to 11. Miss Josie and Miss Ruby will help you learn and improve your Spanish.
Library Speakers Consortium continues
Next Tuesday, August 9 you are invited to the fourth in our free Library Speakers Consortium series featuring New York Times bestselling fiction and nonfiction authors giving live, professionally moderated book discussions you can view on your computer, tablet or smartphone with internet access. You also will have an opportunity to ask questions.
This talk features Liz Moore, author of “Long Bright River,” named the best book of the year by NPR in 2020.
To register for the consortium, click on the link on your library’s home page at https://pagosalibrary.org. If you cannot view the presentations live, the recorded events will be available afterwards at our website under the “Adult” tab. The full schedule is also posted there.
Alert re your coral reef creations
Please come by your library to pick up your coral reef creations next week by August 13 if you want to keep them. Otherwise we will keep them.
Adult book club next Tuesday
Ruby’s Book Club meets in person from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 9 to discuss “The Exiles” by Christina Baker Kline. Copies are available at your library. This book club is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles. Anyone is welcome to attend.
PALS adult education expands
In response to popular demand, Mark has doubled the number of his free PALS sessions to Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No registration required. This service is in great demand and is used by many people, so we are very happy to make it more available.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays with 4-5 p.m. reserved for beginners and 5-7 p.m. for both intermediate and advanced students. Please help us spread the word about these classes to others in our community who would be interested, and contact us by phone or email if you have any questions.
Las clases de ESL
Las clases nocturnas gratuitas en persona se llevan a cabo los martes y jueves de 4 a 7 p.m. Los estudiantes principiantes asisten de 4 a 5 p.m., estudiantes intermedios de 5-6 p.m. y estudiantes avanzados de 7-8 p.m. Por favor, ayúdenos a correr la voz sobre estas clases a otras personas en nuestra comunidad que estén interesadas, y contáctenos por teléfono o correo electrónico si tiene alguna pregunta.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages and accessing this free digital collection has never been easier. You just need to download the cloudLibrary app, answer a few simple questions, select AspenCat Union Catalog for the name of your library, then enter your library card number and 4-digit PIN. You are now ready to browse, borrow and read e-books and audiobooks using cloudLibrary. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
DVDs
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is a sci-fi adventure involving a parallel universe.
Mysteries and thrillers
“A Face to Die For” by Iris Johansen is a forensic sculptor Eve Duncan mystery about Helen of Troy. “The Lunar Housewife” by Caroline Woods features a young journalist who stumbles on a web of spy secrets. “Escape” by James Patterson and David Ellis is the third book in the Billy Harney thriller series.
Other novels
“My Brother’s Husband” by Gengoroh Tagame is a two-volume story about a work-at-home dad in Tokyo faced with the widower of his twin. “Woman of Light” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine is an epic of betrayal, love and fate spanning five generations of an indigenous Chicano family in the American West.
Books on CD
“Bloomsbury Girls” by Natalie Jenner tells of three women and a century-old bookstore in postwar London. “Learning to Talk” by Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel is a collection of short stories.
Nonfiction
“Freezing Order” by Bill Browder is the true story of money laundering, murder and surviving Putin’s wrath by an American-British financier who is one of the largest foreign investors in Russia. “Genius Kitchen” by Max Lugavere contains 100 recipes to help make your brain sharp, body strong and taste buds happy. “Happy Go Lucky” by David Sedaris is a comedic look at how our world changed during the COVID pandemic.
Donations
We are grateful to Barbara Wolf for a generous monetary donation.
Quotable Quote
“If any man wishes to write a clear style, let him first be clear in his thoughts.” – Johann W. von Goethe (1749-1832), German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, theatre director and critic.
Website
For more information on library books, services and programs – and to reserve books, e-books, books on CD and DVDs from the comfort of your home – please visit our website at https://pagosalibrary.org.