V O LU M E 3 5 I S S U E N O. 4
F riends FOOTNOTES
FA L L 2 0 1 5
Readers designate I, Robot for
Livermore Reads Together 2016
I, Robot, the community’s choice
to read together, is the jumping off
point for a month-long celebration
of robotic-related activities. This
still-timely science fiction classic,
published in 1950 by Isaac Asimov,
is a collection of short stories woven
together into a book whose ideas
have since become a foundation of
the science fiction genre. Each story
within the collection stands alone, but
taken as a whole, Asimov allows us to
see his vision of a future in which man
and machine are inevitably linked — for better
or worse? You, the reader, must decide.
In these stories, Asimov imagined a world in
which machines designed by man work in place
of man when conditions are warranted or when
so ordered by their makers. The robots’ creators
programmed them not to attack their human
engineers. By doing this, Asimov made it possible
for the robots to become characters in his stories.
With each successive tale, he posed thoughts for
the reader to ponder: how man and machine can
inhabit a world where they are increasingly
linked together; the question of morality when one
has created a new being, albeit artificial; and the
inevitability of a future where man might not be
the one making crucial decisions.
Launching our series of February
2016 library events will be David
Calkins, well-known robot builder,
who is the president of the Robotics
Society of America and founder
of the international RoboGames
(world's largest robot competition).
Calkins has taught robotics and
computer engineering at San
Francisco State University, and
speaks worldwide to business and
educational groups about robotics.
In addition, author and journalist John
Markoff, senior science writer for the New York
Times and a winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for
Explanatory Reporting will talk about his latest
book, Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for
Common Ground Betweens Humans and Robots.
There will be other events including a screening of
the movies Blade Runner at the Vine Cinema and
Wall-E at the Civic Center and Rincon libraries,
plus special robot craft programs for children.
Extra copies of I, Robot will be available at
the library. Check www.livermorelibrary.net,
the library’s website, for details in January.
Underwritten by the Friends of the Livermore
Library, Livermore Reads Together events are
all free and open to the public.
Book Lover’s Calendar now available. See back page.
F riends FOOTNOTES
NEWSLETTER STAFF
Editor: Ronnie Kiefer
Design and layout: Laura Batti
Distribution: Cynthia Bird
Photographer: Bill Leach
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY
Friends of the Livermore Library
PO Box 2483
Livermore, CA 94551-2483
www.friendsoflivermorelibrary.com
VISIT THE FRIENDS BOOKSTORE
at Civic Center Library
1188 S. Livermore Avenue
Livermore, CA
(925) 373-5520
SATELLITE BOOKSTORES
Panama Red Coffee Company
2115 First Street
Starbucks
833 Airway Boulevard at Kitty Hawk
Starbucks
101 E. Vineyard Avenue at Isabel
FRIENDS ONLINE STORE
www.amazon.com/shops/
livermorelibraryfriends
OFFICERS
Matt Berry
Natalie Avery
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Max Davis
Robert Thornhill
TREASURER SECRETARY
YEAR END FINANCIAL REPORT
July 2014 – June 2015
Total Income:
$ 71,104
Total Expenses:
$ 45,000
Library Grants:
$ 31,795
Assets as of
June 30 2015:
$132,195
2
FALL 2015
President’s Message
I am honored and excited to be the new president of
the Friends of the Livermore Library. Over the last few
months I have come to appreciate the tremendous effort
and dedication demonstrated by my predecessor over
many years and I hope I can live up to the standard
Janice Diane has set. The Friends have been lucky to have
had dedicated officers and directors, and I look forward
to working with Janice, Muriel Dean and Carol Edson
who have stepped down after supporting the Friends
so well over the years.
This has been an exciting summer at the Livermore
Library. The annual summer reading program had a record
number of participants. This program provides a valuable
opportunity for children to maintain and improve their
reading skills during the summer months, as well as
providing teens and adults an opportunity to win prizes
for their summertime reading. The library also had great
turnouts for the Jazz in July programs. Both of the
programs rely on funding from the Friends. Without your
donations, memberships, and book sales, these programs
would not exist. In the months to come, our Friends group
will have the opportunity to fund more programs, library
materials and equipment — but to do so, we will need
additional donations and sales, so I invite you to join,
increase your membership level, or make an additional
tax-deductible donation if you can.
The Friends of the Livermore Library is dependent on
volunteers to generate the funds necessary to help our
library. We need volunteers on our Board of Directors,
at monthly books sales, and in the bookstore. Please
contact me at president@friendsoflivermorelibrary.com
to discuss how you can help us.
— Matt Berry
Election results
“as we liked it”
Ballots were the first order of business as members
filed in to the Friends annual membership meeting
on June 18, 2015 at the Civic Center Storytime
Room. Members voted to approve amendments
to the bylaws and elected the following candidates
as the officers of the Board of Directors for the
coming 2015 – 2016 year: Matthew Berry,
president; Natalie Avery, vice president; Max
Davis, treasurer; and Bob Thornhill, secretary.
Janice Diane, outgoing president, led the meeting and recapped
the prior fiscal year events. Natalie Avery, vice president,
reviewed Janice’s many years of service to the library and
presented her with thank you gifts as we wished her well.
Members enjoyed refreshments while Livermore Shakespeare
Festival presented an animated and enjoyable preview of their
summer programs, As You Like It and Sense and Sensibility, at
Wente Winery. Several audience members were lucky winners
of the raffle prizes, all relating to the plays.
A few parting words
It's been a great honor and pleasure to serve
on the Friends Board since 2005, first as treasurer,
then vice president, and for the past five years as
president. My sincere thanks to the members for
placing their confidence in me.
During this time, my main goal was to strengthen
and expand our organization in ways that would
lead to providing the best possible support for the
Library. With the commitment, talent and efforts
of many terrific volunteers, we've increased
community awareness of and appreciation for the
Library's excellent services and programs.
A few highlights: we more than tripled Friends
membership, started the monthly sales, added
Top: Thank you, Janice!
Bottom: Lucky raffle winner Jim Alderson
three satellite bookstores around the city, began
selling books online, gave honorary memberships
to school librarians, exchanged information and
ideas with other Friends groups, provided service
opportunity for countless volunteers and gave
over $340,000 in Library grants.
These years have been a rich and rewarding
personal experience. I had the privilege of meeting and working with so many fine people, made
wonderful enduring friendships, increased my
knowledge, abilities and self-confidence and had
the satisfaction of contributing to the success of
the Friends and the Library I cherish. I am deeply
grateful. Thank you.
— Janice Diane
2 FALL 2015
3
Curious about online sales?
We thought you might be interested in taking a peek at
who buys our Amazon-listed books, what type they
prefer, and where the buyers live.
Not all online books are big
tore
s
k
o
o
B
Notes
by Catie Neilson
BOOKSTORE MANAGER
Hope your summer
was full of fun and interesting reads.
School has just started so remember
that the Bookstore has many of the
books students and teachers will be
looking for – everything from classics
to SAT/ACT practice books and many
teaching aid books.
The main event this fall will be our
Special Sale on October 24, 2015, in
Community Rooms A and B of the
Civic Center Livermore Library from
noon to 4 pm. Members of the Friends
of the Livermore Library will be allowed
in early, starting at 11am. These books
are generally more expensive and
rarer than those we usually carry in
the bookstore. All genres will be
represented. Want to come in early,
but not yet a member? Don't worry;
you can join at the door.
In the Bookstore in October we will
have Halloween books on sale. In
November we will offer Thanksgiving
books at a bargain and in December
we will have all winter holiday books
at reduced prices.
4
FALL 2015
In the fiscal year just ended, we sold 349 books online.
That's a tiny number compared to what we move through
the Bookstore, the satellites, or the monthly sale, but
we track the metrics of online sales and find some
interesting differences:
• Whereas in the Bookstore it seems that most buyers are female, the reverse is true for online: last year 58% of our buyers were male.
• Bookstore volunteers will vouch that most sales are fiction, including children's. Online a whopping 80% of our sales are non-fiction, and almost no books are children's or young adult. Technical books make up many of the non-fiction sales.
• Where do our buyers live? More than half – 57% – live east of the Mississippi. Our reach is far.
• What is our online price range? From a low of about $10 to one book currently listed at $1675.
Ya wanna buy a book? Look us over at
www.amazon.com/shops/livermorelibraryfriends.
— Bill Leach
Can you lend us a hand?
Our monthly book sale takes place regularly on the first Sunday
of each month in front of the old library at S. Livermore and Pacific
Avenues. But it doesn’t happen by magic. Faithful volunteers are the
lifeblood of this event, and we are grateful! But Angela Griffin, our
dedicated coordinator of these sales, is looking for more volunteers.
There are several ways to help. Setup runs from 10 – 11:30
am on the day of the sale; two cashiers work two shifts from 12
pm – 2 pm or 2 pm – 4 pm; cleanup lasts about an hour once the
sale closes at 4 pm. Most people end up working only two times
per year. Angela is especially in need of able-bodied workers
for the clean-up detail who can lift and carry boxes of books
as they are put away. If you’d like to help or have any questions,
please contact Angela at angi927@aim.com or call her cell phone
at (925) 980-2519.
Authors &
Arts Previews
These programs are underwritten by the Friends of the
Livermore Library. For a complete schedule go to:
www.cityoflivermore.net/citygov/lib
Sunday, September 13, 2 pm
Highlights from Livermore
Valley Opera’s upcoming
production of Madama Butterfly,
coming to the Bankhead Theater
September 26.
Set in 1902 Japan, this devastating
saga of devotion, tradition and sacrifice is among
the most beloved operas of all time and is a perfect
choice for introducing new people to opera.
Performed by principal singers from Livermore
Valley Opera.
Sunday, September 27, 2 pm
Downton Abbey:
The Music and the Era
Join Welsh musician, Dulais Rhys, Ph.D., for a
look at the music of Downton Abbey during the
Edwardian period, the beginning of the 20th
century. He’ll include examples of the era’s arts,
social developments, technical innovations,
historical events and retrospective perceptions
through slides and audio. The popular music of
the period as well as television period drama
theme tunes will also be discussed.
Sunday, September 20, 2 pm
The Organized Mind:
Thinking Straight in the Age
of Information Overload
Bestselling author Daniel J. Levitin
talks about his book The Organized
Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age
of Information Overload. Levitin uses the latest
brain science to demonstrate how some people are
able to organize a deluge of data—and how readers
can use these organizational methods to regain
a sense of mastery over the way they themselves
organize their homes, workplaces, and time.
Saturday, October 3, 2-4 pm
Barrio Fiesta celebrating
Filipino-American Heritage Month
Filipino folk dancer and Livermore resident
Myrna Abrian, along with members of the
Livermore Filipino-American Organization, will
perform traditional folk dances and discuss their
historical and cultural significance. Presenters
will wear traditional Filipino dress. A sampling
of traditional Filipino food will also be provided
courtesy of the Livermore Filipino-American
Organization, co-sponsor.
COME
CELEBRATE
with
FRIENDS
To thank all members of the Friends for their support, the Friends
Board of Directors will once again host a holiday social. The event
will be held Wednesday, December 9, 7-9 pm in the Civic Center
Library Community Rooms. We are delighted to have the Lee
Waterman Trio to entertain us with their elegant sound. Their
repertoire includes many of the great songwriters and festive
holiday favorites. Come meet and mingle with other Friends while
enjoying good food and drink. A gift raffle and a silent auction
of some of the most attractive books from generous donors will
add to the evening's enjoyment. Mark the date now and look
for your invitation by email in mid-November.
If we do not yet have your email address, please send it to our
new membership chair, Jan Bennett, at jben364@hotmail.com.
Members who do not have email will receive an invitation
by postal mail.
FALL 2015
5
Library
Director
Message
BY TAMERA LEBEAU
DIRECTOR OF LIBRARY SERVICES
I recently viewed an interesting webinar
entitled Libraries That Lend ‘Things’. Libraries
across the country have been experimenting with
lending items beyond just books and DVDs. In
addition to their regular collections, some of these
libraries have large collections of everything from
telescopes to cake pans. As one can imagine,
libraries with non-traditional collections can face
a number of challenges such as finding space
to shelve these items, deciding how to circulate
them with their pieces and parts, cleaning them,
and more. Despite the challenges, many of these
libraries have built successful collections that
are heavily used by the communities they serve.
A great example is Berkeley Public Library’s
Tool Lending Library. Although Livermore
Public Library’s non-traditional collections
are not very large, the Library does lend a few
non-traditional ‘things’.
Finch robots are one of the most recent
additions to the Library’s non-traditional lending
collection. These small robots, designed for
computer science instruction, were purchased
with grant funding from Lawrence Livermore
National Security. The Finch robots are a fun
way to get started with computer programming,
both for children and adults. The Library has ten
Finch robots available to check out and they have
been very popular so far. We also plan to add
some different types of robots to this collection
in the coming months.
Museum passes are another non-traditional
item that can be checked out through the Library’s
online “Discover and Go” service. Library
patrons can log on through the library website to
get free passes to a variety of Bay Area museums,
including the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek,
the Pacific Pinball Museum in Alameda, the Tech
Museum of Innovation in San Jose, and many
more. This is a great budget-friendly option when
looking for something to do with out-of-town
guests. Other non-traditional ‘things’ that
patrons can check out from the Livermore Public
Library include science learning kits for children,
console video games, and even an exhibit of
World War II photo prints.
Libraries generally decide to lend nontraditional ‘things’ based on the interests and
needs of the community they serve. Library staff
is currently exploring ideas for non-traditional
‘things’ that Livermore residents might want to
borrow from the library. We are interested in
hearing your ideas; please send them to
lib@livermore.lib.ca.us.
Summer Readers Rewarded
Jade Cabrera, the lucky winner
of the Pre-reader raffle.
6
FALL 2015
As August wound to a close, so did the Library’s successful summer reading
program. This annual fun reading challenge, sponsored by Friends of the Livermore
Library (FOLL), offered incentives and special events to keep the community
reading over the summer months. The final statistics are amazing: four thousand
books read and more than 1,500 kids, teens and adults participated! Independent
readers, 840 to be exact, received a medal, and will have the opportunity to meet
the mayor and the City Council on September 28. Pre-readers received a book for
participating. Teen readers refused to be left out, numbering over 300! Adults
also were challenged to read, and a record-number of 362 answered the call. All
participants were eligible for raffle prizes donated by the Friends as well as by many
local businesses and organizations. There were many smiling faces at the finish.
LARGE N!
IO
SELECT
SPECIAL FALL
BOOK SALE
MEMB
E
GET RS
I
EARL N
Y
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2015
Livermore Civic Center Library
(Community Rooms A & B)
1188 S. Livermore Avenue
Noon – 4 p.m.
11 a.m. - Noon for Friends of the Livermore Library
Memberships available at the door!
Most items never before offered. Bargains as low as $1 High-value books $10 and up
FICTION, NON-FICTION, CHILDREN'S, HOLIDAY & GIFT BOOKS, AND MORE
There will be a large selection of classic literature and antique, rare and collectable (ARC) items.
Plus, many DVDs of entire seasons of TV series, music CDs, LP records and sheet music.
All proceeds support the Livermore Library
On Sale Now!
The Bookstore is now selling the 2016 Book Lover's Calendar for
just $10, well under the regular retail price. Every weekday page
offers a suggestion for your reading list, each with a short synopsis
of the book and often a line or two from a respected reviewer. The
combined Saturday-Sunday pages give inspiring author quotes and
questions that will challenge your knowledge of book lovers' trivia.
Literary fiction and non-fiction, history, romance, mystery, biography,
short stories - you'll find them all and more in this informative, intriguing collection
of great reads by great authors.
Whether shopping for yourself or special occasion gifts for family, friends and others, you'll
have the satisfaction of knowing that your purchases will contribute to the financial support of
the library. Please note, supply is limited.
Communicate through Facebook
If you have a Facebook account and “like” our page, you will be subscribed to Friends updates
and can use the link to our amazon.com site to view and purchase books we offer for sale there.
You will also be able to take advantage of discount coupons. “Like” our page and “share” with your
friends. You'll find us at www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheLivermoreLibrary
$
$
Friends of the Livermore Public Library Membership Form
Mail form to: Friends of the Livermore Library, P.O. Box 2483 Livermore, CA 94551-2483
M EMB ER D U E S
Name
NEW
Address
RENEWAL
City /State/Zip Code
$10 Seniors (60 & over)
Email
$20 Individual
Phone
$30 Family
To further support the Library, I/we have included a donation of
$250 Lifetime
$500
$250
$100
$50
Other $
Please contact me about volunteer opportunities
C O N T R I B U T I O N S T O T H E F R I E N D S O F T H E L I V E R M O R E L I B R A R Y A R E TA X - D E D U C T I B L E T O T H E E X T E N T A L LO W E D B Y L AW