Book into Film Club

Join us on Wednesday, December 10, at Cypress Park Branch Library's Community Room for an exciting discussion on The Kite Runner, best selling novel by Khaled Hosseini. Participants read the book and watch the movie before our monthly meeting. Library will supply the print and the dvd.

Time: 6:30 pm

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014

For January 2015, we have selected Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon as our next Book/Film title.

Please sign up with librarian at Reference Desk or call 323-224-0039 for assistance.

Holiday Cooking

End of the year is always the perfect season to cook; holidays lining up one after another. Cypress Park Branch Library is excited to add a few culinary books and holiday specialty items. Here are three titles, two with international taste:

Holiday Cheer from the Editors of Good Housekeeping
My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia

First Book/Film selected for Library's Book into Film Club

Join us on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 to discuss Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx; and the movie version directed by Ang Lee.

Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Community Room, Cypress Park Branch Library

Sign up at Reference Desk or
Call 323-224-0039

Book into Film Club

Join Cypress Park Branch Library for a stimulating literary and entertaining Book/Film discussing club. Participants will read and watch pre-selected books and novels made into movies, and discuss/compare both print and silver screen versions.

Titles include: The Kite Runner, The Namesake, Wonder Boys, and Brokeback Mountain.

Date: 10/22/2014
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Community Room at Cypress Park Branch Library

Please sign up at Reference Desk or call 323-224-0039

Library Hoopla

Library has had Hoopla for years. This month, however, I have a few patrons asking about what the nature of this e-resource and how to use it, mainly on watching movies.

To better understand the resource and the devices that can access the content, I have learned some tricks and would like to share them with anyone who is interested in using Hoopla.

1. Hoopla covers more than just videos, it includes feature titles, television programs, music albums, and audio-books as well.

2. Hoopla can be accessed from various browsers. In other words, mobile devices such as tablet, smartphones, laptops, and pcs are all applicable.

3. There is a one time only registration requirement at https://www.hoopladigital.com/; simply enter your email address and select a password at Sign Up tab to complete the registration process.

4. From Library's main page, www.lapl.org, select Collections & Resources tab, click on e-Media and then select  Hoopla, your device will prompt you to Hoopla's homepage. Click on Sign In tab since you already have an account with Hoopla.

5. Use Browse tab and choose either Movies, Music, Audiobook, or Television to select media type. Or you can click Search tab to look for any items.

6. One patron was confused about the ownership of Hoopla. He thought Los Angeles Public Library owns the digital property, and library would have owned at least one physical dvd copy of the same title on Hoopla. That is not the case. LAPL does have much more physical dvds than Hoopla; but some of Hoopla's titles are not in library's dvd collection at all.

7. Final note. When you have a Hoopla account, you can also access other library systems' Hoopla e-collection. For example, I have library cards from three different libraries, when I click the Hoopla app icon on my ipad, my ipad will ask me to select the library system first. Once I choose the library system, my ipad will link to the designated library's hoopla page.

If I am not confusing you enough, call me at 323-224-0039. Using e-devices and contents are a mutual learning experience.

KCRW Journalist Lisa Napoli to speak at Cypress Park

On Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at 6pm, author and KCRW journalist Lisa Napoli will read selections and discuss her book, Radio Shangri-La: What I learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth.

Napoli visited Bhutan in 2007 to help start a radio station in the formerly radio-free country. Modern inventions such as roads, electricity, and hard currency came very late to Bhutan.

Television was first allowed in 1999, and foreigners were only allowed to visit shortly before that. The nation has had a long-standing commitment to "Gross National Happiness," of which key components are balance, wellness, environmental preservation, and trust in government leaders.

Napoli's experience illustrates firsthand how Western media can rapidly influence a very isolated country. In the process of getting to know the people and culture of Bhutan, Napoli learns more about herself as she received what she describes as a "crash course in happiness" during her visit. Her presentation will include stories from this little-known country as she discusses the concept of "Gross National Happiness."

Please join us!

The Organized Mind by Daniel J. Levitin

Possibly another best seller by Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, has just arrived at the New Nonfiction Shelf at Cypress Park Branch Library today.

The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, will definitely get your attention once you pick up the book and start reading the very first page. Professor Levitin who teaches Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at McGill University and is the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the Minerva Schools at KGI.

Many people had no idea how frustrating when one needs to look for his or her pair of eyeglasses at home or office. I have been wearing my near sighted glasses for almost 50 years. In the last few years, I start to have problem remembering where I left the pair. But when I heard that my friend who never wear glasses also has the problem of remembering where he left his car keys. I realize my problem is not just vision; rather, it is my brain.

Our brain, functioned exactly like the C drive of a computer, has enormous capacity of information storage space. For most ordinary people, the question is not how to learn new information. The question is to remember/find the information when needed. If you have 1000 files in your personal computer, you understand the difficulty to organize and retrieve each and every file. (emails too!)

Livitin's book not only presents most current study in brain science, but also delivers a complex discipline into easy language so that both scholar and general public could understand. Whether you are a astrophysicist or a homemaker, the book will help you to find the Italian herb container you purchased last Christmas. I did find my key this afternoon.

This book will be popular. So reserve your copy online  at www.lapl.org; or call library for assistance.

Numerology and Feng Shui

Last month, Cypress Park Branch Library added a non- fiction title in 133 call number area. The 133 subject area of Dewey Decimal Classification is dedicated to specific topics in parapsychology and occultism.
The Title of the book is "Numerology -Idiot's Guides" by Jean Simpson". I did not pay much attention to the book when it arrived; but decided to take a quick look when it was checked out and returned at the circulation desk. Surprisingly I found the concept of numerology is extremely similar to the Chinese Old Farmers' Almanac book I used to read as kid in Taiwan.
Library's collections in Astrology, Palmistry, Feng Shui, and numerology are always popular with public. For your interests, try this interesting book or "Feng Shui: Your life" by Jayme Barrett.

Free Summer Lunch Menu 7/7 - 7/11

This week we will be serving:

Monday 7/7 - 

Breaded Chicken Patty on Bun (w Ketchup)

Nectarine

Carrot & Celery Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Tuesday 7/8 - 

Hot Dog (w/ Ketchup)

Apple
Carrot Stick (w/ Ranch)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Wednesday 7/9- 

Turkey Wrap 

Pear

Jicama Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Thursday 7/10- 

Bean & Beef Burrito (w Taco sauce)

Frozen Juice Shapeup

Tossed Salad (w/ Ranch)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Friday 7/11-

Chicken Fajitas
Wheat Tortilla 

Banana

Celery Stick (w/ Ranch)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Free Summer Lunch Menu 6/30 - 7/3

This week we will be serving:

Monday 6/30 - 

Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on Wheat Bread (w Mayo)

Plum

Carrot Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Tuesday 7/1 - 

Chicken Teriyaki w/ White Rice, Broccoli Florets, and Carrots

Apple

Low Fat 1% Milk

Wednesday 7/2- 

Corn Dog (w/ ketchup)

Banana

Celery Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Thursday 7/3- 

Chicken Nuggets (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Peach

Jicama Sticks

Low Fat 1% Milk

Friday 7/4
Closed for Independence Day

Free Summer Lunch Menu 6/23 - 6/27

This week we will be serving:

Monday 6/23 - 

Hamburger (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Nectarine

Celery Stick (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Tuesday 6/24 - 

Mac n Cheese

Orange

Carrot & Celery Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Wednesday 6/25 - 

Bean and Beef Burrito (w/ Taco Sauce)

Banana

Jicama Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Thursday 6/26 - 

Hot Dog (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Frozen Juice Shapeup

Buttered Corn Cooked

Low Fat 1% Milk

Friday 6/27 - 

Breaded Chicken Patty on Bun (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Apple

Tossed Salad (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Mobile Photo Booth at Cypress Park Library

We are pleased to announce that on Monday, June 23rd at 2:00pm Cypress Park Library will host photographers from Greenmeme who will take photos of area residents for a public art project that will be created at the junction of San Fernando Road, North Figueroa Street, and Riverside Drive.

The art project is sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and the Bureau of Engineering. To read more about past photo booth sessions, and to see pictures of the proposed art project, please see the Greenmeme website.

New additions on History

Pearl Buck, 1932 Pulitzer Prize winner and 1938 Nobel Prize winner in literature once said :

"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday."

At Cypress Park Branch Library, there are always new arrivals on the subject of history. Currently you can find these interesting books in the history section, including ancient and contemporary history, general and specialized, and domestic and international. Here are some of the examples:

A History of Ancient Egypt : From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid by John Romer
Heretics and Heroes : How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created our World by Thomas Cahill
Revolutionary Iran : A History of the Islamic Republic by Michael Axworthy
Warsaw 1944 : Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by Alexandra Richie
Hitler's Furies : German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields by Wendy Lower

Ask the Reference Librarian for additional assistance.

Free Summer Lunch Menu 6/16 - 6/20

This week we will be serving:

Monday 6/16 - 

Turkey Wrap (w/ Ranch dressing)

Pear

Jicama Sticks

Low Fat 1% Milk

Tuesday 6/17 - 

Chicken Fajitas

Tortilla

Apple
Celery Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Low Fat 1% Milk

Wednesday 6/18 - 

Bean and Cheese Burrito (w/ Taco Sauce)

Banana

Carrot Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Thursday 6/19 - 

Corn Dog (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Peach

California Blend Veggies

Low Fat 1% Milk

Friday 6/20 - 

Tri- Color Chicken Pasta Salad w/ Veggies

Orange

Tossed Salad (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Free Summer Lunch Program Menu 6/9-6/13

This week kicks off the Free Summer Lunch Program for kids here at Cypress Park!

Every Monday we'll have a blog post listing that week's Lunch menu.

Remember this program is free for everyone under 18 years and will be served Monday-Friday from 12:30-1:30.

This week we will be serving:

Monday 6/9 - 

Breaded Chicken Patty on a Bun (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Pear

Celery and Carrot Sticks w/ Ranch Dressing

Low Fat 1% Milk

Tuesday 6/10 - 

Hot Dog (w/ Ketchup Packet)

Tossed Salad (with Ranch Dressing)

Apple

Low Fat 1% Milk

Wednesday 6/11 - 

Oriental Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

Banana

Jicama Sticks

Non Fat Chocolate Milk

Thursday 6/12 - 

Beef and Bean Burrito (w/ taco sauce)

Frozen Juice Shapeup

Buttered Mexican Corn 

Low Fat 1% Milk

Friday 6/13 - 

Grilled Chicken Sandwich 

Nectarine

Carrot Sticks (w/ Ranch Dressing)

Non Fat Chocolate Milk 

Teen Poetry Event 5/31 at 2pm

Please join us and students from the PUC Schools as they premiere poems they have workshopped with poets from Poets4Progress!

The event starts at 2pm and will feature 9 student poets and their poet mentors. Each pair will read their poem. Cypress Park would like to thank Kelly Thomas, coach, writer, and Word Ninja Extraordinaire for coordinating this event.

Free Summer Lunch for Children 18 and Under at Cypress Park Library

Cypress Park Library is pleased to participate in Los Angeles Public Library's Free Summer Lunch Program. Library staff and volunteers will serve free lunch to children 18 and under starting Monday, June 9th. Lunch will be served Monday-Friday from 12:30 to 1:30.

In addition to lunch, children can sign-up for Summer Reading Club, make drawings, play in a toy kitchen, or attend other summer reading programs.

Lunch is provided by the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank with funding provided by the California Library Association.

Free tutoring after school

Thanks to the Library Foundation, Cypress Park Branch has hired Monique Contreras, our new Student Zone Coordinator! Monique will be here Monday-Thursday from 2:30-5:30 to help K-12 students with their homework. Monique's specialty is math, but you can come and get help in English, Science, Social Studies, or other subjects.

We also have online resources and also FOUR LAPTOPS available for student use!

Please stop by and say hello to our new staff member.

Review of Waterland, by Graham Swift

Cypress Park Library is pleased to announce that we have recently acquired Everyman Library's new edition of Graham Swift's Waterland.

If I could only have five books with me on a desert island, this would be one of them. It's got everything--madness, arson, ale making, incest, the claiming of land by technology and its reclamation by the sea, and the French Revolution. Plus a lyrical, fairytale-like tone. No other book I've read explores the relationship between geography and the history of a people better than this one. What more could you want? Swift was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for this novel and won it for Last Orders, but he should have won it for Waterland instead.

Come check it out.

New & updated information about Pregnancy

Library is always sensitive to current information, medical information, technical information, legal and financial information in prints.

This month, Cypress Park Branch Library add two new publication on the subject of pregnancy, perfect for the expecting couples.

First book, Pregnancy the Beginner's Guide by Editors from DK Publishing is copyrighted in 2014.

Also published in 2014 by DK Publishing is Pregnancy Day by Day. 

Both books are well indexed and beautifully illustrated. Please come to library's New Books section to enjoy these newly additions. Ask Reference Desk if you have question or need assistance.

Large Type Collection

Large Type book, also known as Large Print book, is a type of book in which the fonts (sizes of print) are printed slightly larger than commonly accepted sizes. Computer users nowadays understand that word processing software such as Microsoft Word uses 12 point font as the standard document size; however, anyone can easily change the font number to 14 or 16 for easier reading. Large Type books in the library are approximately 16 point font in size or larger.

Cypress Park Branch Library has a Large Type Collection in both Fiction and Non-Fiction for community's information needs. Newly arrivals of Large Type books are shelved at New Books section near Reference Desk for the first 6 months. After 6 months displayed time period, the books are relocated to their permanent shelves. 

Among the latest additions are:

Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox whose overturned conviction of murder case in 2007 was on international headlines.

Never Go Back, a mystery by bestselling author Lee Child, is also available. 

New Arrivals in Spanish Collection

New Spanish Books at Cypress Park Branch

Cypress Park has over 80% percent of Hispanic population in the community. To meet the information needs of residents, Cypress Park Branch Library constantly acquires materials in Spanish language in educational and entertaining subjects. To highlight the new arrivals in Spanish non-fiction collection, here are two samples from the New Spanish books shelf. Please visit the library and explore more.

1. Taller de caligrafia by Christopher Calderhead. (2013)

Taller de caligrafia is the Spanish version of Calligraphy Studio: The Ultimate Introduction to the Art of Hand Lettering by the same author. 

We all know that  fancy computer typeface can never replace the subtle artistry and personalized expressiveness of calligraphic handwriting. Christopher Calderhead, an acknowledged master of this classic art, demonstrates to readers how to achieve the essential coordination of hand and eye, and how to apply the aesthetic principles that shape both the individual characters and the completed page.

           

2. Conquistar Youtube by Jay Miles (2012)

Conquistar Youtube is translated from Conquering You Tube: 101 Pro Video Tips to Take You to the Top by Jay Miles. Jay Miles has worked in TV, video, film and commercial production for nearly 20 years. He has completed productions for businesses and blogs. He has taught media at the college and high school levels for the past several years. This book combines the professional and practical tips that he has used on major shoots and the approaches that he has used to help numerous beginners reach for the stars with their own successful projects.

Check out our New Book Shelf

New arrivals of books, books on CD, and DVDs are always exciting for both patrons and library staff. At Cypress Park Branch Library, we constantly replenish our book shelves with new materials for the educational, informational, and entertainment needs of our community.

For example, items on arts and crafts are always in demand. In our New Books shelf to the east of the Reference Desk, you will find these three wonderful items on Knitting, Beading, and Felt projects.

So Pretty Felt : by Amy Palanjian
Knits for You and Your Home: by Debbie Bliss
Beads in Motion: by Marcia DeCoster

Book Recommendation

One of the smallest books in Cypress Park Branch Library collection turns out to be one of the best books I have ever read in terms of its medical information and the  invaluable advice for patients and families by an expert in the field.

"Get inside Your doctor's Head" is written by Phillip K. Peterson, M,D.; a professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Within a mere 130 pages, Professor Peterson shares with readers the complex and complicated relationship of diagnosis, treatment, and communication among doctor, patient, and family members.

High-quality medical care is available, but not always readily available. The better informed person has a better chance to find quality doctors, hospitals, and treatment options. Readers of this book can learn so much from ordeals of several families with various medical conditions.The 10 common sense rules for making better decisions about medical care in this 10 micro-chapters book is indeed a jewel in the Cypress Park Branch Library collection.

Publisher: The John Hopkins University Press

ISBN: 9781421410692

Book location: New  Non-fiction Book shelve

Call Number: 610.696 P485

New Programs at Cypress Park Branch

In the next few weeks we will be very busy at Cypress Park branch. We have several new adult programs including an ESL Conversation Class on Thursday evenings, a three-part film screening starting Wednesday, January 29th, and Affordable Care Act enrollment programs running until the end of March. Here's the full calendar:

ESL Conversation Class--Thursdays at 5:30pm
We are pleased to announce that we finally have a new ESL Conversation Class teacher! His name is Chris, and he is very enthusiastic about helping people improve their language skills. Chris is a resident of Cypress Park and is a former Peace Corps Volunteer who taught English overseas. Conversation classes will be Thursday evenings from 5:30-7pm. Learn new vocabulary, increase your comfort level in speaking English,  improve your pronunciation and grammar, and make new friends! All classes are free, on a walk-in basis, and materials are provided.

Film Series--BA Speaks: Revolution, Nothing Less!
Wednesday January 29th, February 5th, and February 12th from 6-7:30pm.
Cypress Park Library is screening this very important film as part of a three-part series starting Wednesday, January 29th. The film features Bob Avakian, leader of the Revolutionary Communist Party, in a series of lectures covering important issues of our day. We will screen one hour of the film each week followed by a discussion facilitated by staff from Revolution Books.

Enroll in Covered California--Saturdays starting January 25th to March 29th from 1-5pm
Representatives from St. Francis Medical Center and LAUSD will be here every Saturday until March 29th to answer your questions about enrolling for health care insurance through Covered California, the state's health benefit and marketplace. Programs are bilingual English/Spanish. St. Francis Medical Center will be here from 1-5 on February 1, 8, & 15 as well as March 1, 15, 22, & 29th. LAUSD will be here on February 22nd & March 8th from 11-1. Get enrolled in Covered California at Cypress Park Library!