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Looking Back: Canning in the Valley of Heart's Delight
In the history of San José, before the tech growth and boom from the 1960s to the present, the most significant industry in the Santa Clara Valley was in agricultural products. While the agricultural and horticultural production of the valley was limited before American statehood (1850), by 1890 the valley had a total of 4,454,945 fruit trees, a doubling in only a decade. In 1915, the tally stood at some 7,829,677, a healthy 57% increase. Around the turn of the century, after a drought had damaged the valley's production and pride, an individual by the name of Edwin Sidney Williams organized the first "Blossom Festival.” Despite the bleak outlook that year, Williams wanted people to continue to celebrate and commemorate the valley's abundance and enjoy the orchard blossoms that blanketed the landscape during the spring. In each succeeding year the festival did gain popularity, with up to 20,000 people attending in one year alone. To many, the future of the valley’s agricultural and horticultural productivity remained positive.
By the inter-war years (1920s & 1930s), these industries were well developed and known around the world, with 18 canneries, 13 dried-fruit packing houses, and 12 fresh-fruit and vegetable shipping firms, some of the largest in the world. The industrial processes brought employment to thousands of workers all across the county. Not surprisingly, with another boost to the city’s pride, San José was one of the first California cities to create industries for making the mechanical equipment used in specialized farming and processing. This could be seen in the many labels, packing materials, and specialized equipment stamped “San Jose, Calif” that were used in the valley throughout these years. By the early 20th century, domestic population growth in the valley and immigration from abroad increased the productivity of these industries, supplying the world with renowned California fruits from the “Garden City.” This abundance was the result of, according to the San José Chamber of Commerce in 1915, the “best ever” climate in the nation.
The warehouses that housed the canning and processing machinery were quite large as well. In many of them, like the one seen here, each worker performed a specialized task on the production line. In many workplaces they were often divided by gender and ethnicity. To break up the monotony, and in many cases to improve safety, some employers would rotate employees to different tasks periodically. Some of the more dangerous work involved processing the valley's most valuable products, like plums, apricots, and peaches, where hand-operated mechanical knives were used to remove the pits to prepare them for processing and canning.
The dominance of food processing in the valley gradually declined after World War II as industrialized manufacturing of other goods took over, and the growth of residential neighborhoods crowded out the orchard acreage. By the middle of the 1950s, when the county's population soared above half a million, the new economy took hold and the idea of the Santa Clara Valley as the valley of Heart's Delight faded into memory and nostalgia.
Further Reading from the San Jose Public Library's, California Room:
- Check out SJPL's Digital Collections for additional photos.
- Clyde Arbuckle's History of San Jose, by Clyde Arbuckle
- Reflections of the Past: An Anthology of San Jose, edited by Judith Henderson
- A California Middletown: A Social History of San Jose in the Depression, by Glenna Matthews
Featured Resource on the Web: Data.gov
The government wants to make your life easier...well, at least in terms of finding government data. Data.gov, spurred by President Obama's Open Government Initiative, aims to improve access to Federal data. The site is regularly adding new data but right now you can access datasets about business, states, health, and more. Check it out and you might find some interesting statistics that may help with your business plan or the direction of your business. You might also be interested in exploring these two other government data sites: Recovery.gov (shows how Recovery Act monies are being spent) and USASpending.gov (shows Federal grants and contracts spending).
Question of the Week: Mobile App Business
A customer was interested in starting a mobile app business and wanted to find information about the industry and how to get started.
First, I checked our Library Catalog and used keywords "app" and "business". I found a few titles that would be useful: The Art of the App Store by Tyson McCann, The Business of iPhone and iPad App Development by Dave Wooldridge, and Build Your Own App for Fun and Profit by Scott La Counte.
Next, I checked one of our online business resources, Business Source Complete, to search for industry news or statistics. I used keywords "mobile" and "app". I found an article titled "Games and Diversions Dominate Mobile App Use". This short article had great information and led me to Flurry’s website that tracks mobile app data and statistics. This site had lots of great statistics and information about how app users spend their time and what these users look like (demographics). Another website I suggested to the customer was Pew Internet, this site has great reports and data on technology trends and other topics.
Students' Success Stories at Korean Conversation Club in the King Library
The Basic Korean Conversation Club has been going on for five months now in the King Library.
I would like to share our students’ success stories. Most of our students didn’t even know Korean alphabet when they came to the first class. But now we have amazing stories of our regular students to share with you. (I am going to use their first initials of names due to the privacy issues.)
C has been attending our class ever since the first class in January 2013. I met her at the Korean restaurant and heard the conversation with her friends right next to my table. She wanted to go to Korea as an exchange student this summer. So, I introduced myself and our Korean class to her. Finally, couple weeks ago, she got the admission from Ajou University, South Korea. She is going to Korea in August.
L also has been attending our class from the beginning of January 2013. In the meantime of looking for her job, she wanted to learn Korean language because she had been loving K-pop. She recently got a job using her Korean skill at the Korean Bakery in the Bay Area.
V has been attending the class since March 2013. He is one of the most passionate students at the class. He is from India and just got to U.S.A. two months ago. He used to be an computer engineer in India. He says he would like to work at Samsung or LG (Korean Companies) in the Bay Area. He studies Korean language very diligently because he has very strong motivation to learn it.
J taught English as a foreign teacher in Korea. He says he doesn’t want to forget his Korean language skill in U.S.A. He knows a lot of Korean cultures. He shares his experiences of being in Korea.
Other students also have their own stories of why they would like to learn Korean. They love Korean Drama, Korean singers (idol stars), etc.
The volunteer teacher and I feel very rewarded and touched by this journey. Mostly because we can change people’s lives and give them a motivation as working in the public library.
The Basic Korean Conversation Club is open to all, and free. It's fun!
Look at the photo taken at the one of wrap-up parties for the Basic Korean Conversation Club in March.
The King Library also have other language classes (Conversation Cafés). Come join us!
Mad Science at the King Library
Mad Science is back at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library! Join us on Saturday, May 25 at 3:00PM for their Fantastic Flyers program.The Wright Brothers would be proud as we follow in their footsteps and learn the forces that affect flight: lift, thrust, gravity and drag. Participants will make and test various plane designs to see these forces in action. After the program learn more about airplanes and the Wright Brothers by taking a look at the books the library owns, even check one out. The Fantastic Flyers program is best for children in Grades K-6.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.
Summer Reading Celebration Kickoff Event at King Library
Everyone is invited to our Summer Reading Celebration Kickoff Event on Sunday, June 2 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, starting at 1:00 PM to 4:00PM.
There will be many fun activities for the whole family to participate in:
- Scavenger Hunt for All Ages: Look for some of the 34 Art Works that are located at the King Library from the Lower Level to the Fourth Floor, answer some fun questions about the King Library and our website. Please note that the last time to pick up a Scavenger Hunt Clue Sheet is at 3:00PM.
- Crafts for Children and Teens: Dinosaur bone craft for kids and making beaded bracelets for teens.
- Games for All: Dr. Seuss games for the young ones, and "Win in a Minute" games for the teens and adults. Lots of fun and laughs playing these games.
- Entertainment: There will be drummers, balloonists, a juggler and multicultural music to appreciate.
- Community Partners: We will have community partners available from 1:30 to 4:00 providing information about their groups and answering any questions you might have.
- Prizes: Everyone who participates in the Scavenger Hunt will receive a small gift and a chance to win some neat prizes.
You really don't want to miss this fun, FREE, event at your Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library!
Question of the Week: A Whole Lot of Tech Going On…
A common research topic at San Jose Public Library (SJPL) is about the birth of the Tech Industry in Silicon Valley. Much has been written on the subject, but recently a patron in the California Room inquired about how to locate original documents related to technology development in Silicon Valley. We started our search on the Online Archive of California (OAC) which provides free public access to descriptions of primary source materials. Participating intuitions include more than 200 universities, libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives in the State of California. Primary sources are documents created during the time period being studied. In the case of the high tech industry, primary sources include materials related to the operations of the business such as product catalogs, press releases, product literature, and annual reports.
We used the search term "Silicon Valley Tech Industry" on the OAC homepage and were able to locate a finding aid to a collection in the California Room at the San Jose Public Library titled The Silicon Valley Information Collection (SVIC). A finding aid is a document that summarizes a collection of papers or records. The descriptive information in the finding aid we located states that the SVIC collection contains documents and resources which chronicle the birth, development and impact of the high technology industries of Silicon Valley. We then followed a link to the SVIC index on the SJPL California Room webpage.
A quick search of the index led us to such unique material as Apple Computer, Inc. employee magazines from the 1980s, a press release binder from Atari Corporation (1987-88), and annual reports for Plantronics from 1974-1984.
The California Room houses many primary source documents; it is on the 5th Floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Check out the Thought Spot!
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Post-its, pencils, a white wall, and one question. These are the ingredients for King Library's new interactive program experiment, "Thought Spot". Originally an idea from Oak Park Public Library, Thought Spot allows library customers to be part of the creation and success of a program. The space being used is located right across the Cafe on Fourth at the the 4th Street and E. San Fernando Street entrance.
The question currently being asked is "What is your favorite book?" College students, children, staff, and many other community members have contributed to close to 200 responses so far. Want to participate? Visit King Library and visit often because the theme will change!
2013 Book Trailer Contest
The San José Public Library invites teens to create a book trailer for our Summer Reading Celebration during the months of June and July. Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube. Be creative! The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.
How to enter:
Think of a favorite book you read for Summer Reading and envision it as a short video, one that will capture the interest of your audience. Create your own book trailer, reviewing the book. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.
- Sign up for Summer Reading starting on June 1, 2013.
- Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2013SRC
- Submit the YouTube link to your book trailer along with your name, age, contact information (either a phone number or email) and your library branch to: 2013SJPLBookTrailerContest@gmail.com
- All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2013
- Book trailers may not be longer than four minutes in length
- Story being reviewed should be a young adult or adult fiction or non-fiction book.
- Cite all images, video and audio that you did not create
A panel of judges (staff at San José Public Library) will review all entries and select the top three winners, to be announced in August 2013. The panel of judges will use the following criteria when reviewing book trailer entries:
- Content: Clear introduction; strong hook; summary without dominating narration; fresh and interesting commentary with strong conclusion
- Voice/Sound: Interesting; well-rehearsed; smooth delivery; holds audience attention; easy to hear narration over soundtrack; voice sounds natural and helps convey meaning; soundtrack adds to tone/feel of presentation
- Images: Crisp, clear, engaging, enriching, extending details and meaning; appropriately cited.
- Presentation: All elements (color and graphics) work together seamlessly to create an interesting book trailer
Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by K. Rai.
Here are links to some professional book trailers:
- Divergent by Veronica Roth
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Legend and Prodigy by Marie Lu
Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:
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- 1st place: iPad Mini
- 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
- 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice
Graphic Novel Making Contest 2013
If you have a talent for creating comic/manga style illustrated short stories, you are invited to enter San José Public Library’s Graphic Novel Making Contest for all ages as part of our Summer Reading Celebration, 2013. This contest is sponsored by San José Public Library, Hijinx Comics, San José Museum of Art and TRY Japan Culture Group.
Here’s how to enter …
- Create your own comic book with a maximum length of 8 pages, including the cover page.
- Use letter-size paper (8.5 x 11) with black-and-white drawings and text on one side only.
- Each submission must be the creative and original work of a single individual—the author/illustrator.
- The contest is limited to amateur authors/ illustrators only.
- Computer generated images are acceptable as long as they are your original work (no clip art)
- Consider submitting a photocopy that is an accurate reflection of the original (as submissions are non-returnable).
- San José Public Library reserves the right to reproduce your work. You can reuse all your work after the contest.
- Be sure to print and complete the creative works release form. Include your Name, Age, Contact Information and Signature.
- Entries can be submitted to any San José Public Library location no later than 8p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, 2013.
- Entries can also be submitted online to sjplgraphicnovelmakingcontest@gmail.com as a jpeg or pdf attachment.
- There is a limit of one entry per contestant.
Entries will be judged on content and illustrations by a panel of library staff and comic industry professionals. All cash prizes will be awarded as gift cards.
- Children (up to age 6): first prize $25; second prize $15
- Children (7-12): first prize $40; second prize $20
- Teens (ages 13-17): first prize $100; second prize $70; third prize $50
- Adults (age 18 and above): first prize $100; second prize $70; third prize $50
Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at a reception to be held at the Seven Trees Branch Library on Saturday, August 24th at 2:00 p.m.in the Community Room.
Check out the award winning entries from 2012, 2011 and 2010.
San José Public Library staff members are ineligible to participate.
San José Public Library reserves the right to refuse submissions that are not appropriate for a general audience. This contest is open to all California residents.
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