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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!
Family Learning Center Reading Classes for Children
The Family Learning Center at the East San Jose Carnegie Branch Library hosts reading classes for children.
Wednesdays
1st Grade Reading Level 3:30 - 4:00 PM
2nd Grade Reading Level 3:30 - 4:00 PM
3rd Grade Reading Level 3:30 - 4:00 PM
4th Grade Reading Level 4:00 - 4:30 PM
5th Grade Reading Level 4:00 - 4:30 PM
- Readers will be reading from TumbleBooks.
- Readers meet at the Family Learning Center classroom.
- Class size is limited. Readers attend at their level.
- First come first served.
- This ongoing class is FREE!
This program is brought to you by the Family Learning Center.
The FLC Coordinator will recommend the appropriate class for the reader.
If you have any questions, please contact Cris at 1-408-808-3075.
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.
Villa Montalvo: The Mansion of a Native Son
Villa Montalvo is the former residence of California businessman and politician James Duval Phelan. Taken between 1915-1902, this photo illustrates the estate's grandeur, but also how little it has changed since its construction. Construction of this Mediterranean style mansion began in 1912, before James Phelan became the first popularly elected Senator from California. A prominant member of the fraternal organization, The Native Sons of the Golden West, Phelan's rise in politics came in part from his successful leadership as a progressive Mayor of San Francisco (in office Jan 4, 1897 - Jan, 7 1902). His reputation as a polititian assured his participation in the Committee of Fifty, an extra-legal organization assembled by then Mayor of San Francisco, Eugene Schmitz, to help manage the extreme crisis after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire that destroyed much of the city.
A decade after leaving the Mayoral office in San Francisco, Phelan purchased 160 acres in the foothills of Saratoga to build his sprawling estate. In the photo you can see the front and side terraces with dramatic colonnades as well as the beginnings of extensive gardens that would cover large areas of the property. After fulfilling his term as California's first popularly elected Senator, Phelan returned to banking and collecting art at his country estate. James D. Phelan passed away at Villa Montalvo in 1930. He is now buried in the family mausoleum in Holy Cross Cemetery in the city of Colma, San Mateo County.
Today, Villa Montalvo has been transformed into the Montalvo Arts Center, a private non-profit arts center maintained in partnership with Santa Clara County. In fact, the Montalvo Arts Center's mission can be seen as inline with the dying Phelan's wishes, as he then bequeathed the property for public use. Phelan was explicit in his bequest, stating:
"I would like the property of Saratoga, California, known as Villa Montalvo, to be maintained as a public park open under reasonable restrictions, the buildings and grounds immediately surrounding the same to be used as far as possible for the development of art, literature, music, and architecture by promising students."
It seems that his wishes have been fulfilled.
Further Reading from the San Jose Public Library:
- Check out SJPL's Digital Collections for additional photos.
- Legacy of a Native Son: James Duval Phelan & Villa Montalvo, by James P. Walsh
- The Public City: The Political Construction of Urban Life in San Francisco, 1850-1900, by Phlip J. Ethington
- The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself, by Philip L. Fradkin
- Addresses, by James D. Phelan
Question of the Week: Senior Computer Classes and Volunteer Tech Mentors
A customer came to the 2nd Floor Reference desk at King Library and inquired about senior computer classes. He was an absolute beginner and English was his second language. He had been told about one-on-one computer sessions at several branch libraries, and the computer classes for seniors taught in Mandarin at King Library. Unfortunately, Mandarin was not one of the languages this gentleman spoke. I informed him about the 3rd Floor volunteer Tech Mentors just waiting to assist. The customer was thankful, but unsure of what to do next. As a volunteer Tech Mentor was available until 2:00 p.m. that day, I invited him to accompany me to the 3rd Floor. As it turned out, our volunteer spoke the customer’s native language. A perfect match was made.
Volunteer Tech Mentors are available on the 3rd Floor of King Library from 12:00 - 4:00 PM Monday thru Wednesday and 12:00 – 2:00 PM Thursday and Friday.
Need computer help? Tech Mentors offer FREE computer help. They can assist with basic computer skills in Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and also provide computer assistance for those who would like to search for a job or submit an application or résumé online.
Child Abuse
What is it that makes a person strike out at a child repeatedly by word or hand? What does such consistent maltreatment do to the mind, body and soul of that child? How can such acts of power abuse be prevented? What can be done to intervene? What can be done to ease the effects as the child becomes an adult. Before we leave April completely behind us, April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Listed below are resources to respond to those questions posed above.
Contact Information:
- Immediate Emergency Reporting - call 911
- How to Report Suspected Child Abuse - San José Police Department
- Non-Emergency Reporting – Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline
Definitions of Child Abuse:
- From Medline Plus (Also available: articles, latest news, diagnosis, symptoms and prevention)
- Child Abuse - Stanford University School of Medicine
- Child Abuse Council of Santa Clara County
- Recognizing Child Abuse - from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Child Welfare Information Gateway (Recognizing abuse in children, parent and parent – child relations)
Resources at SJ Library:
- Articles – Child Abuse in the United States
- Articles – Child Abusers
- Articles – Child Abuse Victims – Long Term Effects
- Children’s Collection – Child Abuse
- Fiction titles – Child Abuse
- Nonfiction titles – Child Abuse Prevention
- King Library Display: Stories of a Girl, Empowering Youth to End Human Trafficking
Additional Resources:
Statistics:
During FFY 2011, throughout the United States there were 676,569 reported cases of child abuse and neglect. It was found that approximately nine out of every one thousand children in the U.S. were victims of abuse. Babies, under the age of one, suffered the highest rate of victimization. From the data collected for 2011, it is estimated that 1,570 children died from abuse or neglect that year alone.
- National and State Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Child Welfare Information Gateway (Included: Statistics on victims and perpetrators, deaths from abuse)
- National Children’s Alliance
Need to Talk to Someone?
Make an Appointment:
- Lawyers in the Library – 1-408-808-2382
- Social Workers in the Library – 1-408-808-2350
The California Gold Rush
Imagine that you are living in America in 1849, and that you start hearing rumours about a gold strike in far-off California. They say you can pluck gold right out of the river, and can easily become a rich man! However, the road to California is hard. Why, 3 years ago, the Donner Party became snowbound on the way, and they say the survivors ran out of food and ate the dead!
How will you find out what's really happening? You’ll read the newspapers (or find someone to read them to you). Newspapers are the only significant media source you have. Those newspaper accounts are the best (and sometimes only) source of information around. Read the stories, and make your own decision on whether to go prospecting for gold in California!
Back in the 21st century, you can still get a taste of what people were reading about in 1849 and the following years. Newspaper accounts from that era are compiled in the book To the Golden Shore: America goes to California – 1840, by researcher and editor Peter Browning. These are the very stories that stoked gold rush fever in the U.S. Check it out, at San Jose Public Library!
Question of the Week: Search Strategy for "Native American Farming"
A student recently said she had searched our library catalog but could not find books about "Native American farming".
I was quite surprised to hear this. I thought, "this is a common topic; there must be some books about it." So, I asked her to show me her search strategy.
Then I realized what happened. Many people might have similar search experiences - you type the keywords in our catalog and hope to find the books or articles you need. Sometimes, it does not work for certain topics. In this case, these exact words simply do not occur together in any records. As a librarian, I often have to formulate a different search strategy to help people find what they want.
One simple strategy is to use synonyms. Take her research topic as an example. I tried a different set of keywords. Instead of "Native American farming", I used "Indian Agriculture". Then I found a title called Indian Agriculture in America: Prehistory to the Present. I opened the record and was able to see detailed information about this title including it's location, ISBN, the subjects and much more. The subject headings of a title tell the reader the content of this book. By following the subject, Indians of North America -- Agriculture -- History, I found twenty more results.
In addition, there are titles on Native America Agriculture in various states such as:
- Indians of North America -- Agriculture -- California
- Indians of North America -- Agriculture – Colorado
- Indians of North America -- Agriculture -- Missouri
- and so on
Next time, when you cannot find any relevant results, try a different search strategy - think about the synonyms for your topic(s). You might get a better result.
SAT Practice Test at Berryessa Branch Library on May 11
High school students - would you like to find out how you score on the SAT? Take a full length practice SAT test, proctored by Princeton Review. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at the types of questions you will see on the actual test.
There will be SAT practice test administered on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 1:30 PM until 6:00 PM (tentatively) at Berryessa Branch Library. Please register by calling 1-408-808-3050 or come directly to the information desk.
You do not need to print an admission ticket, but must bring a couple of pencils and a calculator to the test. Check out this SAT Day Checklist to get prepared for the test.
Come back on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 5:30 pm for the strategy session to receive a personalized score report. Parents are welcome to attend the strategy session.
Meet Erik Petersen, ESL Conversation Club Facilitator at Biblioteca Latinoamericana
Volunteer Erik Petersen is the ESL Conversation Club Facilitator at Biblioteca Latinoamericana. Every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, he leads the ESL Conversation Club. In this blog posting, Erik answers questions about himself and his interests.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a San Jose native who's lived in the South Bay my entire life. What I've always appreciated about growing up in the Bay Area is its sheer diversity. From a young age, I'd been exposed to various Latin American and Asian cultures that exist in San Jose, including their languages like Spanish and Tagalog. This is partly what spurred my initial interest in language. I decided to take Latin classes in high school, and knew by the end of my senior year I wanted to study language science in college. As of last spring, I finished up a linguistics and German language double major at SJSU. Having studied these two complementary degrees, I feel that I can contribute what I learned about language itself to the club. Topics we discuss range from current local or national events to language and cultural comparison. An analytical approach to language and a natural curiosity have allowed me to learn just as much from attendees as I hope they learn from the club itself.
Why are you interested in volunteering?
I wanted to get involved with volunteering since I'd never done any before. I have a goal of eventually teaching English abroad. I figured this position is great way to test the waters. I have a friend with similar goals who leads an ESL conversation club at the Berryessa branch, and he recommended it to me. Helping others improve their skill in English has been rewarding, especially having been on the other side of the aisle, so to speak. I spent a year studying in Germany, and I really appreciated those who would patiently spend the time to converse with me. That sort of exchange improved my German in ways that were impossible in the classroom. Likewise, conversation club is distinct from the ESL classes at the library in that it's more informal and less about grammar or pronunciation. Seeing as I'm a facilitator, I don't consider myself a teacher in the sense of being the 'head' of the club. Rather my role is to help create an environment where attendees feel comfortable to add to discussion or introduce topics of their own. Of course I answer questions and moderate discussions, but if a positive conversation is happening I keep my interruptions to a minimum. The club is for attendees to speak up, not me!
What do you like about Biblioteca Latinoamericana?
One thing I have noticed is the amount of activities available at this location. It seems every week I come in there is something to see: children's story time, ESL classes, and even creative cultural displays. I also appreciate the very existence of a multicultural library providing bilingual services. In my experience, the employees who provide those services have all been very helpful, and I've seen a clear mutual appreciation among all the volunteers. Overall, I view Biblioteca Latinoamericana as a unique offering among public libraries in the South Bay.
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