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Food and Travel: Turkey
If you have a chance to visit Turkey, stay not only Istanbul, 
but also Ephesus in Turkey.
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may have been written here as quoted on Wikipedia.com.
The library of Celsus is an ancient Roman building in Ephesus was built in honor of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus(completed in 135 AD) by Celsus' son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. This library demonstrates that libraries were to be found outside of the Roman Empire, and what is special about this library is that it is still standing. Many people from around the world make a special visit to this library. The oldest library recorded is the Library of Alexandria in Ancient Egypt. The exact date of this library’s construction is unknown but it is guessed to have been built circa 367 BC to 283 BC as quoted on dearlibrarian.com.
San Jose Public Library Collections
More Information
- List of Libraries in the Ancient World
- List of Turkish Desserts
- Turkish Delight (Lokum)
- Turkish Ice cream (Dondurma)
- Turkish Grilled Mackerel Kebabs (Uskumru Baligi Kebabi)
- Kebab
Magazines Online!
Did you know that you can get current issues and archives for many popular magazines and newspapers like Time, Newsweek, Harpers, CSM, and Sports Illustrated online, all for free with your library card? Check out our enewsstand for a selection. You will need to use your library card and PIN to access these from home.
OneInMath Begins at Hillview Branch This Week
OneInMath sessions for children in K-2 grades will begin at Hillview Branch this Wednesday at 5:30 PM. The program series teaches the kids to master simple addition and subtraction skills that will help them to succeed in math and science classes later on. Face-to-face tutoring and video instructions will be provided.
Urvi Gupta and a team of enthusiastive volunteers have offered this highly successful program at Evergreen and Berryessa libraries. This week will mark the begin of the program's expansion to Hillview Branch.
To register, please go to OneInMath online web page. Classes will be conducted weekly on Wednesdays at Hillview starting February 6th.
Reference USA: Free Online Trainings
Reference USA is offering our customers free online training throughout February and March. If you have never used Reference USA before or are an experienced user, you will find a training that will interest you. All you have to do is register online.
VITA Tax Help at West Valley Branch Library
Want free tax help?
VITA volunteers are trained to do basic low-income returns with W-2 income, interest, dividend, unemployment income, Social Security Benefits, Schedule A and Schedule C-EZ. No appointments are necessary. You will be served on a first come, first served basis.
If you are interested in having your taxes done, please come to West Valley Branch Library.
Time: Saturdays, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Feb. 2- April 13, 2013.
Learn a Language
What is on your 2013 resolution list? Is learning a new language on your list?
Our library has many resources to help you learn a foreign language.
Whether you want to learn Asian languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, Vietnamese, and Korean or European languages like German, Italian, Swedish, and Russian, you can find learning materials in a variety of formats. Our library has books, DVDs and CDs.
In addition, we have an electronic resource called Mango Language that you can access from home 24/7. Once you create a new account, you can start keeping track of your learning progress.
One patron told me he had spent more than 100 hours in learning Spanish using Mango language. He was able to hold a basic conversation with a Mexican clerk when he went shopping. His successful story is encouraging and inspiring. It proves you don’t have to spend money on hiring a private tutor to learn a foreign language. Make use of the library’s free resources as you like. You are welcome to browse our catalog to check out the collections that you want. Time and practice are two keys of successful language learning.
Family Learning Center Computer Orientation
San José Public Library has a total of 7 library branches that have Family Learning Centers (FLC). These branches are Bascom (opens on February 23, 2013), Biblioteca Latinoamericana, Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock, East Branch, Hillview, Seven Trees, and Tully Community Branch. Each Family Learning Center has books, DVDs, audio CDs, and kits on topics such as English as Second Language, Citizenship, job search, and exams, with an intention to help new Americans succeed in United States.
In addition, all Family Learning Centers computers are also equiped with ESL software that are specially installed for English learners. If you would like to learn how to use a computer to learn English, a few Family Learning Centers do offer Computer Orientation weekly .
The schedule of FLC Orientation is below:
- Dr. Roberto Cruz Alum Rock: Tuesdays 1-2 PM (in English and/or Spanish)
- Seven Trees Branch: Thursdays 11-12 Noon (in English and/or Spanish)
- Tully Branch: Wednesdays 6-7 PM (in English and/or Vietnamese)
At each orientation, adult and children learners will be introduced to ESL software, websites to learn English, how to type, and Live Homework Help on Family Learning Center computers.
Quý vị sẽ được hướng dẫn về cách sử dụng máy điện toán của Trung Tâm Giáo Dục Gia Đình để học Anh Văn, học đánh máy, hoặc để được giúp đở làm baì vở của các em.
Estudiantes adultos y niños serán introducidos al software de ESL y otros recursos para aprender. Nuestros programas le enseñan a escribir a máquina y ayuda en vivo atraves del intrenet también es disponible en las computadoras del FLC.
If you have any questions about the Family Learning Center, please don't hesitate to give a Family Learning Center Coordinator a call. Hope to see you at one of the Family Learning Centers.
Tax Time and Help
As sure as the sun rises in the east, tax time is here. January 30, 2013, is the first day of the season to file tax returns. The news article Get Ready to File Your Taxes provides a brief reference to the timeframe for filing returns either claiming tax credits (education credits, etc.) or filing other more complex returns.
No one likes to pay higher taxes than required. A post, Investing: Take steps now to reduce 2013 taxes, in USA Today, gives a couple tips for investors to plan ahead. As to the impact of the American Tax Relief Act 0f 2012, CCH Group provides an analysis for you to peruse. It highlights the various effects on individuals, including:
- 39.6% tax rate for incomes above $400,000 ($450,000 for families);
- All other Bush-era tax rates extended;
- And more.
There is also free Vita tax help provided "your 2012 income must be less than $51,000 and you CANNOT be filing as Married, Filing Separate return."
And for your money matters in general, please see the library's Your Money page.
Ultimately, here is the Internal Revenue Service.
Lunar New Year and Korean "Seollal(설날)"
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of
the lunar phase. Because there are about 
twelve lunations (synodic months) in a solar year, this period (354.37 days) is sometimes referred to as a lunar year as quoted on wikipedia.
China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia celebrate the lunar new year.
Koreans call "Seollal(설날)" for the lunar new year day.
Here is the informative video for "Seollal."
Koreans count their age from conception and base it on the lunar year. Korean babies are officially one year old when they get born, and Koreans will not use the 1st of January as the day when they get older, but the first day of the lunar new year (which is usually in early February).
Bayarea Lunar New Year Event
San Jose Public Library Collections
Lunar New Year Crafts in San Jose Public Library
Additional Information
Like Something? Don't Like Something? Spread the Word!
Our new library catalog software offers several ways for you to share your opinions with other library patrons.
Once you are looking at the library's listing of a certain item, near the top of this screen you will see a row of stars. Click on one of these to give the item a rating of from 1 (on the left) to 5 (on the right). If you are not already logged into your own account at this point, you will be prompted to log in, but once you are logged in, the record will accept your rating and average it with the ratings other library patrons have given that item.
Toward the bottom of the item's record, you will find a link for a "community review." As a member of the library's community, you may post a review here.
The community tags option allows you to add searchable terms to the item's record, to help other patrons find similar items. I thought people who like squirrels might enjoy this book and added that word as a tag, so now, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend will turn up when people search the catalog for the term "squirrels."
The community discussion option works like a website forum, and allows you and others to exchange remarks about this item. Currently, any postings here are identified as "anonymous" to protect patron information, though this service is intended to be more personalized as time goes by.
So no need to be shy; engage in the conversation, or start one of your own!
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