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:
 

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network 

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

Jóvenes de la Biblioteca caminaron al centro el 11 de abril para visitar cuatro museos de arte.  Aprendieron de muchos eventos y actividades de que podrían aprovecharse.  También comieron pizza. 

Teens from the Biblioteca Latinoamericana took a walk downtown April 11, 2013 to visit several San Jose art museums.  In the morning they went to the Institute for Contemporary Art, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, and MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana), all on South First Street.  The teens also heard about several upcoming art events and activities in the SOFA district, most of them free.  After a pizza lunch they continued on to the San Jose Museum of Art.  Comments from the teens included:

• The trip made me learn about places and art that I didn't know we had around and near our neighborhood
• What I liked about this trip is that we got to bond more 
• What I liked most overall was the karaoke [at the San Jose Museum of Art] - we should have one for teensReach 
• My favorite part was eating pizza 
•   I liked how in the first museum...the paintings there were like popping out...in the second the textiles were so colorful and pretty....in the third, I really liked the painting "Soy la noche" 
•  I really like the MACLA museum because I didn't know about it and I really want to go to their music recording classes 

For more pictures/para mas fotos: :: Bibliot eca Facebook!

Did you hear about the wolf spider so big that it took several shots to kill it?  Did you know that Mr. Rogers was a Marine Sniper in Vietnam or that you can prevent Facebook from using your posts by including a simple copyright notification?  What about Manti Te'o’s internet "girlfriend?"

Everything you just read was a lie. How many of you have actually been taken in by one of these hoaxes?  (I'll admit to believing that Mr. Rogers was a sniper.)  Often it's one of your friends sharing it through Facebook or Twitter.  Other times you hear about it on the local news.  How do you know when something is legit?  Is there any way to tell? 

We think so.  That’s why the San José public library is offering the "News Know How" program this summer at the new Educational Park Branch.  We're bringing in real reporters to show you how to separate fact from opinion and hoax from reality.  For two weeks you’ll work with Reporters, Librarians, and your fellow teens to create your own project (check out last year's projects).  Now you may be asking yourself.  Why should I spend two precious weeks of my summer actually learning?  Well, not only will your project be presented online for you to show off, you'll also receive a stipend (read money) for going through the program. 

The program will run for approximately five hours a day Monday through Friday from June 17 to June 28, 2013. Once you've applied you will be contacted in order to schedule an interview. Interviews will begin May 1, 2013 and continue until all the spots are filled. Please contact Erik Berman (Erik.Berman@sjlibrary.org) if you have any questions.

Applications are now live.  Click here to be taken to the registration page.    Once you've completed the application, you will recieve an email with additional information.

Who do you trust for your daily news? CNN, Fox News, NBC, CBS, The Drug Report, Reuters, the Huffington Post? We have so much news coming in so fast and so frequently that it can feel like you can never catch up with the latest Supreme Court decision or celebrity gaffe.  (I just checked my smart phone and two new articles have been released on my favorite news app.)  Knowing who to believe and how to evaluate the credibility of a given article is becoming more important than ever thanks to the influx of news sources and corporate news agencies, be it independent blogs or even the posts from your local library (which of course are impeccably credible).   

That's why the San José Public Library, with the help of American Library Association and the Open Society Foundations, is offering the News Know How media literacy program this June at the newly opening library, Educational Park.  The Library will be recruiting 15 students to participate in a special two week crash course in media literacy.  Students will learn how to critically evaluate the news they see every day.  They will spot misinformation and propaganda; they will check sources and distinguish between a reporter's fact and opinions.  In the end, as teams, they will produce their own report, sharing what they learned with the rest of the world.

The program will run for aproximately five hours a day June 17 - 28, 2013 at the Educational Park Branch of the San José Public Library.  Participants must commit to the full two weeks and to completing the final project.  In return they will receive a stipend.

Any teen interested in the program should follow this link to register.    Applicants will recieve an email with instructions concerning the next step.

NEED HELP?  Help is here: Social Workers in the Library

At King Library: Every 1^st and 4^th Mondays of the month, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

Call: 1-408-808-2350 to schedule an appointment

At East Branch Library: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Call: 1-408-808-3075

Is something happening in your life that you have questions about concerning:

• Education
• Emergency Services- food/clothing/housing and crisis support
• Employment
• Family Matters- parenting, childcare, divorce, elder issues and domestic violence
• Health Improvement- mental, physical and health insurance
• Immigration
• Support Groups- men, women and teens

Make an appointment to get a FREE 20 minute session of information and referral or advice, from a member of the National Association of Social Workers. Everyone at some point in their lives could use the advice of a social worker. Our volunteer social workers are offering it - Free of Charge.

Social Workers in the Library, is a partnership between the San José Public Library, San José State University's School of Social Work,  National Association Of Social Workers - California Chapter, and the SJSU School of Library and Information Services.

Contact:                                                                                                          

Elizabeth Chavarin   

Office: 1-408-808-2175

Rock the Library – Enter San José Public Library’s "Battle of the Bands"

Celebrate Teen Tech Week 2013, “Check In @ your library”

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Are you a teen (age 12 – 18) that performs with your own band? Ready to move out of the garage and onto a wider stage? Enter San José Public Library’s online "Battle of the Bands," in celebration of Teen Tech Week 2013 (March 10-16).

To enter, have your parents or a friend grab that camcorder and record your best performance. Post the video online (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, etc.). Submit your entry by sending an email to sjplbattleofthebands@gmail.com that contains a link to your music online. Be sure to include the following information:

• The name of the band/performer, and names and ages of all members
• A brief description of the band, to be used on the contest webpage
• A name, phone number, and email where the contestants can be reached

Submit entry by February 9. Please note: No personal information will be posted online.

This contest is open to all musical genres, but no obscene or offensive lyrics are allowed. Inappropriate lyrics or behavior will result in disqualification. Participants may enter together as a group, or as a solo performer. Solo performers must play an accompanying instrument. No karaoke permitted.

What’s next? Your entry will be posted on the official "SJPL Battle of the Bands" site sjpl.org/battleofthebands. Music lovers will be invited to visit the page between February 25 and March 16 to listen in and cast their votes for their favorites. The top five finalists who receive the most online votes will be announced March 19.

The top five finalists from the online voting contest must be available to play at the live final concert on Saturday, March 23 at the new Bascom Library and Community Center (1000 S. Bascom Ave, San Jose). Each band will have up to 20 minutes to perform their set.  A panel of judges will evaluate the performers on their musical ability and stage presence. The decision of the judges will be final.

First, second and third place winners will receive the following prizes:

• First Place: $250
• Second Place: $150
• Third Place: $50

The library gratefully acknowledges the generous support of all its community sponsors, including Pin Up Productions, Live 105.3, Streetlight Records and San Jose Pro Drum. 

For more information, including full contest rules, stop by your neighborhood branch of the San José Public Library, or go online to sjpl.org/battleofthebands.   For additional Teen Tech Week activities, such as video game days, contests, and crafts, go online to sjpl.org/teens.

About Teen Tech Week:

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audio books, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' non-print resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

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