California Young Reader Medal Voting now Happening at your School and at the Buena Park Library District

It is once again time to vote for your favorite book among the titles selected as nominees for the California Young Reader Medal (CYRM)! Young people in our state are being encouraged by their schools and public libraries to read some wonderful books and VOTE fore their favorite(s). The Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue, has a decorative display of the current CYRM titles nominated, and we also have ballots for you to place your vote for your favorite books. Turn in the ballots with Phyllis Nisle, the Youth Services Librarian, or Mary Ivelia, our Children’s Programming Coordinator.

The California Young Reader Medal program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young people of our state. Since its inception in 1974, millions of California children have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal. Young people suggest the names of favorite books for nomination, or teachers and librarians note repeatedly read or requested titles, and these are submitted to the California Young Reader Medal Committee. Members of the committee read the suggested books, discuss their merits and appeal to children, and then decide upon a well-balanced list of nominees.

The CYRM program is sponsored by four statewide organizations committed to books and reading: the California Association of Teachers of English, the California Library Association, the California Reading Association, and the California School Library Association. A committee of representatives from each organization coordinates CYRM activities at the state level. To be considered for nomination, a book must be an original work of fiction published within the last four years by a living author. Recommendations for nomination are due each year by April 1 for consideration as a nominee the following year. It is a two-year cycle from the time of nomination by students to the presentation of the California Young Reader Medal to the winning authors and illustrators in the Primary and Picture Books for Older Readers categories.

Books are nominated for the medal in five categories: Primary (Grades K-2), Intermediate (Grades 3-5), Middle/Junior High School (Grades 6-9) and Young Adult (Grades 9-12).

Students may read and vote for books in any and all categories, but they must read all the books nominated in a category to be eligible to vote. Students read the nominated books from July through March and vote for their favorite(s) through their teachers and/or librarians Teachers and librarians provide ballots for the students, compile vote totals, and submit results to the CYRM committee.

All CYRM ballots must be postmarked by April 1 of each year. Make it easy on yourself and turn it in at your school or the Buena Park Library District! We’ll take care of the ballots filled out or dropped off here.

The 2006 – 2007 Titles nominated for the CYRM are http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/nominees.htm#2006

You can pick up a ballot at the Library. You can also http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/official_ballot2006_2007.htm

Please mail your OFFICIAL BALLOT and postmark it by April 1st to be counted. No votes can be taken electronically. The CYRM committee asks that you use the official ballot to make counting the votes easy.

So make sure you vote and have your vote COUNTED for this year’s California Young Reader Medal winners. See if your #1 pick gets to be #1 this year!

For more information about the nominated titles or any other programs at the Buena Park Library District, please call 714-826-4100, extension 126 for Children’s programs or x125 for Teen and Adult programs.

New Live Homework Help Service Offered from the Convenience of your Home through Library's Webpage

Parents and students! The Buena Park Library District has free “Live Homework Help” now available from our website at www.buenapark.lib.ca.us. Students in grades 4-12 and above can access this service free from their home computers. You will need a Buena Park Library card to access the site that is being made available from Tutor.com’s web-based online classroom. This service is available from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. any day of the week. You can now ask a live online tutor to help you with homework questions in math, science, social studies and English.

This homework help service is also available to Spanish speaking students from Sunday through Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. El programa “Live Homework Help” (ayuda en vivo para la tarea) está disponible en Espanol por nuestra pagina de Internet de 3 pm a 7 pm Domingo a Jueves.

The California State Library Live Homework Help Grant Program makes this possible for students of the Buena Park Library community. The Library is providing the online connectivity to this unique service through its webpage. The tutors are certified teachers, college professors and graduate students who have undergone extensive background checks prior to hiring. The program is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, and is administered by the California State Library.

It is a great free electronic and “real-time” homework resource from your local library – the Buena Park Library District. For more information, please contact Public Services Manager Kathleen M. Wade at (714) 826-4100, x135.

Blood Drive at Library for St. Jude Medical Center

The Buena Park Library District is having its second American Red Cross Blood Drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 12, 2007, in the downstairs auditorium. This time the drive is supporting the St. Jude Medical Center. Appointments are appreciated, and potential donors are requested to call 714.826.4100 x125 or go to www.givelife.org and put in our sponsor code: BPL to make your appointments. Either way is really simple. The Library is located at 7150 La Palma Ave., between Knott and Western Avenues.

The American Red Cross has provided an incentive to help donors get here: all participants have an opportunity to enter a regional opportunity drawing for a “Day at the Ballgame” (for Angels, Dodgers and Padres) which includes two free game tickets, parking, and a concession gift certificate.

Please call or log on to make appointments now. There is no time like the present to donate. Save a life and donate a pint on this special day. For more information about the Blood Drive and to make an appointment, call the Library at 714-826-4100 ext. 125. You can also visit our web site at www.buenapark.lib.ca.us to link to the web site for the American Red Cross Blood Drive (www.givelife.org) to sign up online, sponsor code: BPL.

Free Financial Planning Seminar -- February 28, 2007

The Buena Park Library District is sponsoring a free financial awareness seminar presented by Buena Park Chamber of Commerce members Peter Chow and Sylvia Woodside, who represent a large dealer/broker in financial planning. The seminar, entitled, Issues of Real Estate – Buying and Selling, will be held on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Buena Park Library’s 2nd floor Board Room, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue, Buena Park, California.

Topics to be covered during the program include:

• First Time Buyers’ Money Saving Secrets
• How to Finance Buying a Home
• 8 Tips Every Buyer Must Know
• 9 Deadly Sins to Avoid When Buying a Home
• How to Sell a Home
• 10 Biggest Selling Mistakes
• Market-Share Improvements
• Investing in Real Estate Market

This program is free of charge and the public is invited to attend. No reservations are necessary. For more information, please call the Buena Park Library District Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, extension 125.

It's February and Romance is in the Air at the Buena Park Library District

This week kicks off a month long celebration of ROMANCE and “finding your passion” at the Buena Park Library District. In recognition of February as Library Lover’s Month, the annual Volunteer Guild’s Romance Paperback sale is here! Starting Monday, February 5th and ending Saturday, March 3rd, come by and spend some time and money and take advantage of special offers in Romance Paperbacks. For example, buy 100 of the 50 cent Romance Paperbacks and get 20 of the Romance Paperbacks for free! All the 50 cent paperbacks are half off or just 25 cents! Come early for the best selection!

The Guild Bookstore is on the 2nd floor of the Library, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues. Sale proceeds benefit the Volunteer Guild which supports all the Library’s programs and collections.

For further information about this and other upcoming sales, please call the Guild Bookstore at 714-825-4100 ext. 123.

Laura Ingalls Wilder visits the Buena Park Library District

In honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday (February 7th), the Buena Park Library District will be hosting a very special program on Saturday, February 10th, at 3:00 p.m. in the downstairs auditorium. Ms. Judith Helton, a well-known Laura Ingalls Wilder reinactor, will be here for a one-woman show to share events and stories from Ms. Wilder’s life, plus she will have on display memorabilia from numerous Laura Ingalls Wilder museums from across the country. All ages are welcome to “meet” Laura Ingalls Wilder as she talks about life on the prairie and reads her stories from the “Little House” books. The Library is located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues.

For further information about this and other programs, please call the Library’s Children’s Department at 714-825-4100 ext. 126.