Free Author Night with Actress Adrienne Barbeau -- October 29th, 2008

The Buena Park Library District is presenting a free author night with famed actress and novelist Adrienne Barbeau. The program, featuring her new book: Vampyres of Hollywood will be held on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Buena Park Library’s downstairs auditorium, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue, Buena Park, California.

Adrienne Barbeau and co-author Michael Scott have given a novel twist to one of the hoariest clichés of vampire lore in this compulsively readable dark fantasy. In it secret vampires in the film industry have concocted vampire myths and disseminated them through horror movies to mislead superstitious humans. People and vampires in the story begin dying puzzling deaths, and the mystery must be solved before one character’s vampire pedigree is uncovered.

Please enjoy an entertaining evening as Adrienne Barbeau discusses her new book. She is well known for her many television and motion picture roles, including Maude, Cannonball Run, and The Drew Carey Show. Copies of Vampyres of Hollywood will be offered for sale at the author talk event.

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.

Free Ballot Proposition Pro and Con Programs -- October 22, 2008

The Buena Park Library District is sponsoring two free ballot proposition discussion programs presented by the League of Women Voters. The informative programs will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m. in the Buena Park Library’s 2nd floor Board Room, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue, Buena Park, California.

There are many election decisions to be made on November 4, 2008. California voters will be asked to vote YES or NO on twelve statewide ballot propositions. The League of Women Voters will discuss Propositions 1A through 12, and present the pros and cons of each to help voters make informed decisions. There will be two separate afternoon and evening programs. These programs are 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.

Día de los Muertos Celebration at the Buena Park Library District

To celebrate Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), the Buena Park Library District will present an afternoon of festivities on Saturday, October 25, 2008, beginning at 2:30 pm in the Library Auditorium. Viola Rodríguez Sadler, a Board Member of the Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research, will discuss the origins and customs of Día de los Muertos. The presentation will be followed by a ballet folklórico performance by Project SAY (Support Anaheim’s Youth). Everyone is invited to design and color a paper mask after the show. The Buena Park Library is located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues.

In conjunction with the Día de los Muertos program, the Buena Park Library staff will create an exhibit about Día de los Muertos. The display provides information about the customs surrounding the holiday, as well as examples of the altars known as “ofrendas”, which are constructed in honor of the dead. The exhibit will be on display in the Library lobby from October 21, 2008 until November 7, 2008.

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Central America. A melding of native (pre-Hispanic) and Catholic beliefs about the afterlife, Día de los Muertos was celebrated as a holiday to honor deceased relatives. It has evolved into a holiday celebrated around the world. In 2003, UNESCO proclaimed Día de los Muertos, as celebrated by the indigenous peoples of Mexico, an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A native of Texas, Ms. Sadler became interested in researching her family history more than twenty years ago. She and her husband, Charles, have been able to trace her ancestral lines back to the indigenous, and non-indigenous, people of Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Ms. Sadler is a volunteer at the Anaheim Family History Center and has served three terms on the Orange County Grand Jury.

Project SAY is the City of Anaheim’s Youth Development Program. Project SAY serves junior high and high school age youth and their families living in Anaheim, and uses a combination of outreach, recreation, educational workshops and individualized guidance to engage youth in positive and constructive activities to promote the healthy development of young people.

The Buena Park Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For information, please call the Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, ext. 125.