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.

Free Financial Planning Seminar -- January 24

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, Personal Finance 101: Getting Fiscally Fit, will be held on Wednesday, January 24, 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:

• Retirement facts
• Importance of planning
• Cash management
• Debts
• Rule of 72 – The magic of compounding
• Basic investment rules
• The high cost of waiting

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.

Christmas and New Year's Holiday Closure Dates -- Library and the Volunteer Guild Bookstore

The Buena Park Library District will be closed on Monday, December 25th, in recognition of Christmas, and will be resuming normal hours on Tuesday, December 26th, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. The library will also be closed on Monday, January 1st, for New Year's Day, reopening on Tuesday, January 2nd for normal hours.

The Volunteer Guild Bookstore will be closed from Monday, December 18th, through Wednesday, January 3rd, and will be resuming regular bookstore hours on Thursday, January 4th, opening at 12 p.m. and closing at 7:30 p.m.

Volunteer Guild Having Members Only Double Discount Sale, Saturday, Dec. 16

The Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library, located at the Buena Park Library District, 7150 La Palma Avenue, is offering a few hours of unbridled joy for Volunteer Guild members at very reasonable prices. This annual special sales event will be held Saturday, December 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Guild’s second floor bookstore. Tables full of donations, including a large selection of audio books, music CDs and cassettes, music LPs, VHS movies, magazines, Christmas themed books of all kinds, and a ton of fiction and non-fiction titles will be on display for perusal and purchase. Come early for best selection!

Non-members can take this opportunity to purchase a membership for only $5.00 for a year’s worth of savings! If you remain a non-member, though, you will pay regular bookstore prices … which are still the best in town.

Also available at this sale is the 2007 Orange County edition of the Entertainment Books for $35.00, which is chock-full of discounts and coupons for a number of events and eateries all over Orange County. A limited number are still available, so stop by and purchase one for that certain someone who has everything!

For further information, please contact the Bookstore at (714) 826-4100, x123.

Tinker Bell Collectibles on Display

Tinker Bell
Originally uploaded by bpld.

A fantastic collection of Tinker Bell collectibles are now on display at the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues. Caroline Egan, a Buena Park Library District staff member, has been collecting Tinker Bell memorabilia for a few years but states that Tinker Bell has always been a childhood favorite. A small portion of her collection is on exhibit in the Library lobby now through the end of December 2006.

Included in the display are mugs, watches, snow globes, music boxes, figurines, original artwork, pins, key chains, tea sets, desk accessories, and a set of "Disney Fairies," a new series of books about Tinker Bell’s friends from Pixie Hollow. The collectibles are from Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris and from London’s Disney Store, as well as our local Disneyland.

Tinker Bell originally appeared in the J. M. Barrie play "Peter Pan" in 1904. According to the Disney website, the pixie debuted on May 5, 1953 in the animated movie "Peter Pan" and is still used as an icon for Walt Disney films and television shows.

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., but closed on Federal holidays. For information on how you might want to display your own collections for the public to see, please call the Library’s Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, ext. 125.

Thanksgiving Closures for Library and Volunteer Guild Bookstore

The Buena Park Library District will be closed on Thursday and Friday, (November 23 and 24) in recognition of Thanksgiving, and will be resuming normal hours on Saturday, November 25, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 5 p.m.

The Volunteer Guild Bookstore will be closed from Monday through Saturday (November 20-25) and will be resuming regular bookstore hours on Monday, November 27, opening at 12 p.m. and closing at 6 p.m.

National Book Award Winners for 2006 Announced

The National Book Award Winners for 2005 are listed below:

• Fiction:
  Richard Powers
  The Echo Maker (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
  
  
• Young People's Literature:
  M.T. Anderson
  The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party (Candlewick Press)
  
  
• Nonfiction:
  Timothy Egan
  The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (Houghton Mifflin)
  
  
• Poetry:
  Nathaniel Mackey
  Splay Anthem (New Directions)
  

Library Closure -- Veterans' Day

The Buena Park Library District will be closed on Saturday, November 11, 2006, in recognition of the Veterans' Day holiday, and will be resuming normal hours on Monday, November 13, 2006, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.

Buena Park Library's Activities for Children - Halloween and After School

On Tuesday, October 31st, the Buena Park Library is having a Halloween Celebration in its downstairs auditorium, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. We are going to have some fun and games on Halloween Night and we are requesting all the children who attend to be IN COSTUME! We are planning games, crafts and a Costume Parade! So come ready to have a ghoulishly good time! For more information about this, please call the Library at (714) 826-4100 x126 in the Children's Area or go to our web page at www.buenapark.lib.ca.us.

Starting Wednesday, November 1st, we are having our annual "Krafts for Kids" event in November and December. It is a joint after-school FREE craft program with the Library and the Buena Park Recreation & Parks Department starting at 3:30 p.m. in the Library’s downstairs auditorium for six Wednesdays. The first program begins Wednesday, November 1st and runs through to December 13th, with no class on November 22 due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. For more information about "Krafts for Kids," call the City at (714) 236-3860 or go to www.buenapark.com or call the Library at (714) 826-4100 x126 in the Children’s Area.

It is flu season again. Where do I get a flu shot?

Attention seniors 60 years of age and older. Receive free flu shots at the annual Flu Shot Clinic on Monday, November 6, 2006 at the Buena Park Senior Center, 8150 Knott Avenue in the Community Recreation Center. Flu Shots will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on a first come, first served basis or until serum runs out. Call the Senior Center at 1-714-236-3870 for additional information.

The County of Orange Office on Aging also has an updated schedule of additional flu clinics. Call the Office on Aging at 1-800-510-2020 or 1-714-567-7500 or go on line with www.findaflushot.com to find a flu shot clinic near you.

A flu shot is the best way to prevent the flu and avoid unnecessary complications or hospitalizations. However, there are additional preventive measures you can take to further reduce your chance of getting sick and spreading any respiratory illnesses to others: cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands often with soap and water, try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, avoid close contact with those who are sick and if you get sick, stay home until you are better.

Teen Read Month Planned for October 2006 at the Buena Park Library District

Area teens will be reading for the fun of it as Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Ave., celebrates Teen Read Week for the entire month of October. The Library will join thousands of other libraries, schools and bookstores across the country who are encouraging teens to celebrate this year’s theme, “Get Active @ your library®.” This year’s theme encourages teens to use the resources in their library to lead active lives.

Youth Services Librarian, Phyllis Nisle, hopes to increase teen literacy locally by offering a Get Active Reading Program from October 2nd through October 31st. Participating teens in the 7th – 12th grade can pick up a Get Active BINGO card at the Information and Reference desk beginning October 2nd or download it from our web page at www.buenapark.lib.ca.us and look for BINGO hotlink under “Library Information Links and Forms” on the first page, or just click here. Complete instructions are on the BINGO card. All participants will receive a Get Active bookmark at the time they receive their BINGO card. The first 100 participants to turn in their completed BINGO card will receive a special READ wrist band and will have their name entered into a drawing for a great prize.

Other activities and programs planned for Teen Read Month include a bookmark design contest, a Dance Dance Revolution Tournament that will be held Saturday, October 14th, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and a Karaoke Contest to be held Saturday, October 28th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. These last 2 musical events will be held in the downstairs auditorium. For more information, call the library at 714-826-4100 ext. 125 and ask for Phyllis.

New Book Discussion Groups for Adults Starting at the Buena Park Library

Two new book discussion groups for adults, hosted by the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Ave. (between Knott and Western), will begin Thursday, September 28th, 2006.

The Thursday afternoon group meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the Library’s board room on the 2nd floor. Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Book selections for this twice-a-month group evolve around a predetermined theme. Participants are encouraged to read different titles, thus giving others in the group new ideas for future reads. The themes for September and October include a “classic” title that will be discussed September 28th, a book that has been made into a movie on October 12th, and a nonfiction book on October 26th.

The Thursday evening group meets at 6:30 p.m. in the board room on the 4th Thursday of the month. This is a traditional book discussion group in which participants read and discuss a pre-selected title. September’s selection is The Keep by Jennifer Egan. Upcoming titles that will be discussed include The Sea by John Banville, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

You are welcome to attend either or both book discussion groups. For more information, call the Library at 714-826-4100 ext. 125 and ask for Phyllis.

Come Celebrate Endless Summer at the Buena Park Library Volunteer Guild Bookstore and its Vendors' Faire

As our long California summer draws to a close, it’s time for us to have a “NIGHT OUT” with food, fun and shopping! On Tuesday, September 19th, the Volunteer Guild Bookstore at the Buena Park Library, located on the 2nd floor at 7150 La Palma Avenue, and Ms. Sandy Smith of SLS Creative Business Solutions will present its popular Vendors’ Faire from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to all interested parties.

A Flip-Flop Contest will be held at 6:00 p.m. for all those who wear their most creative flip-flops. There will be complimentary chair massages provided by Smith Chiropractic, too. Prize tickets are earned for attending the event, making vendor purchases, booking a show with any of the home-based business being represented at the faire, and for each book purchased in the bookstore during the faire. Free refreshments will be served for a limited time.

SPECIAL NOTE: There are also a few home-based business/vendor spaces still available, so please contact Sandy Smith at 714-521-4420 for more details. No time like now!

Proceeds benefit the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library. Come on over and join the fun. For more information about this faire or any future Bookstore events, please call 714-826-4100, x123, and a friendly volunteer will assist you.

Author Talk and Book Signing on the Historic Ridge Route Highway at the Buena Park Library District

The Buena Park Library District will present an author talk and book signing with Southern California author and highway historian Harrison I. Scott, speaking about his recent book on one of the most historic highways in our state — “Ridge Route: The Road That United California.”

The presentation at Buena Park Library District, 7150 La Palma Avenue, Buena Park, CA 90620, will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 in the 2nd floor Board Room. The program will cover the highway that links Northern and Southern California via Los Angeles and Bakersfield. When it opened in 1915 the Ridge Route was celebrated as a marvel of mountain highway engineering. It has been improved and renamed several times in the years that followed, among them: U.S. Highway 99, also called “The Ridge Alternate,” and Interstate 5.

Harrison Scott looks forward to sharing stories from The Ridge Route and answering your questions. Autographed copies of the book will be available for sale during the presentation at $20.00 including sales tax.

This program is free of charge for the author talk 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.

Find Your Treasure @ the Library -- September is Library Card Sign-up Month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month - a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all.

Libraries play an important role in the education and development of children. Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

During the month of September the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue between Knott and Western Avenues, will be giving all 1st time new borrowers a treasure bag. Inside they will find a pencil, a bookmark and a special pirate coloring page. In addition, all new borrowers will be able to enter an opportunity drawing for a family pack of 4 Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park tickets generously donated by Knott’s Berry Farm.

To get your free library card, present verification of your current California street address (e.g. CA Driver’s License or ID card) to the Check-Out desk. Children 17 and under must have parent or guardian present.

The Buena Park Library has books, magazines, DVD’s, Videos, music CD’s, audiobooks, Internet connections and a variety of databases than can be accessed from our website. The Library also offers several programs to stimulate an interest in reading and learning. Preschool story hours expose young children to the joy of reading, and our librarians are on hand to help recommend materials suitable for various ages and interests. You can also contact the Library at 714-826-4100 at extension125 or visit us at our website www.buenapark.lib.ca.us to find out more about what we have to offer.

Be a “Book-A-Neer” and find your treasure @ the Library!

Congratulations and Thank You, Buena Park -- The Library's Blood Drive was a Resounding Success!

The Buena Park Library District and the American Red Cross were terrific partners on Thursday, August 17, 2006, for the Library’s first hosting of an American Red Cross Blood Drive. Not only did the Library meet its goal of 24 donors, we beat it! The Blood Drive brought in a total of 41 units which, according to the Red Cross, will save 123 lives. So, on behalf of the Buena Park Library District, a special “shout out” of tremendous thanks goes to all the donors, both in Buena Park and from other communities, who came in to our facility on that day to donate blood. Excellent job, one and all!

“Many of the participants said that holding the Blood Drive here was very convenient for them, so we are hoping to have another one in April during National Library Week, April 15-21, 2007,” said Kathleen Wade, Public Services Manager. “We hope that our next one will be as successful as this one was.”

The Library is located at 7150 La Palma Ave., between Knott and Western Avenues. The Library’s hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have a used bookstore on the 2nd floor run by our library support group, the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library. Call the Library at 714.826.4100 for information about programs, bookstore hours or anything else you are interested in, and we’ll help you find what you need.

Buena Park Library District - check it out. We connect you to the world of knowledge.

Vendor Recall Issued on Toys Given by Library's Summer Reading Program

A vendor recall from Highsmith due to lead content has been issued on bendable toys that many public libraries across the country, including those in Buena Park, used as prizes during Summer Reading Programs for children.

The toys, a bendable dog and cat (image right), were found to have 0.4 and 0.24 percent of lead. The maximum safety limit is currently 0.06 percent. The toys are roughly 3.75 inches long and are similar in shape to a lollipop.

“We’d like all children and parents to return these toys ASAP to the Buena Park Library District for safe disposal,” said library director Louise Mazerov. “We’ve got other reading prizes available in exchange for these bendable toys. We’ll be happy to replace them.”

According to The Star Press newspaper website, the Indiana State Department of Health has sent a letter to the Indiana-based distributor of the bendable toys to urge a voluntary recall. Stamped “Made in China,” no other identifying information is available. The matter has been referred to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for further investigation and follow-up.

For more information, please contact the Children’s department at 714-826-4100 x126.

Check out the Buena Park Library's Blood Drive!

The Buena Park Library District is having an American Red Cross Blood Drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 17, 2006 in the downstairs auditorium. 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 a couple of incentives to help donors get here: all participants will receive a coupon for a free “Skillet Queso” appetizer at Chili’s and everyone has an opportunity to enter a raffle to win a $1,000 gas gift card.

Please call or log on to make appointments now. There is no time like the present to donate, and the need is urgent as there is “a severe blood shortage” according to the American Red Cross.

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.

“Buena Park Library District - check it out. We connect you to the world of knowledge.”

Nautical Memorabilia on Display in July and August

Semaphore Flags
Originally uploaded by bpld.

Nautical memorabilia are now on display at the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues. Mr. James Paterson, a longtime Buena Park resident, has been collecting maritime artifacts since the early 1960’s. A small portion of his large collection is on exhibit in the Library lobby now through the end of August 2006.

Mr. Paterson served in the U.S. Navy from 1960 - 1979. Mr. Paterson’s collection includes U.S. Navy magazines, crew books, postcards, signal flags, photographs, plaques, and pennants. Some of his most interesting relics are from the USS Dixie (AD-14), a “destroyer tender” which is a ship that provided repair and technical services to destroyers and other warships. A piece of the deck, a rivet from the hull and even a porthole from the USS Dixie are on view. One of the longest serving vessels in the Navy, the USS Dixie was decommissioned in 1983 and scrapped in 1993.

Also displayed are some memorabilia from the Cunard Line ships RMS Queen Mary and MV Britannic. Menus from 1937 evoke a time when transatlantic travel was mainly by ship.

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., but closed on Federal holidays. For information, please call the Reference Desk at 714-826-4100, ext. 125.