FREE First Time Home Buyer / Refinancing Seminar -- August 13

The Buena Park Library District is co-sponsoring a free “fiscal fitness” seminar with the Society for Financial Awareness (SOFA), a California non-profit that provides financial education through seminars and workshops. The seminar is entitled "First Time Home Buyers / Refinancing 2005", and will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2005, from 12 Noon until 1:00 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 buyer’s money-saving secrets.
• How to finance a home in today’s market.
• Eight (8) tips every home buyer must know.
• Nine (9) deadly sins to avoid when buying a home.
• How to invest in today’s real estate market.

Your presenter is Sylvia Woodside, a member of the Buena Park Chamber of Commerce, SOFA and Mortgage Specialists.

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

Visit the Wild Wonders on Monday, July 25th at 7:00 p.m.

Join the Buena Park Library District on Monday, July 25th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Library’s downstairs auditorium, located at 7150 La Palma Ave., as it welcomes the various animals from Wild Wonders, Inc. It is a live interactive show where audiences “learn about the wildlife and planet we share,” according to Director Jackie Navarro and her friendly animal keeping and educator staff, April, Raquel, Kim and Katie. Wild Wonders, Inc., is a licensed and insured wildlife education organization that travels throughout the United States, providing exotic animals and animal trainers for shows, parties, rentals, programs, and exhibits.” This free program is sponsored by the Dennis Salts Family of Buena Park and is for the young and the forever young of Buena Park. It is another of the Library’s special summer program celebrating our local heroes, Super Heroes = Super Readers and Unleash Your Power/Read reading club themes for children aged 2-12 and teens aged 13-17 respectively. Seating is limited, so come early for the best seat in the house.

For more information, please see our web page or contact the Children's Department at (714) 826-4100 x126 or visit the Children's Area or Teen Area for a complete schedule of summer events and list of program sponsors.

Science, Shakespeare, and Origami at the Library

On Monday, July 18th, at 7:00 p.m., "Mr. Chemistry" Rudy Gonzales will bring his "Rudy’s Radical Science" show to the Library. The show, sponsored by Care Ambulance Services, is a favorite of our young people in Buena Park and Rudy shows that every day science is all around us.

For more information about this and other special summer programs – including the Philosopher’s Club, the Shakespeare Club and the Origami Club – please call the Children’s Department at 714-826-4100 x126.

Magazine Sale in July at the Guild Booskstore

The Volunteer Guild Bookstore, located on the 2nd floor of the Buena Park Library District, 7150 La Palma Ave., is having a Magazine Sale, starting July 11, 2005 and ending July 30th. Buy one magazine and get one magazine of equal or lesser value FREE! There are a lot of nice magazines to choose from so stop by Mondays and Thursdays from 12 Noon to 7:30 p.m.; Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12 Noon to 6:00 p.m.; Fridays, 12 Noon to 3:00 p.m.; and Saturdays from 12 Noon to 4:30 p.m.

Don’t forget to ask about our upcoming sales: The college textbook and computer manuals sale in August, October Backroom Blowout Sale and our December Members Only Double Discount Sale!

Membership in the Volunteer Guild is available for $5.00 per year. Your membership benefits include free books and other special discounts.

For more information, please call Luann O’Hara, Bookstore Manager and Volunteer Guild President at 714-826-4100 x123.

Flights of Fantasy "Take Off" at the Buena Park Library District

Join the Buena Park Library District on Monday, July 11th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Library’s downstairs auditorium, located at 7150 La Palma Ave., as it welcomes the talented ladies of the Flights of Fantasy Story Theater for a special super hero program sponsored by the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library. This program is for the young and the forever young of Buena Park, and is another special summer program celebrating our local heroes, Super Heroes = Super Readers and Unleash Your Power/Read reading club themes for children aged 2-12 and teens aged 13-17 respectively. Seating is limited, so come early for the best seat in the house. For more information, please see our web page at http://www.buenapark.lib.ca.us/ or contact the Children's Department at (714) 826-4100 x126 or visit the Children's Area or Teen Area for a complete schedule of summer events and list of program sponsors.

Life of the Party David Skale Performs at the Buena Park Library

Magician and comedian David Skale returns to the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Ave., on Monday, June 27, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. His program is a favorite of both children and staff, and it is a “not to miss” event for this summer’s series of special programs. David is a true crowd pleaser, and has adapted his show to fit this year’s theme of Super Heroes = Super Readers. Be here to enjoy his special blend of magic and humor. Tonight’s program is brought to you by the Library’s support group, the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library. Seating is limited so come by early for a good spot.

The Library began its annual summer reading club with a “Kick-Off” event on June 18th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the grassy areas in front. Over 400 teens and children signed up and enjoyed the festivities that were happening all around them. Face-paintings, cake walks, chalk drawings and a variety of games were enjoyed by over 700 people who attended the event. A visit by the Buena Park Police Department was accompanied by sirens, but as our local community hero, the visit was brief as the officer was called away to perform his duties. We also had the American Red Cross canteen truck with its driver Mr. Pedro Palidano, a Disaster Action Team member, here to display the kinds of services the Red Cross offers to people in emergencies. This particular truck and driver responded to those in need at the recent landslide disaster in Laguna.

For more information, please see our web page at www.buenapark.lib.ca.us or contact the Children's Department at (714) 826-4100 x126 or visit the Children's Area or Teen Area for a complete schedule of summer events and list of program sponsors.

Meet Officer Frank at the Buena Park Library

Mr. Frank Caruso, Irvine police officer and author, will be at the Buena Park Library District, located at 7150 La Palma Avenue, to read his book Let's Meet Officer Frank on Monday, June 20, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. He will also speak to the children about safety and the role of a police officer in the community. If you are interested, Officer Frank will have signed copies of his book for purchase at a reduced price of $5.00.

Officer Frank is the Library’s first Summer Reading Club special program. The Library begins its annual summer reading club with a “Kick-Off” event on June 18th, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the grassy areas in front of the building. Teens and children are encouraged to come by and sign up for their own reading clubs which will award incentives for the number of hours (children) or pages (teens) read over the summer.

The Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library is the major sponsor of the Library’s annual summer reading club for our community, and other local vendors contribute incentives and other items to encourage children to keep up their reading skills over the summer. For more information, please see our web page at http://www.buenapark.lib.ca.us/ or contact the Children's Department at (714) 826-4100 x126 or visit the Children's Area for a complete schedule of summer events and list of program sponsors.

Summer Reading is Happening at the Buena Park Library

Summer is going to be very busy for readers in Buena Park community with two programs that present a lot of options to their participants.

First, the Buena Park Library District will have its annual free Summer Reading Program, beginning June 18th and going through to August 27th for both children ages 2 to 12 and teens ages 13 to 17. The themes are Super Readers = Super Heroes (the children’s reading club) and Unleash Your Power / Read (the teen’s reading club) and everyone earns incentives for reading. The Library will be highlighting our community’s local heroes by having many representatives (a local fire fighter, a local police officer, an emergency medical technician, etc.) come and read to the children during specific weeks of the summer. We are planning special entertainment for the entire summer and the kickoff day is Saturday, June 18th, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We hope to see everyone here! Stop by the Library or take a peek at our website – www.buenapark.lib.ca.us. – and get a calendar of our events.

The 2nd program being offered here at the Buena Park Library is a first time offering of Accelerated Reader (AR) testing for those students who wish to take AR tests over the summer. The Library has agreed to be a test site and the program is being sponsored by Renaissance Learning. The program is being offered from June 20 through August 12, on Mondays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Shelli Sturgeon-Abbott, the Coordinator, will be here for all the sessions to assist with the student’s or parent’s needs or questions. Parents are urged to contact their child’s school to sign up and prepay the registration. The cost is $20.00 per student. For more information about scheduling or any other concerns you may have, please contact Ms. Abbott at 714-522-8389, at Corey Elementary School.

For more information regarding the Buena Park Library’s Super Hero Summer Reading program, please call Kathleen M. Wade, Public Services Manager, at 714-826-4100 x135.

California Carving Guild Display at the Buena Park Library District

Members of Orange County Chapter #2 of the California Carving Guild are displaying their wood carvings at the Buena Park Library District. Over 60 of their creations are on display in the lobby now through June 24, 2005. The Buena Park Library District is located at 7150 La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, between Knott and Western Avenues.

The items on display have been created from familiar woods like basswood, walnut and pine, to more exotic woods like jelutong, a hardwood found in Indonesia and Malaysia. The carvings display a wide range of styles from the humorous caricatures of Ann Anton, to the stylized sting rays of Bill Bahret, and the amazingly, life-like birds of Richard Otsubo. Another noteworthy set of carvings by John Fleisher show the steps that turn a block of wood into a pike fish decoy. There are also fascinating pieces created from a single piece of wood such as Joyce Wofford’s "Chain Attached to a Ball in a Cage."

The skill levels displayed by the creators of the pieces range from the Novice, to the more skilled Expert and several of the carvers have brought sculptures representing their progress from Novice to Advanced to Expert Carver.

The California Carvers Guild is a statewide organization of woodcarvers. There are over 51 chapters statewide with over 900 active members. The California Carvers Guild was founded in 1974 and its primary aim is to promote and teach the art of carving. For more information about the California Carvers Guild, please call 714-530-7128. In the meantime, stop by the Library to be amazed at their handiwork.

Vendor Fairs at the Buena Park Library

The Volunteer Guild Bookstore and SLS Creative Business Solutions are co-sponsoring two vendor “faires” at the Buena Park Library. The first one is being held in the Library’s second floor Guild bookstore on Wednesday, June 1st, 2005, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at 7150 La Palma Ave, on La Palma between Knott and Western. The second will be outside on the grass at the “Wrap Event for Summer Reading” on Saturday, August 27th, 2005 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Volunteer Guild in their fundraising efforts to benefit the Library’s public programming and service needs.

Sales representatives and independent consultants for vendors Avon™, Becky and Betty, Celebrations by Lillian Vernon™, Cookie Lee Jewelry(R), Luxe & Co., Mary Kay(R) Cosmetics, Pampered Chef, Smith Chiropractic, Tastefully Simple and Tupperware(R) and will be on hand to demonstrate their wares for early gift, graduation and holiday shopping. There will be free opportunity drawings available to those who attend, as well as gift certificates and take-away items.

SLS Creative Business Solutions has organized this event in support of the Volunteer Guild.

For more information about this event and other Guild Bookstore activities, please call 714-826-4100 x123.

Caregiver Conflict Resolution Workshop -- May 9th

Come join us to share new ideas and ways to help children (ages 0-5) effectively solve problems and get along with others.

KCET, the Buena Park Library District, and the Buena Park School District invite you to attend the A Place of Our Own: Caregiver Conflict Resolution Workshop to be held at the Buena Park Library on Monday, May 9th, 2005 at 5:00pm - 7:30pm. The admission is free and refreshments will be provided. (Please RSVP to Christie or Loretta 714-562-1621).

Conflict occurs naturally in a typical child's day. It helps children learn and grow. You will explore and learn ways to help children develop the skills they need to work through problems safely and effectively through simple activities and crafts.

You will receive an Activity Kit that includes:

• A Place of Our Own video
• Activity Cards
• Children's storybook
• Certificate and other resources

A Place of Our Own is a new daily talk show on KCET for parents, grandparents, neighbors and other adults who care for young children. The program is hosted by Debi Gutierrez, and provides you with valuable information and tips on how to raise smart, healthy and happy children.

Teen Poetry Coffeehouse on Tuesday, April 12th

In celebration of National Library Week from April 10th through 16th, the Buena Park Library District will be presenting its first Teen Poetry Coffeehouse on Tuesday, April 12, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Library’s auditorium. Teens are invited to share poetry they’ve written, to read a favorite poem or to just come and listen.

For more information, please call Phyllis Nisle, Youth Services Librarian at 714-826-4100 x125.

Author Event: A World War II Bombardier -- April 18th

On Monday, April 18, 2005, at 6:30 p.m. at the Buena Park Library District, World War II veteran Charles N. "Norm" Stevens will discuss his book, An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an Eighth Air Force Bombardier, and his experiences as part of the 351st Bomb Group based in Polebrook, England.

Stevens will be describing what it felt like as a 19-year-old from California to find himself in the Plexiglas nose of a B-17 flying bombing raids over Germany. A retired teacher who now lives in the Los Angeles area, Stevens researched his book with trips to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to bolster his own recollections. This program is free and open to the public.

Copies of An Innocent at Polebrook will be available for purchase and signing at the conclusion of Stevens’ talk. His book is also available from the publisher, AuthorHouse (authorhouse.com) or from amazon.com.

Date: Monday, April 18, 2005
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: Buena Park Library District
2nd Floor Board Room
7150 La Palma Avenue
Buena Park, CA 90620
714-826-4100, Ext. 125

Deciphering the Da Vinci Code -- April 16th

The Buena Park Fine Arts Commission in conjunction with the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library will host a reception and art lecture intended to decipher The Da Vinci Code and the Last Supper. Art professor and historian, Beth Rasmussen will present an objective interpretation of author Dan Brown’s provocative bestseller, The Da Vinci Code and offer a historical interpretation of Da Vinci’s most notable painting, the Last Supper.

The salon will be held on April 16th at 3:00 P.M. at the Buena Park Library, 7150 La Palma Ave., Buena Park. Admission is $10, which includes the reception and presentation. Limited space, reservations required. Please call 714-236-3860 for reservations and more information.

Deciphering Da Vinci is the first of Buena Park’s newly created cultural arts series to celebrate the artistic and intellectual vision of the local community. The series will focus on literary, visual and performing arts with presentations by noted artists, writers, historians and performers.

Meet Children's Author Sabina Rascol -- April 19th

Meet Sabina Rascol, author of the recently published children's book The Impudent Rooster, on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. in the Downstairs Auditorium of the Buena Park Library District.

Children will have an opportunity to participate in a live staging of Sabina’s adaptation of this Romanian folktale. Aspiring authors of all ages will enjoy hearing Sabina’s informative presentation on the process involved in publishing a children’s book.

This program is part of the Buena Park Library District’s National Library Week celebration and is sponsored by the Volunteer Guild of the Buena Park Library District.

Free Puppet-Making Workshop for Children (ages 7-12)

This free event will be held on Saturday, March 26, at the Buena Park Library District, downstairs auditorium from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Diana Big Mountain of the House of Puppets will be showing children how to make their own puppets. Spaces are limited to 30, so you must call ahead for reservations at 714-826-4100 x126. No drop-ins will be possible. Be sure to specify how many children from ages 7-12 will attend.

A special note to parents: The workshop is not designed for younger children because of the kinds of materials used to make the puppets.

This is an opportunity to find out how to make and play with your own puppet with the skills and talents of Diana Big Mountain, founder of the House of Puppets, also a trained puppeteer and a member of the Orange County Puppetry Guild.

Come to the Buena Park Library District , 7150 La Palma Avenue, Buena Park. Please call 714-826-4100 x126 for further information.

Change Your Luck at the March Media Madness Sale!

The Volunteer Guild’s Bookstore, located on the 2nd floor of the Buena Park Library at 7150 La Palma Avenue, is having its special St. Patrick’s Media Madness Sale starting Thursday, March 17, 2005 and ends at the close of business Saturday, April 2nd or while supplies last.

All music items are on sale – cassettes, CD’s, vinyl record albums, sheet music books, etc., plus VHS videos and audio books. The donations have been remarkable, so come by early for the best selection.

“Everything is priced at $1.25. As an added bonus, computer manuals will also be featured at the same price during this sale. No Blarney!” says Luann O’Hara, Guild President and Bookstore Manager.

Come share our good fortune during our regular store hours Monday and Thursday, Noon to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, Noon to 6:00 p.m., and Friday, Noon to 3:00 p.m., and Saturday, Noon to 4:30 p.m.

Special note: The Guild Bookstore will be closed Thursday, March 24 through Saturday, March 26 for the Easter Holiday.

All proceeds from the Bookstore aid the Library with special programs and projects – so with your help, we help the Library. Good luck!

A New Look for our Adult Library Card

The Buena Park Library District is happy to debut a new design for our adult library card. When registering for the first time, you may choose between our new design and our old design. If you already hold an adult card, you may replace the old card with the new one for a $1.00 replacement fee.

We are proud to say that this card is an original design by our own talented graphic artist, Sonia Rojas. Her contributions always help to keep the Buena Park Library's commitment to public service fresh and unique. Thanks, Sonia!

When the Library is closed, do you...

...need some live help?

If so, you may AskNow via Internet Chat! This service lets you ask questions and get answers in real time from reference staff in libraries throughout California and the nation at any time of day or night. You may click the icon below to connect or look for the icon on the website for the Buena Park Library District.

Here are some answers to questions you may have about the service:

1. What is AskNow?
AskNow is a service that combines the speed and convenience of the Internet with the information savvy of librarians. California residents were among the first in the nation to enjoy live online reference service. That means you can go to a library website, type your question, "talk" to a librarian and get an answer while you wait--virtually the same as if you were in a library.

2. How is AskNow different from search engines?
A search engine is a computer program that “crawls” the Web, looking for the words you typed into the search box. AskNow connects you with an information pro--a reference librarian who is also an Internet expert. Thanks to interactive technology, you can communicate with the librarian online and use all of the online resources available through your own libraries. These resources include full-text articles from magazines and journals, encyclopedias, almanacs, directories and other commercial data services. A transcript of the session, including URLs for Web sites and other resources used, can be sent by e-mail after you’ve finished.

3. How does it work?
Simply log on to AskNow from any computer with Internet access. The AskNow icon is available on the Buena Park Library District website. When you type your question, a librarian will respond by typing an answer.

4. What kinds of questions can AskNow answer?
AskNow is designed to answer brief, factual questions for school, business or home use. A few examples: "What does the "D" in D-Day stand for?" "How do I get a patent?" "Can I take my dog to the Philippines?" "When does Daylight Savings Time end?" "How do I get information about overseas adoption?" "What is an appropriate gift for a silver anniversary?" If your question requires in-depth research, the librarian may suggest Web sites and other sources of information to get you started. The librarian may also refer you to a subject expert. We also encourage you to call or visit the reference desk of your local library.

Please remember, this great service is always available, whether the library is closed or not. So whenever you find yourself needing to get a quick useful answer, try AskNow.

Presidents' Day Closure -- Monday, February 21st

The Buena Park Library District will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2005, in recognition of the Presidents' Day holiday, resuming normal hours Tuesday, February 22, 2005, opening at 10 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.