Monday, June 23, 2008
Our first winner of the drawing for Timeless Reads is Carolyn Trent. Congratulations Carolyn! She wins a $15.00 Starbucks gift card.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Ever wanted to do an oil change on your car and didn’t know where to begin? Or, how about changing a headlight or fuse on your vehicle with out paying a mechanic? The answer to these questions, and much more, can be found through our Alameda County Library website at
The Auto Repair Reference Center contains repair instructions, service bulletins and recalls and wiring diagrams for most domestic and foreign automobiles beginning with the 1945 Jeep. This database can be accessed from ouside the library as long as one has a Alameda County library card.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The National Coalition for History (NCH) reports the following: http://historycoalition.org/2008/02/29/nara-makes-some-passenger-arrival-records-available-online/ “This week, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) announced that it has made available for the first time online more than 5.2 million records of some passengers who arrived during the last half of the 19th century at the ports of Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia. The records can be accessed through NARA’s online Access to Archival Databases (AAD).The records were transcribed from original ship manifests into electronic databases by Temple University’s Center for Immigration Research at The Balch Institute. The Center donated the digital records to the National Archives. The records are known as Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Germans to the United States, 1850-1897; Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Italians to the United States, 1855-1900; and Data Files Relating to the Immigration of Russians to the United States, 1834-1897.”
Besides the passenger lists, the NARA website also includes a ”What’s New?” section. There are Central Policy files that consist of telegrams, and indexes to air grams, memoranda, correspondence, reports, diplomatic notes and related material of historical significance.
The “AAD Highlights” section includes the records of the use of ammunition by the 527th Military Police Company in the defense of the U.S. embassy in Saigon during the Tet offensive, Jan 31, 1968.
Some of the more popular documents are WWII Army Enlistment Records, Records for passengers who arrived at the Port of New York during the Irish famine, and records with unit information on military personnel who died during the Vietnam War.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Here is a picture of Dublin’s first library. It was established in 1914, closed in 1948, and was reestablished in 1966 in a portable building on Vomac Road.
Local Historian, Virginia Smith Bennett, states in her book “Dublin Reflections and bits of Valley History” the following: “The first Dublin Library was on Dublin Blvd in the one story addition to the General Store. It was in operation from 1914 to 1948.” Ms. Smith-Bennett continues, “W.S. Lawrence was operating the general store at the intersection of Dublin Blvd and Donlon Way. This is the same store that John Green had built. Mr. Lawrence agreed to build a one- story addition to the two- story building for the use of the County Library. His wife was the first library attendant in Dublin. That set a kind of pattern so that in the years to come the library attendant was usually related to the owner of the store. The library section had two big windows that flanked the front door and a big shaded porch that faced Dublin Blvd. The day of the opening a newspaper reporter commented with some surprise at the number of people in attendance and wondered from whence they all had come.”
This photograph is part of the California Local History Digital Resources Project (LJDRP) grant received by the Dublin Library to scan and digitize historical photographs and documents.
More than 40 public, academic, and special libraries have participated in the LHDRP. These historic items are now viewable over the Internet through the research Web portals Calisphere and the Online Archive of California.
You can help! We need to show how this project will benefit the Dublin community. Did you know that the Museum has historical photographs of the community available for use? Would electronic access to these photographs be helpful to you? How would you use the photographs? For school, work related research, personal research, genealogy? Drop us a line and let us know what you think!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
We haven’t posted in awhile so it’s great to be back and wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. It’s been cold, it’s been rainy, so why not come down, find a comfy chair and settle in with some of the new magazines the Library is starting to receive. Once a year, usually in late Summer, we review and add new subscriptions. Those subscriptions start arriving in January. This year we’ve added over a dozen new titles. Here’s a sampling of some of them:
Consumer Reports Money Advisor – good timing for this one, given the volatile economic times. If you are looking for tips on how to cut some corners, this little newsletter might just come in handy. It started arriving in December and covers investing, retiring, tips for saving money, and taxes. The cover article in January’s issue is “Unclutter your finances: here’s how to get out from under an avalanche of paperwork.” Now that’s a topic that is likely to resonate with alot of people!
Cooking with Paula Deen - cooking, decorating, travel and entertaining ideas from that sassy southern cook who readily admits that she has a hard time getting through her Food Network program without savoring the use of butter. The library has several cooking magazines now, including Everyday with Rachael Ray, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Fine Cooking, and Gourmet. Like Rachael Ray, Paula is wonderfully fun and approachable.
Imbibe - this one covers beverages: everything from wine, spirits and beer to coffee and tea. The January issue includes articles on absinthe, 10 things we love about tea, the craft beer movement and the turkish national drink, raki. If you are a connoisseiur of liquids, this one is for you.
PC Gamer - reviews and rates newly released games, previews upcoming games, interviews software publishers and developers, spotlights trends in the gaming industry.
Scientific American Mind - spotlights breakthroughs in psychology, neuroscience and related fields. Here you find “the Secret to Raising Smart Kids,” “Psychedelic Healing,” alongside articles like “Do Animals Feel Empathy?” More approachable for a general audience than Scientific American.
The Library has also started two new newspapers: USA Today and Investors Business Daily.
Other new magazines to watch for: Mental Floss, described as the place where “knowledge junkies get their fix”; Domino, a guide to living with style for 20-something professionals, Home Theater, containing product reviews and buyers’ guides for your home theater system, and National Geographic Traveler. There’s more, so do browse around the periodical area of the Library!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Mother Goose On the Loose, Preschool Storytime and Clara Yen’s Storytime are all up and running again for our winter activities. Mother Goose is perfect for your young toddler, matching their natural inclinations toward rhythm & rhymes with early literacy skills. Preschool storytime is a great way to challenge your 3 - 5 year old child’s ability to sit in a group, participate in music and enjoy stories
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Chautauqua Progam, “Friendly Fire,” scheduled for Sunday, January 13th has been cancelled. We will post again if we are able to reschedule with Tom Maguire.
We are looking forward to Adam Miller, folksinger extraordinaire on Sunday, February 10 at 2:00pm.
Friday, December 14, 2007
TEENS! Are you creative? Enjoy making videos? Have you made one for a school project? For fun? For friends? Showcase your talent and share it with a wider audience at our Dublin Directors’ Showcase.
Interested? Submit your original video January 7- 18. This showcase is open to all teens. Entries must be on DVD with running time no more than 10 minutes. Content must be PG appropriate and produced solely by teens without adult help.
Fill out the entry form available at the Dublin Library Information Desk or print out the form here and bring to the library. Drop off labeled disc with entry form attached January 7-18 at our Information Desk.
Videos will debut at the Dublin Directors’ Showcase on March 1, 2-4 p.m. in our Community Room. Invite family and friends for a fun afternoon.
Need more information or have questions?
Contact Donna Leach, 925-803-7272 or email dleach@aclibrary.org.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Mother Goose on the Loose is a hit with the tots and the moms & dads, just look at all the smiles! This program offers children the opportunity to listen, love and learn language while exploring music, rhythm and nursery rhymes. Folks gather in the picture book area of the library on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 and Friday afternoons at 1:30, won’t you join in the fun?
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