The BUBL information service is an internet link collection tailored for the library and higher education communities, administered by the Centre for Digital Library Research at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.  “BUBL” is short for “Bulletin Board for Libraries”.  The site describes itself as offering “Free user-friendly access to selected internet resources covering all subject areas, with special focus on Library and Information Science”. 

The link is available through the Alameda County website at http://www.aclibrary.org/research/default.asp?topic=Research&cat=SearchtheWeb and scrolling down to the BUBL-link icon near the bottom of the page.  It can also be accessed directly at http://bubl.ac.uk/ .

Other features include:

• An innovative web directory that uses the Dewey Decimal System to classify resources and subjects
• Does ”simple”, “combined”, and “advanced” searches
• Ability to search a “main subject menu”
• Enter a search by “country”
• Catagorize internet resources by “type”
• Browse thousands of files in BUBL archives

Calling all you gardeners, lovers of fresh food,  people who are interested in organic farming, and eating locally: we have made a selection for our next Dublin Reads and it is David Mas Masumoto’s Epitaph for a Peach.  From Mr. Masumoto’s website:

Epitaph for a Peach

“As pleasurable as a perfect peach, Epitaph for a Peach tells the passionate story of one farmer’s attempt to rescue one of the last truly sweet and juicy fruits from becoming obsolete in a world that increasingly values commerciality over quality. The story of Mas Masumoto’s Sun Crest peaches begins on the day he turns the bulldozers away from his orchards and vows to give himself four seasons to find a home for the fruits of his labor.

 

 

At once a deeply personal story, a sharp commentary about the state of American agriculture, a lighthearted rhapsody of nature, and an intimate glimpse into the Asian American experience, Epitaph for a Peach is about saving a peach, saving a farm, saving a family, saving a way of life–it is a story about finding “home.”"

Last year the Dublin Heritage Center co-sponsored Dublin Reads when we read Snow Mountain Passage.  We were not necessarily thinking  the Heritage Center would want to co-sponsor with us this year, since our selection is not historical.  However, this week I was having a conversation with Elizabeth Isles, the Director of the Center and I mentioned that we were doing Epitaph for a Peach.  Well, it turns out the Heritage Museum is going to have a new exhibit coming this Fall on farm life! 

Farm Life: a Century of Change for Farm Families and Their Neighbors is a traveling exhibit from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mid-America Arts Alliance.  As we talked, Elizabeth and I realized this exhibit connects beautifully with Epitaph for a Peach!

For the library’s part we will offer again free drop-in book discussions, a showing of the film The Real Dirt on Farmer John , and we are currently searching for a speaker who can come and talk to us about our food….where it comes from, eating locally grown foods, what is community supported agriculture and related topics.  We hope also to offer a visit with the author.

The Dublin Friends of the Library will underwrite this special event by providing multiple copies of the book, sponsoring our programs and contributing to book discussion groups. 

Elizabeth is planning a fabulous array of programs at the Heritage Center to coincide with the exhibit.  More details on events will be forthcoming!

Dublin Reads will kick off at Day on the Glen, September 20 & 21st and continue until October 31st.

Thank you for your patience! Both of today’s shows were “sold” out.  We’ve only got space for 120 audience members for each show, so the way to get your free ticket is to arrive one half hour before the start of the show, and get in line to receive your ticket.   If the event starts at 1:30, we start giving out those tickets at 1:00 p.m.   If you want the second show at 3:00, staff will start handing out those tickets at 2:30.    We want everyone to have a good time, and everyone to have a fair shot at getting a ticket, so you and your child must actually be on site and in line to get that ticket.   

Today’s event was great fun so our hats off to Alex Ramon for a fabulous show! 

These folks enjoy a good book while waiting in line for their ticket to the 3:00 show today.

Our first winner of the drawing for Timeless Reads is Carolyn Trent.  Congratulations Carolyn!  She wins a $15.00 Starbucks gift card. 

The first day of summer arrived and I for one just love the idea of slower, warmer days, filled with thoughts of gardening, farmer’s market fruits and vegetables, sunshine, swimming, lazing around the patio with the family, watching the cat bliss out in a pot of catmint in the sun,  and just having more free time.  And if the economy and the price of gas are putting a dent in your vacation plans this year, the Library can offer at least some perks for a stay-at-home vacation.  The best perk of course, is that everything we offer is FREE.  The pick of our collection from dvds to summer beach reads is all available with your library card.  For all you readers out there we have reading programs for children, teens and adults. 

The kids are playing “Catch the Reading Bug” a bingo style board game.  For every 30 minutes a child clocks reading, he/she can get a spin of the dial, block out a character on their bingo board, and win prizes such as stickers, pizza coupons and the ultimate prize a free book!  Kids can earn bonus spins by doing some of the activitities on the kids summer reading blog at http://summereadingame.wordpress.com/

For teens the theme is Freak Encounters, Explore the Unexplained.  Teens can pick up a reading log at the Reference Desk, keep track of their reading and get a prize for each level they reach.  Read a total of 50 hours over the course of the summer and you also win a free book. 

Adults, we do not leave you out.  The adult program is Timeless Reads.  This is so easy and so fun.  Just read a book that you think has stood the test of time.  Enter the weekly drawing and win a $15.00 gift card.   We have a great display going in the library with some suggestions for timeless reads, but you can certainly offer your own.  When I think of timeless reads, what pops into my head are things like To Kill a Mockingbird, Prodigal Summer, Prince of Tides, Lord of the Rings,  Corelli’s Mandolin.  Share your timeless reads on the adult summer reading blog at http://summerreading4adults.wordpress.com/.  At the end of the summer we will put all the weekly winners in a hat and draw a grand prize winner for a gift card to a bookstore. 

Don’t forget to look to us for some special free programs.  This Wednesday is the start of Wild Wednesdays at the Dublin Library with programs for children scheduled for June 25, July 9, July 30 and August 6.  This Wednesday it’s Alex Ramon, the magician.  Alex is known as the “San Francisco Bay Area’s Best Stage Magician,” and is just returning from Mickey’s Magic Show tour with Disney Live. The first show is at 1:30 with a repeat performance at 3:00 p.m.  We start giving out free tickets one half hour before the program.  Looking ahead, on July 9th Python Ron will be here. Python Ron will bring bugs and spiders for a creepy crawling good time.

We will post more on events coming up in July very soon!

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 

http://www.aclibrary.org/research/articlesDataBases/default.asp?topic=ArticlesDataBases&cat=AutoRepair

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. 

Students going into sixth, seventh and eighth grades in September are needed as volunteers this summer at the Dublin Library. Volunteers help children play the summer reading game and assist with other library tasks.

One last training for Kid Power has been scheduled for Monday, June 23, at 1:00pm. The orientation takes about half an hour.

This is an opportunity to meet new friends, gain some valuable work experience, help your community and just plain have some fun.

This Friday the Library, June 13th, the LIbrary will be closing early at 3:00 p.m. in order to set up for the Alameda County Library Foundation’s annual fundraising gala “A Night in the Library — Your Passport to Adventure”.  This is the first year that this gala event has been held at the Dublin Library and the Foundation will be setting up for a beautiful and gracious party with lots of entertainment, food and drink. 

The fundraising that the Library Foundation does on behalf of Alameda County Library is critical in a climate of decreasing revenue for public libraries.  Since its inception in 1996, this amazing group of community leaders have raised $3 million dollars for the county library system.   This is money that has funded homework centers, summer reading programs, storytimes and senior programs at all the county branch libraries.  

For more information about the work of the Foundation visit their website at www.aclf.org.

On Wednesday, June 5th, Governor Schwarzenegger officially declared that California is in a drought.  He warned that the state may be forced to ration water if conservation efforts did not improve.  The East Bay Municipal Utility District has already made water rationing mandatory.

Here are some Dublin Library books that may be useful for gardening during the drought:

Dryland gardening : plants that survive and thrive in tough conditions / by Jennifer Bennett   635.9525 BENNETT

Plants and landscapes for summer-dry climates of the San Francisco Bay region / by Nora Harlow 635.9525 HARLOW

Waterwise gardening / by Lauren Springer  635.95 SPRINGER,L

For water conservation tips, click on these Web sites:

Livermore - Amador Valley Zone 7 Water District

Bewaterwise.com

UC Davis’ California Center for Urban Horticulture

Want to Learn More? (PDF)

For quick lessons on using some of the Alameda County Library’s databases, there are step-by-step tours (with audio) available for your review. These tours allow you to access training on key features of each database. Tours take approximately 15-20 minutes each to complete. Simply click on any of the links below and the tour will load in  a few minutes.

Biography Resource Center

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

PowerSearch

Science Resource Center

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