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Welcome to Pasadena Public Library
Greetings!
Many thanks to those of you who took the time to make a comment in our appreciative inquiry project. The idea behind the appreciative inquiry was to find out what we do well and what you, our members, like about your library, and then to build on your ideas for the future. It also lets our staff know how much their efforts are appreciated by the public.
I also want to thank the overwhelming number of you who have commented to me and the staff about the changes that we have been making to the library. These changes in book locations and displays, as well as some new signage, were designed to let you see more of the books we have in our collection and to feature different subjects throughout the year. We will continue to work to discover new and better ways to make the library more enjoyable and user-friendly for all the people of our community.
There are two upcoming events I want to bring to your attention. The first is the closing of the east door in the children's room, as a means of exit and entrance to the library, which will take effect mid-September. The outside doors will remain available to patrons using the meeting room, but access to the library through the children's room doors will no longer be available. The other is the Friends of the Library Book Sale, which will occur on October 13. The last one was a great deal of fun, with wonderful bargains on almost-new materials as well as some older, collectible books. All areas of the library collection are represented at the book sale, from A to Z, and these items can make great gifts to family and friends! Come join me at the Friends Book Sale on October 13 to find a great deal on a book or two, or just drop by to enjoy some good coffee.
People have asked me, "How do you know what books to buy for the library? Where do they come from, and who makes the decisions on what to buy?" The ultimate answer to each of these is you, our members. It is your tax dollars, paid to the City of Pasadena and appropriated by the Mayor and approved by the City Council, that determine how much money we have to spend on books each year.
You also play a role in helping us select new materials and ensuring that we always have a great collection of the latest books. The Library Board adopted a collection policy which directs the staff to obtain books of value that will be of interest to the people of Pasadena. To find these books, Lisa Jackson, the librarian in charge of collection development, studies the trends in questions asked by our patrons at the reference desks.
She also does research by reading trade journals of the library profession, including Library Journal, Book List, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. These publications contain reviews of newly published books in both the fiction and non-fiction areas, and they project which books are likely to be in high demand.
Other books that we know will be in high demand are books by popular authors, the ones you see on talk shows, or the ones whose books will become movies. We buy all the books produced by these popular authors, and we buy multiple copies so that our members will not have to wait too long to read check one out and read it. And one of our most important considerations in ordering new materials for the library is personal requests. If you know of a book that you are interested in, we will consider buying it for your reading pleasure, if it meets the collection criteria and is in print. Just ask and we will do our best to meet your needs!
We also try to ensure that you won't have to wait long to get these materials; from the time Lisa orders a book from the book sellers to the time it arrives on our shelves it is usually two weeks. In total, Lisa spends about $180,000 each year buying new books for your reading pleasure and, from what we can tell, most people are very happy with the selections she makes. Of course, tastes do change and so does Lisa's determination of what it is that the public might want in their library. For instance, next year, Lisa will be spending more on DVDs and a good deal more on Spanish language books. But how selections are made in both of those categories is another whole topic for another time.
On a personal note, when I asked Lisa what she likes to read, she responded, "Books about dogs." I said, "Me too!" Thanks to Lisa for all that she does for the people of Pasadena and their library. And a special thanks from me to Lisa, for buying all those good dog books.
Tom Simiele
Library Director
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Homecoming Celebration for Marlen Esparza
 Homecoming celebration planned for Olympic medalist from PasadenaThe City of Pasadena will host a Welcome Home Celebration for Pasadena native Marlen Esparza, who won a bronze medal in women's boxing at the 2012 Olympics. The event will be held on the front lawn of City Hall (1211 Southmore) on Tuesday, Sept. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. Mayor Johnny Isbell will present Esparza with a key to the city, and other local dignitaries are also scheduled to make presentations to her during the festivities. "We have all been following her journey to the Olympics and cheering her every step of the way," Isbell said. "And not just here at City Hall - the whole community has really come together in support of Marlen. The response we've gotten, and the pride everyone has taken in her accomplishments...it has been incredible. And she deserves it. " In addition to winning the bronze medal at the London Games, Esparza also made history with a record run of national championships, as well as by being the first American woman to qualify for boxing at the Olympics and the first woman ever to clinch an Olympic medal in boxing. Everyone in the community is invited to join in and be part of the Welcome Home Celebration. Details about entertainment, presentations and activities are still being finalized; to get the latest updates about the event, visit the City of Pasadena's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pasadenatexas. For more information, please contact Jennifer Pedersen at (713) 475-5536.
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Featured Database: NoveList Plus
Readers' advisory database for all ages!
Looking for the perfect book? Whether you need to find the next book in a series or find an author who is a lot like your favorite author, NoveList Plus has got you covered! Find author read-a-likes, book discussion guides, and "Grab and Go" book lists to help you find that just right book quickly and easily! With information on over 213,000 fiction and more than 102,000 nonfiction titles, NoveList Plus has the perfect answer for all the tough reader's advisory questions. In NoveList Plus, you'll find: - Fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages
- Expert reading recommendations from professional librarians including suggestions for various genres. For example, click here for titles we own from the mystery subgenre Fatally Fun.
- Read-a-likes for every title, author, and series
- Easy-to-use interface designed with readers and librarians in mind
- Simple but effective searching
- Quick and easy-to-use resources including:
- Book Discussion Guides
- Thematic book lists
- Reading and book-oriented articles
NoveList Plus - available both inside and outside the library with a valid Pasadena Public Library card. HOW TO ACCESS NoveList Plus! - Go to Pasadena Public Library home page at: http://www.ppltx.net
- Click on Research & Databases
- Click on the letter "N"
- Locate NoveList Plus
- Click on "Remote Access" if you are accessing from outside the library.
- Click on "Library Access" if you are accessing the database from inside the library
- Type your last name & your library card number & Click on "Submit"
Any Problems or Questions? Please call the Reference Librarian at 713-477-0276 (Main Library)
or at 281-998-1095 (Fairmont Branch).
Happy Reading!
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Staff Spotlight
Name: William Simpson
Title:
My official title is Information Service Specialist, but I am also known as the ILL librarian, or one of the Reference librarians.
Responsibilities at the Library:
I order and process Interlibrary loans (ILLs) for staff and patrons. I am assigned to the Fairmont Branch, where I order new materials, check-in periodicals, perform reference assistance, among many other duties. I also work with the Friends of the Pasadena Public Library and help run the First Monday book club.
What you don't know about me:
I have one of the largest comic book collections in the Pasadena area. I have at least 20,000 comics. My collection has its own room in my house. I also have an Internet business where I sell comics to make money to buy more comics. My friends and family say part of me never grew up. I like to think I am recapturing my childhood.
Favorite author/s or Genres:
I am a big fan of fantasy, science fiction, and historical novels, especially those set in Ancient Rome or Greece. I also enjoy history books, having taught American History on the college level.
Last Book/s Read:
I just finished In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larsen. It was our book club selection for August, and the second of his books I have read. I highly recommend his books. I am about to start The Order by Nate Kenyon, based on the Diablo III computer game. I have not bought the game yet, but it is on my "to do" list.
Why I Love the Pasadena Public Library:
I have always loved searching for answers, and my ability to teach has always come in handy. But the best reason is because I love ordering the books, graphic novels, and DVDs that our patrons come to the library for. I love telling them, "yeah, I ordered that."
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Book Club Banter
 "Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time." --E.P. Whipple- September for most of us means BACK TO WORK. Vacations are over, swimming pools are closed, school is back in session and the rest of us are scrambling to get back in the swing of things. Librarians at last get a chance to catch their breaths after their "summer madness" (Summer Reading Club). But no matter what you're doing to get ready for fall, it is a GREAT time to stop by your Pasadena Public Library, where you can find some of the latest best-sellers and hot titles for free -- something that will come in handy after all of those "back to school" expenses. Come by and relax in our cushy club chairs while reading a new magazine and check out our Friends Bookstore for new sale items. The Friends are planning a Fall Book Sale (and author signing) on Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Café area. Local author "Joan Rylen" (pen name of authors Johnell Kelley and Robbyn Hill) will be giving a short presentation and signing copies of their new book Getaway Girlz (a "red hot" mystery with lots of humor) at the Booksale starting at noon and running until 1:30 p.m. Getaway Girlz can be purchased at the granite counter during the event (with 10% of sales benefiting the Friends), so put this great Book Sale on your "Must Do List!" The Fairmont Branch Library's First Monday Book Club will read City Of Veils by Zoe Farraris, and will meet on Monday, September 10, at 6:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at the Fairmont Library (meeting time moved to the second Monday due to the Labor Day holiday closing). Come and see a city and civilization unveiled as the group follows forensic scientist Katya Hijazi as she investigates the beating death of an unconventional young woman film-maker and the disappearance of her American "summer husband" in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  The Central Library's Tea-Time Mystery Book Club will read Murder On A Girl's Night Out by Anne George, and will meet on Monday, September 17 at 3:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Central Library. Coffee, tea and country-western snacks will be served as the group discusses the trials and tribulations of Birmingham, Alabama sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice when one of them buys the Skoot'n'Boot Bar only to find a strangled and stabbed body hanging in the club's "wishing well..."  Contact William Simpson (First Monday) at the Fairmont Library 281-998-1095 X 15 or Lucy Turoff (Tea-Time Mystery) 713-475-4984 for more information regarding these two book clubs. |
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Fairmont Branch
HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY
TO THE
FAIRMONT BRANCH LIBRARY
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Holiday Closings
IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY, THE LIBRARY LOCATIONS
WILL CLOSE THE FOLLOWING DATES:
Central Library will be closed on Saturday, September 1thru Monday, September 3.
Central Library will re-open Tuesday, September 4 @ 10:00 a.m.
Fairmont Branch will be closed on Saturday, September 1 thru Monday, September 3.
Fairmont Branch will re-open Tuesday, September 4 @ 2:00 p.m. |
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