Among Friends
Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library Newsletter
EXPLORE SPACE EXHIBIT
A Cosmic Journey Exhibit - Now Through June 3rd
By Anne Shirako, Ukiah Branch Librarian
Ukiah Library hosted a Family Preview for Explore
Space: A Cosmic Journey. The Explore Space exhibit
is on loan from the National Center for Interactive
Learning at the Space Science Institute. Amateur
astronomers Eduardo Alatorre and Lynn Zimmerman
will be with us to answer questions about the exhibit in
Spanish and English.
Mendocino County Library, Ukiah Branch, is the only
California library of the 14 libraries nationwide who
were awarded the American Library Association STARNet’s
“Explore Space” grant. The “Explore Space”
exhibit will be at Ukiah Library from April 8th through
June 3rd.
The exhibit includes large display panels, a touchscreen
computer kiosk containing space-related games for
children and adults, and educational materials.
* Movie screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
on April 17th and The Martian on May 18th, followed
by a discussion of the science in The Martian, led by
Eduardo Alatorre.
* PBS documentaries about space, A City Dark
and Nostalgia for the Night, will be shown on First
Wednesdays in May and June at 5:30 pm Nostalgia for
the Night is in Spanish with English subtitles. These
screenings are followed by moderated discussions and
taped for future broadcast on KZYX
* On Friday May 18th, we are offering adults a celestial
paint night, “Wind and Unwind,” from 5-8 pm.
* On Saturday, May 7th, Sondra Madsen is bringing her
portable planetarium to the library for two shows at
1:30 and 3 pm.
* A screening of Lego Star Wars Droid Tales for kids
and their families on Sunday May 15th at 2 pm.
* A Saturday afternoon screening of The Magic School
Bus Gets Lost in Space on May 21st, 2:30 pm, will be
followed by space-y activities and a visit from Ms.
Frizzle.
We are very happy to announce that Dr. Lynn Cominsky
will speak on “Extreme Visions of the Universe” in the
Civic Center Council Chambers on Friday May 6th at
7 pm. Dr. Cominsky is the Chair of the Physics and
Astronomy Department at Sonoma State University. In
2016, Dr. Cominsky was awarded both the American
Astronomical Society Education Prize and the American
Astronautical Society Sally Ride Education Award. This
talk is co-sponsored by the City of Ukiah.
Finally, Astronomer Kevin Manning is returning to
Ukiah on May 24th at 7 pm to speak on “Curiosity:
Mission to Mars and the Deep-Space Search for Another
Earth.” In addition to currently lecturing across our
nation, Kevin has worked as a consultant with NASA,
the Chandra X-Ray Observatory launched on the
space shuttle with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics, other ground-based observatories,
and with Brookhaven National Laboratory. This
presentation is co-sponsored by the City of Ukiah.
Explore Space, a traveling exhibition for libraries, is
part of the STAR Library Education Network (STARNet)
led by the National Center for Interactive Learning
at the Space Science Institute. Exhibit partners include
the American Library Association, the Lunar and
Planetary Institute, and Afterschool Alliance. Explore
Space is supported through a grant from the National
Science Foundation. The Ukiah Valley Friends of the
Library have very generously supported all of these
activities.
President’s Message
By Michele Bisson Savoy
Have you signed up online for the email blasts?
I have and I get one every week from the library.
We try to forward them from the friendsofthelib
rary@gmail.com, volunteer help needed. There
are so many great events listed for May that I
have to feature a few in this column.
Starting with the headline event Explore Space,
the library hosted a family preview. The Explore
Space exhibit is on loan from the National Center
for Interactive Learning at the Space Science
Institute. The Exhibits includes a large display
panel, a touchscreen computer kiosk containing
space-related games for children and adults with
interactive educational features. There are fi ve
STEM classes for elementary school students,
PBS documentaries, and lectures by local and
nationally known astronomers, including Dr.
Lynn Cominsky and Dr. Kevin Manning.
The library celebrated Women’s History Month
with the special movie screening of the fabulous
MAKERS documentary series. Every Wednesday
night at 7:00 they showed a one-hour long fi lm
about women pioneers in the fi elds of business,
entertainment, space travel, comedy, and
politics.
Weekly events are so much fun. Ongoing every
week there are: Lego Hour, Bilingual Story Hour,
Crafting for Teens, A Child, a Dog and a Good
Book, WIIU Gaming for Teens, Board games and
chess, Snak Yak and Book Chat for Teens, Tech
Help “Is This Thing Even on?”, and Knitting &
Crochet drop in group.
April events included the Lunch Bunch Cookbook
Club, Wines and Spines Book Club, Chapbook
workshop for Teens and Adults, and Poetry
magnets. As always, these events are sponsored
by the Friends. We provided matching grant
funds, paid for materials and provided crumpets.
Join us for all the fun at the library.
1st Quarter Treasurer’s Report
January- March 2016
Ukiah Vallley Friends of the Library
The first quarter of the year is looking very promising. We are on track to begin the New Year funding for all of
the wonderful events that will be taking place throughout 2016!
Membership renewals for the first quarter totaled $1,610. Member Donations for the same time period, 1st quarter
$730.
The Friends of the Library on-going book sales generated $480.27 this quarter; and our First Friday/Saturday
book sales brought in $1,707.36 for the quarter, $75. in Book Bag sales, and finally, On-line Book sales totaled
$941.14.
Financials (as of March 31, 12016) Banking (as of as of March 31, 12016)
Income = $23,266.99 Current checking = $14,603.40*
Expenses = $ 5,433.58 Savings account = $ 5,002.09
Net = $17,833.41 CD’s (all) = $90,261.91
*(Includes $10,000 Programming Donation)
The banking statements have been reconciled. An additional Certificate of Deposit matured and was rolled over
for a two-year term with interest = $343.77 deposited to the Friends of the Library checking account, approved by
Board Members. 2015 Tax preparation documents have been dropped off at the CPA’s office.
We’ve had a good response from our Newsletter advertisers with renewals, some and a few new ones. Please see
their advertisements further on in this newsletter and support them as they have the Friends.
The library staff is hard at work planning awesome and educational events for children, teens and adults. The
Friends encourage you, your family and friends to come and visit the library soon and experience it all yourself.
Once again, thank you for your generous and continued contributions. It is with your support that we can help the
library achieve all their goals and dreams.
JanLaree De Julius
Treasurer, Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library
Ukiah Branch News From My Desk
By Anne Shirako, Ukiah Branch Librarian
We’re delighted to announce that local resident,
Dr. Charles Kurth, made a generous donation
to the Ukiah Valley Friends specifically for
programming. We intend to use this donation
to buy reusable materials such as Knexs, Snap
Circuits or Lego Mindstorms, and as seed
money for other grants.
We’ve been so busy with the Explore Space
grant’s activity planning that we barely have
time to sit down. Now that those plans are
calendared, we are beginning to work on our
Summer Reading Program and are lining up
guest performers and readers.
We will be continuing our Children’s Farmer’s
Market on Wednesdays from 12-2 pm during
our Summer Reading Program, and our Story
Hour at the Ukiah Farmer’s Market on Saturday
mornings.
We hope to have a great librarian working in the
Children’s Room by the beginning of summer.
The Lunch Bunch, a Cook Book Club, is meeting
on Friday, May 20th at noon. To participate,
borrow a cook book from the library, and try
out a new recipe. Please make a copy of your
chosen recipe and note any changes you’ve
made. Bring your masterpiece (or flop) to share
with the group.
This month our adult book club, Wines and
Spines, is reading Milton’s Paradise Lost.
They meet at Enoteca at 6:30 pm on the fourth
Wednesday of the Month.
Did you know that we offer Wii-U Gaming for
Seniors on Friday mornings from 10-11:30?
This is a terrific way to get fit and have fun.
Call 463-4490 for information or to register.
On Saturdays from 1-3 pm, we have tech help:
“Is this Thing Even On?” If your new phone or
tablet is stumping you, come on in—we’ll try
to help.
Sunday afternoons, our knitting and crochet
group meets from 2-4 pm. Come learn a new
skill or share your expertise with willing
learners.
Please stop by the library and pick up a calendar
of events for April and May or ask us to add
your name to our weekly “Upcoming Events”
email list. You can also see our calendar here:
http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/library/_UKIAH.htm
FINALLY, we are looking for more detailoriented
volunteers to shelf-read (make sure
that books are in the right order) throughout the
library. Call Roseanne at 463-4490 if you want
to get involved at the library.
Become a Sponsor
Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library
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Events for Teens and Young Adults
by Melissa Carr, Teen & Adult Services Librarian
Teens (Weekly)
Wednesdays: Crafternoons in the Teen Room
2-5 pm
Thursdays:
Gaming for Teens 3:30-5 p.m.
Fridays: Snak & Yak Teen Book Chats 3:30-5 pm
Teens (Monthly)
2nd Saturday of the month: Teen Leadership
Council meetings 3 pm
Last Wednesdays of the month: Anime/
Manga Club: 2-5 pm
Seniors (Weekly)
Fridays 10-11:30 am Wii-U Gaming for Seniors
Adults (Weekly)
Saturdays 1-3 pm Is This Thing Even On?
Tech Help with personal devices, e-readers,
tablets, phones etc.
Adults (Monthly)
Last Wednesday evenings of the month:
Wines & Spines
Book Club 6:30 pm
Children’s Room Events
Sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library
Tuesdays:
3 pm Lego Build Hour. Make your own
creation & display it in the library!
Wednesdays:
11 am Bilingual Story Hour
For Preschoolers (toddlers are welcome). Songs
and crafts of course!
3:30 pm A Child, a Dog, and a Good
Book! Join wonderful therapy dogs and their
handlers as you read to them or rub a belly while
we read doggie tales to you!
Thursdays:
3 pm Team Build with Blocks and Pipes on our
inspiring dot-to-dot carpet!
5:30 -8:00 pm Board Games for all ages.
Saturdays:
1 pm Family Story Hour. Bring the family for
tales, activities, and crafts you can make, take,
and play with at home
For special programs call 463-4490 to be
added to our weekly email list.
Spring is Here At the Seed Library
By Jen Lyon, Library Technician
and Seed Library Coordinator
Did you know that the Ukiah Library has a Seed
Library? It is called the Yokayo Seed Project and
is housed in an up-cycled card catalog.
With generous funds from the Ukiah Valley
Friends of the Library and a scholarship from
the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance (RMSA),
I was able to travel to Hagerman Idaho for
RMSA’s Seed School Teacher Training last
spring.
While in Idaho at this rigorous six-day training,
all participants were immersed in seed saving
and surrounded by an amazing group of
seed-centric folk from all over the US, and our
teachers were some of the most renowned seed
savers.
We learned how to use many different teaching
modalities, such as interactive hands-on
learning, games, role playing, ice breakers,
using props, and visual information, as well as
lecturing alone and with a group of presenters.
All of the RMSA graduates were tasked with
presenting their own Seed School Training upon
return to their communities. This February, I
facilitated/hosted “Seed School in a Day” here at
the Ukiah Library.
I presented with local seed-saving educators
Carolyn Brown of the Ford Street Garden
Project and Gina Covina of Open Circle Seeds.
We had seventeen students in attendance for this
daylong event and covered such topics as basic
terms, selection, record keeping, introduction to
the Seed Library, pollination, harvesting, and
storage. It was an information-packed day and
it was wonderful to meet a group of local seedsaving
enthusiasts. We all went away energized
for the growing season ahead.
