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A.K. Smiley Public Library Blog

Serving the City of Redlands, California since 1894

DID YOU KNOW? Carla Hayden is our current and 14th Librarian of Congress, becoming the first woman and the first African American to lead our national library.

"We are not makers of history; we are made by history." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

“…in the segregated South, with so many doors closed without explanation to me, libraries and books said, ‘Here I am -- read me.’” – Maya Angelou

Jennifer Downey

Take a look at these fiction prizewinners of 2020

March 14, 2021 By Jennifer Downey

“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” – Joyce Carol Oates

While 2020 may not have been a banner year for many of us, it did introduce some standout, prizewinning literary fiction. Read on to discover what might just be your new favorite novel.

“Luster” by Raven Leilani won not just one, but two prestigious 2020 prizes: the Kirkus Prize and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The protagonist of this unique coming-of-age novel is Edie, a Black woman in her early twenties searching for connection, art, and meaning. A series of bad decisions leads Edie, unemployed and isolated, into a romantic relationship with an older man – as well as a tenuous, complicated friendship with his wife and their 12 year old daughter. As Edie sinks deeper into a life of dependence, she slowly comes to terms with the meaning behind her obsessions.

“Hamnet: a Novel of the Plague” by Maggie O’Farrell won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. This historical fiction novel delves into the life and death of William Shakespeare’s young son, who succumbed to the bubonic plague in 1596 at age 11. While the bard is largely absent in this story, Shakespeare’s grieving wife, their surviving children, and their daily life in Stratford are described in lyrical, visually haunting detail. “Hamnet” is sure to stay on your mind long after putting it down.

“The Discomfort of Evening” by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, translated from the original Dutch by Michele Hutchison, was the winner of the 2020 Man Booker International Prize. Rijneveld, who is a poet as well as a writer of fiction, describes the life of a farming family in the Netherlands in jarring, disturbing detail. The story is told from the point of view of ten-year-old Jas, an anxious child whose thoughts tend to drift toward the grotesque. The brutal realities of farm life combine with a stark examination of an unhappy family on a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral. While this is not what one would call a feel-good read (in fact, a trigger warning seems necessary – read at your own risk and be prepared to cringe), it is eloquently written and strangely lovely.

These and many other works of literary fiction are available at A. K. Smiley Library. We are open to the public again, so drop by to browse during our open hours, or make use of our popular Books to Go program.

Filed Under: What's New

Library Offers Sanitized Items through Curbside Service, Access to E-Library from any Computer or Device

January 10, 2021 By Jennifer Downey

Although we were sorry to have to close our doors to the public once again to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Smiley Library still has plenty to offer thanks to our electronic library and curbside Books to Go service. We also want you to know that we are taking every precaution when it comes to your health and safety.

Using Books to Go is simple and safe. Just place your holds from the Library’s catalog either online at www.akspl.org, via email at circ@akspl.org, or call us at (909) 798-7565. Once we get your requests, we’ll gather them up and give you a call to schedule a pick-up time. When you arrive, ring the doorbell and one of our friendly employees will bring your books outside and place them on the table by the Vine Street entrance. Please remember to wear a face covering and maintain a six-foot distance when collecting your materials.

When you’re ready to return your items, they can be placed in the book return boxes outside the library. We empty the book drops several times a day, and everything goes directly into a four-day sanitization process.

One of the questions we get asked most often is “How can books be sanitized?” After all, we can’t dunk them into a bucket of boiling water and hang them in the sun to dry. We’ve done our research and learned that a combination of cleaning, sanitizing, and quarantining is the best way to go. Every time we collect items from the book drops, the covers are sprayed and wiped down with a hospital-grade disinfectant. They then go into plastic bags and get a blast of Lysol spray before being sealed up for two days.

After two days, we open the bags and set the books upright on sterile tables in a closed room with the pages fanned out, where they remain for another two days. Finally, they get wiped down to remove any residue from the disinfectant. It’s a laborious process, but we’re committed to doing what we can to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

We encourage you to make use of Books to Go, and also to check out our eLibrary at www.akspl.org/elibrary/. Here, you will find downloadable eBooks and audio books, access to popular magazines, the New York Times Online, the Redlands Daily Facts, streaming movies, resources to help with job searching, databases for students’ projects, and much more – all from the comfort and safety of your own home. Just make sure to have your library card barcode number on hand.

All of us at Smiley wish you a happy and healthy 2021. These are difficult times, but we’ll get through this together as a community.

Jennifer Downey

Principal Librarian, Adult Services

Filed Under: What's New

Library Offers New E-Resource for Students, Job Seekers, and Veterans

November 8, 2020 By Jennifer Downey

Smiley Library is pleased to announce the addition of a new electronic resource. Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow is an all-in-one suite of services designed for students, job seekers, and veterans. Brainfuse can help you tackle a resume, write a cover letter, navigate the VA system, or adjust to a civilian career. You don’t have to be a veteran or a student to use this service. It’s available to all library cardholders.

Brainfuse allows students to connect with expert tutors in real time to assist in the areas of math, science, reading, writing, history, and standardized test preparation including the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP tests. You can also receive one-on-one assistance with studying for the GED and college placement tests.

For job seekers, expert coaches are ready to help you practice your interview skills, create your resume, write cover letters, and study for tests. You can get help with reading and writing, and attend Microsoft Office computer classes. Coaches are also available to help you find and apply for jobs in your field and geographic area.

If you are a veteran, Brainfuse allows you to connect with live coaches to ensure you’re receiving all the services for which you’re eligible. Coaches also help veterans with job searching and adjusting to life as a civilian.

You can use Brainfuse’s secure file sharing in the writing lab to submit documents to coaches any time of the day for feedback. The Brainfuse full-service test center offers practice tests for all levels in math, reading, writing, and college preparatory tests, plus the U.S. citizenship test.

Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow was generously provided free of charge by the California State Library in order to help people with school and work during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re very appreciative and excited to share this resource with our patrons.

Log on to www.akspl.org/elibrary to get started.

Filed Under: What's New

Library to Resume In-Person Services September 9

September 6, 2020 By Jennifer Downey

After almost six months, Smiley Library will be resuming in-person services on Wednesday, September 9. We’re excited to welcome our patrons back into the building, and we have taken many steps to keep everyone as safe as possible.

The Library will be reopening in phases. During this first phase, we will be open to the public four hours per day, six days per week. Library guests will be asked to limit their visit to one hour, with no more than fifty people in the building at any time. Our friendly staff is here to help you find what you need, answer your questions, and get the most out of your visit.

Things will look a little bit different when you come back. Plexiglass has been installed at all service desks for everyone’s safety. Chairs have been rearranged to allow for social distancing. Library guests will check in at the new entrance in the children’s garden and exit through the Young Readers’ Room. Face coverings and social distancing are required.

We ask that you please continue to return your items in the book drops on Vine Street. There will also be a portable book drop at the new entrance. All returned items will continue to go through a three-day sterilization and quarantining process.

If you’re more comfortable with curbside service, we’ve got you covered through our Books to Go service. Just call, email, or go online to place your holds, and we will call you to schedule a pick-up time. Also, check out our eResources at www.akspl.org/elibrary to read the New York Times, watch streaming videos, read popular magazines, and much more. We’ve also started an Instagram page and a blog to help stay in touch.

Smiley’s new open hours will be Monday and Tuesday 2-6 pm, Wednesday and Thursday 1-5 pm, and Friday and Saturday 12-4 pm.

We miss our patrons and are looking forward to safely reopening. Whatever the “new normal” brings, you can be sure Smiley Library will do its best to serve you safely and effectively. Our community always comes first.

Welcome back!

Jennifer Downey

Principal Librarian, Adult Services

Filed Under: News + Events, What's New

Library Offers Curbside Service: Books to Go, and E-Library

July 12, 2020 By Jennifer Downey

Here at Smiley Library, we’re looking forward to the day we can safely reopen the Library’s doors to the public. Plexiglass is being installed at the service desks, we’re stocking up on masks and gloves, and other safety precautions are being put in place. Once we get the go-ahead, we will reopen with new safety procedures. The well-being of our patrons is our top priority.

In the meantime, you can keep up with your reading by using our Books to Go service. Just place your holds online at www.akspl.org, call us at 909-798-7565, or email us at circ@akspl.org with your requests. You can check out books, audio books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines. Once we receive your request, we will collect your items and call to set an appointment for you to pick them up curbside. When you arrive, ring the temporary doorbell on the table in front of the Vine Street entrance and we will bring your items outside and place them on the table for you. Please be sure to wear a face covering and practice social distancing when picking up your items. When you’re finished, you may drop your items off in the book drop. All returned items go through a three-day sterilization/quarantine process before being put back into circulation.

You can also use your library card to access eBooks, popular magazines, streaming movies, databases, and newspapers including the New York Times and the Redlands Daily Facts. You can also explore your genealogy using Ancestry or even learn a new language with the Pronunciator database. Just grab your library card, log on, and start exploring. There’s something for everyone!

Filed Under: News + Events, What's New

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