
In case you need to hear this: “You are more than enough.” Mental health awareness reading resources for us all

A.K. Smiley Public Library Blog
Serving the City of Redlands, California since 1894
The theme of Mental Health Awareness Month for May 2023 is
“Look Around, Look Within,” according to Mental Health America.
Mental health professionals' aim is to emphasize the ways that our surroundings — like safe and stable housing, healthy home lives, neighborhoods and cities, and nature — affect our mental health.
"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." ~ John Green, 2019
♥ Participate in your choice of a variety (dozens!) of hands-on events around town sponsored by ANCA (Accelerate Neighborhood Climate Action) and many other Redlands environmental organizations. Refer to www.redlandsearthday.org/ for more information, and to register.
♥ Donate books in front of Smiley Library on Earth Day, and at Redlands Community Center, from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. “The 3 R’s: Recyle & Reuse *Books* to Reduce the Carbon Fooprint!”
♥ Learn more about why so many have been observing Earth Day since 1970; take a look at “A Brief History of Earth Day,” a short, enlightening PowerPoint presentation by ANCA member Andy Green.
Visit participating California state parks for free with your library card by checking out a vehicle’s day-use state park pass!
Follow any of these links to our catalog to read more about it, and to place on hold.
A.K. Smiley Library invites you to a special musical program, “History Through Music” with Redlands-based guitarist Daniel Weston on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30pm at the Contemporary Club.
Weston will use the guitar to demonstrate a range of expression unique to the instrument in this historical presentation, tracing the development of music from its simplest forms to increasingly complex texture. He will introduce musical masterpieces along with stories about the life and times of the composers and performance legends, allowing for an enriched understanding of the evolving state of music and its relation to our culture and history.
Weston is known for revealing the breadth and beauty of guitar in over 750 appearances since embarking on his professional path in 1996 after receiving a Master of Music degree from the University of Redlands in 1993. He is a direct heir by mentorship to Francisco Tarrega, legendary impressionist and patriarch of guitar.
A featured guitarist in northern New Mexico, Weston has performed concerts for Harwood Museum of Art UNM, Taos Art Museum, Millicent Rogers Museum, El Meson, and El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa. He initially turned professional in northern California with performances for Crocker Art Museum, Haggin Museum, State Theater, Big Trees Association, and Murphys Playhouse before moving to New Mexico for ten years. He later returned to California, adding performances for Pebble Beach Resorts, Cypress Inn, and Carmel’s Church of the Wayfarer. We are excited to welcome Daniel Weston to Smiley Library and we hope you will join us for this unique blend of history and music.
A.K. Smiley Library invites you to an encore performance of Music of the West African Kora, presented by Sean Gaskell, on Tuesday, January 17 at 6:30pm at the Contemporary Club.
This program will include a performance and educational demonstration on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp with a long neck. The kora is traditionally played by West African oral historians known as Griots, also known as Jalis or Jelis. The soft, melodic sound of the kora often stands in contrast to the themes of the songs, which recall times of war, hardship, love, and loss throughout the history of Mande society.
Sean Gaskell has been studying and playing the kora since first hearing a performance in 2006. What began as curiosity led to a global education and busy career. He has spent time in Brikama, Gambia, West Africa, learning from traditional kora masters Moriba Kuyateh and his father, the late Malamini Jobarteh. Mr. Gaskell has presented adult, youth, and family programs at over 350 libraries and a multitude of K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and assisted living facilities throughout the United States and Canada.
This will be Mr. Gaskell’s third time playing for Smiley Library, and it’s a program you won’t want to miss. It’s not often one has the opportunity to experience the music of this rare instrument and the fascinating history told through its songs. Families are welcome and no registration is required.