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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

Teens, it’s 2021!

I’m not sure if this calls for exclamation points or just an extra-large sigh of relief, but either way, I’d like to start by flinging on you a fistful of the glittery hope that automatically accompanies the start of a brand new year.

Nice! You look…shiny. Please, take a moment to glow in the light (fingers crossed) of 2021.

Now that we have that out of the way, I must make a confession: I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. But I WILL take any excuse for a little ol’ fashioned introspection and self-improvement, and the following books are great for that kind of thing. Since you’re already covered in hope/glitter, it seems like a good time to tell you about them, but I’d also totally understand if you’d rather comfort-read Harry Potter for the tenth time instead. If 2021 has you feeling ambitious, here are some new-year, new-you YA books to consider.

Teens, look me in the eye. Do you dread public speaking? When your teacher announces an oral presentation do you grow a pit in your stomach the size of…well, a podium? “Thank You for Coming to My TED Talk: A Teen Guide to Great Public Speaking” by Chris Anderson, one of the brains behind the TED idea-sharing series, may be just what you need to transform your speech-making cold feet into confidence. Anderson provides readers a blueprint for how to deliver effective and engaging communication, whether you’re on stage or in an interview chair. In order to be a slicker speaker in 2021, you have to start somewhere…and I humbly suggest chapter one of this book.

I think it’s safe to say that all beings who experienced 2020 could benefit from reading my next recommendation: “Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens: Using CBT [Cognitive Behavior Therapy], Neuroscience and Mindfulness to Help You End Anxiety, Panic and Worry” by Debra Kissen. Not only does this book provide actionable strategies and exercises for understanding and reducing anxiety, but its tone feels genuinely supportive. It’s almost like your best friend—who knows and adores you inside and out—is secretly a psychology prodigy and wrote a book just for you. I especially love how the book explains the biology of anxiety, demystifying it in a way that takes away some of its power.

If you’re itching to reclaim your life and allow anxiety to move through you rather than define you (I LEARNED THAT FROM THE BOOK!), “Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens” is ready to help.

This next title goes out to the tweens. Written by Matthew Syed, England’s former number-one table-tennis player, “You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) Anything” is a book that breaks down the process of, well, becoming awesome at stuff. Because of his own experience being an average-kid-turned-ping-pong-wiz, Syed doesn’t buy into the “natural talent” hype. Instead, he shares his strategies for training your mind and self for greatness. While this includes practice, resilience, grit, and exploiting your neuroplasticity (wait…I’m giving away too much…read the book!), Syed maintains the results are worth it, even if you don’t “succeed” in the ways you originally imagined.

So there you have it, a trio of YA titles to help you ring in the New Year, self-actualization style…you party animal! And sorry about the glitter. Even if you don’t check out any of these books in 2021, I am wishing you fistfuls of optimism and silver linings (of the non-glitter variety), and happy reading in the days ahead.

All three of these YA titles are available using A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Books to Go Program. Details for placing your requests are available at www.akspl.org, or call 909-798-7565.

This year has been one many of us would like to forget. Even so, one good thing that has come out of it is that people are spending more time with family at home and outside. Being in the great outdoors has a way of refreshing, recharging and making lasting memories, especially in these stressful times. A.K. Smiley Public Library has some new books that will assist with planning and making your time in the outdoors more enjoyable.

“See You at the Campground:  A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors,” by Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi will be especially useful to inexperienced campers. They also offer suggestions that will benefit more seasoned campers, as well. Included are packing lists for different types of trips, in addition to helpful tips such as finding out in advance the location and contact information for the nearest medical facilities, and how to build and properly extinguish a campfire. Did you know that dryer lint packed into a toilet paper tube and wrapped in newspaper makes a great fire starter? Another suggestion they make that is available through our library website, is to download the Libby App and some of our e-audiobooks to listen to on road trips. This thorough and fun book covers the why, what, when, where, and how of camping, whether it’s in a cabin, tent, or RV.

Some people opt to rent an RV for their travels as opposed to owning them. Regardless, “Good Sam North American RV Travel & Savings Guide,” published by Good Sam Enterprises, will be a valuable resource for hitting the road. There are over 12,000 RV parks, campgrounds, and services in the United States and Canada highlighted, along with the ratings, contact information, prices, and amenities. There are also spotlights of things to see and do on the way to your destination and in the area once you arrive.

Looking for recommendations on what to do in the great outdoors? Falcon Guides are informative and reliable resources. “Best Easy Day Hikes Palm Springs and Coachella Valley,” by Brett Grubbs, and “Hiking Waterfalls Southern California: A Guide to the Region’s Best Waterfall Hikes,” by Liz Thomas and Justin Lichter, offer suggestions close to this area. The more adventurous might be interested in checking out Falcon Guides’ “Best Climbs Joshua Tree National Park:  The Best Sport and Trad Routes in the Park,” by Bob Gaines. Rock climbing aficionados will also want to check out Chris Santella’s “Fifty Places to Rock Climb Before You Die: Climbing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations.”

These selections and more are available through our Books to Go program. For more information, please check our website at www.akspl.org or call 909-798-7565.

It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is rapidly approaching. With that in mind, the end of year is usually filled with ‘best of lists,’ so I want to share the top three books that I really enjoyed reading this year.

“The Regrets,” by Amy Bonnaffons, is a unique novel about love, life, and death. This isn’t a typical love story, if one would even consider it a love story. The two main characters, Rachel and Thomas, meet and fall in love, but there is one small problem, Thomas has recently passed away. Before Thomas can cross over to the afterlife he has to stay on Earth for 90 days, with one condition, he cannot get involved with a living person, otherwise he will incur ‘regrets.’  This is a beautifully written story that will keep the reader wanting more.

“We Ride Upon Sticks,” by Quan Barry, is also one of my favorite books this year. The novel transports readers to 1989 to Danvers, Massachusetts (neighboring town to the infamous Salem, Massachusetts) and follows the mainly all-girls and one-boy varsity field hockey team. Let’s just say the team isn’t known for winning. Sick of being on the losing side, the team takes matters into their own hands and decide that they need some supernatural assistance. This book has it all: 80s references, overly processed bangs referred to as ‘the claw,’ and most importantly, the power of friendship. Get swept up in this fun and empowering book and find out if the Danvers Falcons make it all the way to the state championship, with or without a little help from the dark side.

“Shuggie Bain,” by Douglas Stuart, is a hauntingly beautiful novel that has recently won the prestigious Booker Prize award in England for 2020. The novel takes place during the Thatcher administration in Glasgow, Scotland, and focuses on a young boy named Hugh ‘Shuggie’ Bain and his unwavering devotion to his mother Agnes, who would rather spend her weekly government allowance on beer than on food. Shuggie struggles to survive in an environment where the odds of survival are stacked against him. To say this novel is a feel-good read would be a lie. This book is gritty, harrowing, and, at times, you almost feel like your heart has been ripped out of your chest, but Stuart’s words and imagery are too beautiful to not want to continue to read about young Shuggie Bain.

You can check these titles out by using our Books-to-Go service. For more information call the library at 909-798-7565 or visit our website at www.akspl.org.

Technology has increasingly become a big part of our lives. This year certainly has seen a boost of virtual activity with online classes, Zoom meetings, webinars and remote gatherings. While many are postponing in-person get-togethers right now, social networking has become another way to keep connected. No need to be concerned if this is all new to you. Here are some books to help you be virtually innovative and socialize while social distancing.

This holiday season, some people are taking a different approach to their traditional parties. Creative family and friends have branched out with Zoom, an audio and video conferencing software app. “Zoom for Dummies” by Phil Simon introduces you to this popular app, providing detailed instruction on how to use it for business or pleasure. Basically, it allows you to stream live video and audio via computer, tablet or phone. His book shows how to set up an account and download the app to conduct meetings, chats and webinars. You’ll learn about Zoom rooms, screen sharing, and cyber security. So, get it set up and have a live Zoom meeting with your distant relatives right from your very own living room. You can open the Christmas gifts you sent one another. It’ll be worth seeing the look of surprise on Uncle Bob’s face as he opens the lovely sweater you knitted for him. It’s all right. You did a good job for your first knitted project; who wants sleeves the same length anyway?

When you’re ready to share all those great holiday photos, consider setting up an Instagram account. “Instagram for Dummies” by Jenn Herman, Corey Walker and Eric Butow is not just useful for businesses looking to promote their products, but a great resource for individuals and families as well. It’s super easy to set up the app on your phone or computer. You can even set your account to private so only your family and friends who have accounts can access it. Learn how to share cool photos, adding stories, stickers and captions to spice things up. You’ll get help finding people to follow and connect with and most importantly, you’ll finally learn how to use a hashtag.

If you don’t know Facebook from Twitter or Instagram from YouTube, this next book is for you. “A Social Media Survival Guide” by Melody Karle gives brief overviews on some of the most popular social media like Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, well you get the idea. She discusses what each is, the main reason people use it, some terminology and the very, very basics on how to use it. Take a look at this if you’re a newbie to social media and just want to be able to nod your head in understanding and amazement when people say “Golly, my tweet has gotten so many retweets!”

Although A.K. Smiley Public Library has temporarily suspended in-person services, these titles and more are still available for checkout with our popular “Books to Go” service. You request the books online, via email or phone. We check them out and make an appointment for you to pick them up outside of the library. All the details are on our Books to Go webpage or as always, feel free to give us a call at (909) 798-7565. We’d love to hear from you!