What's New

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!

The Family Literacy Program began one year ago at A.K. Smiley Public Library and what a year it has been for all of us! The California State Library provided funding for the Family Literacy Program because research has shown that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Family Literacy introduces adult learners and their children to the value of reading together and helps parents develop skills to support their children’s education with fun and creative learning activities.

Prior to the Library’s closure in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Family Literacy Program participants met in person. Parents and children made new friends and supported each other as they learned new strategies to encourage a love of reading. Family Literacy coordinators, Joan Prehoda and Renee Kennedy, adapted the Family Literacy Program to online meetings using Zoom last May. These online meetings provided new and unanticipated opportunities for families to learn. Children as young as 5 years old learned how to take Zoom polls online and join breakout rooms.

Zoom meetings proceeded in much the same manner as the pre-pandemic meetings with story time, crafts, and activities. Topics included studying insects, where we learned the life cycle of a butterfly using the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and made symmetrical butterfly art. Families learned about gardening, when they read the book Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert and then planted bean and sunflower seeds in their gardens and prepared vegetable soup to eat, sending in photos of their growing seedlings and soup creations. One mom even sent a picture of her daughter helping to wash the dishes after dinner. They read Mouse Paint by Ellen Sholl Walsh, learned basic color theory, and practiced blending primary colors to create secondary colors. With each activity, families received a book to add to their home libraries and materials for family activities. Other books provided this year include Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, The Family Book by Todd Parr, Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, and more.

Even though the Zoom meetings were successful, families were excited to return to in-person meetings at A.K. Smiley Public Library where they met outdoors in the Children’s Garden in a socially distanced and safe way. This provided an opportunity for families to connect with one another safely from across the garden.

At the November meeting families discussed the concept of emotions and appropriate ways for their children to express those feelings. Families read The Way I Feel by Janan Cain and asked the children to use playdough on a face mat to recreate several different feelings. The families were provided with an emotions chart to stimulate conversation between parent and child about how they are feeling. A parent said, “I’ll use the chart all the time with my family members, because it is important to express feelings so I can help them.” Another parent commented, “This class helped my children feel more comfortable to talk about their feelings and know everyone has different feelings.”

The Family Literacy Program continues to meet monthly in a hybrid format with parent meetings provided over Zoom and in-person family literacy meetings in the garden when the weather permits and via Zoom during the cold winter months.

Special thanks are owed to instructors Joan Prehoda and Renee Kennedy who learned new teaching methods to successfully adapt to social distancing requirements. We congratulate the amazing families who have grown in unexpected ways this year and who continue to value and support their children’s education even as they face the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic.

The Family Literacy Program is one component of the Redlands Adult Literacy Program. Adult literacy activities continue to thrive even during the pandemic. If you are interested in becoming a tutor or if you would like help in reading and writing, please call Diane Shimota, adult literacy coordinator, at 909-798-7565, ext. 4138 or email her at literacy@akspl.org. The literacy program is free to all participants.

The holidays are a great time to pick out a new book and travel via the author’s story. Check out the adult literacy collection – we have books for all ages, books on CD and Playaway, and materials that can assist students during this period of remote learning.

As we look toward a holiday season that is both familiar and yet, by necessity, different this year, we are given the opportunity to look back and reflect upon seasons past. When many think about historical materials, what often comes to mind are old, dusty documents and books, and yet the reality of the Archives at A.K. Smiley Public Library is anything but that. Just over a year ago, the Library embarked upon an exciting new project to digitize and preserve the 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm home movies that were so popular from the 1930s through the 1970s. Because of the expense of the medium, only those who could afford it were able to utilize it, but it also meant that it was reserved for the moments in life that were most important to the families capturing them. That often meant the excitement of the holidays.

Thanks to the families who have contributed their own family history to the Redlands Home Movie Preservation Project, Redlanders into the future can experience a slice of the holidays in motion, from opening gifts around the tree, to large family dinners and gatherings, to community events like the Redlands Christmas Parade. For example, Don Payne captured his family’s Christmas celebration in 1954, replete with the excitement of opening presents that included an 8mm film setup. Twelve years later, the Ford family brought their home movie camera to record the 1966 Redlands Christmas Parade for posterity. In 1975, the Williams family documented the thrill – and exhaustion – of Christmas morning.

Whatever traditions we follow, films like these demonstrate the more universal values of family, togetherness, excitement, support, and generosity.

If you, family, or friends have home movies that help illustrate and tell the story of life in Redlands, please contact the Heritage Room at (909) 798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org. We hope you and yours have a safe and healthy holiday season!