Tuolumne County Library

Staff Choice: Pearl of China, by Anchee Min

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:37:00 +0000

Tuolumne County Library's Staff member, Greta, recommends the book "Pearl in China" by Anchee Min

In the small southern town of Chin-kiang, in the last days of the nineteenth century, young Willow and young Pearl S. Buck, the headstrong daughter of zealous Christian missionaries, bump heads and embark on a friendship that will sustain both of them through one of the most tumultuous periods in Chinese history.

You can find this item at the Sonora Library in the fiction section under FIC MIN

Click here to reserve this book

Library of Congress gets first big gift of major label music

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:47:00 +0000

By Nate Anderson

The largest music company in the world has just given the largest audio-visual gift ever to one of the largest libraries in the world, the US Library of Congress. Universal will donate more than 200,000 master recordings from the 1920s-1940s to the Library, which will make this rare music available to the public over the Web.

The recordings come from Universal's in-house collection and feature the best existing master copies of Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" in 1947 and Les Paul doing the "Guitar Boogie." The master recordings currently reside on metal and lacquer discs, with some on mono tape, and they feature plenty of material that was never released from such artists as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong.

Click to read more

Attack on the Liberty : the untold story of Israel's deadly 1967 assault on a U.S. spy ship by James Scott.

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 01:33:00 +0000

Review from Publisher's website:

On June 8, 1967, as war raged between Israel and its neighbors, an American spy ship, the U.S.S. Liberty, eavesdropped on communications off the coast of Egypt. When Israeli fighter jets flew overhead, the Liberty's crew assumed that the ship's identifying markings and American flag would be visible to the pilots in the clear skies above. After several passes over a period of hours, the jets suddenly opened fire and began strafing and napalming the deck of the Liberty, which had minimal defenses. When the air attack ended, Israeli torpedo boats appeared and scored a direct hit. By the time the assault was over, 34 crewmen had been killed and 171-two-thirds of the crew-seriously injured. Only heroic efforts by the crew saved the ship from sinking.

Back in Washington, news of the attack on the Liberty was received with a mixture of shock and outrage. Many in the Pentagon and in Congress demanded that Israel be held accountable for the unprovoked attack in international waters. The Johnson administration initially responded by threatening Israel but soon softened its attitude. Israel's stunning victory in the Six-Day War, as it became known, was a source of pride to many American Jews, and their support was crucial to an administration mired in an increasingly unpopular war in Vietnam. With the death toll mounting daily in Vietnam, the attack on the Liberty was pushed to the back pages of the nation's newspapers and ultimately all but forgotten.

James Scott is a journalist and the son of a surviving Liberty officer. In this riveting book, he recounts the story of the horrifying attack and the tremendous impact it had on the lives of the crew. He puts the attack in context, showing how political considerations trumped the demands for justice from the survivors and their supporters in the military and in Congress. Drawing on new interviews and recently declassified documents, he demonstrates that Israel's initial insistence that the attack was a mistake caused by misidentification of the ship is implausible.

Scott documents, for the first time, the fact that the ship was correctly identified by at least one of the pilots prior to the attacks. His descriptions of the crew under fire and their frantic work to save the ship are dramatic and unforgettable. Scott takes readers into the conference rooms at the White House where the most senior officials in the government debated how to respond to the attack and then eventually devised a plan to protect Israel from public outrage.

The Attack on the Liberty is the finest account yet of this tragedy and a remarkable tale of men under fire in an incident that remains bitterly disputed after more than forty years.

You will find this item at the Sonora library in the nonfiction area at: 956.046 SCO

21st Century Rewrite for Twain's Huck Finn

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Upcoming NewSouth 'Huck Finn' Eliminates the 'N' Word

By Marc Schultz
Jan 03, 2011

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic by most any measure—T.S. Eliot called it a masterpiece, and Ernest Hemingway pronounced it the source of "all modern American literature." Yet, for decades, it has been disappearing from grade school curricula across the country, relegated to optional reading lists, or banned outright, appearing again and again on lists of the nation's most challenged books, and all for its repeated use of a single, singularly offensive word....

Click here to read the rest of the article

Travel Film Archive - See the World The Way It Was

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:01:00 +0000

Click link to see Fascinating Yosemite 1941

A tour of Yosemite National Park in California in the early 1940's.

Introducing Google eBooks

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:17:00 +0000

It's time to set your reading free.

Google eBooks is all about choice, so you can use just about any device you own to read any book, anywhere.

Read seamlessly on your device
Access all your ebooks wirelessly, no matter where you go. Google eBooks stores your library in the digital cloud, so you can read all of your favorite books using just about any device with an Internet connection. Google eBooks is compatible with Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, web browsers and many supported eReaders. Whenever you open one of your books, we'll pick up right where you left off. Learn more.

Discover the world's largest selection of ebooks
With millions of books to choose from in every imaginable category, finding what you want to read on Google eBooks is easy. You can check out the New York Times best sellers list or discover up-and-coming authors. Read nearly 3 million free ebooks and hundreds of thousands of titles that are ready for purchase; with Google eBooks, you have access to the world's largest selection of ebooks and unlimited storage in the digital cloud. Learn more.

Shop anywhere you choose
Get your favorite ebooks from the Google eBookstore, or buy Google eBooks from a growing number of independent booksellers and retail partners. No matter where you buy your Google eBooks, you'll enjoy the same access and usage rights and privileges. Learn more.

Google eBooks are stored in the cloud, so there is no file to download if you want to read on your computer, phone or tablet. To read online using the web reader, simply click the read button on any free or purchased ebooks. Once you open your book using our mobile reader apps, your book will sync to your device and you can continue reading it online or offline.

Try our Google eBooks apps to start reading seamlessly on all your devices now. Your ebooks will be stored within your Google account, which allows us to save your page positions and sync across all the devices as you continue reading.

All the apps feature:

Information about book
Adjust text size, typeface, line space
Free samples of books
Worry-free archive

Check it out here: http://books.google.com/ebooks

NYPL animates a children's book from 1808 - the first book Mary Shelley ever worked on!

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:48:00 +0000

From: NYPL

It’s alive! The NYPL has animated the first book Frankenstein author Mary Shelley ever worked on - a kid’s story called Mounseer Nongtongpaw, or the Discoveries of John Bull in a Trip to Paris. It was published by Shelley’s anarchist philosopher dad William Godwin in 1808 when she was a mere 10-years-old and is “probably the first book publication Mary Shelley was ever involved in,” said Charles Carter, a librarian from the Pforzheimer Collection, which houses the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, his family and his friends. “She basically came up with a plot sketch for what was going to happen in the story. She had help from adults, but still, it’s very interesting.” In-house digital producer Jonathan Blanc put the video together in only a few weeks, Carter said, as a way to promote a new exhibit opening today called Shelley’s Ghost at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library.

The show - a version of which will come to NYPL in 2012 - features 12 of the collection’s “greatest treasures,” said Carter, who wrote a blog post about it today. “I was trying to think of ways to promote it that would be adaptable to an electronic medium,” he said. “This particular item, because it’s so heavily illustrated, would lend itself well, I thought. I was thinking of a Reading Rainbow kind of thing.” Well done, and appropriate.

The story was originally based on a comedic song from the early 1800s. Shelley remixed it into the book. Since the book and its lavish artwork are part of the public domain, we were free to remix that and create our little animated adaptation. Some things never change.

November Artist of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Stop by the Sonora Central Library on Greenley Rd. to see the beautiful sculpture work of Susan A. Kelleher.

What is one of the greatest barriers to literacy today?

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 05:39:00 +0000

From: USA Today October 29, 2010

Actress Jennie Garth joins Cheerios in effort to get 6 million books to kids

It's hard to find a child -- even those who have yet to read their first word -- who doesn't love books. Something about the touch, the images and words, or, perhaps even, having a loved one nearby reading to them.

Actress Jennie Garth says the same holds true for her three children, ages 4, 7 and 13.

"They all love to read. We do reading for the younger ones in the evening," says Garth. "Our 4-year old loves to read books at any time. Well, she can't read yet, but loves to sit and pretend to be able to read. We love making up stories with the pictures."

Hoping to promote the importance of reading to kids and to help other families without the resources do the same, Garth has teamed up with Cheerios on their "Spoonfuls of Stories" program this November, which is putting six million free books in both English and Spanish inside specially marked Cheerios boxes.

The program has distributed close to 50 million books since its launch in 2001. And to kick-off the campaign early this week, Garth made a special appearance at the Pico Union Branch Library in Los Angeles to read stories to children and make a special donation on behalf of the company.

"We were able to donate 5,000 books to the Los Angeles Public Library [System]," says Garth. "I also got to read the books to the kids, and they loved it. It is such a great learning opportunity to be able to read to kids."

According to a 2006 study, one of the greatest barriers to literacy today is the lack of access to books. In fact, it showed that while in middle income neighborhoods the ratio of books per child is 13 to 1, in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is one age-appropriate book for every 300 children. In addition to the "Spoonfuls" program, Cheerios has donated more than $3.5 million to First Book, a non-profit that gets new books to children from low-income families.

"This campaign really emphasizes the importance of reading to kids -- something my father always advocated as an adult education founder in Illinois," says Garth, explaining what inspired her to join the campaign. "His goal was to teach adults to read, so they could read to their kids. This triggered something inside of me to want to help others do the same."

The "Spoonfuls" campaign is offering one of these following five books in specially-marked Cheerios boxes throughout the month of Nov.:

All the World, by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee, discusses the many wonderful things a child can encounter in the world as well as the commonalities all the world shares.
Chaucer's First Winter, by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Henry Cole, follows a bear named Chaucer, who knows he is supposed to sleep through the winter but feels it's much more fun to stay up and play.
Jump!, by Scott M. Fischer, chronicles the adventures of a bug, a frog, a cat, a hound, a crocodile, a shark, and a whale, who all love to jump!
No T. Rex in the Library, by Toni Buzzeo and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa, is a story about a little girl named Tess and her adventures in the library with a boisterous T-Rex.
The Purple Kangaroo, by comedian Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Peter Brown, is a vivid and humor-filled story that tricks the reader into thinking about a purple kangaroo.

To learn more about the program, this year's in-pack books or to donate to First Book, go to http://www.spoonfulsofstories.com/.

Introduction to Computer Science & Programming: Free Courses

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:49:00 +0000

From: www.openculture.com

Nowadays, any well-rounded student must learn to master reading, writing and math. And then add something new to the mix: learning to code. If you didn’t learn to program software in school, not to worry.

Free materials abound on the web, and we have made them easy to find. Above, you can start watching the first lecture of an MIT course (Introduction to Computer Science and Programming) that assumes no special knowledge of programming, and it sets out to teach you to think like a computer scientist. (Find the full set of lectures on YouTube, iTunes and MIT’s website.) Or alternatively, you can spend time with another course – Intensive Introduction to Computer Science Using C, PHP, and JavaScript – taught by David Malan at Harvard Extension. (Get it in multiple formats here.) And then don’t forget that Stanford University offers several introductory courses, all found under the Stanford Engineering Everywhere umbrella.
Once you have a good foundation in place, you can move in a variety of directions. Within our collection of Free Online Courses, we have listed 27 computer science courses where you can learn all about operating systems, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, building web sites, designing iPhone apps and beyond. The courses are all free. They’re available 24/7 on the web. You can get going any time…

Library Closed For Holiday And Furloughs

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:58:00 +0000

October 28, 2010
Tina Falco, MML News Reporter

Sonora, CA-- The Tuolumne County Library will be closed for county furloughs and the Thanksgiving holiday the week of November 22nd through the 29th.

All county libraries will resume regular schedules on Tuesday, November 30th. This is the first of two planned county furlough closures. The Friends of the Library Book Nook will also be closed during the library's furlough days.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com
© 2010 Clarke Broadcasting Corporation.

Google's New Family Safety Center

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:33:00 +0000

From: googleblog.blogspot.com

Announcing our new Family Safety Center

9/09/2010 09:00:00 AM

(Cross-posted to the Google Public Policy Blog)

Helping your children use the Internet safely is similar to teaching them to navigate the offline world. There are parts of the real world that you wouldn’t let your children explore unsupervised—and that goes for the online world as well. But while most of us remember being taught to cross the road and not talk to strangers, we probably weren’t taught how much personal information we should share online or how to handle cyberbullies.

Therefore, it’s no surprise when parents and teachers tell us they want to learn more about how to help their kids use the Internet safely and responsibly.

Today, we’re launching our new Family Safety Center; a one-stop shop about staying safe online. We’ve included advice from leading child safety organizations around the world, tips and ideas from parents here at Google, as well as information on how to use the safety tools and controls built into Google products.

For day-to-day practical tips we asked some of our parents at Google to share their own ideas. Tactics they use range from limiting screen time and preventing computers in kids’ bedrooms to ad hoc checks on their browser history and social networking profiles. Everyone has different ideas and there’s no right or wrong answer, but hopefully some of these will resonate and inspire you. See more videos and let us know your own thoughts on our YouTube channel.

To answer some of the toughest questions most important to parents, such as accessing inappropriate content and meeting strangers online, we went straight to the people that know best; the organizations that advocate and promote child safety and digital literacy. Organizations that we’ve partnered with around the world include the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s OnGuard Online initiative, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, U.K.’s ChildNet, and New Zealand’s NetSafe.

The new Safety Center also provides information on the safety tools built into Google products. SafeSearch and YouTube Safety Mode can help you control what content your children stumble across. Sharing controls in YouTube, Picasa, Blogger and others ensure your videos, photos and blogs are shared only with the right people. And in response to popular requests, we’ve added a section on managing geolocation features on mobiles.

With kids growing up in an age where digital know-how is essential, it’s increasingly important to ensure that they’re developing healthy, safe and responsible online habits. And we’re thinking every day about how we can help parents and teachers to do just that.

Posted by Kate Hammond, Marketing Manager

4 Ways to Visualize Voter Sentiment for the Midterm Elections, by Meghan Peters

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:28:00 +0000

From: www.mashable.com

Elections ignite emotions. From inspirational campaign speeches to divisive community issues, political action compels citizens to share their feelings about candidates and issues from coast to coast. The web has made information about these emotions and trends more available — but the challenge has been making it more accessible.

That’s why many sites are using data visualizations to present voter sentiment. The simple interfaces and fun interactive components make number-heavy data easier to understand and more compelling than a spreadsheet.

Here are four data visualizations worth checking out during the 2010 U.S. midterm elections.

1. The New York Times Race Ratings

Like most interactive graphics from The New York Times, these election maps and charts are beautifully designed. The user experience is the best of all the data visualizations listed here. States are color-coded by party with shading showing the likelihood that the leading party will win. Individual state profiles include smaller graphics breaking down previous election results by county. The Times makes it their own by including the FiveThirtyEight Forecast, showcasing politics reporter Nate Silver’s projections for each race.

2. PBS Mediashift Social Media Snapshot

The only visualization not in map form on this list is the Social Media Snapshot of 2010 Senate Races. This graphic takes some of the most interesting voter sentiment information out there and makes it easy for users to compare data sets they’re interested in viewing.

After a report from HeadCount.org showed that Republicans were more engaged than Democrats in this election cycle, Mediashift contributor Anthony Calabrese created it using Tableau Public, a free data visualization program.

The graphic includes a drop-down menu from which users can choose a state. Each candidate’s Facebook() and Twitter() followers are then compared in a bar graph. Beneath this is a chart showing more granular data for the top 10 races, including the percentage of followers each candidate gained from September to October.

3. The Huffington Post Election Dashboard

The Huffington Post has taken full advantage of its Pollster.com acquisition by creating extensive poll analysis graphics. Unlike other elections visualizations, these maps provide all information up front. Hovering over a state on the main map brings up linear charts showing data from the latest polls and those from the past year, as well as social media trends measuring candidate mentions from Facebook, Twitter and Google Buzz(). Clicking on an individual state directs you to a page with a larger version of the latest polls graph, some with polling data from past years.

4. Washington Post 2010 Race Maps

With an already politically minded audience, The Washington Post developed a map chock-full of elections data. It provides historical results not only for the current races, but also for presidential races. Maps can be customized to show districts, primaries and races to watch. It’s most original in allowing users to sort data by race, age, poverty rate and percent uninsured.

Extras

If you’re interested in even more visualizations to track the upcoming elections, the following tools are definitely worth a look.

Though Google’s map focuses more on experts’ predictions than voter sentiment data, it’s worth checking out. You can compare expectations of top political opinions and find or contribute information about where to vote and what’s on the ballot in your area.

Foursquare() plans to launch an interactive map on election night with data from checkins at polling places.

If this article wasn’t about the U.S. elections specifically, Guardian’s Data Blog would have made the list for its beautiful visualizations of poll numbers from overseas.

More Political Resources From Mashable:

- 17 Web Resources to Help You Decide on Election Day
- Social Media: The New Battleground for Politics
- How Political Campaigns Are Using Social Media for Real Results
- How Social Media is Changing the Way Government Does Business

Cool, Useful and Fun Freebie via Kim Komando

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Set your monitor based on time of day

LCD monitors function using a white backlight. This makes for a bright, easily visible picture. Unfortunately, it can have unintended side effects.

At night, the bright white light makes your body think it's daytime. That can make it more difficult to fall to sleep. Our bodies are used to warmer, softer light at night.

That's where F.lux comes in. All you have to do is set your geographic region. F.lux automatically adjusts your monitor's color based on the time of day. As the sun sets, it gradually shifts your monitor toward red. It shifts it back to white again as the sun rises.

The reddish tint isn't as harsh on your eyes at night. So it helps keep your body's sleep schedule intact. You can easily disable F.lux for tasks like photo editing that require color accuracy.

Cost: Free
Link: www.stereopsis.com
System: XP, Vista, 7, OSX

Article from : Komando.com

Penelope's Radio for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:11:00 +0000

Songs and stories for kids of all ages
Pick a channel and listen in real audio
All free to the young at heart

www.childrensmusic.org/penelope.html

Archive.org offers 74 FREE Banned Books

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 22:25:00 +0000

[From http://www.archive.org/details/bannedbooks]
Book Banning has existed in America since colonial times, when legislatures and royal governors enacted laws against blasphemy and seditious libel. Legislatures in the early American republic passed laws against obscenity. Though freedom of the press has grown significantly over the course of the twentieth century, book banning and related forms of censorship have persisted due to cyclical concerns about affronts to cultural, political, moral, and religious orthodoxy.

Browse by Subject / Keywords

All items (most recently added first)

GoodReads.com

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing. Signing up is simple — you just enter your name, email, and a password.

If you are a published author, take a look at the Goodreads Author Program.

how to start

To start using Goodreads you should select books that you have read, that you are reading, or that you want to read and add them to "your books". You can do this by searching for books (our catalogue already has most books), by looking at your friends' lists, or by entering a book we don't have yet. Rating a book automatically adds it to your books (and to your "read" shelf).

shelves

You start with three default shelves (read, currently-reading, and to-read), but you can also create your own bookshelves. Shelf names range from classics and coffee-table-books to childrens-lit and sci-fi — you can create any category that suits your personal taste. Some of our favorite shelves include to-reread, guiltypleasures, chicklit and overrated-drivel

add your books

To add books to your shelves, search by author name or book title. If the book is on Amazon, you'll find it (and they carry almost everything) — if not, then you have the option to add it manually as a new title. When you find the book you want, you can either click on one of the five stars to rate the book immediately, or click on “add to my books” to choose a shelf, write a review, record the date your read the book, and even note whether you have a copy to sell/swap.

sort your books

Click on the "my books" tab to see all the different "views" available on Goodreads. You can sort by author, title, rating, date read, and more. One view shows you all your book covers, another shows your reviews, still another helps you shelve groups of books at once, and there’s even one that is printer-friendly. You can change your shelves, reviews, and ratings at any time.

book editions

Many books are listed in Goodreads in several editions, such as hardback and paperback. Just add the one you have (or the closest to it) to your books. We have built a feature where our librarians combine editions of each book, so all reviews and ratings are aggregated across all editions when you view a book.

personalize your profile

What do your bookshelves say about you? After you upload your photo and post your basic info, start adding books to your virtual shelves. Some people simply list their top 10 favorites; others catalog everything they have ever read. You can also post your favorite quotes, share your own writing for others to review, or publicize your upcoming events.

finding book recommendations

Our mission is to help you find new and interesting books by letting you see what your friends are reading. Whenever you view a book, we always show you your friends' reviews first. When you log in, the homepage will show all the latest reviews from your friends. You can also compare your book list to that of another Goodreads member to see if you share the same taste! Click the "explore" tab to browse our top shelves, find popular and unpopular books (among your friends or all of Goodreads).

join or start a discussion group

Groups are the perfect way to bring a group of people together to discuss literature. Some groups are just for close friends or local book clubs; others are for organizations such as literary magazines, university alumni, or just about any group conceivable. Groups can be public, moderated, restricted by domain, or secret.

everything you need to know about a book

Click on any book title to find a ton of information. Beyond the basics such as author, ISBN, and literary awards, you can also find the book’s average rating, the number of people who have rated and reviewed the book, and even how those people decided to shelve it. You can find Goodreads groups discussing the book, reviews from your friends, and other reviews from possibly thousands of readers. If you need a copy, check out the links that help you find it at an online bookseller or your local library. Goodreads catalogs all editions of a book (hardcover, paperback, etc.), so you can find your exact edition with the cover art to make your virtual shelves look just like your real ones! Information is kept accurate and up to date by our Librarian Group

widgets

Show off your books and reviews by adding one of our cool widgets to your blog or website (a widget is a dynamic image that you can add to almost any site that allows html code). Also, you can install the Goodreads Books App on Facebook, MySpace or Bebo.

import/export your books

Export your books to a spreadsheet. Or if you are using another book database, import it! If we don't currently support your book database — contact us - and we'll make it happen.

Library on a Donkey

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Luis Soriano Bohorquez who created the Biblioburro, or Library Donkey, in an effort to bring books and the gift of reading to the children in his community of La Gloria, Colombia.

Tuolumne County Citizens Group job fair

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:58:00 +0000

Wed., Sept. 22 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Tuolumne Memorial Hall.

Union Democrat newspaper article about the Library's Senior Tutor, Pat Garside

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:28:00 +0000

Couple stays in tune over a lifetime
Written by Walt Cook, The Union Democrat September 09, 2010 11:20 am

Tuolumne residents Pat and Rod Garside (above) have been married for 56 years. Amy Alonzo Rozak/Union Democrat, copyright 2010 The beginning of Rod and Pat Garside’s life together sounds like something from a Hollywood romance.

It starts in 1952 in Pasadena. Rod moved there from Canada for the pleasant winters and chance to play the oboe with world-class musicians.

To Rod’s pleasant surprise, seated next to him one day in the orchestra was an attractive 17-year-old local girl who matched his musical skill and passion.

That was Pat, who grew up in nearby Culver City, where she sometimes rubbed shoulders with young movie stars.

Two years later, after playing side-by-side much of the time — in orchestras, the first flutist and principal oboist sit next to each other — the two married.

It is a partnership that has lasted 56 years, and counting.

Rod, 80, said a “musical and physical attraction” is what drew him to Pat.

For Pat, 76, Rod’s “lovely accent” helped seal the deal.

Rod at the time was a Canadian by way of England, which his parents left when he was 8 to avoid the bombing that would devastate the country during World War II.

“They saw it coming,” Rod said.

While growing up in Canada, Rod blossomed into a talented musician, taking up the oboe as his instrument of choice in his teens. By 18, he was training in New York City, and by 20 he was playing with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Then, at 21, he had a choice: Play in Toronto or Pasadena.

“I decided winters would be nicer in Pasadena,” he said.

His budding music career was going so well that he forewent college.

Meanwhile, in sunny Southern California, Pat took up playing the flute simply because junior high school students were required to play an instrument. It turned out she was good. Really good.

Hence, their eventual meeting.

Today, the Garsides live just off Tuolumne Road North.

Camping in Tuolumne County over the years with children Scott and Meg, now in their 50s, prompted them to set their sights on the area for retirement.

They bought their land in 1977 and built their home in 1984.

A well-tended garden greets visitors at the driveway, and a big, east-facing living-room window provides a view of the wild Tuolumne countryside that lured them here.

As for music, the passion that brought them together has faded. Rod stopped playing in 1976, Pat in 1984, and now they’re officially retired.

Pat’s career largely consisted of playing for the Pasadena orchestra and free-lance music work — as well as being a dedicated mother. Rod worked not only as a musician, but also an Avon sales manager. After he arrived in Tuolumne County, he repaired band instruments for local schools for 20 years.

Rod might still be doing the latter job had music funding not been cut from school budgets.

Despite their retirements, the Garsides remain busy.

Rod is active with Cable 8, the public-access television channel in the Sonora area. He worked for the nonprofit group for years, including serving as president. Today, he still takes part in six programs per month.

Cable 8 was initially an outlet for Rod’s creativity. He used the channel to showcase documentaries he had made during extensive travels to Greece, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Russia and Japan.

For Pat, those trips also spurred her creative drive.

In 1985, she helped found the Sonora Folk Dancers, a group that for nine years performed dances from around the world in traditional dress.

“It was a real passion,” she said.

Today, Pat spends much of her time as the senior tutor for the Tuolumne County Library’s Adult Literacy Program, a post she has held since 1996.

Pat embraced Tuolumne County from the outset.

“The minute we came to Sonora, I knew I must live here,” she said. “It just feels good. It was everything Southern California was not.”

That love for Tuolumne County continues to this day.

“We’re really enjoying life out here,” Rod said.

Haitian Librarians Describe Destruction

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:46:00 +0000

Submitted by Greg Landgraf on Tue, 08/31/2010
From: americanlibrariesmagazine.org

At the 2010 IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden, Françoise Beaulieu-Thybulle, director of National Library of Haiti, and Elizabeth Pierre-Louis, program director for FOKAL, describe the damage caused by the January 12 earthquake that struck Haiti, as well as the work they have been doing to recover and how librarians around the world can help.

On Display... "Considering College?"

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:17:00 +0000

Are you considering college? The Library has many resources for you to utilize. It is never too soon to start on your path to higher education. Come on in and let us help you!

On Display... "International Literacy Day" September 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:06:00 +0000

Join us for International Literacy Day September 8th at the Sonora Central Library! People all around the world meet to celebrate this special day. Organizations around the world provide books and literacy tutoring for people of all ages in many countries. The Tuolumne County Library Literacy Services provides tutoring for reading, spelling, writing, math, and GED preparation. Come on in and join us!

http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/literacy

BookSpot.com

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:19:00 +0000

BookSpot.com is a free resource center that simplifies the search for the best book-related content on the Web. Featured sites are hand-selected by BookSpot.com editors and organized into intuitive categories, such as bestseller lists, genres, book reviews, electronic texts, book news and more.

http://www.bookspot.com/

2010 Presidential Citizens Medal Winners Announced Today

noreply@blogger.com (Tuolumne County Library) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:30:00 +0000

On Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 the President will present the 2010 Citizens Medal to 13 winners from across the country at an event at the White House. Watch the event live at 2:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, August 4th on WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

The recipients of the 2010 Citizens Medal are:

Roberta Diaz Brinton
Los Angeles, CA

Roberta Diaz Brinton has devoted her time and talents to improving science and technology education for Los Angeles students. As Director of the University of Southern California’s Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Program, Brinton has opened the doors of opportunity for thousands of disadvantaged and minority inner-city youth. Brinton receives the Citizens Medal for encouraging America’s next generations to reach for the stars.

Daisy M. Brooks
Chicago, IL

When a pregnant teenager with no place to stay arrived at her door, Daisy Brooks welcomed the young woman in. What followed was a lifelong commitment to helping many of North Chicago’s young mothers and their infants. Brooks opened Daisy's Resource and Developmental Center to serve as a dormitory, school, and catalyst for young women to improve their lives. Brooks receives the Citizens Medal for offering guidance and support to young women across Chicago.

Betty Kwan Chinn
Eureka, CA

Touched by childhood tragedy, Betty Chinn brings hope to those who have fallen on hard times. Left homeless as a child in China, Chinn became mute. When she came to America, she found both her voice and her mission: aiding those without shelter on our own shores. Today, Chinn provides meals twice a day as expressions of gratitude to a welcoming nation. Chinn receives the Citizens Medal for renewing America’s promise by serving those in need.

Cynthia M. Church
Wilmington, DE

Cynthia Church turned a personal battle with cancer into a force for progress and change. Dismayed by the lack of resources for women of color with breast cancer, Church founded Sisters on a Mission, Inc, an African-American breast cancer support network in Delaware. Church receives the Citizens Medal for confronting the scourge of this terrible disease and working to halt its spread.

Susan Retik Ger
Needham, MA

Susan Retik Ger understands the importance of empowering women touched by personal tragedy. After losing her husband on September 11, 2001, she found cause in educating and training Afghan widows and their children. Her strength of spirit has healed hearts, fostering mutual understanding and brightening our common future. Retik Ger receives the Citizens Medal for advancing women’s rights and demonstrating the power of America’s ideals.

Mary K. Hoodhood
Grand Rapids, MI

Physical limitations have not hindered Mary K. Hoodhood’s determination to strengthen her community. Though a car accident left her paralyzed, Hoodhood began volunteering to feed the hungry through her local Meals on Wheels program. In 2001, Hoodhood founded Kids’ Food Basket which provides meals to thousands of children in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Hoodhood receives the Citizens Medal for her remarkable efforts to nourish our nation’s children.

Kimberly McGuiness
Cave Spring, GA

Parent and advocate, Kimberly McGuiness has been a true champion for deaf students. Her persistent letters, phone calls, and visits to state legislators helped spur the passage of Georgia’s Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights. She has led workshops, counseled parents, and changed lives, raising awareness and support for deaf education. McGuiness receives the Citizens Medal for demonstrating the results one citizen can achieve for an entire community.

Jorge Muñoz
New York City, NY

Jorge Muñoz recognizes that we all have a stake in one another. By giving his time, energy, and resources to feeding the hungry, he has demonstrated the enduring American values of sacrifice and kindness. Muñoz receives the Citizens Medal for his service and dedication to creating a more hopeful tomorrow for the less fortunate among us.

Lisa Nigro
Chicago, IL

Beginning with a wagon full of coffee and sandwiches, Lisa Nigro’s mission to aid those living on the streets of Chicago has inspired us all. Her wagon gave way to a restaurant for homeless men and women, expanding with partner organizations to provide housing, job training, and vital support to Chicagoans affected by poverty. Nigro receives the Citizens Medal for her tireless service to her fellow citizens.

MaryAnn Phillips
Star Valley Ranch, WY

Caring for America’s injured service members, MaryAnn Phillips embodies strength and grace. An American citizen living in Germany, Phillips volunteers with Soldiers Angels at Landstuhl Air Force Base. She spends countless hours at the bedsides of our wounded warriors and their families, caring for them, encouraging them, and grieving with them. Phillips receives the Citizens Medal for putting her patriotism into action on behalf of our troops and our nation.

Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam
Shaftsbury, VT

Devoted to preserving our nation’s public lands, Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam has inspired thousands of America’s youth to protect our natural bounty. Her vision to offer land restoration and maintenance service opportunities became a reality with the birth of the Student Conservation Association. Putnam receives the Citizens Medal for helping ensure that our nation’s treasured public lands are enjoyed by future generations.

Myrtle Faye Rumph
Inglewood, CA

For decades, Myrtle Faye Rumph has lent her talent and compassion to impacting the lives of at-risk youth. Her commitment to reducing gun and gang violence in her community has steered countless young people away from dangerous habits, and altered the course of their futures. Rumph receives the Citizens Medal for replacing violence and despair with a beacon of hope and humanity.

Geo. J. Weiss, Jr.
Marine, MN

George Weiss, Jr., a veteran of World War II and the United States Marine Corps, reflects our nation’s generous and selfless heart. In 1979, he founded the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad, which today consists of more than 125 volunteers who have performed final military honors for more than 55,000 deceased veterans. Weiss receives the Citizens Medal for his extraordinary service to our nation’s veterans and their families.