Although several West Marin Libraries have recently been updated and remodeled,
most of the Marin County Free Library facilities are over 35 years old and not
well designed for delivery of Twenty-first century library services. In April
2006, the Marin County Board of Supervisors supported the Library Director in
undertaking a systemwide Needs Assessment and Facilities Master Plan, including
an initiative of community outreach.
The Library will soon begin sending out 'snapshots', designed to give the community
information about each branch, about our upcoming Facilities Master Plan process,
and to solicit interest toward public input. The Library anticipates holding
a series of public meetings in January and again in mid-March to gather community
input for our library facilities to meet twenty-first century needs. A survey
aimed at non-users will also be part of our information gathering process.
Please look for further information in the eConnect Newsletter, local papers,
and your favorite Marin County Free Library branch, including the days &
times for our upcoming community meetings.
When homework is a challenge, finding help for it should be easy and free. Now
it can be...even when teachers are not available, parents are still at work, and
friends are equally clueless. Students visiting the Marin
County Free Library website can click on the banner for Live
Homework Help and interact online with a real tutor, provided company called
Tutor.com through a partial grant from the California State Library. After entering
a Marin library card number, grade level (grade 4-12, as well as College Intro)
and subject area, students will be connected to tutors who can assist with math
and science questions, and English and social studies assignments.
The service is anonymous; the tutors never need to know a name or other personal
information. The Live Homework Help service is accessible from 1pm to 10pm,
seven days a week. Tutors who can communicate in Spanish
are available from Sunday through Thursday, from 1pm to 7pm.
Although this service requires a PC (not a MAC) and works best with a high
speed connection, students may also connect by using computers at our library
branches.
The Civic
Center Library has compiled an annotated list of recently acquired
books on popular music! The list includes books on the Beatles, Fats
Domino, Latin alternative rock, Tori Amos, Christian rock, and other topics.
For more Civic Centric subject guides, visit the Civic
Center Library Resources page.
24% of adults in California read at the lowest literacy level (California Literacy).
Since 1985, the Marin Literacy Program has served 9,000 students through the efforts
of 5,600 volunteer tutors. As a result, these adult learners have been able to
qualify for employment otherwise unavailable to them, to participate more effectively
in the education of their children, and to make greater contributions to their
communities.
The Marin Literacy Program's tutor training emphasizes multicultural awareness
and sensitivity to the needs of adult learners, innovative approaches such as
using children's picture books to teach parenting skills, and programs targeted
toward second-language learners and inmate populations.
Prospective volunteers are invited to attend our next program Orientation,
a prerequisite to tutor training: Wednesday, November 1, at the San Rafael Public
Library, 7- 8:30 p.m.
Tutor Training will take place on November 11th and 18th, from 9:15 to 4:30
each day.
For more information on becoming a tutor or other ways to lend a hand, please
visit our website (http://www.marinliteracy.org)
or give us a call at 415-485-3318.
This month's Bargain Sunday (November 5th) helps you stock up for the long winter--The
Mix and Match Paperback sale is on; any standard 4"X7" paperback (pocketbook
size) in any category-- mix and match your selections at 3 for $1.00. Additionally,
the following categories are at 50% off: Videos, Education, Reference, and Cooking.
Bargain Sunday happens the first Sunday of every month, with selected categories
slashed from our regularly-low prices.
The Book Place is located at 1608 Grant Avenue, Novato; our store hours are:
HOURS
and LOCATIONS
Marin County Free Library branches are located throughout East and West Marin.
Open days and hours of operation vary by branch. With 11 locations to choose from
as well as 24/7 access
on our website to reference
assistance, the online
catalog, databases,
and eBooks
you'll never be far from the information you need.
COMPUTER AND
INTERNET CLASSES
The Marin County Free Library offers classes and one-to-one tutoring in computer
basics, the Internet, e-mail, the Library’s online resources, Microsoft Word,
Excel, and more. Please check
our website for times, locations, and registration information.
BOOKCLUBS
Marin County Free Library branches host a wide variety of monthly reading groups.
Club members meet each month for a lively discussion about a particular book or
theme. Please check
our bookclub listing for locations, times, selections, and contact information.
STORYTIMES
The Marin County Free Library offers storytimes at each of the branches for children
in various age groups. Please check
our Storytimes page for times and ages.
BOOKMOBILE
The Marin County Free Library Bookmobile visits geographically isolated communities
throughout the County. Most stops are made twice within a four-week period each
month. Copies of the Bookmobile schedule are available at all County Library branches
and on the Bookmobile’s
webpage.
BRANCH
EVENTS
The Marin County Free Library hosts a wide variety of cultural and educational
branches responsive to the needs in our communities. In addition to special
events for adults, teens, and kids, the Library hosts regular book clubs, storytimes,
bilingual and Spanish language events. For further information about specific
Library
Events and Classes please visit our branch
event webpage or our online
calendar for a complete listing.
Place your request
early and be one of the first to check out these Award Winners & New Releases.
Annotations adapted from publishers' advance materials and the MARINet catalog.
Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.
New Audio Books
The following audio book titles have recently been added to our collection. A complete list of the MARINet libraries' audio CD & cassette holdings is available online via a quick search.
Below are featured Soul Selections highlighting a handful of American legends.
A complete list of the MARINet Libraries' music CD, cassette, & record holdings is available online via a quick search.
The following DVD/video titles have recently been added to our collection. Complete lists of the MARINet libraries' DVD and video holdings are available online via a quick search.
12/31:
The Flood of '05 [DVD Format]
An amazing account of The Storm, survival, and heroism documenting Marin's
recent history.
The World's
Fastest Indian [DVD Format]
Anthony Hopkins stars as the New Zealand dreamer who in the 1940's journeyed
to America to test his motorcycle on 'sacred ground'.
The Boys
of Baraka [DVD Format]
Follows a group of 12-year-old boys from the most violent ghettos of Baltimore
to the Baraka School, an experimental boarding school in rural Kenya, where
children live by strict guidelines, yet are given the freedom to grow.
Take
the Lead [DVD Format]
Pierre Dulane is a former professional ballroom dancer who volunteers to
teach dance in the New York public school system. At first his background
clashes with his students' tastes, but together Dulane and his students
create a completely new style of dance.
The White
Countess [DVD Format]
A blind American diplomat develops a curious relationship with a young Russian
refugee who works odd and sometimes illicit jobs to support members of her
dead husband's aristocratic family
Have a suggestion for a title that you think the library should purchase? You can offer your suggestion via the form on the MARINet website at http://marinet.lib.ca.us/acquire.
Kid's Corner
Browse the non-fiction shelves for some really interesting books for kids,
recommended by our Children's Librarian, Marilyn Wronsky:
Albino Animals
by Kelly Halls
Eye-popping photographs of animals with red eyes and stark white skin or
fur.
Looking for fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, local authors, audio books, or DVDs? Check out some of our most popular recommendations for adults, teens, and kids.
E-Connect publication
E-Connect is an online publication distributed monthly by the Marin County Free Library.
Contact: Library@co.marin.ca.us
