Landscape Art Presentation at the Novato Library

One Hundred Years of Landscape Art in Northern California
A presentation by the docent council of The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

This talk explores the rich landscape tradition in Northern California through the eyes of visual artists, from Arthur Mathews and William Keith to Wayne Thiebaud and William T. Wiley.

Where: Novato Library

When: Sat July 18 @ 11 am

For more information, please contact the Novato Reference Desk at (415) 897-1142.

This program is presented in celebration of Marin County Free Library's Adult Summer Reading Program: Master the Art of Reading.

Re-Tooling Your Career at the Novato Library

John DeGaetano, Certified Business Advisor from the Redwood Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will hold discussion sessions at the Novato Library, aimed specifically at Novato professionals looking for a change.

"Re-Tooling Your Career" is a three-hour program where job seekers can take time to network about new directions: think about starting a business, learn marketing skills for a new endeavor, build confidence in working for oneself, or seek out a broader job pool for existing skills.

The program will be repeated three times over the summer at the Novato Library, in partnership with the Novato Chamber of Commerce -- and it's not just for the unemployed: retirees, recent graduates, or anyone just ready for a change is welcome to attend, free of charge.

Scheduled dates:

Wednesday July 8 6 - 9 pm
Thursday August 13 6 - 9 pm
Tuesday August 25 6 - 9 pm

For more information, please call the Novato Reference Desk at (415) 897-1142.

Ayurveda Lecture Series

Dr. Erika Crotta, a naturopathic doctor with a PhD in Physiology and Ayurvedic Medicine, will present a series of six lectures on the 5,000-year-old holistic health philosophy of Ayurveda. Recognized by the World Health Organization, Ayurvedic treatment includes the use of herbal remedies, diet, yoga, massage and meditation.

There will be lectures every other Thursday from 12 noon to 1:15 pm starting on July 16 and ending on September 24, 2009.

Dr. Crotta’s first topic will be a general overview of Ayurvedic principles entitled: The Science of Good Health.

When: Thursday, July 16, 2009

Time: 12 noon to 1:15 pm

Where: Board of Supervisors Chambers, Room 330, 3501 Civic Center Drive,, San Rafael, CA


The series will continue as follows:

July 30 - Good Digestion is the Basis of Good Health

August 13 – Utilizing the Cycles of Nature to Improve Health

August 27 – The Six Steps of Prevention

September 10 – Food as Medicine

September 24 - The Power of the Mind in Relation to Health

Pre-registration is not required at these free programs.

If you have any questions, please contact the Civic Center Library Reference desk at 499-6058.

Recycling at the Civic Center Library

You can recycle your old cell phones, empty inkjet and laser printer cartridges, digital cameras, video games in their case, iPods, DVDs in their original case, laptop computers and household batteries at the Civic Center Library.

These items do not need to be in working condition, but if you still have the power cords and accessories please include them in your donation. You can drop your electronic items off any time the Library is open. There is a donation box under the Green Living Library sign near the Check Out Desk. For more information, call 499-6058.

Digital Reader/Printer and Scanner at the Civic Center Library

The Civic Center Branch has a digital reader/printer with a flatbed scanner. Images from microfilm or microfiche read with the digital reader/printer may be saved as jpg or pdf files to a flash drive. Images from source materials such as paper documents, books, photos, and slides scanned on the flatbed scanner may also be saved to a flash drive. Public internet stations are available for emailing files of scanned items.

If you would like instruction on use of this equipment, please call the Civic Center Reference Desk at 499-6058 for an appointment.

Get a Library Card!

With your Marin County Free Library card, you can borrow books, CDs, DVDs, and other materials; access our online databases from home, work, or school; and access the Internet using our Public Use Computers.

Application forms are available online, in English and Español.

From the Stacks 2 Libraries Busy in Down Economy

Click to Play

June 2009 Program with

Gail Haar and Scott Bauer

A production of the Marin County Free Library

Civic Center Library Book Club - July Selection

Join the Civic Center Library Book Club on July 22, from 12-1, for a discussion of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. The club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, and new members are always welcome! For more information, please call (415) 499-6102.

My Reading History

Now, what was the name of that book I read... Have you ever wanted the library to keep a list of all the books you've checked out, so you could see that list at any time? Now you can!

With My Reading History, you can set up your profile to keep a list of all the things you've checked out--to keep a running list of what you've read/listened to/watched.

If that sounds like something you're interested in, just log in to My MARINet with your library card and PIN. Click on the "Reading History" button and then click on the "Keep History" button. From that point forward, anything you check up will show up on the list. You can turn it off at any time by clicking on "Stop History." You can also delete items from the list. Please note that library staff cannot see your list at any time--only you can see your list.

For more information, check out the My Reading History FAQ or the My Reading History tutorial, or contact your local branch.

Come Visit the Green Living Library!

The Civic Center Branch is home to the Green Living Library, a collection of materials on sustainable living covering topics such as renewable resources, alternative energy, eco-friendly building, and green business practices. You can see what is available in the collection by searching Green Living Library in the subject or keyword box of our catalog.

The San Francisco Story: Art Presentation

In celebration of the Adult Summer Reading Program Master the Art of Reading, the Novato Library is hosting a presentation of The San Francisco Story, 1850-2000, by the docent council of The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Saturday June 20 at 11:00 am
@ Novato Library

Enjoy the colorful saga of San Francisco through the eyes of artists who echoed the times in which they lived, recording the city as they saw it. Paintings, prints and photographs by Arnold Genthe, Chirua Obata, David Goines, Wayne Thiebaud, and many others illustrate their unique perceptions of the city's beauty and history.

This is a free program and registration is not required. For more information, please contact the Novato Reference Desk at (415) 897-1142.

Master the Art of Reading

Summer reading is not just for kids! Join the adult summer reading program at the library and "Master the Art of Reading" from June 13 through September 30. Book lovers, this is your chance: read and review books, and share your thoughts with others by posting your reviews on the library site. Discover new books to read by browsing reviews. Sign up and log in to see all reviews and write your own.

Libraries Lend a Hand in Tough Times

As recently noted on a Today show segment, libraries can play an important role during challenging economic times. Come to the library and find free Internet and wireless access, free storytimes for children and programs for adults, as well as resources like books, magazines, DVDs and newspapers. Please contact a branch near you if you'd like more information, or help getting started.

Book Talk ... And Bluegrass!

Join us at the Point Reyes Library for an evening of bluegrass and mystery as local bluegrass icon and author John Pedersen discusses his new book, Scroll and Curl, and treats us all to a few tunes!

When: June 23, 6-8 pm

Summer Reading for Kids & Teens

Be Creative and Express Yourself @ the library this summer. Come in to your local branch and sign up for a summer full of reading, events and fun! Find out more by checking out the Kids and Teens pages on the library website.

Learn the Basics of Blogging, Facebook and Twitter at the Novato Library

The Novato Library is offering free classes on Social Media Basics.
This is a three class series. Attend one class or all three! Sign up at the Novato Library Reference Desk or by phone at 897-1142.

Social Media is free, useful, fun, and easy to use. Learn how to blog, use Facebook, and Twitter to stay in touch and share your ideas, photos and other stuff with family, friends, and associates.

Thu June 11 7:00 - 8:30 pm: Set up a Blog on WordPress
Mon June 22 7:15 - 8:30 pm: Create a Facebook page
Sat June 27 1:30 - 3:00 pm: Learn to Tweet

* An established email account is required *

Free Computer Tutoring at the Civic Center Library!

The Civic Center Library offers free, one-one-one tutoring on email, searching the Internet, and using Microsoft Word and Excel. For more information, please call (415) 499-6102.

Ayurveda: the Science of Good Health

Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old philosophy of natural healing developed in India. Ayurveda "provides the methods to maintain health by addressing all aspects of life: environmental, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual." Depending on the illness, ayurvedic treatment could include "herbal remedies, diet, yoga or meditation." Dr. Erika Crotta, a naturopathic doctor with a PHD in Physiology and Ayurvedic Medicine, will discuss how to use Ayurveda to improve your health.


When: Wednesday June 17, 2009
Time: 12 noon to 1 pm
Where: Civic Center Library

Pre-registration is not required at this free program.

If you have any questions, please call the Reference desk at 499-6058.

Civic Center Library Book Club - June Selection

Join the Civic Center Library Book Club on June 24th, from 12-1, for a discussion of Alexander McCall Smith's The Kalahari Typing School for Men. The club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, and new members are always welcome! For more information, please call (415) 499-6102.

Housing Options for Seniors

Curious about housing options for seniors in Marin? On Thursday, June 18, from 11 a.m. until 12 noon the Corte Madera Library is hosting a free program that will help you to sort out the variety of housing options available, from retirement communities to assisted living. A representative of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services Division of Aging and Adult Services will present information about the range of opportunities to explore. Please call the Reference Desk at 924-6444 if you'd like more information.

One Book One Marin

In honor of our commitment to the annual One Book One Marin program, MCFL was presented with a very special plaque - the 2009 poster for Dave Egger's "What is the What" signed by the author and by the amazing man who inspired the book, Valentino Achak Deng.

If you didn't get a chance to participate this year, be sure to watch for the public announcement of the 2010 One Book One Marin selection and of the exciting programming that Marin's libraries and community partners organize to promote our goal

"Read. Discuss. Build Community."

And stop by Library Administration (Rm. 414 in the Civic Center) to admire our award.

Civic Center Library Book Club - May Selection

Join the Civic Center Library Book Club on May 22nd, from 12-1, for a discussion of John Updike's Rabbit, Run. The club meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month, and new members are always welcome! For more information, call (415) 499-6102.

Dream Flags at the Corte Madera Library

The Corte Madera Library is hosting a display of the Dream Flag Project from Marin Country Day School. Students from the school have created poems based on the work of Langston Hughes and their hopes and wishes for the world. The Dream Flags will be on display through June 10, 2009.

Visit Our New Web Site

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new adult services Web site. The new site features a new look and feel, improved organization and navigation, and revised content. We hope that these changes will help our patrons connect and communicate better with our library.

The URL for our new site is http://www.marinlibrary.org. Please adjust your links and bookmarks accordingly.

Later this year, we will launch new versions of our Kids, Teens, and California Room sites as well. The new sites will have a similar layout and organization to the new adult services site.

Jonathan Kathrein at the Stinson Beach Library

In August of 1998 when he was 16 years old, Jonathan Kathrein was bitten by a great white shark while riding his boogie board at Stinson Beach. The story of his survival and the lessons he learned from this life-altering experience will be the topic when Kathrein returns to Stinson Beach - this time to the Stinson Beach Library - on Monday night, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. Please join us for an evening with this inspirational speaker, published author (Don't Fear the Shark, BookSurge, 2006), Jefferson Award recipient, and head of the nonprofit organization, Future Leaders for Peace. For more information, please call the Stinson Beach Library at 415-868-0252.

Marin City Branch Closed for Construction May 12 - May 14

The Marin City Branch will be closed due to construction activity from Tuesday May 12 - Thursday May 14, reopening on Saturday, May 16 at 10:00am. Marin City holds can be picked up at the Corte Madera Branch at 707 Meadowsweet Drive. During the closure, please contact the Corte Madera Library at 924-6444 for any Library related questions.

Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway

Author and historian, Fred Runner, presents an audio-visual tour of the Mt. Tamalpais Scenic Railway which operated on Mt. Tamalpais from 1896 to 1929 and included gravity car rides to Muir Woods. His new book is part of Arcadia Publishing's Images in America Series.

When: Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Time: 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Where: Board of Supervisors Planning Chambers,

Room 330, Civic Center Administration Building

Sponsored by the Anne T. Kent California Room

Civic Center Library

Internet Job Searching for Beginners

Learn the basics of online job searching at this free program at the Novato Library, Thursday, May 7, 2009, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Sign up at the Novato Library Reference Desk, or by phone at 897-1142 or 897-1141.

Topics covered will include:

• Understanding the features of major job-searching websites
• Navigating the Internet to located posted job opportunities
• Refining your search to find your ideal job
• Completing the online application process

This is not a hands-on computer class, but a lecture-style presentation.