My MARINet--accessing your library account from home

Did you know that you can renew materials, place holds, and see what items you have checked out--all online? With My MARINet, you can access your library account from home, work, or school. Take a look!

Mr. Picassohead

The Mr. Picassohead site is a sure-fire way to add some fun to your morning. Create a masterpiece, sign it, and send it off to your friends. A bit of fun for this rainy day, brought to you by your friendly local librarian :)

Happy Holidays from the Library!

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, and Happy Festivus!

California Room pays tribute to Virginia Keating, 1904-2003

On display in the California Room display cases for the next month is a tribute to former County Librarian Virginia Keating. Virginia Vail Keating joined the library in 1931 and became County Librarian in 1935 where she remained until her retirement in 1968. Under her leadership both the bookmobile and the California Room were created. She oversaw the Library's move from the basement of the old San Rafael Courthouse to the Coleman School and finally to its present quarters in the Civic Center. She was responsible for the establishment of numerous library branches, and held a life-long committment to making as many books available to as many people as possible. The story of her life (and by extension, the history of MCFL) is chronicled in her oral history on the California Room's web page.

Free Online Magazine Articles

Did you know that as a Marin County Free Library patron, you have free access to hundreds of magazines online? One of our online information resources, EBSCO MasterFile, offers current and back-issue full-text articles from 750 magazines, including Time, Newsweek, and People. Get a link to MasterFile, along with all our other resources at http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/lb/main/databases.cfm. Just another wonderful, free service brought to you by your Marin County Free Library!

Library's Teen Website

Check out the Library's Teen Website! Get book, CD, & DVD recommendations! Find homework help! Get information on colleges, financial aid, & jobs! Submit your own artwork & poetry to our "Marin Teens Create" section! And worship the dancing monkey of the Bored? section--full of games and funky sites to keep you occupied when you simply cannot do another math problem.

Two Librarians Who Saw Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on Opening Day Tell All!

Two of Marin County Free Library's Librarians (that we know of) stood in long lines to be among the first to see Lord of the Rings: Return of the King on opening day. Both give it rave reviews, and expect the Academy to be giving a lot of awards to this cinematic masterpiece.

Anonymous Librarian #1 says of the final installment in this magical trilogy: "You won't be disappointed. Finally a film that lives up to the book and the hype."

Anonymous Librarian #2 says: "This is the one final movie in any series, ever, that didn't disappoint me. It impressed me more than I thought possible. Beats the pants off of Star Wars." (sorry George!)

Go see it!

Ask a Librarian!

There are three ways you can get the answers you want from a Librarian you know--all without getting out of your chair!

• You can call a Librarian anytime during our regular open hours. Click here for a list of branches, their hours, and phone #s.
  
• You can e-mail a Librarian anytime with a question. We will answer your question via e-mail within two working days.
  
• You can chat live with a Librarian anytime using QandA Cafe. Instant messaging chat with a Librarian--available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King released this week!

The final installment in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy is released Tuesday at midnight--do you have your tickets yet? This librarian sure does... In this spectacular finale, Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them. The former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-Earth. Check out the trailer here. For a list of Tolkien's books and movies available at the library, click here.

Opposing Viewpoints Online Information Resource

Check out one of the Library's hottest new resources! Opposing Viewpoints is an online information resource covering hundreds of hot topics. Have to write a 5-page paper on capital punishment? Looking for information on eating disorders, bioethics, assisted suicide, endangered species, or homelessness? You've come to the right place? Opposing Viewpoints offers thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, images, statistics, pro & con essays, and suggested websites. It's your one stop shop for that next "current issue" research project! Check it out on our Information Resources Page!

Frank Lloyd Wright Resources Online @ Your Library

The Marin County Free Library California History Room offers a wealth of information on the architect of the Civic Center, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the construction of this beautiful building. At http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/lb/main/crm/wright.html you can find links to a list of the resources available in the Civic Center Library, a chronology of the Civic Center, and an extensive photo album chronicling the design and construction of the building. Take advantage of this great, free resource!

Marin Author Extravaganza

Did you know that there are hundreds of published authors living here in Marin County? Did you know that Isabel Allende, Ambrose Bierce, Catherine Coulter, Philip K. Dick, Jack Kerouac, Anne Lammott, and Shel Silverstein all have Marin connections? Get an extensive list of Marin authors, including links to their books, on the Library website at http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/lb/main/handouts/marinauthors.cfm.

Events & Classes @ Your Library

Find out what's happening @ your library! Check out the Library's Events & Classes page! In December, we have book clubs, puppet shows, internet & computer classes, storytimes, a writing workshop, a beading class for kids, and more.

Summerland

Now that winter is upon us - with a vengeance - it might be the perfect time to pick up this delightful and warm story about a young boy (who dreads playing baseball) who is called upon to save the Universe...by playing baseball. Filled with fantastic creatures, great adventures, and a rollicking sense of humor. If you (or someone you know) liked the His Dark Materials series (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) by Phillip Pullman, and especially if they also like baseball (though not required), they will LOVE this book! It is totally self-contained so you don't have to wait impatiently for the next book in the series to hit the shelves.

Too big to fit in a stocking, but big enough to make a deliciously mysterious holiday gift.

You can find out more about these titles by clicking on a link.

Summerland by Michael Chabon

You will find it either in the children's or adult section of your local library (a book for all ages to enjoy).

By the author of the award-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

The Devil Is In The Details

Just today I was trying to find the meaning of the term "the devil is in the details" because it was relevant to something in my life.

What I found, of interest to anyone looking for the meaning of such phrases or idioms, is the following web site. Every time you surf there it automatically gives you a new idiom upfront, but then you can look for another term through the search term index provided.

www.goenglish.com

Courtesans

Since the small, remote San Geronimo Valley Library is the only branch that currently carries this title, I thought I would post an entry here, where it can at least be "browsed" by anyone blogging.

If you click on the link below, it will take you to part of the catalog where you can read reviews and other information about this book.

Courtesans: Money, Sex and Fame in the Nineteenth Century by Katie Hickman
Call Number: 306.74. Hickman

Library Services for Persons with Disabilities

The Library offers a number of services and materials for persons with disabilities, including large type resources, bifolkal kits, the Library Beyond Walls program, and much more. For more information, click here.

Author Events at Book Passage

Book Passage in Corte Madera offers numerous author readings and signings...many times securing the only date in the Bay Area for popular authors. December authors include Clive Cussler, Peter Crowell, Robert Gould, Gretchen Schields, and others! Check out Book Passage's Website to find out more.

History of the Marin County Free Library (with pictures!)

Ever wonder where the first branch of the Library was? What the original Inverness branch looked like? Did you know that the first Point Reyes branch was in a railroad car? You can find out by taking a look at our chronlogical pictoral history of the Marin County Free Library. The Library has been around since 1927, and a lot has happened between then and now. Check it out!

Useful Websites!

Marin County Free Library's librarians have worked long and hard to select the best of the web for you! On our Reference Links page you can find links organized by subject for tons of useful things! Hot Topics (like the Do Not Call Program and Marin Cancer Programs), Arts, Books, Business, Consumer Information, Education, Environment, Genealogy, Government, Health, Jobs, Law, Magazines, Maps, Media, Parent Resources, Senior Services, Tax Information, Teens, and Telephone Directories! Come see what we've found, and see if you agree that these sites are some of the best on the web!