Happy Halloween from the Corte Madera Library

On Halloween day, Reference Librarian Julie Magnus, costumed as a 19th century California belle, poses with the Library's pink pig mascot, costumed as Zorro. Providing reference services in a hoop skirt proved to be a new challenge for Julie, but she managed with expert charm.

The Mommy Brain program

Pulitzer prize winning journalist Katherine Ellison comes to Fairfax Library on Wednesday, Nov. 9th from 7:30-8:30 to discuss her book "The Mommy Brain" and explain how motherhood can make you smarter. Author and hardworking mother of two, Katherine has lots to say about how motherhood can make you more creative and more attuned to the world around you. This informative program is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Marin County Free Library.

Brown Bag Book Club - December Selection!!

Join the Brown Bag Book Club on December 7, from 12-1, at the Civic Center Library, for a discussion of E.L. Doctorow’s historical novel, World's Fair. Remember – it is ok to bring your lunch! For more information, email Livia at llewin@co.marin.ca.us, or call (415) 499-6059.

Sing-along Bilingual Storytime at the South Novato Library

Sing along with Chicha in a bilingual storytime at South Novato Library! This storytime on Saturday, November 5th is at 11:00 am. The story will be presented in both English and Spanish, and is for children ages 3 to 7. For more details, contact the Reference Desk at (415) 506-3168.

Click here for directions to the Library.

Bugs, Birds, and Blooms

Come to the Corte Madera Library on Tuesday, Nov. 1st at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy a slide show by Marin Master Gardener I'Lee Hooker on Bugs, Birds, and Blooms. This program is free and open to the public. Directions to the library are available. For more information, please call the Reference Desk at (415) 924-6444.

Learn How To Regrow Orchids...@ the Library

Ever wanted to revitalize an orchid plant once those splendid blossoms had faded and gone? Learn how to re-bloom that beautiful orchid with Master Gardner Glenn Smith at the Novato Library on Saturday, Novmeber 5th at 10:00 am. Click here for directions to the Library. For additional information, contact the Reference Desk at (415) 897-1143.

Mystery writers on the beach (well, very near the beach)

Hear Robert Elias, USF professor, author of diverse non-fiction works and author of recent mystery novel The Deadly Tools of Ignorance, at the Stinson Beach Library on Monday, October 24th, at 7:30 pm. Directions to the Library are available.

Halloween Hints

As the pumpkins proliferate in patches, it is time to think about Halloween. Find tips on Halloween safety, including safe costume designs, pedestrian safety, and more at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission site. You can also look up the history of Halloween, and find out how our traditions got started. If you need costume ideas, check out this site for hints on how to make your own creations. Of course, the library has books in our online catalog that will help you with Halloween costumes and make-up. We also have books on Halloween treats, recipes, crafts and more!

Senior Information Fair thee well!

Are you a Marin County senior looking for helpful information on health issues, housing and recreation along with free flu shots, big band dancing and goodies galore? Then don't miss the 20th Annual Marin Senior Information Fair on Wednesday, October 19th from 9-3 pm at the Marin Exhibit Hall. This year's theme is "Tell me a story" and we promise to share some wonderful tales about great resources for seniors at your local library if you stop by the Marin County Free Library information booth! There will be 124 other booths with Bay Area service organizations, nonprofits and businesses on hand to provide information of interest to Marin seniors.

Brown Bag Book Club Announces October Selection!

The Brown Bag Book Club meets at the Civic Center Library on the fourth Wednesday of each month, from 12-1. Join the Club on October 26 for a discussion of Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. For more information, email Livia at llewin@co.marin.ca.us, or call (415) 499-6059.

New Online Science Database @ Your Library

Need science or technology information? Try AccessScience, your Library's newest online database!





The Marin County Free Library is always trying to bring you the best of the world of information online. That's why our collection of databases and eBooks has grown so much in recent years! All of these resources are subscription-based. The Library subscribes to them so you don't have to, and information that would normally cost you money to obtain is now free to you through the Library.

Our newest addition, AccessScience, covers all aspects of science and technology (astronomy, biology, information technology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and more)! It includes full-text online access to the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scienctific & Technical Terms. You also get scientist biographies, science technology & news, illustrations, animations, study guides, and more.

All of our online resources are available on our website from home, school, or work: http:/www.co.marin.ca.us/library/databases.cfm. Ask a librarian for more information!

Popular magazines online...for free from home!

The public libraries in Marin have just launched a new online database with thousands of free, full-text magazines and journals—at your fingertips! Gale InfoTrac OneFile provides 5,800 full text magazines and journals, with indexing for an additional 4,000+ titles.

Access popular titles like Newsweek, Time, and People at the click of your mouse. No need to go to the newsstand to buy dozens of magazine subscriptions. Just come to the library’s website, and you’ve got it all right there!

Anyone can access this database inside the library, and anyone with a card from any of the public libraries in Marin can access OneFile from home, work, or school. Just go to the Library's Databases and eBooks webpage, click on the link to Gale InfoTrac OneFile, and log in with your library card number and PIN. If you have questions about Gale InfoTrac OneFile (how to access it, how to use it), please ask a friendly librarian!

Composting Made Easy

Now that the leaves are starting to fall, what are you going to do with them? Come to the Corte Madera Library and learn all about composting from Master Gardener Ruth Beckner. The Marin Master Gardeners Composting Made Easy program will be taking place on Monday, October 17th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Corte Madera Library. This program is free and open to the public. For directions, click here.

Sunrise of Wonder Poetry Workshop

Join us at Fairfax Library for a free two-part workshop where poetry writing teacher Terri Glass will help participants explore how color, sound and smell can cultivate poetic writing. In addition to teaching in a variety of settings including Sonoma State, the California Academy of Sciences and the Center for Attitudinal Healing, Terri Glass coordinated the California Poets in the Schools Program in Marin County for 8 years. She has authored a book of poetry entitled "Unveiling the Mystical Light" as well as creating a poetry and music CD called "The Body of the Living Future."
Come and discover the poet that resides within you! The first part of the workshop takes place on Tuesday, October 18th from 7-8:45pm and the workshop concludes the following Tuesday, October 25th, at the same time. Space is limited so please sign up in advance by calling 457-5629 or visiting the Fairfax Library reference desk to register. Participants should bring paper and pens to the workshop since time will be set aside to generate new work and share feedback.
This event is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant from The James Irvine Foundation and by Friends of the Marin County Free Library.

Listen to the history of Marin--online!

Seven new oral histories shedding light on the history of Marin County have been added to the California Room Digital Archive. Among the interviewees are:

• Anne Kent discussing the early days of Kentfield, the creation of Muir Woods and the establishment of the Marin Municipal Water District
• Dr. Grace Dollar Dickson Kleiser, granddaughter of shipping magnate, Captain Robert Dollar, describing her life at Falkirk, San Rafael, and the family’s 500-acre ranch in San Geronimo Valley
• Karl Untermann, telling the story of the West End Nursery in San Rafael; and Grace Wellman, detailing the history of the Marin Conservation League and the four women who founded it.

Read these and other fascinating oral histories on our Oral Histories Page.

e-Connect October Issue

The October issue of e-Connect, the Marin County Free Library's monthly newsletter, has been published. In this issue:

• Take a look at the Library's new online database that provides access to thousands of magazines and journals--free online with your library card!
• Become a literacy tutor.
• Find out what's happening at the branches in October (lots of Halloween programs for kids and much more)!
• Get a list of upcoming bestsellers--place your hold now so you're first in line!
• See our recommended audio books, downloadable audio books, music CDs, kids' books!
• And so much more it'll make your head spin!

To sign up to receive e-Connect by e-mail, go to the newsletter and click on the "Subscribe to this page" link.

Banned Books on Display

You can't judge a book by its cover... as you can see from a recent display at the Corte Madera Library. Librarians used brown paper to cover several books that have been challenged for various reasons at different times, but left a clue to each book's contents by including a short summary on the front.

Guitar virtuoso at your oh-so-local library!

Join us at Fairfax Library on Tuesday, October 11th, from 7:30-8:30pm to hear classical guitarist Joseph Bacon perform a selection of 16th-18th century musical works. An accomplished musician, Mr. Bacon has studied with Andre Segovia, Ida Presti and Julian Bream. Mr. Bacon has performed in London, Italy, New York and San Francisco. Enjoy this extraordinary local talent at this free event sponsored by the Friends of the Marin County Free Library.