One Book, One Marin

Now's the time to join in the One Book, One Marin phenomenon and read Isabel Allende's "Daughter of Fortune," describing Gold Rush California and the immigrant experience. Talk to your neighbors about it, your friends, your co-workers, your clubs -- your community.

There will be many events in the coming weeks, with the final wrap-up happening at the end of National Library Week in April. For a complete list of events, please check out the One Book, One Marin website.

Poets First Thursday Workshop

Bring your poems to a free workshop in a supportive community environment and explore the voices of poets, new and old. All are welcome to attend the Poets First Thursday meeting at the Stinson Beach Library on Thursday, February 1st at 7pm. Questions or suggestions? Contact Barbara at 868-1586.

Civic Center Library Book Club Announces Next Selection!

Join the Brown Bag Book Club (and bring your lunch if you'd like!) on Feb. 28, from 12-1, for a discussion of Yann Martel's novel, Life of Pi. The club meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month, at the Civic Center Library. New members are always welcome! For more information, call Livia at 499-6058 or e-mail llewin@co.marin.ca.us.

Top Ten First Novels of 2006

Looking for a good read? Try a new author-- the books listed below are novels identified by Booklist as the best of the bunch from 2006.

Click on the titles below to enter the library catalog and get more information about the books-- look for the button.


Cellophane by Marie Arana.
Grab on to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way by Bryan Charles.
The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox.
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean.
Natural Selection by Dave Freedman.
The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien.
White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway.
The Willow Field by William Kittredge.
The City Is a Rising Tide by Rebecca Lee.
The Sultan's Seal by Jenny White.

Fairfax Community Blood Drive

Sponsored by the Friends of the Fairfax Library and the Fairfax Citizens Disaster Council, the Fairfax Community Blood Drive will take place from 12-4 at the Fairfax Library on Saturday, January 27th. To schedule a blood donation appointment, please visit www.bloodheroes.com or phone 453-4383. In appreciation, each blood donor will receive a $50 discount coupon towards 2 Hornblower Brunch or Dinner Cruises on the Bay. Please eat and drink plenty of water/juice before donating; please also bring a photo identification if you are donating blood.

Steep Ravine program at South Novato Library

In the late 1950s, photographer Dorothea Lange began leasing a small cabin perched on the rocky coast of Marin County and, visiting the Steep Ravine, found much inspiration in the area’s natural beauty. Join us for an evening of short stories, guest log comments, and other related literature about Steep Ravine as read by park rangers and naturalists. This free program will be held on Thursday, January 25 from 6–7 pm at the South Novato Library. For more information, contact the South Novato Library at 506-3168.

Beginner Google Class at the Civic Center Library

The Civic Center Library is offering a hands-on, introductory class to using the search engine Google to locate websites and information. The class will cover search tips and strategies, as well as other features of Google used for finding images, maps, and news. Experience using a keyboard and mouse is required.

The class will be held on Feb. 15, from 6-7 p.m. For more information, and to register for this class, please call the Reference Desk at 499-6058.

Corte Madera Community Meeting Tonight

Please come to the Corte Madera Community meeting on Tuesday, January 16th at the Corte Madera Library to share your insights and opinions on the Marin County Free Library Facilities Master Plan. This plan will include both short-term and long-term improvements to our libraries. We need your input on library needs in your community and hope that you can attend this important meeting at 7pm in the Corte Madera Library meeting room. For further information, please visit our Facilities Master Plan website .

Upcoming Classes at the Civic Center Library

The Civic Center Library is offering the following free classes in January:

How to Find a Book: Catalog Basics
Thursday, Jan. 18 4-5 p.m.
Learn how to search for books in this hands-on class.

Using the Computer Mouse
Monday, Jan. 22 9-10 a.m.
Learn the core skills of clicking and dragging with a mouse.

To register for a class, please call the Reference Desk at 499-6058.

Fairfax and San Geronimo Community Meeting

Please come to the Fairfax and San Geronimo Community meeting on Tuesday, January 9th at the Fairfax Library to share your insights and opinions on the Marin County Free Library Facilities Master Plan. This plan will include both short-term and long-term improvements to our libraries. We need your input on library needs in your community and hope that you can attend this important meeting at 7pm in the Fairfax Library meeting room. For further information, please visit our Facilities Master Plan website .

Civic Center Library Community Meeting

Over the next few months, the Marin County Free Library will be working with the community to develop a master plan for its library branches. The plan will be used as a “road map” to help improve the Library’s services and facilities over the next 20 years. A series of public forums has been scheduled to give Marin residents an opportunity to help shape the future of library services in their community.

The meeting for the Civic Center Library community will be held in the Board of Supervisors Chambers (room 330) at the Civic Center on Thursday January 11th, from 7 – 8:30 pm. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served! For directions, click here.

If you have questions contact Library Branch Manager Damon Hill at ddhill@co.marin.ca.us or phone 499-7551.

For further information (including future public meeting dates & times), check our website.

Homework Help

Happy New Year! Get a new start on your homework with help from the library-- free online tutors who can provide the assistance you need.

1. Go to http://www.marinlibrary.org

2. Look for this icon:





3. Enter your subject (English, math, social studies or science).

4. Enter your grade (4th through 12th).

5. And soon you will be chatting with a tutor!

The service is available from 1pm to 10 pm daily. To use the service, you must log on from a PC running Internet Explorer. PCs are available at our libraries, too.

Disponible en español en Matemáticas y Ciencia, Domingo a Jueves de 1:00 pm a 7:00 pm