We made it!

The 25^th Annual Richmond French Film Festival, co-sponsored by VCU and UR, is upon us and promises to be the best yet!  Not only is the festival occurring over a full week at both the Byrd Theatre and the University of Richmond but there are also special events scattered throughout, such as a live concert by Henry Padovani, one of the founding members of The Police (following a documentary about him) and a special poetry recitation by one of France’s preeminent actors, Philippe Torreton, which closes the festival.  

Padovani pictured center

Jacques Perrin

Other special guests include composer Bruno Coulais and director-producer-actor Jacques Perrin.  They will be presenting symposium lectures as well as introducing and moderating q-and-a sessions for both films they have worked on together and separately. One of these, the Coulais-scored Coraline, was a popular American release in 2010.

Winged Migration, a joint hit for both, was widely shown in the United States (I saw it at the much-missed Westhampton Theatre) but on Friday afternoon it will be shown in its original French release, Le Peuple Migrateur.  As the Festival poster proudly proclaims, 700 films have been screened and 850 members of the French film industry have come to share their experiences with us since the first festival in 1993.  This year’s program includes 8 features, 6 documentaries (3 by Perrin) and 11 short films, plus the first North American showing of the Magic Lantern show from the Cinematheque Francaise.

There are several past Festival selections currently available in our DVD collection, including last year’s The Clearstream Affair.  My favorite drama of all those I have seen is Claude Miller’s (the Honorary Godfather of the Festival who passed away in 2012) Un Secret/A Secret (2008) and my favorite comedy is Le Prenom/What’s in a Name? (2013).  Other notable selections include the children’s film Belle and Sebastian, Gemma Bovery, The Hedgehog (adapted from the Muriel Barbery novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog), Pour une Femme (For a Woman), Renoir, Le nom des gens (The Names of Love), Hors la loi (Outside the Law) and the extraordinary documentary Oceans, yet another outstanding cinematic work by Jacques Perrin!

(Many thanks to Robert Hickman of Westover Hills, our resident French film expert, for this annual update!)

Pirate Sightings South of the River!

Westover Hills Children's Services Associate Kim Smith reports:

Shirley Tellefson (in white) loves to teach
 children about her birds.

The Westover Hills Library turned up the heat with a Caribbean theme at its annual Winterfest celebration on Saturday, January 19.  Cap’n Clay Dishon, assisted by first mates Ellen Wolf, Pat Jones, and Kim Smith and an able crew of volunteers, presided over the morning’s festivities.  Neighborhood resident Shirley Tellefsen delighted patrons big and small with her beautiful exotic birds, including cockatoos, cockatiels, and parrots.  Shirley educated her audience in the care of exotic birds and gave patrons the opportunity to hold and be photographed with them.  Younger library visitors also enjoyed creating pirate-themed crafts and watching “Muppet Treasure Island.” The Caribbean flavor extended to the snacks as well, featuring pineapple upside-down cake, goldfish crackers, and fruit “kabobs.”

First Mate Kim Smith

The staff at Westover Hills would like to thank the wonderful members of the Westover Hills Library Advisory Group who made Winterfest possible: "Arrr, me hearty! Fine gentlemen o' fortune be ye!"  **

Learn to speak Pirate on the RPL website.

** That's Pirate for "Great, my friends. You are fine pirates!"  Pirate is one of the many languages taught by Mango Languages, available from the RichmondPublicLibrary.org website on the Online Library page.

Banned Books Quiz (a week late, but too good to waste)

Clay Dishon, Library Community Services Manager at RPL's Westover Hills branch, created this challenging quiz for Banned Books Week.  Although the week is over, we think it deserves a spot on the blog.  How many can you answer?

1.  On January 14, 1920, the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice presented publisher Robert M. McBride with a warrant “calling for the seizure of all plates, copies, and sheets” of a novel written by Richmond author James Branch Cabell.  What was the title of this novel?

a. The Line of Love

b. The High Place

c. The Cream of the Jest

d. Jurgen:  A Comedy of Justice

e. The Soul of Melicent

2.  This dramatist, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936, once said that “censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretense, has always been and always will be the last resort of the boob and the bigot.”  (Hint:  The original production of All God’s Chillun Got Wings received a bomb threat).  

a. Tennessee Williams

b. John Millington Synge

c. Maria Irene Fornes

d. August Strindberg

e. Eugene O’Neill

3.  Guy Montag is the main protagonist in this author’s 1953 novel.

a. Pearl S. Buck

b. John Steinbeck

c. Ray Bradbury

d. Daphne du Maurier

e. Richard Wright

 

4.  Four Wisconsin men belonging to the Christian Civil Liberties Union (CCLU) sought $30,000 each for “emotional distress” they suffered from the West Bend, Wis. Community Memorial Library (2009) for displaying a copy of this book by Francesca Lia Block.

a. Baby Be-Bop

b. Girl Goddess #9

c. Weetzie Bat

d. Pink Smog

e. Ecstasia

5.  This novel by Stephen Chbosky was removed from Portage, Indiana high school classrooms in 2008 for topics such as homosexuality, drug use, and sexual behavior.  (Hint:  Its usage was also restricted in Roanoke, Virginia at William Byrd and Hidden Valley high schools.)

 a. An Abundance of Katherines

 b. Boy Meets Boy

 c. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 d. ttyl

 e. Rubyfruit Jungle

Clay says, "All of the books listed for question 1 are actually James Branch Cabell books. All of the authors listed for question 3 actually had books on the NY Times Bestseller list during 1953, and all of the choices for question 4 are actually books by Francesca Lia Block."

Answers: 1. d. 2. e. 3. c. 4. a. 5. c.

Disaster Preparedness Presentations

Natural and human caused disasters can strike suddenly, at any time and anywhere. But there are steps you can take to help make a difference before, after, and during these events. In an effort to help educate the Richmond community about the importance of disaster preparedness, The American Red Cross, Virginia Capital Region is teaming up with Richmond Public Library to offer a series of free presenations this fall.



Photo credit: The American Red Cross

October is National Fire Safety Month, and next week, four of our branches will host presentations on home and wild fire prevention and preparedness. The presentations from the Red Cross will provide your family with the knowledge to prevent fires in your home and also prepare for emergencies. November's presentations will focus on both pet safety and preparedness for winter storms.

As the nation's preeminent preparedness and safety training organization, the American Red Cross will be presenting information you can trust on topics that could save lives. Make the time to attend these worthwhile presentations:

House and Wild Fires

Belmont Library - Friday, October 21st - 11:00 am

Ginter Park Library - Monday, October 17th - 6:30 pm

West End Library - Monday, October 17th - 6:30 pm

Westover Hills Library - Monday, October 17th - 6:30 pm

Winter Storms and Pet Preparedness
Belmont Library - Friday, November 4th - 11:00 am
Ginter Park Library - Monday, November 21st - 6:30 pm
West End Library - Monday, November 21st - 6:30 pm
Westover Hills Library - Monday, November 21st - 6:30 pm

For more information on disaster preparedness and to find valuable disaster checklists, visit http://virginiacapitalredcross.org/.

Westover Hills Library Reopened December 6

We're so glad the Westover Hills Library is open again!

Westover Hills Library closed for renovation in April 2010, and reopened on December 6, 2010 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

Since the library was first opened in 1959, it has been an important neighborhood gathering spot. The library is shown on the left as the building was gutted and re-construction began.

Now the neighborhood can return to one of their favorite spots. Within the same four walls, the building now looks completely different.

The reopening ceremony included remarks from Mayor Jones and Council President Kathy Graziano, and help with cutting the ribbon from students from Elizabeth D. Redd Elementary.

The building has completely new furniture, new plantings outside, a new roof, and a whole new look. As I was in the building in the weeks prior to the re-opening, it was interesting to me that many of the people that stopped by (thinking the library was open for business) had never been to this library before. The library had been almost invisible, even though on a busy street.

Now with new signs on the outside to clearly identify the building, and large windows that allow you to see into the attractive building, it looks like a place you want to go into and see who's there. Join us soon at the re-newed Westover Hills Library, 1408 Westover Hills Boulevard. The library is open Monday and Wednesday from noon - 8:00 pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00-6:00; Saturday from 10:00-5:00.

Thanks to the City of Richmond for investing $800,000 in its public libraries through this renovation project. Thanks also to the Friends of the Library for funding the "Re-new at your library" gifts for the first 500 visitors to the re-opened Westover Hills Library, and thanks to the Library Foundation for a gift of $4,000 to purchse new books for Westover Hills.

Library closures and temporary locations

 Source

As part of an improvement of our service to the community, several Richmond Public Library branches are now operating in temporary locations while branches undergo major renovations.

The North Avenue library closed on April 8th for renovations, but has re-opened today. April 19th, in a temporary location at the former Norrell Elementary School. This new location is located at 2120 Fendall Avenue off of North Avenue, and is less than one mile from the North Ave branch.

This temporary branch will not offer full services, but will have computers available for public use, will host children's programs and will also have a small book collection. If you have further questions, feel free to call the library at 646-6675.

 Source

EDIT - Westover Hills materials may show as "available" in the online catalog, but no materials are available from the branch as all materials are inaccessible until the branch re-opens this fall. We apologize for any confusion.

The Westover Hills branch has also closed temporarily for renovations, and the Belmont branch has expanded its hours on Mondays and Wednesdays to help accommodate this closure. Hours on Mondays and Wednesdays are now 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (previously, hours were 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on these days). All other hours will remain the same.

Renovations are expected to be complete by mid-November with great improvements to both libraries. If you have thoughts on the temporary arrangements or further questions, feel free to contact your local branch. We look forward to enjoying these future improvements!

Books for Soldiers @ the Westover Hills Library

Acting as official volunteers for this non-profit organization, we will be accepting donations of books and DVDs in response to specific wants of American women and men serving in the US military. Please come by the Westover Hills Library to learn how you can participate in this effort to aid our troops as they serve. New requests are posted on a weekly basis.

LiteraryLeanings Book Discussion Group

Join us for a discussion of Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. As one of Nabokov's more experimental novels, Pale Fire's story is told through a 999- line poem and one critic's response to it. The effect is a considerably satirical look at the literary world. Mary McCarthy referred to it as a "centaur work, half-poem, half-prose" and as "one of the great works of art" of the last century.

Westover Hills Branch
Wednesday, September 26
6:45pm

Computer Classes

Basic Computer Classes for Seniors

Belmont Branch
Fridays, September 14 and 21
10:00 - 11:00am

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Do not be challenged by technology. Accept the challenge!

Beginning Computer Classes for Adults
Ginter Park Branch
Call 646-1236 to register.

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Tell us what computer skills you want to learn and we'll help!

Hull Street Branch
Call 646-8699 to register.

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Register for a hands-on introduction to PCs and the Internet. Space is limited - call 646-1877.

Computer Basics for Seniors
West End Branch
Tuesdays
10:30am

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Learn what you want to learn, at your own pace! First come, first served. NOTE: no class September 14.

Computer Classes for Seniors
Westover Hills Branch
Fridays
10:00am-12:00pm

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Main Library
Wednesdays
9:30am-11:00am

Sept. 5 ..... WORD 1 Basic
Sept. 12 ... WORD 2 Basic, continued
Sept. 19 ... WORD 3 Intermediate
Sept. 26 ... WORD 4 Intermediate, continued

Main Library
Monday evenings
7:00pm-8:30pm

Sept. 17 ... EMAIL 1 For the very beginner
Sept. 24 ... EMAIL 2 Attachments, address book, etc.

For classes at the MAIN Library, call 646-2551.

Literary Leanings Book Discussion Group

Join us for a discussion of The Invention of Morel by Argentine writer Adolfo Bioy Casares. Inspired by the silent film actress Louise Brooks, this 1940 work is recognized as a classic of the post-war period in Latin American fiction.

Westover Hills Branch

Wednesday, August 22

6:45pm

Computer Classes

Do not be challenged by technology. Accept the challenge! Call 646-1236 to for more information and to register.

Beginning Computer Classes for Adults
Ginter Park Branch

Learn what you want to learn, at your own pace! First come, first served.

Computer Classes for Seniors
Westover Hills Branch
Fridays
10:00am-12:00pm

Register for a hands-on introduction to PCs and the Internet at the West End Branch. Space is limited - call 646-1877.

Computer Basics for Seniors
West End Branch
Tuesdays
10:30am

June 6: Word 3 - Using tools and graphics.
June 13: Word 4 - Continuing tools and graphics.
June 20: Excel Basic - Parts of Excel screen, navigating cell, and simple formulas.
June 27: Excel Basic, continued - Continuing with formulas and charts if time allows.

Main Library
Wednesdays
9:30am-11:30am

Register for classes at the Main Library by calling 646-2551. All classes are on Wednesdays from 9:30am-11:30am.

Computer Classes

Learn what you want to learn, at your own pace! First come, first served.

Computer Classes for Seniors

Westover Hills Branch

Fridays

10:00am-12:00pm

Register for a hands-on introduction to PCs and the Internet at the West End Branch. Space is limited - call 646-1877.

Computer Basics for Seniors

West End Branch

Tuesdays

10:30am

Main Library

Wednesdays

9:30am-11:30am

May 2: Email 1 - Learn how to set up an email account in yahoo.com.
May 9: Email 2 - Learn about the address book, calendars, and attachments.
May 16: Word 1 - Learn the basics of Word - parts of the screen, toolbars, and working with text.
May 23: Word 2 - Learn more about the basics and how to format text.

Register for classes at the Main Library by calling 646-2551. All classes are on Wednesdays from 9:30am-11:30am.

Computer Classes

Learn what you want to learn, at your own pace! First come, first served.

Computer Classes for Seniors

Westover Hills Branch

Fridays

10:00am-12:00pm

North Avenue Branch

Wednesdays

10:00am-11:00am

Do not be challenged by technology. Accept the challenge!

Ginter Park Branch

Beginning Computer Classes for Adults

call 646-1236

Intro to PCs, Internet, Email, Word, Excel

call 646-2551 to register

Main Library

Wednesdays

9:30am-11:30am

Yuri's Night Celebration

On April 12, 1961, Russian Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, piloted the first manned space flight. Join us for games, food and fun on the anniversary of Yuri's historic mission and learn why space is the place. Families are welcome. For more information, call 646-8833.

Westover Hills Branch

Thursday, April 12

6:30-8:00pm

Computer Classes for Seniors

Register for a hands-on introduction to PCs and the Internet. Space is limited.

Call 646-1877 to register.

West End Branch

Tuesdays in March

10:30am

At the Westover Hills Branch, learn what you want to learn, at your own pace!

First come, first served.

Westover Hills Branch

Fridays in March

10:00am-12:00pm

And classes for seniors are offered at the North Avenue Branch.

North Avenue Branch

Wednesdays in March

10:00am and 11:00am

Youth Art Month

During March, Richmond Public Libraries are proud to exhibit original art work by students from the Richmond Public Schools. Join us for opening receptions celebrating the creativity of artists and musicians with performances by RPS students:
Thursday
March 1
4:00-6:00pm

Belmont:	Richmond Community HS harpists
Broad Rock:	Boushall MS woodwind ensemble
East End:	Martin Luther king, Jr., MS concert band
Ginter Park:	Henderson MS choir
Hull Street:	Elkhardt MS wind ensemble
North Avenue:	Overby-Sheppard ES choir
West End:	Southampton ES soloists from choir
Westover Hills:	Fox ES choir

Friday
March 2
7:00-9:00pm

Main:	Miles Jones ES handbell choir at 7:15pm in the lobby
Main:	Binford MS concert band at 8:00pm on the 2nd floor

Renovations at Westover Hills

Long-awaited renovations at the Westover Hills Branch are moving along quite well. Please pardon our noise and dust but the end result will be worth the wait.

Here is a quick upate:

1. The public restrooms are scheduled to be completed on Wednesday, Feb. 28th, with new ceramic tile on the walls and floors and new bathroom fixtures, etc.
   
2. The automatic door and heat curtain (parking lot entrance) have been installed. Electrical wiring is next.
   
3. The new water fountain, replacement carpet squares, and walls painted in the construction areas should be done by Feb. 28th.
   
4. Demolition has been started on the existing sidewalk for the front entrance this morning. The new sidewalk is scheduled for completion and open for use on Monday, Feb. 26th.
   
5. Anticipated demolition on the sidewalk for the rear entrance is Monday, Feb. 26th, weather permitting. We're expecting completed construction on the new sidewalk one week after start date.

Other improvements:

• April - May '07 - Department of Public Works projected timeframe for new A/C Unit
• July - August '07 - Department of Public Works projected timeframe for City of the Future interior & exterior improvements (i.e., replace windows and light fixtures, install new carpet in staff work areas, provide additional electrical outlets, etc.)
  

Come by the Westover Hills Branch and see the improvements!

Alvin M. Anderson
Assistant Library Director