January 2017 Vol. 48 No. 1 Ring in the We Love Diverse Books he San Francisco Public Library remains a sanctuary for many in our community who need Lunar New Year refuge, comfort, and a sense of community. We are the place that supports the values of equity and inclusion—the bedrock of American democratic values. We work hard to Welcome to the Year ensure that the books and resources on our shelves mirror the diversity of our Please check the of the Rooster! This Tcity. This January 2017 we celebrate that diversity city-wide with a new series of pro- calendar for details year, the Lunar New grams: We Love Diverse Books. about We Love Year’s Day starts on Diverse Books We believe that it is important for everyone, especially children, to see themselves Jan. 28, 2017 and the programs at the celebration lasts for reflected in literature. The new program series is informed by the pioneering work of Library. All are 15 days. San Francisco Dr. Rudin Bishop who stated, “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the sponsored by Friends Public Library has an books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they of the San Francisco array of festivities to learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are Public Library. celebrate the Lunar a part.” National advocacy efforts have drawn attention to the homogeneity of publish- New Year with you. ing, and we hope this month will help to showcase the beautiful array of representation that is available between the pages of our books in our diverse collections. Lion Dancers in the Main This month, you’ll find a multitude of events for people of all ages to explore diverse literature. The Jing Mo Athletic Association will bring be- Learn how to create your own characters in manga and cartooning workshops and how to make your loved lion dancers to kick-off the celebration. own books, too. Meet diverse authors and hear about their unique stories to inspire The exciting lions dance for good luck, accom- your own. And make delicious food drawn from the rich collection of cookbooks panied by beating drums, clashing cymbals, from local chefs to share with our community. Happy reading! resounding gongs, and martial arts. They travel to 22 branches on Jan. 7, 14, and 21. See the full schedule on Page 6. Lunar New Year Art Exhibit Luis Herrera, City Librarian View a beautiful Lunar New Year display in the Main Library’s Atrium beginning Jan. 7. Colorful dragons, lions, and Chinese couplets will take over the four pillars near the Information Desk, Black Comix Arts Festival welcoming and bringing library users good luck! e you a comics nerd, a sci-fi geek or a lover of the literary Decorative mini Rooster lanterns, macramé flow- genre Afro-Futurism, the 3rd Annual Black Comix Arts ers, red envelopes, firecrackers, and other lucky BFestival (BCAF) has something for everyone. Just a few symbols will also be on display. short years ago comic books in libraries were rare, and when they did make their way to library shelves, the collections lacked Lunar New Year Music and Dance diversity. These days, African American representation in comics Performance is no longer fringe but mainstream and books by black authors can be found in many libraries. For the third year, the Library’s The Lunar New Year performance in the Main African American Center is pleased to partner with the Northern Library's Koret Auditorium features live music, California Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation song, folk dancers and a traditional Chinese to co-sponsor BCAF. The festival celebrates African American dress show. Join in on a quiz show and win creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture. prizes! Co-sponsor by the American Chinese Festival events will take place over two days, with the launch Cultural & Arts Association. Night Boy by John Jennings, Stacey Robinson on Sunday, Jan. 15 at the Main Library’s Koret Auditorium with and Damian Duffy notable authors Tananarive Due, Nisi Shawl, Keef Cross and John Lunar New Year Art Exhibit – Jan. 7–Feb. 16, Jennings. This event will be followed by a comic-con on Monday, Jan. 16 in CityView at the Metreon, featuring Main Library, 1st Floor Atrium amazing national black independent (and not so independent) comics creators, a grand expo, kids activities, Lunar New Year Performance – Jan. 21, film screenings, panel conversations and much more. Visit bcaf.sfmlkday.org for more information. 1–3 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium Black Comix Arts Festival Launch – Jan. 15, 12 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium Black Comix Arts Festival Comic-Con – Jan.16, CityView, Metreon, 135 4th St. (4th Floor) We Want You Back! Fines Forgiven Jan 3.–Feb. 14 econnect with the Library by returning all overdue items, Luis Herrera. “The Library’s fine forgiveness campaign supports the fine free. For six weeks, We Want You Back! a fine forgive- values of equity and inclusion that mirror San Francisco values.” ness program, will waive the late fees on all returned Recovering overdue materials increases the availability of ma- books, CDs, DVDs and other materials, regardless of how terials for circulation and reduces replacement costs. During the last longR overdue. Return your overdue items, clear your record, and amnesty program in 2009, the Library received more than 30,000 begin enjoying all of the fabulous resources that SFPL has to offer. overdue items, waived $55,000 worth of fines and welcomed back We want to hear from you! Drop-off your items in-person to thousands of patrons. enter a raffle to win a special fine forgiveness prize, and share your The program aligns with the Library’s commitment to eliminat- #fineforgiveness experience with us on social media. ing barriers to service and providing basic access for all “We are hoping that the fine forgiveness program will be success- San Franciscans, especially those most in need of library services. ful in helping us not only reduce outstanding fines but also bring back For more information about the program, visit sfpl.org/finefor- folks that we want to be able to use the library,” said City Librarian giveness or contact us at (415) 557-4400. Many happy returns! Coming Up: FEB. 4 FEB. 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 FEB. 18 FEB. 23 6th Annual Valentine Rado with Kids Music SF 90 Second Newbery African American Musical Letterpress Printing Multiple Branches Film Festival Instrument Workshop SF History Center, 2 p.m. Koret Auditorium, 2 p.m. North Beach Branch, 10 a.m. SFPL.ORG AT THE LIBRARY JANUARY 2017 1 Collections and Services get social! SFPL.ORG facebook.com/sfpl.org twitter.com/SFPublicLibrary pinterest.com/sfpubliclibrary youtube.com/user/SanFranciscoLibrary Award Winners at Your Fingertips instagram.com/sfpubliclibrary ibliocommons makes it easy to find and explore award-winning books, music, and movie titles in our collection—both past and present—saving you precious time on individual searches. Simply click “Explore” and then “Awards” from the Bibliocommons homepage (sfpl.bibliocommons.com) and discover aggregated lists that often go back as far as 2002. In a rush to borrow a title? The first thing Bookmobile Byou will see are a selection of suggested titles that are available for check out now. Booklists include more than 40 diverse awards from children’s and young adult to adult literature, Schedules including distinguished honors such as the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, and the Newbery Medal and popular awards such as Oprah’s Book Club. If your interest is international awards, you’ll be pleased to find Early Literacy Mobile booklists from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. Filter your search by year or shortlist and longlist to Schedule of child care center visits at sfpl.org. further fine-tune your searching experience. For movie aficionados, locate winners of the Golden Globe Awards, Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury, San Francisco Zoo and Cannes Film Festival Palme D'Or in our collection, with many eMovie titles available immediately through Entrance to Children’s Zoo hoopla (hoopladigital.com). A selection of music awards rounds out the offerings. With the 2017 award season 1st Wednesday of each month, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. around the corner, check Bibliocommons regularly for updates! Free Admission for San Francisco residents Check sfzoo.org to verify. Swing Into Stories You’ll ‘Flip’ for Flipster! Park visits: Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. Storytimes start at 10:30 a.m. or our next Screen Time (the Library’s eResource program) we will be featuring Flipster, a full-color, digital-magazine Golden Gate Park Children’s Playground Fplatform. Attending Screen Time is a great way to gain 295 Bowling Green Drive (off Martin Luther hands-on experience with Flipster and many other online library King Drive), Tuesday, Jan. 3 resources. Flipster includes popular titles such as Newsweek, Parque Niños Unidos People, and Rolling Stone, and award-winning children’s titles such as Cricket and Ranger Rick. Read the latest issues online or 3090 23rd St. (Between Folsom St. & Treat Ave.), download the mobile app to access offline. Tuesday, Jan. 10 Cayuga Playground For a live demonstration on Flipster, visit one of our 301 Naglee Ave., Tuesday, Jan. 17 Screen Time programs at the following locations: Helen Wills Playground • Mission Bay: Jan. 14, 2 p.m. Broadway & Larkin streets, Tuesday, Jan. 24 • Noe Valley: Jan. 14, 11 a.m. • Glen Park: Jan. 17, 2 p.m. Library on Wheels/Senior • Main Library, 5th Floor, Computer Training Room: Jan.