Silicon Valley Reads

       

Since, 2002,  the Silicon Valley Reads program has encouraged everyone in Santa Clara County to read the same book, at the same time, and talk about it. This year's theme is "Muslim and American" and is built around two author's books, The Muslim Next Door by Sumbul Ali-Karamali and The Butterfly Mosque by J. Willow Wilson.  Four companion books for children, including Todd Parr's It's Okay to be Different, have also been selected so the entire family can read and discuss the theme together.

The Library will be posting many exciting programs to aid in the discussion:
Wednesday, February 15 at 7 p.m.  Join the monthly Book Discussion group as the discuss the Muslim Next Door.
Sunday, February 26 at 3:30 p.m.  Children's author, Todd Parr, will discuss It's Okay to Be Different.
Monday, February 27 at 6 p.m. Film screenings of Talking Through Walls and Allah Made Me Funny.
Saturday, March 17 at 3 p.m.  Author, Sumbul Ali-Karamali will discuss The Muslim Next Door.

For more information, visit the Silicon Valley Reads website!

Centennial Library Cards

This year is the City of Sunnyvale's Centennial anniversary. The City of Sunnyvale was incorporated on December 24, 1912. To celebrate, we have new limited edition Library cards. (Click on the image for a closer view.) For $2, you may trade in your current card for a commemorative card and keychain card and a bonus bookmark. Just ask at the Customer Service Desk next time you're at the Library. Look for event announcements soon, as 2012 promises to be another exciting year in the City of Sunnyvale's history.

America Invents Act Roadshow

The America Invents Act Roadshow is coming to Sunnyvale!

Thursday, February 23, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Friday, February 24, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

On Thursday, February 23, officials from the United States Patent and Trademark Office will visit the Library to hold a public hearing about new patent fees. Click here for more information.

On Friday, February 24, officials from the USPTO will discuss proposed rules implementing the recent America Invents Act, including the OED statute of limitations, inventor’s oath and declaration, third party submission of prior art in a patent application, citation of prior art in a patent file, supplemental examination, post-grant review, inter partes review, the transitional program for covered business methods, and derivation.

Both events are free and open to the public. If you are interested in attending either (or both), please send us an email and include your name and phone number. Space may be limited.

Both events will be live webcast, at a web address posted here the week of the Roadshow.

What is Your Library Worth to You?

How much would you pay out-of-pocket for your library services? Estimate the retail value of library services using the Library Use Value Calculator.

Announcing Library eReader Petting Zoo

We love reading, on the page or on the screen. That's why we're so excited about eBooks these days. Although we'll always have plenty of traditional books on the Library shelves, we've been adding to our eBook collection lately, making sure that those of us hooked on the Nook (or the Kindle, or the Sony...) can still put our library cards to good use. The Library already has thousands of eBook titles available, and we're adding more all the time.

If you're not sure if eBooks are right for you, (or even if you just want to compare different e-readers), then check out our e-reader petting zoo, newly installed by the Library fireplace. You'll have a chance to play with six different kinds of e-readers so you can decide what you think about this new way of reading. Staff will be happy to explain how each reader can access the Library's collections, and to answer any other questions you may have. The petting zoo is currently available whenever the Library is open -- no appointments necessary! Thanks to the Friends of the Sunnyvale Library for making it possible.

Have more questions? Ask us in person at the Information Desk. And look for our monthly "eBooks Made Easier" program in our calendar.

Civil War Programs

San Jose State University Professor and engaging Civil War expert, Dr. Libra Hilde, will present a monthly five-part series on the American Civil War. The fourth lecture in the series "American Civil War: Looking Back 150 Years" is called "Legacy & Memories of the American Civil War" and will be presented on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Previous lectures are available to listen to here. This program series has been generously supported by the Friends of the Sunnyvale Public Library.

Download the program flier for specific dates and lecture titles. Please contact Adult Services Information desk at (408) 730-7300 with any questions.

Borrow Library eBooks on Your Kindle

Sunnyvale Library patrons can now borrow eBooks on any generation Kindle device, free Kindle app, or in your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader. Reading public library books on a Kindle provides the same unique features as reading books you own, including Whispersync technology that synchronizes your notes, highlights and last page read, real page numbers and more.

Sunnyvale Library Kindle users have more than 2,000 titles to choose from. To find these titles, start from the eBooks webpage. Then, select Overdrive to browse for Kindle-compatible eBooks. It is highly recommended to login to the Overdrive website before browsing so that eBooks available exclusively for Sunnyvale Library cardholders are displayed as you browse. Once you have chosen a title to checkout, you will be redirected to the Amazon website. At this point, if you don't already have an Amazon account, you will need to create one. Once you have logged in to your Amazon account, the eBook will appear on your Kindle in a matter of seconds. Borrowing Kindle-compatible eBooks, like borrowing any other item from the Library, is free.

Watermelon Run by Pat Lawson

Pat recounts how the Fremont High School Watermelon Run transformed from a cross-country team warm-up race to a much-anticipated, annual community event. For more stories from residents about life in Sunnyvale, please visit the Library's Blip TV and YouTube channels.