BLIP Bookmobile's busy Sunday . . .

Not one, but two big events on the BLIP Bookmobile's calendar last Sunday! They were:

Bernal Heights Children's Day -- Over 400 children, parents, and caregivers were welcomed aboard the BLIP Bookmobile at the Annual Bernal Heights Children's Day on Sunday, July 19, from 10am- 2pm. While games, crafts, booths, food, and music packed the playground behind the Bernal Heights Branch Library, Bookmobile pilot Keith Lu and co-pilot John Lac put into eager children's hands 300 giveaway picture books in English and Spanish. Co-sponsored this year by the Bernal Heights Parents Club and the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, the event was free to all visitors. Donations, however, toward the Bernal Heights Branch Library's ongoing renovations were gratefully accepted. Thanks, Keith and John, for putting our best foot forward!

Sunday Streets -- Imagine a car-free San Francisco!
Sunday Streets, on July 19, from 10am-2pm showed an enchanted public what a neighborhood could look like with its streets devoted (if only for a day) to bicycles, stickball, soccer games, people and pets, ice cream carts, and whole families of skateboarders. Of course, we had to get the BLIP Bookmobile in on this! Thanks to pilot and co-pilot Robert and Julio for welcoming aboard the Bookmobile (parked at Harrison & 26th Street) over 200 children and adults. If it was a first visit for some, we hope it will be the first of many!

Bookmobile Crew Takes Pride In Stride

Sunday, June 28th, the BLIP Bookmobile rolled in San Francisco's biggest public event of the year -- the 39th Annual Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender Pride Parade! Escorted by the members of the GLBTQI Committee of SFPL's Adult Services Division, the Bookmobile coasted down Market Street from the Embarcadero to Civic Center Plaza, turning off at last on 8th Street. Cheering crowds on either side of Market Street clamored for fortune cookies handed out by committee members, each cookie packed with a slip marked "SFPL.ORG" on one side and "QUEEREST. LIBRARY. EVER." on the other. Signs displaying the book covers of landmark works of queer literature bobbed and waved in SFPL marchers' hands, setting off fresh cheers as favorite titles were recognized by the multitudes.

The Bookmobile springs into parade mode -- last Sunday! Thanks to those that joined us at the Union Street Spring Celebration where we were parked and open for service, and then featured in the parade at 2pm. Happy Spring!

Check out a slideshow of the event here! Thanks Richard and Keith!

2009 Vietnamese Tet Festival

The Branch Bookmobile will be in San Francisco's Little Saigon district on Sunday January 18, to help the neighborhood ring in the New Year.

"Each year between mid-January and mid-February, the Vietnamese community observes the Lunar New Year. The occasion is for the Vietnamese residents of San Francisco to remember their heritage and traditions and to pay tribute to their ancestors."

From the Vietnamese Community Center of San Francisco

Treasure Island Service!

WHERE: Treasure Island Community Center 'Ship Shape Building' , 497 Avenue I

WHEN: Every Thursday*, beginning November 20th

10:30 open
12:30-1:00 closed for lunch (30 min)
4:30 close


*Due to the Christmas and New Years Day Holidays, the Library (including the bookmobiles) will be closed on December 25th and January 1st. Service will be moved to Mondays during the Holidays. The bookmobile will be on Treasure Island on Monday December 22nd and 29th, same times and place (see above). Thanks for your understanding, and Happy Holidays!

Citizenship

In October 2008, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services began administering a new set of questions for the naturalization exam.

To help library users prepare for the new USCIS naturalization interview, a small group representing numerous SFPL departments (including the Branch Bookmobile Manager) collaborated with the Ethnic Services Committee to develop a set of online resources including the following tools to assist our patrons with the recent exam changes:

* A video introduction with transcript
* A guide to naturalization
* Detailed practice materials for the new citizenship exam
* Information about local organizations that can help with the citizenship process
* A list of English as a Second Language (ESL) providers

We're pleased to announce that the new resources are now available on the SFPL website at http://sfpl.org/citizenship

Resources are currently available in 5 languages: English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Russian, with more languages to come in Phase 2 of the project.

These resources are designed to help patrons navigate the processes in their own language, assist staff helping patrons in other languages, and support outside organizations assisting individuals with the citizenship exam.

BOOKMOB

Calling all readers, book lovers, authors, poets, librarians and other literary types! Get ready to make history in San Francisco. You’ve heard of a flash mob? This is a BOOKMOB.

Details: Saturday, September 6th, 11:45 a.m.
Harry Bridges Plaza, Near the Ferry Building
Look for the BOOKMOB[ile] and the codeword OCOB on the median plaza between the Ferry Building and Market Street. Report to the table there for further instructions.
More info and sign-up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bookmobsf/

Spread the word. Word.

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