EConnect August 2023

E-CONNECT | AUGUST 2023 UPDATE FROM THE ALTADENA LIBRARIES

Summer Reading Wrap Up!

We are excited to announce that we reached our community summer reading goal of 250,000 minutes!

Thank you to everyone in our community who helped make our summer reading program such a success by participating in this challenge and/or attending any of our many summer events. We also invite you to fill out our Summer Evaluation Survey so that we can incorporate your valuable feedback as we start planning for Summer 2024!

Academy of American Poets Names Altadena Poets Laureate 2023 Fellows

Congratulations to the the Altadena Poets Laureate Peter J. Harris and Carla Rachel Sameth, who—along with 21 other poets—have been named 2023 Poet Laureate Fellows by the Academy of American Poets.

They will be awarded $50,000 to lead a public poetry project called “Ode to the Land,” which will pair senior citizens and high school students for poetry workshops and create a public poetry reading series focused on place, home, and odes to iconic natural and cultural settings in Altadena, Calif. The workshops will feature guest poets and performing artists who have expertise in presenting the ode as well as other lyric and narrative forms of praise poetry.

The first Ode to the Land workshop is:

Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Main Library Community Room

You can read more about their fellowship at https://www.altadenalibrary.org/poets-laureate-honored-by-academy.

Altadena Poets Laureate 2023-24 Season Premiere Event

Wednesday, August 30 • 6:00-8:00pm
Main Library

Featuring Readings by Co-Laureates Carla R. Sameth and Peter J. Harris
Remarks by Library District Director Nikki Winslow & Laureate Program Founder Pauli Dutton

Announcements
Year Two Workshop & Reading Schedule
Save the Date: ‘CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS’ to Altadena Poetry Anthology
Upcoming Recruitment of New Laureates
ODE TO THE LAND Workshops & Reading Series

Stop by the Altadena Library's Curiosity Connection, which will be making its way to Night Market, Back to School Community Give Back Event, ChapCare (National Health Center Week), Concerts in the Park, and other community events in August. We hope to see you there!

Concerts in the Park

Saturdays in August and September 9

7-9pm • Farnsworth Park

National Health Center Week

Monday, August 7, through Thursday, August 10 • 10am-3pm

ChapCare Health Care Centers

ALTA Arts Collective's Inaugural Mixer

Friday, August 11, 7-9pm

Main Library

Join us for the ALTA Arts Collective's inaugural mixer for refreshments, music and the unveiling of details about the ALTA Art Tour in October 2023.

Women Who Submit Literary Panel & New Member Orientation

Saturday, August 12 • 10am

Bob Lucas Library/Zoom

Join us on Saturday, August 12, at 10 a.m. for "Book Promotions: What to Know Whether Doing it Alone or With a Team," featuring founder of ACG Book Publicity, Alyssia Gonzalez, best-selling Dominican-American author, Jasminne Mendez, and sales rep at Hatchett Book Group, Julia Callahan; it is moderated by Tisha Marie Reichle-Aguilera.

Register as a WWS new Member. Registration closes Tuesday, August 8, and invitations will be sent Wednesday, August 9. (Note: WWS can only accept 20 new member participants. Acceptance will go to LA County residents on a first come, first served basis. If you do not receive an invitation, we encourage you to check out the list of WWS chapters on the website, womenwhosubmitlit.org.

Shred Day

Friday, August 18 • 9am-1pm

Main Library Parking Lot

Huntington Health Blood Drive

Saturday, August 19 • 9am-3:15pm

Bloodmobile in Main Library Parking Lot

Help us save lives...donate blood! Huntington Health is hosting a blood drive at the Main Library. Donors will receive a $20 gift card.

Pease call or text Ida at 626-676-3035 to schedule your donation. If time permits, walk-ins are welcome.

Prior to giving, please eat a meal, be well hydrated, and bring your driver's license.

Repair Cafe

Saturday, August 19 • 10am-1pm

Main Library

Torn jeans, broken toaster, dull knife, or faulty lamp? We can help with that. Join us as we welcome back Repair Cafe Pasadena for a free, roving, all-purpose repair party for and by the community.

There will also be plant sharing and a really, really free market where everything is 100 percent off.

"Liberating Words" Monthly Writing Workshop Series with Lorinda Hawkins Smith

Saturday, August 19,
1:30-3:00pm

Main Library Community Room

In this workshop, we will look at modern day cases, cases where either the "liberating words" have yet to come or the "liberating words" had limits. We will explore writing prompts based on the book series, Justice? Or... Just Me? by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.

Space is limited, and registration is required.

Fine Art Class for Kids

Monday, August 21 • 4-5pm

Main Library Comunity Room

Join us for this engaging art session led by instructors from Mission: Renaissance Fine Art, for children ages 5-12.

They will delve into the world of art, discovering the process of constructing a drawing through the use of shapes, then enhance their creation by applying pastel pigments, skillfully blending colors to achieve a captivating three-dimensional effect in their final painting.

They have a blast while they acquire valuable artistic skills in this enjoyable hour of authentic art education. Registration required.

August Events for All Ages

Chess Night, every Monday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Main Library Reading Court

Postcards to Space

Saturday, August 12 • 11am-12pm

Main Library Community Room

Come learn about space with Altadena Library Trustee Boon Lim. Participate in a fun activity to learn about space ship design and decorate a postcard that will be sent to space. For children ages 5-12.

August Events for Children

Bob Lucas Preschool Craft, Tuesday, August 1, 10:30 a.m., Bob Lucas Memorial Library, registration required.

Bob Lucas Children's Craft, Tuesday, August 8, 3 p.m., Bob Lucas Memorial Library, registration required.

Check our o nline calendar for storytimes and other fall events starting in September!

Teen Back 2 School Vibe Check

Saturday, August 5 • 2-3:30pm

Main Library Teen Space

Teens are invited to celebrate (& commiserate) a new school year with other teens (13-17 years old) from Altadena!

Get a free planner & a free YA book. Make some stickers to decorate your planner using ProCreate and our Cricut machine. Come mingle & learn about all the new teen programming coming up this fall & learn about some new volunteer opportunities. Food & drinks (& vibes) provided!

Registration is required as supplies are limited.

August Events for Teens

Teen Volunteer Orientation, every Thursday, 5 to 6 p.m., Main Library Teen Space

Teens (ages 14-17) are invited to volunteer and can earn service hours by assisting with various library programs and tasks that suit your schedule & interests. Learn more at https://www.altadenalibrary.org/teens.

Check back in September for Art & Chill, Teen Gardening Club, and Teen Leadership Council!

Seed Library: Landscaping for Wildfire Resilience

This month Seed Library will be focused on Landscaping for Wildfire Resilience. The Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) will present.

Wildfire is an inherent part of life in Southern California. Learn how garden design and maintenance can help protect homes in high-risk fire areas. This program will introduce you to the basics of wildfire in Southern California through the lens of California native plants and offer easy actions you can take at home to create and maintain a beautiful landscape that is both wildfire-resilient and habitat rich. This an introductory-level program for audiences living in the wildland-urban interface in Southern California.

Saturday, August 5
10-11am

Main Library Community Room

August Events for Adults

Huntington Health Screenings, Tuesday, August 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Main Library

ChapCare Heath Insurance Enrollment Workshop, Tuesday, August 8, 3 to 7 p.m., Main Library

Adult Craft Hour: Painted Candles, Wednesday, August 16, 4 to 5 p.m., Main Library Small Meeting Room, Registration required.

Adult Craft: Painted Candles, Friday, August 18, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Plant Material, 3081 Lincoln Ave., Registration required.

Altadena Moms Consciousness-Raising Group
Monday, August 14 • 6-7:30pm

Being a mother is many things—wonderful, scary, enlightening, magical, isolating. It can be especially difficult if you don't have the support of family or friends. A consciousness-raising group is people coming together to share their experiences and feelings in a nonjudgmental space in the hopes of creating connection and strength in their lives and community.

The Altadena Moms Consciousness-Raising Group is a monthly meeting where you can be a part of and learn from a group of moms. Let's chat and bond over our shared journey as mothers!

All who identify as mothers are welcome. Please no little ones.

Check Out Our Book Clubs

Saturday, August 12, 4 to 5 p.m., on Zoom
Books: "Bewilderment: A Novel" by Richard Powers
"The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine" by Janice P. Nimura

Saturday, August 26, 4 to 5 p.m., on Zoom
Book: "Art & Crime: The Fight Against Looters, Forgers, and Fraudsters in the High-Stakes Art World" by Stefan Koldehoff & Tobias Timm

From Page to Table

Friday, August 18, 12 to 1 p.m.,
Main Library Community Room

Make a recipe from a cookbook from our collection or yours and share it with the group!

Do you have a spooky, bone-chilling, or supernatural experience that happened to you in Altadena? Then we want to hear from you.

We are accepting real-life story submissions from the community for the chance to be a part of our “Spooky Altadena” display in October.

Submit your story by Monday, September 11.

Submit your spooky story by Sept. 11!

Join Our Read Local, Shop Local Program!

Read Local, Shop Local has been revamped! This updated library rewards program motivates Altadenans to visit and “check in” with a rewards card at local participating businesses to earn exclusive library district merchandise.

For full details about program benefits for both library users and local businesses, visit us at www.altadenalibrary.org/shoplocal.

Stop by this participating Read Local, Shop Local Business: Skin Care with Tamara

Skin Care with Tamara offers fully customized facial treatments for every client. Our skin is constantly changing which is why it is important to tailor every service to what you and your skin are looking for at the time of our service. My goal is for you to leave feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Skin Care with Tamara

2023 N. Lake Avenue

Altadena, 91001