Lost in Translation

I was fortunate to be able to travel to France recently. Although my book browsing consisted of looking in shop windows of all the “Librairies”, or bookstores, I was rather surprised to see very few familiar American authors. Given the prevalence of American pop music playing in the background in French stores and cafes, the lack of American books in translation seemed a little odd. Also, the French authors and books were completely new to me. Do the French and the Americans like different kinds of books? Are works of literature too expensive to translate? Exceptions to this very unscientific look at the French book market are the Harry Potter books in most stories, and one elegantly dressed woman spied on the Metro with a French copy of a Nora Roberts novel.

-Jeanne

Centenarian Patron

Happy Birthday to one of our favorite patrons at Main, Stanley Hill, who will be 100 years young on Thursday, April 17th, 2008.

Noise in the Library

A recent letter to the Mountain Democrat complained that our Cameron Park Library was too noisy. Those “tight-lipped” librarians in Cameron Park that she refers to are actually biting their tongues so they don’t laugh out loud. The letter writer seems to assume that children don’t belong in the library during storytime, or perhaps ever, unless they can learn to behave like the well-brought up generations of yore. But should a busy suburban community library resemble the hallowed closed stacks of the Bodleian Library? Or should it be filled with crowds of young children and their parents enthusiastically sharing stories, songs and rhymes. Using your “library voice” is appropriate most of the time, but once in a while a library voice is exuberantly discovering the joy of reading and books. And that makes us smile.

Jeanne

Adult Book Club

The El Dorado Hills branch has a brand new program that we are excited about offering to adult patrons: the Second Wednesday Book Club. The group meets every second Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. If you enjoy books and stimulating conversation, then this book club is for you!
We will be discussing The Glass Castle on April 9th and The Pillars of the Earth on May 14th. We always welcome suggestions for future book club selections and look forward to meeting you at our next get-together.
As always, please check our calendars for a full listing of all of the wonderful programs each of our branches offer.

"Privilege has expired" message

Every two years library cards expire. Library staff then verifies your address and telephone number and extends your card for another two years. If you receive the message "privilege has expired" when attempting to place an item on hold please call or visit the library to have your account updated.