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Sunday, December 27, 2009

We're back! Central Library re-opens on December 28

The Central Library, 600 Soledad, is scheduled to reopen on Monday, December 28, on its regular schedule, after being closed for two weeks to allow work on the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and repairs to roof and deck drains. This work was part of the ongoing Central Library weatherization project.

The Central Library’s operating hours are:
Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

The Friends of the San Antonio Public Library Book Cellar used book store will remain closed until January 4, 2010.

The javaNook Café on the ground floor of the Central Library will be open December 28-31, closing January 1, 2010, for New Year’s Day, and reopening Saturday, January 2, 2010.

For more information, the public may call (210) 207-2500 or visit www.mysapl.org.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Central Library to close for two weeks

The Central Library, 600 Soledad, will be closed to the public for two weeks, December 14 through December 27, to allow work on the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and repairs to roof and deck drains. The work is a phase in the ongoing Central Library weatherization project.

During the closure, library patrons who have placed materials on hold and requested that they be delivered to the Central Library will be able to pick their items up from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the library entrance on Soledad Street.

Borrowed items may be returned to the book drop by the Central Library entrance, or at any other San Antonio Public Library location. They may also be renewed online on the Library web page, by phone at (210) 207-6121 (toll-free 1-866-432-8950), or in person at any San Antonio Public Library branch.

A San Antonio Public Library card may be used at any San Antonio Public Library location. The libraries nearest the Central Library are:
San Pedro Branch Library
1315 San Pedro Avenue
(210) 733-1454

Landa Branch Library
233 Bushnell Avenue
(210) 732-8369

A list of all branch libraries can be found on the San Antonio Public Library web page.

The javaNook Café at the Central Library entrance will remain open for business during the closure, as will the library parking garage.

For more information, the public may call (210) 207-2500 or visit the Library's web page.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Just in time for holiday shopping!

Forget Black Friday - get ready for 50% Monday...and Tuesday, and Wednesday and Thursday and...! From Monday, November 30, through Sunday, December 6, everything in the Book Cellar will be on sale for 50% off!

Shop for holiday relaxation reading for yourself, or pick up gifts for everyone on your list, from kids to teens to adults. You'll find books, movies and music, all at half price.

Operated by the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library, the Book Cellar is located in the basement of the Central Library, 600 Soledad. Operating hours are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Sunday. The Book Cellar is open from 11:00 a.m. t0 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays.

Proceeds from sales at the Book Cellar benefit the San Antonio Public Library, so stop by this week to pick up some bargains and help your library at the same time!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Are you a movie buff? Looking for the first season of "Pushing Daisies"?

Your San Antonio Public Library card is a free ticket to a world of entertainment! Whether you're a fan of Bogart and Bacall or Ferrell and Sandler, the Library has movies and TV programs available for checkout at no charge - and you can keep them for up to one week and renew your checkout period for an additional week if you need to! Even easier, in some cases you can download video to your MP3 device.

To find out what's available, just go to the San Antonio Public Library webpage, http://www.mysapl.org/. Items on DVD or VHS can be found in the online catalog. (If what you're looking for isn't available at your branch library, put it on hold and it will be sent to you at the location you specify.) To see what the downloadable offerings are, click on "Services" at the top of the page, then scroll down to the "Digital Downloads" section.

If you need help, you can always call our general information line at (210) 207-2500.

Happy viewing!

Monday, October 26, 2009

The San Antonio Public Library wants your opinion!

The Library is conducting a Community Needs Assessment to help us determine the course we should take for the next several years – what services we should offer, where new libraries are needed, how we can improve our services – anything and everything about the Library is under discussion.

Whether you use the Library a lot, a little, or not at all, we would like to hear from you. If you use the Library a lot, what can we do to make your Library experience even better? If you use the Library a little, what would help you to take advantage of more of our resources and services more often? And if you don’t use the Library at all, we would appreciate it if you would take some time to tell us why not.

We'd like to invite you to participate in a focus group to share your opinions about the Library. Focus groups will be held at the branch libraries listed below. Please join us to let us hear your thoughts. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information, please call Beth Graham at 207-2638, Roberta Sparks at 207-2635, or Jessica Ramos at 207-2632.

Don’t forget – your input is essential in helping us develop the San Antonio Public Library’s plan for the future! Thank you!

The Library Community Needs Assessment is funded by a donation from the San Antonio Public Library Foundation.

PLEASE NOTE CORRECTED Focus group times and locations

Monday, November 2 • 6:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
Great Northwest Branch Library, 9050 Wellwood or
Igo Branch Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway

Tuesday, November 3 • 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Brook Hollow Branch Library, 530 Heimer Road or
Pan American Branch Library, 1122 Pyron Avenue

Tuesday, November 3 • 6:00 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
Carver Branch Library, 3350 El. Commerce or
Forest Hills Branch Library, 5245 Ingram Road

Wednesday, November 4 • 12:00 noon-1:15 p.m.
McCreless Branch Library, 1023 Ada Street or
Westfall Branch Library, 6111 Rosedale Court

Wednesday, November 4 • 6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
Las Palmas Branch Library, 515 Castroville Road or
The Tobin Library at Oakwell, 4134 Harry Wurzbach Road

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Friends of the San Antonio Public Library present Arts & Letters Award

What do T.R. Fehrenbach, Henry Cisneros, Max Lucado, Sandra Cisneros, Rosita Fernandez, Sterling Houston, Tommy Lee Jones, O'Neil Ford, Cary Clack, and Brother Cletus have in common? Oh, yes, and don't forget Janette Sebring Lowrey, author of The Poky Little Puppy.

Answer: they were all recipients of the Arts & Letters Award, presented annually by the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library to recognize and celebrate achievements by individuals who have demonstrated notably outstanding accomplishments in the arts and letters.

You're invited to join the Friends of the Library at the Central Library at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, as they honor the 2009 Arts & Letters Award recipients, musician Tom Masinter and historian/author/lecturer Felix D. Almaraz, Ph. D.

First presented in 1972, the award has been given to writers, artists, musicians, educators and entertainers whose dedication to their chosen field has served to enrich the literary, artistic and cultural life of San Antonio.

Don't miss the 2009 award ceremony on Sunday, October 25!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Got homework? We've got help!

So school is back in session - and you've got homework. The San Antonio Public Library's got you covered!

With your San Antonio Public Library card, you have free access to online tutoring in real time. Just visit our webpage, http://www.mysapl.org/, click on "Databases," then on "Live Homework Help." You'll be connected to a qualified tutor who will work with you to resolve your homework issues. Help is available in subjects from algebra to zoology, in English Monday through Sunday, 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and in Spanish Sunday through Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Library has lots of ways to help with homework. For more infomation, call us at 207-2500.