March is Art IS Education Month!

In honor of the Art IS Education month, all the Alameda County Library branches are offering more than 100 free art events for youths of all ages and their family to explore their creativity and to learn how art can bring positive changes to ourselves, our community and our world.  At Centerville Library, we have planned a busy month full of fun activities and here is the listing of them:

	Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, during open Hours Thursday, March 7, 16, 23, during open hours Seasons Kirigami Art Project Kids and teens of all ages are invited to participate in making scenes of the seasons with kirigami paper cutting art. From flowers and butterflies to pine trees and snowflakes, there are countless patterns you can create. All materials are provided, so just bring your creativity and imagination and stop by anytime during library open hours. The project will be put on display in the Children’s Area after completion.
	Thursday, March 7, 3:30-5:30 P.M. Mandala Paper Quilt Workshop This fun workshop for families will be led by Teaching Artist Lilli Lanier. This project uses basic traditional kirigami paper cutting techniques to create colorful, layered, mandala paper quilt squares. All ages welcome, and all materials will be provided.
	Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, 2:00-2:30 P.M. Bollywood Babies Join instructor Sunita Raj in this fun Bollywood dance learning program for children 18 to 48 months old and their parent. Space is limited, so a ticket is required to attend. Free tickets will be handed out 30 minutes prior to the program.
	Thursday, March 28, 4:00-4:30 P.M. Read-To-Me Storytime Special Session In this special story time session, children aged 2 to 6 years old will enjoy art-themed stories and receive a coloring or activity sheet. No registration is required..

For more information, please call (510) 795-2629 or email Chien-Chun Chang at cchang@aclibrary.org.
Centerville Library is located at 3801 Nicolet Ave.,Fremont, CA 94536 MAP

For a complete listing of all the events at Alameda County Libraries, please click HERE

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Teen Reading Volunteers Needed at Centerville Library

If you like working with children, enjoy reading, and want to make a difference to the community, we have an excellent opportunity for you!

Every Tuesday and Thursday from October through May, more than 50 children are meeting with their teen volunteers at Centerivlle Library to improve reading.  This highly appreciated popular program has helped hundreds of kids in the past 5 years.  It is a very rewarding volunteer opportunity many teens are looking for.  Applications are now open, for details and to apply, please download the application form and turn it in to the library as soon as possible.  Positions are open until filled.

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2012 Summer Events at Centerville Library

	Tuesday, June 19, 1:00-5:30 P.M. Thursday, June 21, 10:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Kids Library Camp Learn  about how library works, how to find homework help, play games, and lots of fun activities.  For grades 4-7.  Registration is required and is already full. Check out how much fun we had in this 2011 camp video.
	Thursday, June 28, 2-3 P.M. Storyteller Michael Katz Animated and interactive stories for kids of all ages. This program will be held in the library’s meeting room. Seats are  limited.  A free ticket is required to attend. Tickets are available 30 minutes prior to program start time.
	Thursday, July 5, 2-4 P.M. Family Movie Time: The Adventures of Tintin Based on a series of comic books created by Belgian artist Hergé (Georges Remi).  Directed by Steven Spielberg. Rated PG.
	Thursday, July 12, 2-3 P.M. Reading Is Delicious with Singer Patricia Shih Join Patricia Shih, a multiple national award-winning singer-songwriter, for a fun-filled family concert full of laughter and joy! This program will be held in the library’s meeting room. Seats are  limited.   A free ticket is required to attend. Tickets are available 30 minutes prior to program start time
	Thursday, July 19, 2-3 P.M. Mr. SHAP Join Mr. Shap, a magician and balloon twister for his amazing ” Super Happenings Always Possible” show with us! This program will be held outdoors in the library’s patio. Some sitting areas may not have shade. Please wear a hat to shield the sun.
	Thursday, July 26, 2-3 P.M. The Corny Crow Show with Steve Chaney Don’t miss Steve Chaney’s hilarious show with Corny Crow!  It’s so funny that you can’t stop laughing. This program will be held outdoors in the library’s patio.  Some sitting areas may not have shade.  Please wear a hat to shield the sun.
	Tuesday, August 2 , 2-3 P.M. Card Making Crafts for Teens and Tweens Participants will use some simple scrapbook and stamping techniques to create their cards. All materials will be supplied you just need to bring your creativity! For kids ages 10 and up. Space will be limited and tickets will be given out 30 minutes before the program.
	Every Tuesday and Thursday, August 7 – 30, 1:30-3:30 P.M. Intro to Algebra A 4-week math preparation class for incoming 7th graders only. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday during the month of August. Get ready for junior high math. Learn basic algebra concepts with Jonathan Lu, a USA Junior Math Olympiad qualifier from MSJ High School.  Registration is required. Limit to 20 seats.

Centerville Library is located at 3801 Nicolet Ave., Fremont, CA 94536
For more information, please call 510-795-2629 or email cchang@aclibrary.org or egamell@aclibrary.org

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March is Art IS Education Month

Happy Art IS Education month!  To celebrate youth arts learning, all the branches of Alameda County Library are presenting a total of more than 50 art events for kids, teens and families.  At Centerville Library, we have two art-making programs, one for kids and one for teens.

Both programs will take place on Tuesdays, March 6, 13, 20 from 2-6 pm.  Stop by anytime during these hours, no registrations are required.

Hand-in-Hand Paper People

This program is for kids of all ages. Participants will have fun decorating a paper cut-out person with crayons and recycled materials and attaching a message about one thing that’s important to creating a better future. All the paper people will be connected hand-in-hand to make a long, free-turning chain for display in the library. The community is invited to bring drawings and photos about the theme “Creating a Better Future Together” to add to the artwork.

Paper Quilt Collage

This program is for teens. Participants will use recycled materials and art supplies to design a personalized paper quilt square. The quilt squares should reflect the theme of “Creating a Better Future Together”. The quilt squares will be joined together to make a community quilt that will beon display in the Teen area of the library.

For a complete list of Art IS Education events at Alameda County Library, please click HERE.

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Highlights of 2011 at Centerville Library

Another year has gone by.  I’d like to share a video of the major events at our library in 2011.  It was another busy year with many fun and/or educational family activities.  The happy faces in this video make me feel rewarded and look forward to the coming year.  Enjoy the video and have a wonderful 2012!

*Video quality can be adjusted to HD but the playback may lag on some computers.

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Facebook Basics Class for Parents (Facebook入門與安全設定家長班)

Is Facebook safe?  As Facebook becoming a huge social networking media among teens, even tweens or younger children if they faked their age (yes, sadly more than 7.5 million kids under 13 are on Facebook), more and more parents are concerned about what their children are doing on this website.  To help parents understand Facebook and learn how to use privacy and security settings so they can advise their children in social media safety, the Centerville Library is offering Facebook Basics classes for parents in multi-languages.  Our first session will be offered in Mandarin on Thursday, November 10 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM.  If needed, a one-on-one appointment with a teen volunteer can be arranged to assist you through the process of setting up a Facebook account.

怎麼辦? 我家的青少年整天掛在Facebook上, Facebook到底安不安全? 您知道嗎? Facebook的人口數, 已使它成為世界第三大國了, 是個”非識不可”的社交網站. 為了因應許多家長的需求, Centerville圖書館決定推出Facebook入門與安全設定課程, 第一場將以中文進行, 歡迎想讓 “擔心” 變 “放心” 的家長踴躍參加!  日期為11月10日, 1:00-2:00 PM.   如有需要, 課後還可另行安排時間, 由青少年義工輔導您建立Facebook帳號.

Centerville圖書館地址如下, 詳情請洽張小姐(Chien), 510-795-2629, email: cchang@aclibrary.org

The Centerville Library is located at 3801 Nicolet Ave., Fremont, CA 94536

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September is Sign-up Month at Centerville Library

Schools in Fremont started last Wednesday.  As you are getting ready for another year of learning, don’t forget to visit your local library.  Besides the many books you can check out, there are programs that may be helpful for you, too!

At Centerville Library, we offer different activities and  programs for different age groups.  Due to the limit of seats, some programs require sign-ups and they are all being accepted starting the first day of this month until full. 

Volunteer opportunities for teens

We are currently recruiting qualified teen volunteers for our 5th year of Read-With-Me and Read-To-Me reading programs.  These programs have been Centerville Library’s most popular on-going ones.  We are looking for responsible teens who are interested in working with children.  Click on this link for details.

Read-With-Me Reading Program for children grades 1-6

This is an one-on-one reading programs for elementary children.  Children meet with their trained teen helper very week to improve reading.  Up to 57 seats may be available but because it is so popular that 37 sign-ups have alreday been received on September 1, the first day of registration.  If you have a child who needs help in reading, please submit your registration form as soon as possible.

Preschool Storytime Plus and Mandarin/English Bilingual Storytime Plus for ages 3-6.

Both storytimes include stories, songs, finger plays, crafts, and other activities.  The Preschool Storytime Plus is conducted in English on Tuesdays at 1:30-2:10pm.  The Bilingual Storytime Plus is conducted in both Mandarin and English on Thursdays at 11:30am-12:10pm. Sign-ups are recommanded by calling us at 510-795-2629, or email Chien at cchang@aclibrary.org or Elizabeth at egamell@aclibrary.org

Kids Book Club for grades 4 and up.

The Centerville Kids Book Club will meet on the second Thursday of each month from 4:30-5:30pm.  We will discuss our current book selection as well as any other books we have read recently.  If you have never been to a book club before, this is a great time to check it out!  Sign up at the Information Desk and pick up our current book selection. Our book selection for October is:  Masterpiece  by Elise Broach

For a complete list of Centerville Library’s programs, please take this LINK.

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2011 Kids Library Camp at Centerville Library

The very popular Kids Library Camp at Centerville Library was held on June 21 and 23.  As some kids said in their surveys: “This camp rocks!!!!”, “I liked the camp, it was fun!”, “Library camp was very fun!”, “I like this library a lot. It is the best library ever!”

During this 1-and-half-day fun-packed camp, kids learned about how their library works for them and where to find homework resources, discovered cool Internet websites and how to keep themselves safe, enjoyed very interesting booktalks, had a very tense and exciting Jeopardy game, and made creative paper-weaving crafts.

Watch more videos of our fun moments on Centerville Library’s Facebook or YouTube Channel.

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2011 Centerville Library Children’s Summer Programs

	Tuesday, June 21, 1:00-5:30 P.M. Thursday, June 23, 10:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Kids Library Camp A 2-day camp for kids entering 4th-8th grades. Classes include the library and library jobs, resources for homework help, Internet safety and cool websites, making multimedia posters, Jeopardy Game, carfts and more. Registration required and is already full. Check out how much fun we had in this 2009 camp video.
	Tuesday, June 28, 4 P.M. Tony Borders’ Cool, Crazy Critters Bring the whole family in to hear about other continents straight from the animals that live there! Ventriloquism and a touch of magic! This show will be held outdoors in the library’s patio. Some areas may not have shade. You are advised to wear a hat to shield the sun.
	Thursday, July 7, 2 P.M. Food, Fun, and Foolishness Around the World Songs, stories, and riddles brought to you by legendary children’s entertainer Gary Lapow. This show will be held in the library’s meeting room. Seats are limited. A ticket is required to attend. Tickets are free and will be available at the Information Desk 30 minutes prior to the begining of the show.
	Thursday, July 14, 1:30 P.M. Dan Chan the Magic Man Magic + climbing in a giant balloon + 變臉Bian Lian (what’s that?) + more! This show is full of surprises and excitement! The show will be held outdoors in the library’s patio. Some areas may not have shade. You are advised to wear a hat to shield the sun.
	Tuesday, July 19, 2-5 P.M. Harry Potter Jeopardy! Beginners Level for grades 4 and under, books 1-3 Calling all Harry Potter fans! So you’ve read the books, you’ve seen the movies, now it’s time to play Jeopardy! Registration is required.  Click HERE for more details.
	Thursday, July 21, 2-5 P.M. Harry Potter Jeopardy! Expert Level for grades 8 and under, books 1-7 Calling all Harry Potter super fans! So you’ve read the books, you’ve seen the movies, now it’s time to play Jeopardy! Registration is required. Click HERE for more details.
	Tuesday, July 26, 2-4 P.M. International Crafts and Games for Kids Come have fun making crafts of other cultures and play games, and get your name translated into other languages! All materials are provided. Some part of this event will be held outdoors in the library’s patio. You are advised to wear a hat to shield the sun.
	Thursday, July 28, 4 P.M. Jewelry Making Workshop with Chelsee Robinson Learn how to make jewelry and take home your beautiful project. Keep it for yourself or give it to someone you love. For teens only. Limit to 25 seats. A ticket is required to attend. Find out how to get tickets HERE.
	Thursday, August 4, 2 P.M. Funny Juggler Thomas John Bring the whole family in to watch Thomas John’s hilarious juggling show! You will be laughing out loud the entire time! This show will be held outdoors in the library’s patio. Some areas may not have shade. You are advised to wear a hat to shield the sun.

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Library Bucks Kids Auction at Centerville Library

The kids at Centerville Library had been checking out bags of books to read in the past two months, all with a same goal–to win their dream prizes at the Kids Auction. When the big day had finally come, the waiting line stretched from the doors of the meeting room, through the gate, then the aisle between the Adults Non-fiction shelves, all the way to the wall, and turned around. We didn’t expect this big of a crowd!

Call that crazy or what! The biddings on the most popular items went over a thousand Library Bucks! Not everyone won but they all had a lot of fun! To make sure everyone could go home with something, we also had a sale of buyable goodies outdoors in the library’s patio. Although it was overwhelming, it was worthwhile seeing all of the happy kids.

This is an event kids will want to participate in again and again. But we need to come up with some good strategy to clam them down next time.

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