By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

There was an interesting essay in the New York Times on Monday February 28, 2010 about reading the classics of literature as an adult. The woman who wrote the essay, said she was illiterate; “I was illiterate. At least, I was as close to illiterate as a person with over 20 years of education could possibly be.” (1) To me, who works in a public library, reading the classics of literature as an adult instead of as a young person does not constitute illiteracy. I think that her essay was fine in that it was inviting people to enjoy reading, to realize how much literature can positively affect us as adults. The essay was saying that literature broadens us and enriches us, it can teach us about life. Those are all fine and commendable arguments but it doesn’t erase that she equated being unread of a certain canon with being illiterate. I work with people who cannot read the job application they so desperately need to fill out. They cannot read the union safety laws which could prevent them from being injured if they are lucky enough to work where a union works to protect their working conditions. They cannot help their children when their children need their help. That is so much more important an issue and one not so easily solved as a woman who has all the requisite tools to enjoy a wider reading list.

Now that there are so many different kinds of people in the U.S. there are also different kinds of illiteracy. Some people cannot read and write in English but they can in their mother language. That is one type of deficit. This can be helped with English as a Second Language.

There are people who did not have education in their mother tongue so they cannot read and write in any language. Often this is now helped with literacy in the mother language and then working on English.

There are also people who need help in sign language in their mother language and then in English.

For those of us who are lucky enough to have learned how to read and write in our mother language, sometimes it is hard to contemplate what it would mean to you if everything written including this blog were denied you. If you could not read the menu at a fast food restaurant let alone a fancy restaurant you want to take your date to how d that impact you? Volunteering in a literacy program is one of the ways you can help.

The people who tutor in the Hayward Public Library’s adult literacy program, Literacy Plus, are volunteers. They work with their adult learners week after week assisting them in learning how to read and write English. This opening up of the world of words is a process unlike any other. It is the empowering of a person, enabling them to enrich themselves in ways they were never able to before. Many volunteers have worked for years in Literacy, helping one person after another learn to read and write. Many report that the effort they put into this mentoring provides them with rewards that are truly incalculable. They have changed someone’s life for the better forever & will never be forgotten by their students. If you want to be part of this program, contact:

Literacy Plus
(510) 881-7910
literacyplus@hayward-ca.gov

(1)Schine,Cathleen. (2010, February 26). I was a Teenage Illiterate The New York Times retrieved  from http:www.nytimes.com.  A version of this article appeared in print on Schine,Cathleen (2010,February 28).I was a Teenage Illiterate The New York Times. pp 23 Sunday Book Review. Cathleen Schine’s most recent novel is “The Three Weissmanns of Westport.”

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

Sometimes we do not seem to be getting our to do list items checked off. Why not? Is there something preventing us from moving ahead?

Are we procrastinators? Do we really want to move ahead?

I am a big supporter of writing out our fears or our excuses for why something isn’t getting done. It could be simple

To Do

Get photographs developed.

Why isn’t this getting done? The store that developes my film is closed for the holidays. That is fine. It should re-open and then I can get my photographs.

What if the reason is my car is broken down and so I can’t get to the store? Well, it could be you have bigger problems than undeveloped film to worry about  and this goal will have to be resumed later when the car is fixed. Or is there a bus that goes to that same store? Could a friend drop off the rolls of film? Could I have them developed through the mail?

The point is to look at the reason we are not doing what we said was important to us. No one else writes these to do lists. We do. We say what is important.

That can change, maybe when we wrote the list this was something I thought I wanted to do but now in the wake of my car being in need of repairs, the film doesn’t seem important. Then let it be. Take the film off the list and put it on a list for things to do later…

What if I don’t seem to be getting anything done at all? Then maybe you have to speak with someone, maybe the problem is not the things to be done but something else. Winter depression can be a factor.  Look at the issues and then decide what is going on.

Remember the library is a place where we have resources. We have books on getting things done, efficiency, Martha Stewart, depression, organization, universities if you want to pursue education, how to write books if you want to pursue that,  basically we have ways to help you pursue whatever you are interested. Come and check us out, we might be able to help you move ahead on your list.

Moving ahead with your dreams is a mixture of being strict with yourself and being flexible. It’s all about prioritizing. What is most important to you right now? Is it tv watching or writing another chapter? Is it reading a mystery or spending time with your grandmother? Only you can know how you should best spend your time, your energy and your life.
Good Luck. You’ll find you have a lot of energy when you are doing what you love. Go do it!

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

People who have suffered traumas during the year find the holidays especially tough to get through.

I’m including people who have lost a life partner to death, to infirmity, dementia, or simply they left. I am including people who have lost their jobs, their homes, their self esteem, or maybe their confidence.

Sometimes it is a simple matter to help someone. Sometimes there is not much you can do except maybe listen if the person needs to talk. Sometimes it is just including that person in your plans even if those plans are as boring as going grocery shopping.

One of the great places of healing can be the public library. We offer people a free place to learn. If people in pain,  get interested in something new, they think less about their painful past and more about a brighter future. This something new can be as simple as a new author they adore. Be sure to recommend an author who has written a lot of books like J.D.Robb or Jonathan Kellerman, that way if your friend enjoys the first book they have enough books to keep engrossed for weeks or months!

The Public library also has activities. It is a place where all sorts of people can come together at no cost to listen to an author, to talk about a book,  or to learn about Japanese painting. It is a way for people to come together without a formal introduction, to maybe learn about Laughter Yoga or something else fun and new. It is a way to meet new people once a month. This type of connection is informal yet can grow into friendship or simple remain at the level of the person who you see every month at the library Autobiography book discussion group or the knitting group.

Reach out to people. Suggest activities. Listen to them over a cup of tea. It’s sometimes a blessing for you both. I sometimes think of it as a Karmic savings account, do well by other people so should one ever fall on bad times, there will be people out there to bring over a casserole, suggest a book club, ask me to go for a nice long walk. Try it.

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

One of the things I like best about the internet is that it helps people feel less alone. During the end of the year holidays, the people who feel alone feel it more deeply typically. This is when blogs, and other interactive internet devices can really help make people feel more connected. It is also a time when you can make a point to reach out to people you know who might be feeling alone, adrift, sad.

If you are someone who has enough people and connections in your life, the end of the year is a great time to start a gratitude journal. I heard of this idea many years ago from Oprah but I don’t know if she is who originated it. It is basically every day, you take a few minutes and a few lines if you are writing in your journal to record what you are grateful for. It might be big; I am grateful I have my eyesight. It might be small; I am grateful that I can eat chocolate from time to time. When you start doing this on a daily basis, it changes you. You might start with a list of five things

I am grateful that I have my eyesight.

I am grateful that I can sleep late tomorrow morning.

I am grateful that I have people in my life who make me laugh.

I am grateful that I have a job.

I am grateful that I am able to help people through my job.

When you start looking at them, some of the ones that seem small at first then take on a weight that you might not initially appreciate. Some of the big ones are big and it is good to take the time to appreciate what we have and how we feel about our good fortunes.

If you are in a place where there does not seem to be much to be thankful for, think small. I am grateful to be able to write that I hate my job, I am grateful that I don’t have to interact too much with my neighbor, I am grateful that I don’t have to tell my daughter that I hate her boyfriend and think he’s a jerk, I am grateful that I don’t have to smell my aunt’s perfume all the time, I just have to smell it next Thursday when I see her.

I am grateful to have this message to write to you. I will be grateful if you write back and let me know what you’re working on.       Thanks.

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

Lists about what we love about Hayward, California

1) All the people of Hayward- Together we make this city great.

2) Library – The Hayward Public Library is somewhere where every one can go regardless of age, reading ability or physical ability. You don’t need money to go there or to borrow materials. It has lots of materials to lend and loads of free programs to attend.

3) The Farmer’s Market, gives us access to wonderful fresh low cost produce to keep us all healthy and happy.

4) The schools, community college, university and others places of learning in Hayward give us opportunity for learning and learning and education are always good.

5) The parks where we can have a bit of nature without leaving our neighborhoods.

6) City Hall is new and beautiful, it gives you civil pride.

7) Downtown Hayward. It has loads of restaurants, movie theatre and shops. Right now when some of the shops are not rented ,there is beautiful art in the windows.

8 ) Hayward Arts Council. It produces great art that is often shown for free in Hayward.

9) Sun Gallery, shows Hayward residents all different kinds of art.

10) Japanese Garden, this offers calm, beauty that reflects centuries of traditions

11) Senior centers, they offer so many chances at friendship, companionship and fun learning.

12) Churches and Houses of Worship and spitiruality give us some peace in this chaotic world.

13) Shopping at the various shops and malls around town, gives us shopping therapy.

14) Restaurants that reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of this city.

15) All the festivals thrown all over Hayward during any given year or season.

16) All the volunteer efforts that fuel great non-profits. This is a win-win situation, it helps the non- profit and it gives to the volunteer as well. Contact Volunteer Hayward or the Library to learn more about volunteering.

17) The Historic houses in Hayward that can help show us our history and other people’s history.

18) The weather that is so good for growing things, letting people walk and enjoy the outdoors and that keeps us content.

19) All the trees and flowers that grow in people’s gardens, wild spaces and all the kinds of in between places but that we get to see and enjoy.

20) The businesses that contribute to the city by supporting the children, the non-profits and the people.

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

I’ve been learning a lot recently. It’s funny. As an adult, you learn so differently than you did as a child. It’s easier in some ways and it is so much harder in others.

I find that because it is conscious, it is easier. I know what I am learning and I know why I am learning it. If it is for work, it is clearly defined and usually time specific. I need to learn this software program in order to do X by the fifteen of next month. It is a task. it is usually quite contained. I have something I need to do and the software is the way to do it and I need to learn the software in order to get this task done.

When it is for personal use, it is often less defined, less time specific and less clear what, if  anything, is going to be accomplished - but it is still conscious.

I am the one making the decision. People forget that they always have a choice about learning. No one is going to make you learn something. It just usually is that people do not want to live with the consequences of not learning whatever it is that they “need” to learn( at work or in a new relationship).

We rarely chart our process as we learn something new. We just see it in terms of whether we can do what we need to do. Can I send an email with a photograph enbedded in it? (or whatever job we set ourselves to learn). We might learn things that we can’t use today or tomorrow but might need in the future.  It is often an uncomfortable time when we are so acutely aware of what we do not know. It’s something that happens in school so much that we are constantly told what we do not know but in adult life, we can often avoid focusing on what we do not know and stay with what we do know. I am sure we all know people who at a dinner or other social setting just talk about what they know even if no one else shares that knowledge or enjoyment of that topic.

” Let me tell you about the aging process of the Blue Lascar Butterfly of the Burmese Highlands.” This might be right after someone mentioned a new movie called ” The Blood Pool of Knightsend”.

It’s sometimes makes me feel sad when I witness this because the person feels so out of place, they can’t even stay quiet and wait until the conversation comes back to something they do know about and can share in the conversation about.

I am reading a book about adults learning a new language as adults( Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich). The author says how hard it is and then offers studies that back her up on many fronts. Language is one set of skills but anything we learn as adults has a progression.

We talk about the learning curve but when you are actually in a learning situation, it is tough to see that it will all become more clear and that before too long we will be more knowledgeable than we were before.

I say, keep learning, it keeps the brain well oiled. We don’t all need to learn a new language or musical instrument but keep learning. Deal with feeling uncomfortable for the time in between when we do not know anything and when we start to know a little. Rejoice. You are uncomfortable but you are doing a great thing. Keep learning, encourage others to learn as well. It will help us all if we all keep learning.

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

One of the trials of my moving to California from Massachusetts that I didn’t envision and that no one warned me about was the loss of humor for a while. If you move to a place where you know no one, then you cannot joke. It is as simple and ugly as that.

If I were to attend a comedy club in Iceland where all the comics were Icelandic, I would undoubtedly miss all the really good jokes(This is even if the comics were speaking English which is the only language I understand- and why would a rocking club in Reykjavik have English speaking comics when the audience would be speaking Icelandic?). I don’t know any Icelandic history ( think all the George Washington, Abe Lincoln, George Bush jokes you’ve heard), I’m not proud of this. I know nothing about Icelandic eating habits, (think all the American fusion diet jokes, the as American as Apple Pie jokes). I know no Icelandic authors (even though I hear that they have some good mystery authors( Arnaldur Indriðason -Reykjavik Murder Mysteries 1. Jar City (2004) aka Tainted Blood 2. Silence of the Grave (2005) 3. Voices (2006) 4. The Draining Lake (2007) 5. Arctic Chill (2008) 6. Hypothermia (2009) and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir Last Rituals ( 2005) and My Soul to Take: A Novel of Iceland(2007)).

Think of some stupid joke; a duck walks into a bar. The bartender hands him a drink ( the newest Pomegranate margarita or mojito) and says; “That’s $25.97. How do you want to pay for that? The duck says; “same as always put it on my bill.”

Ok to understand that award winning joke, you have to know some cultural context. You need to know what a duck is, why it is unusual for a duck to walk into a bar, what a bar is, who the bartender is ( and all the bartender jokes) and then you have to understand why the punch line has a double meaning.

Ok, back to me coming to California. All the attempts at humor were in English. But I didn’t know any Californian geography( or distances between towns or cities), history, notables(Herb Caen, the twins), reputations(Why would anyone voluntarily go to Fresno?), institutions( Thrifty Jr., Albertsons, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Candlestick, the maze, Telegraph, the Haight, Stern Grove, The Greek Theatre.

One kind of humor is repetitive. If I say something like Excusssse Meee (think Steve Martin in the 80s), if I say it repeatedly, in every conversation, eventually it might become funny. It might not, it might become tedious boring and really annoying. If I tell a weird story where something doesn’t make sense but the rest of the story is absolutely normal, that might be funny ( Think Monty Python re dead Parrot or the Council of the Funny Walk). If I tell a story and something truly unexpected happens that might be funny. There are lots of different kinds of humor but a lot of it depends of some shared assumptions. If you are new to a place, a culture, a group of people, you have to be careful of your assumptions and many times you should not assume that others share them.

In the early days here in California, I was struck again and again by saying things I thought were perfectly normal and having people stare at me and say after a polite pause, “What?” Clearly what I had said to them had not been understood as I meant it, let alone as a humorous remark. I would then retreat and answer politely, and go another day without exchanging any humor with anyone. It was fascinating to watch when I would risk another humorous try. I always considered it a mark of true friendship when I knew someone well enough not to have to think before joking. I also found there were definitely times when I would be taken aback when someone would actually joke with me out of the blue. Be it at the grocery store, or in line at the bank (when one still stood in line at the bank).

I have lived in other parts of the world where language divided me from people and the ability to joke, but this move was the first time I was aware of being denied humor simply because I did not know people well enough to joke with them.

It was also a lesson for me in that I do not want to live long without some humorous interaction. I might have to but I always prefer a little humor…

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

I talk with Librarians at other libraries so I won’t mention what library this story comes from but it was in the bay area. A man came in and asked for the book the Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. The Librarian involved showed the man where the book was on the shelf. When the librarian turned to go, the man asked,” Is it realistic not to get angry?”

The Librarian was taken aback.  She said, ” Probably everybody but the Dalai Lama gets angry.” The man looked puzzled, maybe he didn’t know who the Dalai Lama is or maybe didn’t expect a Buddhist to be brought into the conversation.

“I did some work for a lady. I was supposed to get paid. I went to collect my check but she said my boss had collected the check.” He paused.” I try to live a good ethical Christian life.” He paused again and looked down at the Librarian. “What should I do? I had already asked my boss and he had said he’d never collected any money from her.”

The Librarian was stuck. How can one answer? She told me that she showed him the books on the shelf, which were all sorts of self help, both Christian and non-denominational. She told him, “9 out of ten people would feel angry about being lied to and cheated. Being angry was a normal reaction but we always have a choice how as to how we react.” She said she went on about one of the good things about a Public Library is you can go inside and see how many different ways there are to be in the world. You can learn how to react to events in ones life a new way, a nonviolent way, or how to negotiate with ones boss to get the money you are owed.

The Librarian said the man walked away with his book then turned around and went back to the shelf to look at some of the other books. Who knows how his story turned out but this story struck me as another example of how valuable the Public Library is in the lives of so many of us.

The wisdom of the ages and continents contained within four walls and an internet access.

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

I recently read a great piece by Monique le Conge who is Director of the Richmond, CA Public Library system. She wrote an article entitled 7 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You During Tough Economic Times.
I liked her ideas so much I wanted to customize it; 25 Ways The Hayward Public Library Will Help You Survive Tough Times. Here are my ideas:
1.)    We’re here for you and we lend our materials free of charge. How great is that?! It’s free to get a Hayward Public Library card. It’s the MASTER key that opens every door. The doors of opportunity, of education, of relaxation, of family togetherness, of possibility, and self discovery all can be opened with a free Hayward Public Library card.

2.)    We have public access computers with internet access to help you look for jobs, submit job applications, file your resume on various list servs and receive emails concerning jobs and interviews.

3.)    Those same computers can help you write your resume and we have printers that can print out your resume if you are submitting it in person somewhere.

4.)    Those same computers can also be used to keep in touch with friends and family during these times when we need all the emotional support we can get.

5.)    We loan DVDs and videos to both provide instruction to help you learn something new ( like cooking or Taibo) as well as simple entertainment when you are relaxing.

6.)    We loan audio books and cassettes to help with the commute when you live far away from your job and have quite a commute. The audio books are fiction, nonfiction and language instruction. That means you can enjoy a good mystery while driving, learn Russian or learn Donald trump’s secrets of salesmanship. Put that commute time to good use.

7.)    We also loan downloadable audio books and Ebooks( think free Kindle).Explore these possibilities either during your commute or when doing chores, increase the time you can learn or enjoy books. Someone reads them aloud and you download them to your computer, MP3 player or other device.

8.)    We loan Books. These come in all shapes and sizes, fiction, non-fiction, in various languages and for children, teens and adults. Books can teach us how to write a resume, how to conduct a job interview, how to write a cover letter and which jobs are going to pay us what we need to make. Books can also take us away from the everyday reality by transporting us to another time, another place, even another galaxy. They can make us see the world differently, they can help us to understand the world in which we live and they can help us to change ourselves.

9.)    We have book groups where you can join a community of readers and explore mystery books, literary books, autobiographies, or books from around the globe. These groups can provide a forum for discussions and can also provide a loose structure to explore a subject like autobiography. The group means you don’t have to do all the work yourself. It is not like a college class but it has the rewards without the papers, the exams and the professor. It can provide companionship, intellectual interaction and some great reading.

10.)    We provide computer classes to get you started in the complex world of computers.

11.)    We offer English Conversation groups as a means where people learning English as a Second Language can come together and practice speaking English.

12.)    We also offer a wide range of one time programs ranging from an evening learning about Arabic Calligraphy to Japanese Brush Painting. We offer music  from local musicians, local authors come to talk about their work, we provide programs detailing how to avoid Termites, Fall prevention, craft programs as well as how to improve your writing.

13.)     We offer yoga workshops every month to give you an opportunity to come and learn to relax, to breathe and even to laugh.

14.)    We encourage and teach  literacy as the most fundamental skill that will keep us employed, employable and enjoying life.  We provide this valuable life skill in both English and in Spanish.

15.)    We offer an extensive range of programs for children, starting the day they are born.

16.)    We offer programs for children and their parents together.

17.)    We offer programs for teenagers. Some of these programs are just fun( like crafts), some are  computer games and some of them are actually learning skills and growing as a person- such as a recent photography project that culminated in a city wide gallery showing of their photographs.

18.)    We offer library services for shut-ins and seniors who can no longer get into the library. We bring the library materials out to them.

19.)    We offer a repository for living Hayward local History. We are continuing for a third year to collect video stories of Hayward residents telling of their lives in California and specifically Hayward. Come in and tell us your story. We want to save it for the generations of the present and the future.

20.)    We answer questions. If you need to know how to get to that interview in Oakland but don’t know the way, you can ask us and we can print out a map or show you on your map how best to get there. We can tell you what year Benjamin Franklin was in France if you want to find that out. We can tell you who is offering classes in Excel in the Hayward area if you want to improve your skills. We can give you the telephone number for East Bay Works. We can find the poem that starts; It was many and many a year ago in a kingdom by the sea. We can answer where to find Health or Medical issue answers(see recent entry in this blog).

21.)    We are going to be here. We have the daily papers, come in and read them. We have magazines you can follow international politics, design from Martha Stewart, Oprah’s monthly interest, magazines explaining men’s health issue. Come in, relax and read them without having to subscribe.

22.)    We loan music cds. Come in and see what relaxing or stimulating music we have from around the country and across the globe.

23.)     We offer free legal help, two to three times a month, we have a lawyer into the lawyer to answer library patron questions. The sessions are brief, just fifteen minutes but they are free, confidential and will help start the solution to the problem bothering you.

24.)    We offer many of these services in Spanish, Chinese, Farsi, Vietnamese and Hindi.

25.)    We have online services such as an online catalog, events blog, Refresh Your Life Blog, reference books, database offerings,  the ability to put  books on hold that  you are looking for, notification of the status of your books, online payment of fines, and many many other online resources.

Taking a line from long ago and far away and changing it a bit…;

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.

(I think this was an R.Crumb line; Drugs will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no drugs. I like mine better- no offense RC)

‘image: www.freeimages.co.uk’

By Trudy Toll, Adult Services Librarian at Hayward Public Library, Hayward, CA

When I hear people talk about public libraries, many people think of old fashioned public libraries. We at Hayward have really changed into one of the new wave of public libraries. We do many things that help people when and where they need that help. We are always interested in hearing from people who have suggestions of how we can use our tools to reach more people. Do any of you have any suggestions? Would people like tweets from the library? If you answer yes, what kind of information would you want to receive? Someone suggested that appropriate tweets would be only when our plans changed; such as if the scheduled “Lawyer in the Library” program was cancelled for one day but was rescheduled for another. Are there other suggestions?