Calendar

The SFPL Library for the Blind and Print Disabled invites you to join us for an audio-described film, followed by a discussion.   The film selection for May is the 2010 version of a Western classic film, True Grit, which was nominated for 82 Awards, including 10 Oscars.

The following film description is taken from the Internet Movie Data Base:

Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested.

Why show Audio Described films?

A Blind or partially sighted person cannot enjoy a feature film without relying on someone to whisper the visual aspects of the movie in his or her ear.  Audio-described films allow visually impaired to enjoy movies independently because they include a second soundtrack that describes the sets, costumes and any visual cues that the director uses to establish place, create mood and foreshadow events.

Join us for a movie followed by a discussion about the film and the effectiveness of the audio-descriptions.

Sighted people are welcome.  If you find it distracting to listen to the descriptions while watching the movie, you might try closing your eyes. 

Please note that we must request noise be kept to a minimum during the film so people can hear the descriptions.

Unfortunately there currently is no option to include closed captioning for the Deaf and hard of hearing with audio description in most of these movies.

Now you can schedule a one-on-one appointment for 30 minutes with a Mission Branch librarian to answer your questions. This special library service will be offered on Fridays at 3:00 p.m. beginning on March 15.

Please call (415) 355-5735 to book your appointment today! Assistance can be provided in English or Spanish. There will be a limit of one appointment per person per month.

Did you know that the library has free online courses that can help you with job search, ESL, GED, computer skills and a host of other programs? Join us at the Learning Lab, sign up for a course and work on your skills! Basic mouse and keyboard skills required; USB drive and headphones recommended.

Limited to 12 learners at a time. Please contact Excelsior Branch to reserve your space.

Learn how to make easy and fun wallets out of colorful and patterned duct tape!  (All materials provided) Ages 7-12. For more information, contact Nicole at (415) 355-5660 or nterminigermain@sfpl.org.

Come create crafty creations at the Mission Library.

Open to children 5 and older.

Drop-in, all materials provided.

Do you need math homework help?  We can help!  Math teacher - volunteer will be on site to answer math homework questions weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4-6pm.

Volunteer helps elementary school-aged children who want to improve their reading.

HIgh School students provide free homework assistance in math and English for school age children.

Note: Homework Help may be cancelled if volunteers are unavailable.

In this class you will learn how to interview with confidence so that you get the job you really want!  Topics will include how to get an interview with your top picks, building your self esteem, find out what employers want to see an employee, having the right attitude, practice interview questions including the hard ones, and interview preparation with exercise and eating well.

For 25 years, presenter Mangala Meridian has had a dual career as both Legal Secretary and Adult Education Instructor of vocational and job search skills, including teaching adults with disabilities.

If you have never used a computer keyboard or a mouse, volunteers are available to help acquaint you with these basic skills.

Come see preschool-age films based on your favorite books!

Stories and songs for children and their families.

Family Storytime

Join us as we read, sing and play together. Fun for the entire family from infants to grandparents.

Join in on the fun of storytime! Help your children foster early literacy skills through dynamic and entertaining books, songs, music, movement, and more. Playtime follows.

Join us for stories, songs, fingerplays, rhymes and fun!
In English and Spanish, geared for children 5 and under.
Cuentos, juegos de dedos, rimas y más!
En inglés y español, para niños de 5 años y menores.

After storytime join us for a craft activity!
Despues del programa invitamos a los niños a hacer una manualidad.

Born in Berkeley, California, artist and photographer Ronald Hirano, a Deaf Nisei, was "adopted" by Miss Delight Rice, who founded the Philippine School for the Deaf in 1907, when his entire family was interned to relocation camps with 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II. This exhibition of his works includes photography, linoleum-engraved and designed covers of the California News (the newspaper from the California School for the Deaf), linoleum-engraved cards and pen and ink cards.

There will be a lecture by Ronald Hirano and a reception.

Rhymes, songs, and fingerplays for the very young and their caregivers.  For children under age 5.

Bilingual Storytime

Families, come join us for songs, rhymes and more in Spanish and English!

Age 6 and up

Learn about popular mystery writers from different Scandinavian countries. The teacher will discuss popular detective series like Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallender and Arnaldur Indrioason's  Detective Erlendur;  show patrons how to search for books in this genre in SFPL’s catalog and databases like Bookbrowse, Fiction Connection and Novelist; and provide hands-on exercises. The class will also talk about a couple of crime fiction awards, including the Glass Key award for the best Nordic crime novel.

In celebration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May, please come and learn how to make decorative crafts using the ancient art of Chinese knotting.

Space is limited.  For ages 18 and up.  Registration is required. For more information, please call 415.355.2888.

Instruction will be in English and Cantonese.

Drop-in computer and electronic gadget help for seniors and adults.

Ponyo is an animated adventure centered on a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human.

Last Saturday of the Month Movies are for all ages.  The audience limit is 42.

The Typewriter (In The 21st Century) is a film about a machine and the people who use, love, and repair it.

The film features 30+ interviews in 10 U.S. states with Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning authors Robert Caro and David McCullough, collectors, repairmen, artists, musicians, inventors, and bloggers from The Typosphere - an online gathering place for typewriter enthusiasts.

The film was inspired by a May, 2010 article in Wired magazine called “Meet The Last Generation of Typewriter Repairman.” Director Christopher Lockett and Producer Gary Nicholson discussed the importance of the typewriter in 20th Century literature. The conclusion being that every great novel of the 20th Century was written on one, and if typewriters are in their final days, they deserved to be celebrated one last time.

It only took a few interviews to determine that the typewriter and its legion of fans is far from dead. By the time the “Last Typewriter Factory Closes Its Doors” article went viral in April of 2011, Lockett and Nicholson were not only already making the film, they were convinced they had a much bigger story on their hands. They did.

Funded largely through Kickstarter, the film eventually featured not only typewriter people – the aforementioned technicians, collectors, bloggers, users and fans – but famous typewriters as well. The film features machines once owned by Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, John Steinbeck, Jack London, Sylvia Plath, George Bernard Shaw, John Lennon, Joe DiMaggio, Helen Keller, The Unabomber, John Updike, Ray Bradbury and Ernie Pyle.

Find out more about the film at http://typewritermovie.com/the-film/

Saturday at the Movies will take place on the 4th Saturday of the month at 3:00. This month we'll show Born Yesterday (1950) Starring Judy Holliday, Broderick Crawford and William Holden  

Uncouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn. Brock hires newspaperman Paul Verrall to see if he can make her more presentable in capital society. But Harry gets more than he bargained for as Billie absorbs Verall's lessons in U.S. history.

Black and White; 103 minutes.

Join Summer Reading Teen Volunteer Training to help the Summer Reading Program at Portola Branch Library and gain community service credits.  Registration is required, schedules will be given first come first serve.   For ages 12 to 18, bring a friend.   For information, please call (415) 355-5660. 

Trouble with Technology? We can help!

* Kindles
* email
* laptops
* tablets
* cell phones
* digital cameras
* electronic gadgets

Get help from a Teen Computer Corps Volunteer at the Excelsior Branch!

Drop in on Saturdays, March 23 - June 8 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

For more information, contact Marla at mbergman@sfpl.org or 415-355-2868.

When a small town comes under siege by zombies, who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mitz-Plasse
Focus Features; Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell
Rated PG; 92 minutes; 2012

HIgh school students provide free homework assistance in math and English for school age children.

Note: Homework Help may be cancelled if volunteers are unavailable.

Homework Help

For Children of all ages.

Drop-in, no registration required. Teen volunteers offer math help for kids in grades K-7.

Computers with Internet connection are available for independent work creating or updating your resume, preparing job applications and/or searching online for jobs.

Handouts, books and some staff assistance are available during drop in hours. Bring a flash drive to store your work. Be considerate and share computer space with others.

Music books and more for children ages 18 to 36 months. Storytime lasts 30 minutes followed by playtime.

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more for children 0-5 yrs. Limited to first 42 participants, in line, day of storytime. Tickets for this storytime are handed out at the Children's Room Entrance (entering from playground) only! 

Books, rhymes, music, movement and more for toddlers 18 to 36 months and their caregivers.

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more for ages 3 to 5.

Family Storytime

Join us as we read, sing and play together.  Fun for the entire family from infants to grandparents.

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more for children, ages 3 to 5 years old.

Join in on the fun of storytime! Help your preschoolers foster early literacy skills through dynamic and entertaining books, songs, music, movement, and more. Playtime follows. Please call ahead for class visits.

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more. For children up to 5 years

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more.  For ages 3-5.

eLearning Lab with Ed2Go  is your opportunity to take a choice of hundreds of courses offered through SFPL online!  Ed2Go offers a wide range of highly interactive courses that you can take entirely over the Internet.  All of the courses are led by expert instructors, many of whom are nationally known authors. The online courses are fun, fast, convenient, and best of all free with your San Francisco Public Library card. Each course runs for 6 weeks  and our meeting room space will be available for two hours each week (Tuesdays from 1-3pm) to work on the course using our laptops. The courses available include art, technology, creative writing, business and management, and college preparation.  You can find a full listing here http://www.ed2go.com/l-sfpl/

 We do not provide headphones, so please bring your own.   Space is limited!  Please sign up in advance at the library or by calling 355-2810

Come get help with setting up email accounts, word processing and other basic computer related tasks. 

Rollicking rhymes, songs and books for infants to 18 months and their caregivers.

Do you need homwork help?  Kindergarten through 8th grade students can receive assistance completing their homework, studying for tests, and strengthening language arts and math skills. This is a co-host program between the Visitacion Valley Boys and Girls Club and Visitacion Valley Branch Library

Free photobooth pictures at Excelsior Branch! Bring your friends and leave with a strip of pics. For ages 12-18. Contact Marla at mbergman@sfpl.org or 415-355-2868 for more information.

Come play PS3 games on our big screen in the Potrero meeting room!

We have a selection, but you can bring your own T or E rated games to share.

Challenge your friends to determine who is the ultimate gamer!

♦ Some snacks will be provided! Snacks!!!♦

Ages 10-18 welcome

For more info, contact Lisa Fagundes at lfagundes@sfpl.org or 415 355 3822

Join us when Josh Kornbluth performs "Haiku Tunnel.” This story recounts the neurotic misadventures of a terrific temp ("Josh") who always becomes a terrible "perm” when he is hired by a sinister law firm, Schuyler & Mitchell (S&M) as the secretary to Bob Shelby, a highly intimidating tax attorney who Josh comes to suspect may be Satan.  A book sale & signing follows the event.

Related exhibition: On the Clock: A Playful Guide to Working Life Selections from the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor Main Library, Skylight Gallery, April 1 – May 31.

Toddler Tales

Books, rhymes, music, movement and more for toddlers 18 to 36 months and their caregivers.

Play and Grow: Toddler Fun with Reading, Rhyming and Recreation is an early literacy play group that promotes parents child interaction and kindergarten readiness. The group is intended for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and children birth-age five.

This program is a collaboration effort between Edgewood Center, Parent University, APA Family Support Services, and San Francisco Public Library.

Opera Guild preview lectures are scheduled in communities throughout the greater Bay Area by local Guild chapters. Each preview features a renowned musicologist who may use recordings and/or handouts to familiarize the audience with repertoire from the current season.

Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Speaker: Timothy Flynn

Come to our drop-in computer help class!

This class is geared towards individuals with intermediate-level computer and internet questions!

Rolicking rhymes, songs & books for infants to 18 months and their caregivers.

Rollicking rhymes, songs & books for infants and toddlers to 18 months. Meet and greet playtime follows the program.Limited to first 42 participants, in line, day of storytime. Tickets for this storytime are handed out at the Children's Room Entrance (entering from playground) only!

Trouble with Technology?

We can help!

*email

*laptops

*kindles

*tablets

*cell phones

*digital cameras

*electronic gadgets

Get help from a Teen Computer Corps Volunteer at Chinatown Branch!

Drop in on Wednesdays, 5/22 & 5/29, 3:30 - 5 pm

Anhvu from WritersCorps continues to lead fun and chill creative workshops. Expect arts and crafts like spray painting, bookmaking, altered t-shirts, recycled crafts, and surprise activities. For more info, contact Marla at mbergman@sfpl.org or 415-355-2868.

Volunteer helps elementary school-aged children who want to improve their reading.

Do you need math homework help?  We can help!  Math teacher - volunteer will be on site to answer math homework questions weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4-6pm.

The title for this month is Nadar Desnudas by Carla Guelfenbein.

Spanish language book club.

Club de lectores en español moderado por Chelis López, periodista y locutora de KPOO en el programa Pájaro Latinoamericano.
El ultimo miércoles de cada mes, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Sala Paley, 3ª planta, Biblioteca Central.

Starting kindergarten is a big academic and social step, for both parents and their children. Parents for Public Schools – San Francisco will share parent-to-parent advice and tips to ease families with this transition.

Workshop presented in Cantonese. No child care provided.

For more information, contact Nicole at (415) 355-5660 or nterminigermain@sfpl.org.                

Computer classes in Spanish.

Learn the basics about computers, email and Internet.

Stuart Bronstein, estate planning and probate lawyer in San Francisco for more than 30 years, helps participants create fully functional wills. Bring a blue ink non erasable pen. Class size limited. Sign up begins May 15. See a librarian or call 415-355-5600. All programs at the library are free. 

Did you have an eReader? Did you know that you can check out electronic editions of library books for free? Learn how to enjoy San Francisco Public Library’s collection of more than 40,000 ebooks, eAudiobooks and eVideos at this workshop. Bring your Kindle, Nook, iPad or other eReader device with you and we will show you how to use it to download books and other materials from the Library website.

May meeting of the Mission Branch Book Club.

Title To Be Announced.

For more information, visit the 2nd Floor Information Desk or call 355-5735.

Songs, stories and rhymes for children from birth to 36 months and their caregivers.

Music and books and more for children

Rollicking rhymes, songs, and books for infants to 18 months and their caregivers.

For ages 3 to 5 and parents/caregivers.

We provide the room and the toys! All you need to do is show up.  Meet other parents while your children enjoy playing with each other.  For children from birth to 36 months.

Stories, songs, fingerplays and more for children ages 3-5.

For ages 3 to 5 and parents/caregivers.

Rollicking rhymes, songs and books for infants to 18 months and their caregivers.

May 30 - All May long, SFPL is having a Michael Moore-a-thon during Thursdays @ Noon!

Sicko

(2007, 123 minutes)

A documentary comparing the highly profitable American health care industry to other nations, and HMO horror stories. As the Affordable Care Act has passed into law, this film still remains highly informative and relevant.

FREE book!  Just swap us a review.

Here's how it works: Every Thursday, the Teen Librarian will bring out several books (new titles, old titles, and titles that have not been published yet) and allow teens the chance to browse through them for one that you'd like to keep.  You will, in turn, swap us a review of the book by the end of the month.

For ages 12-18

For more information, contact: Dorcas at dwong@sfpl.org

Come and learn how to make a flower kusudama out of paper! Literally translated as "medicine ball," kusudamas are paper spheres that are made by sewing or gluing folded pieces of paper together. All materials will be provided. Everyone is invited to attend. Instructions will only be in English.

Join us as we read, sing and play together. Fun for the entire family from infants to grandparents.

Books, songs, rhymes, and fun for children of all ages unless noted.

Baby Rhyme Time

Rollicking rhymes, songs and books for infants to 18 months and their caregivers.

The reading selection for this month is Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.  New members welcome!

Legos for architects, engineers and artists of the future. Parents and caregivers are welcome to build with their child! Monthly program for ages 5-12.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson & Liam Hemsworth. Based on Suzanne Collins best-selling trilogy.

Free movies for teens every month! Ages 13 - 18. Snacks provided. Rated PG-13. Approximately 142 minutes. For more info, contact Ileana at ipulu@sfpl.org or (415) 355-5757.

The Tales of Hoffman, by Jacques Offenbach

'A Tale of Three Women'

E.T.A. Hoffman (author of 'The Nutcracker') recalls his three tragic loves: Olympia the mechanical doll; Guilietta the greedy courtesan; and the genuinely good Antonia, who dies despite being treated by 'Dr. Miracle'.  When the drunk Hoffman's current flame Stella appears, he sees her as the embodiment of 'The Three'.  And he rejects her!

"Opera for the People" is a lecture series run by Larry Oppenheim.  Larry is currently President of the Kensington Symphony Orchestra in the East Bay, where he is co-principal oboe and solo English horn.  He also writes the program notes.  Larry's goal is to make classical music more enjoyable and accessible to "all the people".

Each opera in this lecture series is being performed by local companies (Pocket Opera or San Francisco Opera), close to the times of the lectures.  Check out the opera with your newfound knowledge!

Come and join other visually impaired and blind people for a yoga session developed by instructor Nancy Yates with you in mind. The class is every Thursday from 6 to 7:30 pm in the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled. Perfect for Seniors or beginners who want to move in a quiet, safe and purposeful way. We will infuse positive energy as we ease into stretching, balancing, flexibility and strengthening postures that open our lungs, neck, shoulders arms, hips and especially our Hearts.

The Green Bookmobile partners with The Kitchen Sisters, KQED Public Radio, and AIR, Inc. at SFMOMA for "The Making Of...." live. This FREE and open to the public program celebrates makers from throughout the Bay Area to the museum to demonstrate and present what they make and why. Click here for more information.

We'll be parked on 3rd Street outside of the museum store from 10am-3pm. Come peruse our special DIY collection!

Now you can schedule a one-on-one appointment for 30 minutes with a Mission Branch librarian to answer your questions. This special library service will be offered on Fridays at 3:00 p.m. beginning on March 15.

Please call (415) 355-5735 to book your appointment today! Assistance can be provided in English or Spanish. There will be a limit of one appointment per person per month.

Did you know that the library has free online courses that can help you with job search, ESL, GED, computer skills and a host of other programs? Join us at the Learning Lab, sign up for a course and work on your skills! Basic mouse and keyboard skills required; USB drive and headphones recommended.

Limited to 12 learners at a time. Please contact Excelsior Branch to reserve your space.

Join Summer Reading Teen Volunteer Training to help the Summer Reading Program at Chinatown Branch Library and gain community service credits. Limit to twenty-five participants. Pre-registration is required. For teens, ages 13 to 18 years old. For information, please contact Jewel at Chinatown Branch Library, Tel: (415)355-2888 or jewelchen@sfpl.org

Do you need math homework help?  We can help!  Math teacher - volunteer will be on site to answer math homework questions weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4-6pm.

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world's most famous monsters Frankenstein and his bride, the Mumm, a family of werewolves, and more can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

Free movies for teens every month! Ages 11 - 18. Snacks provided. Rated PG. 2012. Approximately 91 minutes. Voices by Adam Sandler, Andy Samburg, Selena Gomez. For more info, call (415) 355-5660.

Volunteer helps elementary school-aged children who want to improve their reading.

Over 400 years old, the Hamamatsu Festival is a celebration held each year in the town of Hamamatsu, Japan, from May 3 to May 5. Local towns which participate in the kite battles and float parades of the festival create cotton banners, called tenugui, with unique designs and colors that act as logos to help spectators identify the different groups competing. The library will be presenting over 100 of these tenugui cloths, along with the history of one of Japan’s most prominent events.

During the 1960s and 1970s San Francisco photographer Phiz Mezey photographed some of the significant events in the City's history.  This exhibit takes the viewer on a tour of San Francisco during this time. Highlights include the redevelopment of Western Addition, the San Francisco State Strike, personalities such as Martin Luther King Jr., Jimi Hendrix, James Baldwin and others.

Related programs:
Sunday March 3: Meet the artist Phiz Mezey, Main Library, Latino Hispanic Community Room, 1:00;
Thursday April 11 The Fillmore, Film and Discussion, Main Library, Koret, 5:30.

A photo exhibit of contemporary China, highlighting a new wave of cultural reforms bringing greater creativity in the arts, literature and design, along with innovations in technology and new safeguards for China’s cultural heritage. From the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco.

Works for Me: Diligence and Drudgery, with Some Distractions,  a book cover display  in  General Collections on the third floor of the Main Library.

California Dreaming: poems from California poets selected by Library staff.    
Join us for an exhibition of poems by California poets, lining the atrium on the third floor of the Main Library.  The 15 poems were selected by Library staff and represent some of our favorite poetry.  The exhibit will be up from April 1 (National Poetry Month) to December 1, 2013.  The poets are both well-known (Alejandro Murguia and Al Young) and new to the scene (Stewart Shaw and Monica Xu).  We're sure you will find something to love in this exhibit. 

Make your next trip to the Library a literary one with these wonderful poets.

The Library's annual wit & humor exhibition examines the subject of work. Most of our lives are taken up with searching for and keeping a job; how about finding a job that we love? This exhibition draws on the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor to find the the lighter side of employment: a completely silly guide to working life. 

RELATED EXHIBITION & DISPLAY

April 1-May 31: S.S. Adams, the Edison of Practical Jokes.           Exhibition, Government Information Center, 5th Floor

April 1-May 31: Works for Me: Diligence and Drudgery, With Some Distractions. A book cover display, General Collections & Humanities, 3rd Floor

RELATED PROGRAMS

April 3: Elect to Laugh: An Evening with Political Satirist Will Durst.      Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 6:30pm

May 28: Josh Kornbluth presents Haiku Tunnel. Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 6:00pm

Thursdays at Noon (Large Screen Videos)
On the Clock: Films About Jobs and Working Life. Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 12 noon

April 4: High Fidelity
April 11: Trading Places
April 18: Up in the Air
April 25: The Associate

All films are shown with captions when possible to assist our deaf and hard of hearing. All program at the Library are free.

Images: Harold Lloyd, Master Comedian by Jeffrey Vance and Suzanne Lloyd (2002); all others courtesy San Francisco History Center, SFPL.

The San Francisco Public Library presents S.S. Adams, the Edison of Practical Jokes. This exhibit is a collection of patents from, professional prankster, Soren S. Adams. The exhibition opens April 1st and continues through May 31st, on the fifth Floor of the Main Library.

S.S. Adams went from humble origins to inventing many of the famous practical jokes including the joy buzzer, sneezing powder, and the dribble glass. Soren Sorenson Adams was a first generation immigrant from Denmark. While working for a dye company in 1904, he realized that derivative of one of the dyes caused people to sneeze. He decided to market this product as “Sneezing Powder” to use to prank unsuspecting groups of people. He patented a delivery method and started the Cachoo Sneeze Powder Company. It proved to be very popular, though controversial.

Andy Diaz Hope and Laurel Roth are San Francisco artists who often collaborate in addition to their solo careers. Their most recent work together is a triptych of tapestries inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries and structured on the three fundamental conflicts in literature - Human vs Nature, Human vs Him/Herself, and Human vs Human. The first tapestry, Allegory of the Monoceros, illustrates the end of Darwinian natural selection and the growth of human-centric evolution. The second, Allegory of the Infinite Mortal, portrays a garden for contemplation of the scientific and philosophical structures humans have used throughout history to explore the concepts of infinity and immortality and our place therein. The third tapestry was created during their fellowship at the de Young Museum and explores how cooperation and conflict have shaped human evolution. Each tapestry began with extensive research at the San Francisco Public Library.

Born in Berkeley, California, artist and photographer Ronald Hirano, a Deaf Nisei, was "adopted" by Miss Delight Rice, who founded the Philippine School for the Deaf in 1907, when his entire family was interned to relocation camps with 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II.

This exhibition of his works includes photography, linoleum-engraved and designed covers of the California News (the newspaper from the California School for the Deaf), linoleum-engraved cards and pen and ink cards.

From the first obscure titles published by a feminist publishing cooperative in the 1970s through to titles published in last year, Randall Tarpey-Schwed brings to the San Francisco Public Library his unique collection of books that portray gay or lesbian parents. Here is the opportunity to view over seventy books which illustrate how this unique genre evolved despite political controversy. The exhibition also shows how society’s view of the LGBT community has changed.

Related Event: Book talk and discussion with Randall Tarpey-Schwed

Tuesday, May 14
6 PM
Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room, Lower Level

Step to Poetry is a colorful literary art installation on the Main Library's staircase written by WritersCorps youth. The youth, who range in age from 12 to 19, attend an afterschool workshop run by WritersCorps at the Main Library. The installation will be on view from May 10 through June 10, and consists of nine brief poems about popular culture.

A launch event will take place on Friday, May 17 at 6 pm, featuring a stair crawl from the first to fifth floors with WritersCorps youth performing their poems along the way. Space is limited and an RSVP to the event is required as the event takes place after library hours. Contact hello@writerscorps.org or (415) 252-2546.

Afro-Futurism:  Envisioning the Year 2070 and Beyond uses art to create a future for us to aspire to.  It comes from an African American perspective.  Runaway slave and heroine Harriet Tubman once said, "I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."  

Over 100 years later, writer James Baldwin praised Black revolutionaries for daring to break down barriers.  He wrote in a 1970 letter to activist Angela Davis:  "The enormous revolution in black consciousness which has occurred in your generation, my dear sister, means the beginning or the end of America. Some of us, white and Black, know how great a price has been paid to bring into existence a new consciousness, a new people, an unprecedented nation." 

What will be the Black consciousness in the year 2070, one hundred years after James Baldwin's letter?  

Curated by  Kheven LaGrone

Related Event: In commemoration of Juneteenth, an artists reception/talk will take place on Sunday, June 16, 2013

Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium, 2 PM

An exhibit of photographs that explore the history of the “north shore” of San Francisco.

Exhibit opening: Friday, May 24, 1 PM

Marina Branch Library