Mark your calendar on October 5 at 5 p.m. for a fun and informative author reading by Julie Whitesel Weston, author of The Good Times Are All Gone Now. This non-fiction work set in a small mining town in Idaho is, in part, a story of the fortitude of the human spirit. It will inspire readers to discover what we can accomplish if we help each other in hard times. Julie grew up in Kellogg, Idaho, where her home was a long block from the mine entrance to the Bunker Hill Mine and next door to the hospital where her father doctored the miners and other townspeople.

During a bitter labor strike Weston worked after school for a local lawyer who represented a new union. Weston left Kellog knowing that some day she would become a lawyer. The mountains, the mines, and the people all influenced this book. Join us for the reading and refreshments around the library fireplace.

Speaking of author readings, we had a great turn out for Molly Swan-Sheeran’s poetry reading and now have copies of her chap books available to those interested in the diverse and delicious verses of an island poet, all shelved on New Books on Display 811.1 SWA.

The inspiring environmental documentary “Red Gold” will be showing at the library on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Synopsis: The Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska is home to the Kvichak and Nushagak rivers, the two most prolific sockeye salmon runs left in the world. Two mining companies, Northern Dynasty Minerals and Anglo American, have proposed an open-pit and under-ground mine at the headwaters of the two rivers. The area is the second largest deposit of copper, gold and molybdenum ever discovered and has an estimated value of more than $300 billion. Despite promises of a clean project by mining officials, the accident-plagued history of hard rock mining has wrought one of the biggest land use issues Alaska has ever faced. Red Gold is our attempt to give a face to the issue, and give a voice to the people of Bristol Bay who depend on this extraordinary fishery. We set out to create a different kind of environmental documentary–one that gives all sides a chance to be seen and heard. Red Gold is more about the place and its people than the facts and numbers. For the first time, Bristol Bay’s subsistence, commercial and sport-fishing communities have joined together for a common cause. Running time: 57 minutes.

The CDC has created a great H1N1 (swine) Flu resource online with valuable information for local businesses and other public venues to help prevent the further spread of this new virus. Here is the web site and it is also linked at the top of the library’s home page http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/ Description of the types of information available on this site, according to the CDC: “The health of employees during an outbreak such as H1N1 influenza plays a critical role in the continued operations of a business.

Business operations that require close contact with fellow employees and the public face special considerations in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.” Included are guidance documents, podcasts and other resources developed by CDC.

Remember, sing “Happy Birthday” while washing your hands and by the time you are done those pesky virus-carrying germs will be gone. Here’s to healthy and frequent hand-washing, Lopez.

Laura Tretter, Director, San Juan Library

Art at the San Juan Island Library is back. Not that we haven’t had any art at the library, but we haven’t had our community art exhibits since before our remodel in 2004. One of the best things about these art exhibits in the library was that they provided an opportunity for the community to view art primarily by local artists. And it gave beginning artists a place to show their work to see how it feels to exhibit.

Diane Martindale agreed to take on chairing our committee to bring back community art to the library.

This means that on designated days anyone including amateurs, beginners, professionals and talented children, can bring in art in keeping with the theme for that time period. The art committee will hang the works up for all to see and enjoy until the next pick up-drop off date. This way the whole community can enjoy a changing panorama of art at the library.

In planning for art in the library Diane Martindale said, “Compared to the wall spaces available years ago, today’s remodeled library has smaller walls. Thus, we don’t have space for very many large works of art. On your next trip in to the library, look around and see if you have created art that the rest of us can enjoy.”

As of this writing works from our permanent collection are on display.

2009-2010 Schedule:

Sept. 19, 2009 San Juan People at Work and Play

Nov. 7, 2009 Winter Wonderland

Jan. 23, 2010 Art Quilts

April 17, 2010 Gardener’s Dream

June 26, 2010 Artist’s Choice

Sept. 11, 2010 Permanent Collection

Works of art are to be brought in and picked up on the above Saturdays from

10 a.m. – noon. Call 370-5814 with any questions.