Woodland Branch News

Summer is a great time for road trips, whether you're going with your family or trying out that new driver's license yourself. We even have a program for teens called "Read Across America," where you can earn raffle tickets for reading books that take place in different states. We also have lots of books about road trips, if you just feel like reading about hitting . . . more »

Summer is just around the corner, and the library has planned a lot of fun programs to keep you busy. In addition to the ongoging summer reading program and Read Across America, the Woodland Branch will have special events for teens on the third Wednesdays of each month. They are open to all youth aged 12-18 (with exceptions), no registration is required, and everything is . . . more »

As somebody who has endured many long commutes over the years (longest was 95 miles each way!), I am always looking for new ways to keep from getting too bored. The radio or iPod can only entertain for so long, and fiction audiobooks can be hard to follow while driving... so I personally prefer listening to lighthearted non-fiction, usually comedic memoirs or political humor. Here . . . more »

Looking for something to do this summer, which will also look good on your resume and/or college applications? Apply for a summer internship with Assemblyman Rich Gordon! The Assemblyman's office is now accepting applications from high school and college level students for part-time internships. They are seeking students who are community-oriented, proactive, and have a genuine interest in public service. They will be based in . . . more »

The annual Speaking Volumes series, brought to you by the Los Altos Library Endowment (LALE), has so far featured two speakers who later went on to win Pulitzer Prizes. The speaker for 2009, T.J. Stiles, won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his book The First Tycoon: the Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Then last year's speaker, Stanford professor Adam Johnson (pictured at left), . . . more »

April is officially National Poetry Month, and to celebrate we are holding a system-wide teen poetry contest! The lucky winner will receive a gift card, along with other honors such as having your poem published in our annual poetry book. For more information, visit this link: http://www.sccl.org/teens/poetry-contest Even if you're not a teen, or not interested in entering the contest, you can still honor the . . . more »

The Los Altos Library Endowment is sponsoring an essay contest now through April 12. Essays are to be themed on the Virginia Whipple Collection of Teaching Company Great Courses, a gift of the Endowment. First place winner will receive $200, second place is $100! The contest rules include: You must have a Santa Clara County Library card. One entry per person, based on one or . . . more »

1. Walden Pond: Fans of Henry David Thoreau should enjoy seeing the inspiration for his well-known book, Walden, at the real Walden Pond where Thoreau lived from 1845-1847. His book helped to raise awareness for environmental awareness, and because of this legacy, the Pond was designated a National Historic Landmark and is considered the birthplace of the conservation movement. Walden 2. Holcomb, Kansas: Author Truman . . . more »

Over the years it's been a common practice to adapt popular books into films, and in most cases, the movies fail to live up to their literary counterparts. But then again, sometimes they surpass it! While these are obviously subjective opinions, many would agree that the following movie adaptations were better than their book counterparts. That is not to say the books are necessarily bad . . . more »

The Woodland Branch Library is thrilled to host Sue Diaz, author of the book Minefields of the Heart, for an in-person talk on Thursday, March 14th at 6pm. This public event is part of Silicon Valley Reads 2013, presented by Santa Clara County Library District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, and San Jose Public Library Foundation. All events are free to attend, and no . . . more »