eReader and eBook Drop In Class, Tuesday, March 11, 7-8:30pm

Would you like to download free eBooks and free eAudiobooks to your tablet, smartphone or eReader? Come to our drop-in class and have a librarian show you how.

No registration required.

eReader and eBook drop-in, Tuesday, January 14, 7-8:30pm

Did you get a Kindle or an iPad for Christmas? Would you like to download free eBooks and free eAudiobooks to your tablet, smartphone or eReader? Come to our drop-in class and have a librarian show you how.

No registration required.

Best Books of 2013 lists

It is the time of the year when best books of the year lists sprout like mushrooms after the rain. We in no way attempt a complete list but here are some that caught our eye:

NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide to 2013's Great Reads

The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2013

The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2013

San Francisco Chronicle Top 10 Books of 2013

San Francisoc Chronicle 100 Recommended Books of 2013

Wall Street Journal Best Fiction of 2013

Wall Street Journal Best Nonfiction of 2013

 Huffington Post Top 10 Best and Worst Books of 2013

San Francisco Public Library Librarians' Favorite Books of 2013

Divas, Dames, and Daredevils: A talk and slideshow by author Mike Madrid

Wonder Woman, Mary Marvel, and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle ruled the pages of comic books in the 1940s, but many other heroines of the WWII era have been forgotten. Divas, Dames & Daredevils reintroduces their ingenious abilities to mete out justice to Nazis, aliens, and evildoers of all kinds. His book reveals a universe populated by extraordinary women—superheroes, reporters, galactic warriors, daring detectives, and ace fighter pilots—who protected America and the world with wit and guile. The book introduces us to heroines with striking similarities to more modern superheroes, including The Spider Queen, who deployed web shooters20 years before Spider Man, and Marga the Panther Woman, whose feral instincts and sharp claws tore up the bad guys long before Wolverine. These women may have been overlooked in the annals of history, but their influence on popular culture, and the heroes we’re passionate about today, is unmistakable.

Mike Madrid is the author of Divas, Dames & Daredevils: Lost Heroines of Golden Age Comics and The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, an NPR “Best Book To Share With Your Friends” and American Library Association Amelia Bloomer Project Notable Book. Madrid, a San Francisco native and lifelong fan of comic books and popular culture, also appears in the documentary Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines.

eReader Drop-In, Tuesday, December 10, 7-8:30pm

Did you buy an eReader or tablet on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Come by on Tuesday and learn how to download eBooks onto your Kindle, iPad, Nook or other device.

No reservation needed.

Celebrate Latino Hispanic Heritage Month at Excelsior Branch this fall

We have multiple fun programs for all ages lined up to celebrate Latino Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15.

We start out with a Mexican Chocolate Storytime on Saturday, September 21 at 11:30am. Learn about the ancient tradition of Mexican chocolate or cacahuatl with books, songs, rhymes and a special tasting to follow. This is for children of all ages and their families.

Continuing with a food theme, join us on Tuesday, October 8 at 7pm to learn about tamales,  watch a tamale making demonstration, make your own to take home and taste some freshly steamed tamales. This program is for everybody aged 5 and older. Space is limited to 25 people. First come, first served.

And last but not least we have a mural craft program for teens and tweens on Wednesday, October 9, 3:30-5pm. Join Precita Eyes Muralists in creating a chalk art mural. Come up with a theme for the mural and learn techniques for using chalk pastel. The mural will be displayed in the library once completed.

Also check out our branch displays of non-fiction books and novels with a Latino Hispanic Heritage theme as well as as slideshow of  historical images of Hispanic Americans in San Francisco on our digital display.

One City One Book - Get your copy now!

Our copies of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother - the One City One Book selection for 2013 - have arrived. They'll be going fast, so come by today to get your copy! If all our copies are checked out - or if you prefer to read Little Brother on your phone or tablet, you can download a free digital version at http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/


There are lots of events city-wide including a scavenger hunt at the Main Library on Saturday, September 14. Click here for a list of events and see below for the events here at Excelsior Branch:

LED Robot Plushie Workshop + Little Brother Book Discussion, Wednesday, September 18, 3-5pm (for teens ages 13-19, registration required)

Protecting Your Privacy Online, Monday, October 30, 7-8pm

Author event and live music performance with Dan Caro, Wednesday, August 21, 7-8:30pm

Local author and jazz drummer, Dan Caro, shares excerpts from his book The Gift of Fire: How I Made Adversity Work for Me, in addition to stories of writing his debut work. You will by inspired as Dan demonstrates, in spite of losing his hands and fingers from a childhood burn accident, his drumming abilities in a live music performance. This is an event not to miss!

Season of the Witch - An author event with David Talbot, Tuesday, July 16, 7-8:30pm

San Francisco history buffs, join us for an author reading with David Talbot who will talk about his bestseller Season of the Witch, the May/June On the Same Page book club selection.

David Talbot recounts the gripping story of San Francisco in the turbulent years between 1967 and 1982 – and of the extraordinary men and women who led to the city's ultimate rebirth and triumph. Season of the Witch is the first book to fully capture the dark magic of San Francisco in this breathtaking period, when the city radically changed itself – and then revolutionized the world.

A book sale by Bird & Beckett Books and signing will follow the program.

eBooks and Libraries

Have you ever wondered why downloading an ebook from libraries involves so many steps? Read this article on Digitaltrends.com and find out more about the issues involved: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/e-book-library-lending-broken-difficult/

But - don't forget that your librarians at San Francisco Public Library have created some excellent ebook tutorials that will guide you through the process step by step. You can find the tutorials here: http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=0000063401

And if you still have questions, bring your eReader to one of our ebook classes:
http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=1100000001&s=191

Happy eReading everybody!

Need a reading recommendation?

Did you sign up for Summer Reading already? If not, sign up here: http://sfpl.org/summerreading

And now that you are signed up, do you need a reading recommendation? Then check out our display of staff reading recommendations at our branch or look at our online Pinterest board of reading recommendations here: http://pinterest.com/excelsiorbranch/excelsior-branch-staff-suggestions/

Enjoy your Summer Reading!

eBook Show and Tell, Tuesday, June 4, 7-8:30

Do 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 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.

On the Same Page books are here!

The March/April On the Same Page books are here, so come in and check one out now! The selection for March and April is The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones, a historical novel in which an elegant party at a manor house is interupted by a crowd of mysterious and not altogether savory survivors who seek shelter after a dreadful accident.

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote about the book: “Vividly atmospheric…niftily deceptive…a story of shattered snobbery, transformation of character and in the end a surprising and eerily beautiful portrait of compassion…A sublimely clever book.”

First Friday Tutorial: How to determine the sequence of books in a series

If you are a series reader, you know that it is sometimes difficult to determine the sequence of books in a series. Watch this tutorial in our First Friday Tutorial series to find out how the NoveList database can help you with that.

Holiday Mysteries display

Are the Holidays too sweet for you? Check out our new display of Holiday Mysteries!

And for even more reading recommendations, check out this long list of holiday mysteries from Winter Park Public Library:

http://www.wppl.org/resources/RecReading/Mysteries/Holiday.html

And if mysteries are not your thing, we also have a display of craft books and a winter craft program for adults on Tuesday, December 11, 7-8:30pm. So come on by during this holiday season!

SFPL Librarian Favorite Books of 2012

Are you interested in seeing which books were favorites with San Francisco Public Library librarians this year? Click the link or the picture to find out: https://pinterest.com/sfpubliclibrary/sfpl-librarian-favorite-books-of-2012/

What was your favorite read of 2012? Let us know in the comments! We always like to hear from our readers.

Excited about the Giants? Check out our new display!

Come by Excelsior Branch and check out one of the many books we have on the Giants to read in between World Series games!

On the Same Page author reading and talk, Wednesday, August 29, 7pm

Filipino-American author Lysley Tenorio will be at Excelsior Branch to talk about and read from his short story collection Monstress, the On the Same Page city-wide bookclub selection for July/August.

Monstress introduces a bold new writer who explores the clash and meld of disparate cultures. Lysley Tenorio reveals the lives of people on the outside looking in with rare skill, humor, and deep understanding, in stories exploring the fantastical and the realistic, the familiar and the strange.

A book sale and signing follows the event. Please join us for this literary treat!

Need a Summer Read?

Do you like flowcharts? Do you need a summer reading recommendation? Check out this fun summer reading flowchart with 101 book recommendations compiled by teach.com (http://teach.com/great-educational-resources/summer-reading-flowchart) Click on the image to get the complete flowchart!

Also don't forget that your librarians at SFPL have compiled several lists with reading suggestions based on this years Summer Read SF theme of San Francisco. You can find a link to them on the Summer Read SF page on our website: http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=0000058001

June is Audiobook Month!

Did you know that the library not only has lots of books but lots of audiobooks as well? And did you know that listening to audiobooks counts as reading for our Summer Read SF? We have audiobooks on CD that you can check out at the library and we also have eAudiobooks that can be downloaded through our website and played on a variety of devices like ipods, ipads, smartphones or computers.

So treat yourself to one of the many audiobooks in our collection, for example by browing our monthly list of new titles for audiobooks on CD and eAudiobooks! If you have questions, feel free to ask a reference librarian for help.