On November 21, 1999, after a major renovation, the E. P. Foster Library reopened to the public.  The showpiece of the opening was the glass art installation in the front entrance entitled "Matrix", by artist Sally Weber.  The piece was commissioned by the City of San Buenaventura Public Art Program. This unique piece is constructed of digital images laminated within glass panels.  Embedded within the panels are lines of poetry and quotations along with visual patterns reflecting the evolution of written language.  In a sense, digital art and coding has as much in common with pictographs as any other form of communication.  Much like stained glass windows in churches, the colors of Matrix are enhanced by solar illumination. There are times when the light shining through Foster's front entrance is reminiscent of sacred spaces, reminding us that this is truly a place where one can enhance the intellect through education or entertainment.

If you are inspired by Matrix, Foster Library has books available on glass painting and stained glass art.

While perusing the many graphic novels available in our children’s collection, I happened upon a nice surprise.  Called Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, it is a collection of seven short stories all centered around the theme of a box and the various mysteries that lie therein. Some boxes contain mysterious dolls of wax, some can take you into outer space, and some can lead you to those you’ve loved and lost.  Each is told and drawn by a different author, ranging from funny and cute to serious and even sad. The drawing styles are as different as the stories they convey, but all made for a good read.

My particular favorite was Whatzit, written by Johane Matte, a contributor to the Flight series as well as a storyboard artist for the Dreamworks studio. Whatzit tells the tale of a young fellow responsible for shipping a replica of our solar system to a special exhibition. There’s a box for every item in the universe, right down to every creature on every planet. However, there’s one box with a question mark.  Now, curiosity being the rule rather than the exception, you can guess something’s going to go wrong, and it has something to do with that box. It’s a funny little story, the best of the bunch I would say.

The book itself is small by graphic novel standards, less than 130 pages, so the stories have to really jump in to get the ball rolling. I easily finished it in one sitting, but the stories contained here could easily be expanded into full length graphic novels on their own. That would be worth reading. In the meantime, enjoy this delightful little read.

CSU Channel Islands (CI) and the Ventura County Library are pleased to announce the 2013 CSU Channel Islands Lecture Series, a free, regular event featuring speakers from the CI faculty at the E.P. Foster Library in downtown Ventura.  The series is a new initiative inviting the public to learn more about the research and work of CI professors and to engage in discussions on a variety of timely, thought-provoking and regionally relevant topics. 

All lectures will be held at 6 p.m. in the Topping Room at E.P. Foster Library, 651 East Main Street, Ventura.  At the conclusion of their hour-long presentations, the speakers will engage in Q&A with the audience.

 Following are currently scheduled speakers, topics, dates, times and brief bios: 

"Early Farm Worker Housing on the Oxnard Plain”

Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m., with Dr. Frank Barajas, Professor of U.S. History

Dr. Barajas specializes in the history of Southern California.  He has published peer-reviewed essays on agricultural labor in Ventura County, the Sleepy Lagoon Trial, the Oxnard schools, and the 2004 implementation of a civil gang injunction in the City of Oxnard.  In addition to his book, Curious Unions: Mexican American Workers and Resistance in Oxnard, California, 1898-1961, Professor Barajas has published opinion essays in Amigos805, The History News Service, The Bakersfield Californian, and the Ventura County Star.

“Evolution of Surfing and the Culture Surrounding It”

Wednesday, April 24, with Professor of Art Jack Reilly

Professor Jack Reilly attributes his career as an artist largely to surfing.  He began surfing in the mid-1960s at the age of 14.  Later, as a surf shop owner and board painter, he discovered his love for art, prompting him to leave the beach to study painting in Paris and earn his M.F.A. at Florida State University.  Reilly is an internationally renowned artist, widely recognized as one of the key players in the Los Angeles art scene and the “Abstract Illusionism” movement.  He has continued surfing as an important aspect of his life, while maintaining his art and teaching careers.  In addition to chairing CI’s Art Program, Reilly also teaches a course called "Zen of Surfing.”  Throughout Reilly’s 47 years of surfing, he has observed many cultural shifts, from the surfer as “outlaw” to the worldwide acceptance and professionalism of the sport.  Reilly will also discuss how innovative technologies are involved in the production of surfing equipment, along with the extensive use of the Internet in long-range wave prediction and the observation of surf local conditions.

“Tearing the Fabric: Exploring and Predicting Elevated Vertebrate Road Kill from Ventura County to Louisiana to the Middle East”

Wednesday, May 22, with Dr. Sean Anderson, Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management

Sean Anderson is a broadly trained ecologist who has tackled environmental questions from Alaska to the South Pole.  His energetic and innovative teaching efforts have garnered local and national recognition and spawned the eponymous “Sean Anderson” character (played by Josh Hutcherson) in Warner Brother’s Journey to the Center of the Earth film franchise.  He will share results from his ongoing 7-year survey to document the location and diversity of road-associated mortality across coastal Southern California.  The roadkill study focuses on hard-to-detect species of concern and small vertebrates, as well as enabling successful crossings and reducing vertebrate mortality events.

All lectures are free and open to the public, with complimentary parking behind the E.P. Foster Library.

Hey Diddle Diddle:

Hey diddle diddle,
The Cat and the fiddle,
The Cow jumped over the moon,
The little Dog laughed to see such sport,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon

Hickory Dickory Dock:

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down!
Hickory Dickory Dock

Little Miss Muffet:
Little Miss Muffet
Sat on her Tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away

The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems and songs for young children in Britain  and many other countries, but in North America the term "Mother Goose Rhymes" is often used.

It has been argued that nursery rhymes set to music aid in a child's development, which leads to greater success in school in the subjects of mathematics and science (R. Bayley, Foundations of Literacy: A Balanced Approach to Language, Listening and Literacy Skills in the Early Years, 2004).

Isn’t it great when something that is just fun to do turns out to be an early literacy benefit?

I would be remiss in my duties as a graphic novel reviewer if I didn’t include some titles suitable for children. To be honest, it gives me a legitimate reason for reading them (like I really need an excuse). So, for my first foray into children’s GN’s (graphic novels), I chose a darling book called Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires.
 
Binky, the reader will discover, is no ordinary cat. He is a Space Cat, certified by F.U.R.S.T. (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel), and it his mission to patrol his space station (home) and watch for aliens (bugs) in outer space (outside), all with his trusty toy mouse, Ted, by his side. He trains everyday to be on guard against the aliens, outsmarting and eating any that dare to invade his space station. When his humans have to leave the space station, Binky realizes he will need to build a rocket ship in order to protect them. Building his rocket from parts found throughout the house, he is ready to leave when he realizes he’s forgotten something. What could it be?

Binky the Space Cat is just plain adorable and you’ll find yourself laughing at his comic adventures, whether he is training on the flight simulator (also known as a ceiling fan) or building a rocket ship in his cat box. He’s a sweetly drawn fat cat that anyone would love, whether you’re a cat person or not. Even my husband found this book amusing. Kids will get a kick out of his vivid imagination as he continues in his quest to defeat bugs everywhere. It’s a fun read for all ages.

Heather, the Graphic Novel Goddess

Book Club Packs are now available at E.P. Foster library.

What is a Book Club Pack? A bag with 8 titles of a single book. Some supplemental items are included, like a reading guide or discussion questions.

How do I check the books out? One person uses a Ventura County Library card to check out all 8 books.

How long can I have the 8 books? You can check out the bag for one month at a time. In order to prepare for the next group, we will set your due date to the next-to-last day of the month. Late fines are $2.00 a day!

Can I have it sent to another library? In order to keep to our schedule, and so you don't lose days with the pack, we prefer you pick the bag up at Foster.

What titles do you have? Currently we have:

How do I sign up? Call Sara at 641-4414 and she will put you on the list for a month!

See our guide for more information. Sponsored by San Buenaventura Friends of the Library.

The Giant Coreopsis is a woody perennial plant native to California and Baja California. The stem is a trunk that can grow up to 8 feet tall and up to 5 inches in diameter.  Bright green leaves and flowers are on the top of the trunk, the rest of the trunk is bare. The flowers are yellow and daisy-like, which isn't too surprising since it is in the same family as sunflowers and daisies.  The flowers are usually about 3 inches in diameter and bloom from mid to late February through the beginning of May, depending on weather conditions.  In full bloom the plant looks very much like a bouquet of flowers growing on the coastal hillsides.

It has a bare trunk in summer and can be found on the north and central Southern California coast, the California Channel Islands, and further south on Guadalupe Island, Mexico. It thrives in frost-free areas because its stem is succulent.  Storing water in this way makes the plants tolerant to drought but especially susceptible to frost. The name, Coreopsis, comes from the Greek word, koris, which means “bug”, and refers to the tick-like shape of its fruit.  Individual leaves can be up to 10 inches long, are stringy and form shaggy clusters at the end of the branches.  When their blooming season is over, the plants form ugly, alien-looking stalks.  Once you've seen these unique plants in bloom, you'll never look at them the same way again.

You don't have to travel along the coast to see these amazing plants, which grow only in a limited corridor of our coastline.  The Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in the Ventura Harbor has a botanical garden which features plants native to the Channel Islands, which includes the Giant Coreopsis.  If you would like to find out more about these fascinating specimens, and other wildflowers native to California, you can check out these books at E. P. Foster Library.