“Oakleaf” above this line.

Visit the Library website at www.toaks.org/library

January/February 2013

The Newsletter of the Thousand Oaks Library

The Chinese New Year may not be until February, but we’re going to be celebrating it at the Grant R. Brimhall Library on Saturday, January 26, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. Join us for a Chinese New Year Celebration featuring musicians and

soloists from the Reverie Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Thousand Oaks Chinese Folk Ensemble. Dances like the traditional lion dance will be included, as well as a tea ceremony. Bring the whole family and celebrate with us. Light refreshments will be provided. v

Celebrate the Chinese New Year

Local resident and Holocaust survivor Ruth M. Drobman recently donated $500 to the Thousand Oaks Library to establish a Holocaust memorial collection of books. The collection consists of over 25 books for children of all ages, from the very young to teenagers. The books will be used and read by children, parents, teachers and librarians, and will help educate local residents about the Holocaust, as well as serving as a valuable memorial to those whose lives were impacted or taken by the Holocaust. Each book in the collection purchased with funds donated by Drobman contains a memorial gift plate that says, “Donated by Ruth M. Drobman in Memory of the

Holocaust Collection EstablishedHolocaust.” Some of the books in the collection include, Kristallnacht: The Nazi Terror That Began the Holocaust by James M. Deem, We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries

of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust by Jacob Boas, Why Did the Holocaust Happen? by Sean Sheehan, and Recuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport

by Deborah Hodge. “It can be difficult to teach children about the tragedies of the Holocaust, and these books put valuable tools in the hands of parents and educators for years to come,” says Nancy Schram, Deputy Library Director, who helped coordinate the donation. The Library’s

Collection Manager (continues on page 4)

Ruth Drobman (center) with Library Director Steve Brogden and Deputy Library Director Nancy Schram.

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LIBRARYNews Notes

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Members of Girl Scout Troop 63021 recently made a film featuring the fish in the Grant R. Brimhall Library’s 3,600 gallon saltwater aquarium called “A Fish’s Story.” Their intent was to produce a film to help raise awareness of the Library’s aquarium, according to Patricia Smart, troop co-leader and librarian. Smart oversaw the project along with troop co-leader Elsbeth Buckland. Both Smart and Buckland have daughters in Troop 63021, which is part of the Conejo Valley Service Unit. Also helping out with the film were Smart’s husband Ed, a film composer, and Australian film director Lynda Turnbull, who now calls Thousand Oaks home.

Troop members studied the fish in the aquarium, and even took a field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach where a marine scientist provided them with a behind-the-scenes tour. For the film, each Troop member “adopted” a particular type of fish to impersonate on camera, such as the tomato clownfish and the dogface puffer. In the film,

they discuss each fish’s unique traits which they learned from the aquarium’s contractor, Marv Stanton of Executive Aquarium and Pond Service. The short film earned the Troop the first of the three major awards in Girl Scouting, the Bronze Award for accomplishments at the Junior level. After wrapping up nearly a year’s worth of work on their research project, the girls received their Bronze awards at a ceremony in June at Berniece Bennett Park in Westlake Village. The saltwater aquarium can be found in the corridor that connects the adult and children’s sections at the Grant R. Brimhall Library. The aquarium was originally presented as a gift to the children of Thousand Oaks from the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library in June 2006. Scan the code (at right) to watch “A Fish’s Story” and find out more about the fish in the Thousand Oaks Library’s aquarium. v

Girl Scouts Make Fishy Film

January 30 - How to Pay the Bills After the Paychecks Stop — Learn four common financial strategies to arrange retirement income and the pros and cons of each. There will also be a discussion of risks to watch out for in retirement and the four steps to take in order to ensure a predictable and dependable stream of income in retirement. Led by Financial Planner Paul Norr, CFP, CRPC who specializes in transitions for people in their 50s and 60s.February 27 – How to Find Your Roots — Have you always wanted to know who your ancestors are or at least where your family came from to get to this melting pot of the United States? And where do you even start looking? Learn

How to... Free Series Begins

On the last Wednesday of the month, 1:00 p.m. at Grant R. Brimhall Library

Coming up in March:

2-Day Spring Used Book Sale sponsored by the

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library

Friday, March 1, 2013 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

AND Saturday, March 2, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Newbury Park Branch Library2331 Borchard Road

Newbury ParkFind a large selection of specially priced books, many suitable for

gift-giving.

v

Fascinating First LadiesMarch 9, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Grant R. Brimhall Library

Who was the First Lady who requested that “Hail to the

Chief” be played routinely for all presidential entrances? Learn who this First Lady was and more trivia from Jim Neilson who will present the program “Fascinating First Ladies.” Jim is currently the

President of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library and

is an active docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential

Museum and Library.

HappyNew Year!

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The Thousand Oaks Libraryhas recently added these materials

to its collection:

FICTION

NON-FICTION

Information AdvantageWhen you need reliable information, take advantage of the

powerful research tools available at your library.

NEWArrivals

Featured Resource: New Book Alerts With New Book Alerts, it is easier than ever to keep track of new addi-tions to the Thousand Oaks Library’s collection and place holds quickly and easily. By simply entering your email address, a colorful weekly newsletter will be sent to you showcasing all the new books, spoken word, DVDs and music added to the library’s collection that week. To access this new service, click on the Bestseller Lists icon on the li-brary’s website at www.toaks.org/library, then select the “New Book Alerts” logo. Alerts are available via email or RSS feed. In the weekly newsletter, selected titles with cover art and annotations are displayed. Links to the title in the library’s catalog, more informa-tion about the book and a Google preview are provided. At the top of the newsletter is a link to View Current Edition Online. This page will display the current newsletter titles (7 days) with links to 14 days and 30 days to broaden access to other recently received new materials.

Since its introduction to Hawaii in 1879, the ‘ukulele has been many things: a symbol of an island paradise; a tool of political protest; an instrument central to a rich musical culture; a musical joke; a cheap airport souvenir; and the product of a remarkable synthesis of western and Pacific cultures. On February 23, 2013, Jim Tranquada, author of the new book, The ‘Ukulele: A History, explores all of these facets, placing the ‘uke in a broad historical, cultural, and musical context. Drawing on a wealth of previously untapped sources, Tranquada will talk about the surprising story of the obscure four-string Portuguese folk guitar that became the national instrument of Hawaii. A former newspaper reporter, Jim Tranquada is director of communications for Occidental College, and a great-great grandson of ‘ukulele pioneer Augusto Dias. Bring your ‘ukulele, get ready to strum along and join the kanikapila! v

Author Visit & ‘Ukulele Jam-fest

Chocolate Covered Murder

(Mystery) by Leslie Meier

A Dog’s Journey

(Fiction) by W. Bruce Cameron

The Spy Who Jumped Off the Screen (Fiction) by Thomas Caplan

910.91634Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived by Andrew Wilson

639.9796 S544Love, Life, and

Elephants: An African

Love Story by Dame Daphne

Sheldrick

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Thousand Oaks Library • Volume 12, Number 1 • January/February 2013Director of Library Services: Stephen R. Brogden

Grant R. Brimhall Library • 805-449-26601401 East Janss Road • Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11:00am - 8:00pm Friday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Newbury Park Branch Library • 805-498-21392331 Borchard Road • Newbury Park, CA 91320

Hours: Monday - Wednesday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm Thursday - Friday: 10:00am - 6:00pm Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday: CLOSED

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The Oakleaf

(Holocaust continued from page 1)how to trace your family tree from the Conejo Valley Genealogy Society.March 27 – How Can Writing be Healing? — Life changes...constantly. Every one handles those changes differently. Sometimes writing down our thoughts and feelings can make those changes easier to cope with. Former educator and author Marcia Cesar Freidman will guide you into the healing process of writing. v

(How to... continued from page 2)

Families enjoyed Lunar Days at the Grant R. Brimhall Library held over the Thanksgiving weekend. There were samples of moon rocks and astroids, plus art and science activities for all ages. v

Lunar Days a Success

Join us for a special family program from Cabrillo Music Theater on Saturday, January 26 at 11:30 a.m. Stars of the upcoming show, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” will give us a sneak preview of this Broadway show coming to the Civic Arts Plaza. They will introduce a few of the songs and a scene or two from the show and Kabrillo Kids will also sing a medley of Broadway hits. Then stay for a screening of one of Charlie Brown’s animated features. You can also put your name in for a drawing to win 4 free tickets to the musical! So, bring the family and you just might walk away a winner! v

Family Program:Let’s Go to the Library, Charlie Brown!

Chris Hendel, who carefully selected each book added to the collection, adds “This donation has helped us to refresh, update and expand the Library’s existing collection of books about the Holocaust for children.” In 1938, Drobman and her sister were sent to Sweden from Germany on a train called Kindertransport. In 1939, she and her sister finally made their way by boat and bus with the help of a Jewish organization to join their parents in Hollywood. Drobman and her sister were placed in different homes to work and study because their parents, who worked at a boarding house in Boyle Heights, were unable to house them. Drobman went to work for a painter’s daughter in Los Angeles, and it was there that she met her future husband, David Drobman. They married in 1942 and lived with their four children in the San Fernando Valley for 30 years. In the early 1990s, the Drobman’s moved to the Westlake area of Thousand Oaks. Friends and family gathered around Drobman at a dedication ceremony on Thursday, December 13 at the Grant R. Brimhall Library. In attendance were Drobman’s children, and several of her grandchildren who expressed great pride in their grandmother. “It really is a dream come true,” Drobman said, “To be able to get books and information about this subject into the hands of the children, so they may learn and never forget.” v