May Events for Adults
Adult Reference Librarian Joel Boucher and Chrissy Carr
Too busy to take up a meditation practice? You don’t have to with this collection of short essays by Catherine Auman, LMFT. The reader will experience mindful awakenings about spirituality, relationships, love, and how to become a better person. This event takes place on May 14, 6:00 p.m.
Six of the top 20 books selling on Amazon right now are ‘adult coloring books’. They are creative, often intricate books depicting flowers, gardens, animals, forests, etc. Come and join us while we choose from a variety of pictures and have a stress-relieving evening of coloring. Colored pencils and markers will be provided as well as light refreshments. Come have a fun evening and see what it’s all about! May 14, at 6:00 p.m.
Our opera fans will enjoy the L.A. Opera’s special presentation on Love in Opera, on Thursday, May 14th, at 6:30 p.m. Through music clips and visual media, you will experience the many ways the universal theme of love has been interpreted by opera composers.
Then on Saturday, May 30th, at 10:00 a.m., John Sharer presents his new novel, The Cockney Lad and Jim Crow, a coming-of-age tale based loosely on Sharer’s own experiences. The story follows Peter Mason, an 18-year-old Cockney boy, who leaves the East End of London after World War II and finds himself in Jackson, Mississippi. Through a combination of bravery and foolishness Mason violates the rigidly enforced segregation code that is rampant in the pre-Civil Rights era in the American South, and his life is changed forever as a result.
- May 2 – Book Club: Join the discussion about this month’s great read All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.11:00 a.m.
- May 2 – Knitting: Join the West Los Angeles Knitting Group for an afternoon of knitting and conversation. Beginners are welcome! 12:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
- May 2 – Social Security: Find out how much you should expect to receive, how to maximize your benefits and more!3:00 p.m.
- May 3 – Fiato String Quartet Concert: Join us as we kick off the 2015 Season of our popular Concert Series at Westwood Library. The Fiato String Quartet presents two masterful string quartets: Haydn – Quartet No. 62 in C major, Op.76, no.3 (the “Emperor Quartet”) and Mendelssohn – Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13. 2:30 p.m.
- May 6, 13, 20, 21 & 27 – English Class (ESL): If English is not your first language,this class is for you! 1:00 p.m.
- May 11 – Meditation: Find the inner treasure within through mediation 6:00 p.m.
- May 12 – Poetry Open Mic: Come share your poems! Or just listen. Hosted by Wyatt Underwood. 6:00 p.m.
- May 14 – Opera Talk: Join us for a fun and informative discussion about “Love in Opera”. 6:30 p.m.
- May 16 – Chess for Beginners: Chess expert Brian Glover introduces the classic game of strategy. All ages welcome. 2:00 p.m.
- May 19 – Author Talk: Catherine Auman: Join Catherine Auman as she talks about her book, Shortcuts to Mindfulness:100 Ways to Personal and Spiritual Growth. 6:30 p.m.
- May 20 – Computer Comfort Class: Get comfortable with computer basics in a class for beginners. 4:00 p.m.
- May 20 – Stress Reliever Adult Coloring: Come and join us while we choose from a variety of pictures and have a stress-relieving evening of adult coloring. 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
- May 23 – Mystery Book Club: Join the discussion about Exit Music by Ian Rankin.11:00 a.m.
- May 28 – French Conversation: Practice your French language skills! All levels welcome. 4:00-6:00 p.m.
- May 30 – Author Talk: John Sharer : Join us as John Sharer discusses his most recent novel, The Cockney Lad and Jim Crow.
TeenScape
Teen Librarian Elizabeth Calla
We have two special events for teens in May. On Saturday. May 9th, professional airbrush artists create colorful temporary tattoos for teens. The event will be from
1-2:30 p.m. and is first come first serve so be sure to get here early.
Our second special event is a contest: Teen artists can enter our Read to the Rhythm summer reading t-shirt design contest. The winning design will be printed on our summer reading teen t-shirts. Make your art famous and win a t-shirt of your own design! The deadline to submit an entry is May 20th. Check out the details on Westwood’s web calendar or posted in the branch.
- May 16 – Chess for Beginners: Chess expert Brian Glover introduces the classic game of strategy. All ages welcome. 2:00 p.m.
- May 19 -Teen Council: Come earn community service hours, learn a craft, and help order teen materials for the library. 4:00 p.m.
- May 27 – Beyond the Books: In this informative session you will find out what you need to do “beyond the numbers” to get into your dream college. 6:00 p.m.
- May 30 – College Essay: Getting into college can be difficult and the essay is an important part of the process. Attend this workshop to get essay writing guidance from Rebecca Joseph. 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Children’s Programs
Children’s Librarian Laura Barnes
Happy Birthday to the Westwood Branch Library! This month Westwood turns 10 and to celebrate we have an amazing day of fun planned! On Saturday, May 9th join us for:
Tony Daniels Magic Show at 10:00 a.m.
Thor’s Reptile Family at 11:30 a.m.
Los Angeles Fire Department, Harry Potter and a special cake at 1:00 p.m.
Airbrush Tattoos at 1:00 p.m.
Brass Concert at 3:00 p.m., and
Vocal Concert at 4:15 p.m.
In addition to our birthday party, here’s what we have planned for the Westwood kids this month:
Let’s get crafty! Join us to create a bookmark, a simple origami animal or more at our Paper Crafts on Tuesday, May 5th at 4:00 p.m.
Our Building Bricks Club will meet on Thursday, May 14th at 4:00 p.m. Bring your imagination and let’s build something together with the branch’s LEGO collection!
For all our young strategists we’re happy to once again welcome chess expert Brian Glover who will introduce the classic game on Saturday, May 16th at 2 p.m.
Hooray for science! This month we’ll try our hand at creating brushbots on Thursday, May 21 at 4:00 p.m. Space is limited, please sign up at the reference desk. This is geared for ages 6-12 and robots cannot be taken home.
And as always, we’ll have our baby and toddler storytime on Wednesday, May 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 11:00 p.m.
I hope to see you and your little ones at a program or around the branch in May!
- May 6, 13, 20 & 27 – Storytime: Stories, songs, and stretches. Babies and toddlers are welcome! 11:00 a.m.
- May 5 -Kids Craft – Paper Crafts: Create a bookmark, a simple origami animal and more! 4:00 p.m.
- May 14 – Building Bricks Club: Try free hand building or our monthly challenge with the branch’s collection of Legos! 4:00 p.m.
- May16 – Chess for Beginners: Chess expert Brian Glover introduces the classic game of strategy. All ages welcome. 2:00 p.m.
- May 21 – Science for Kids – BrushBots: Learn basic robotics and create a robot to race! (Robots cannot be taken home) Sign up at the reference desk. Ages 6-12 4:00 p.m.
