Merced Branch Library Open House

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

Come celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Merced Branch renovation. Fun for families and children of all ages! Entertainment and light refreshments will be provided. Happy Anniversary Merced! Enjoy performances by roving clown Mahsa Matin and the magician, Magic Dan. The Branch was renovated as part of the Branch Library Improvement Program, a voter initiative passed in November 2000. We’re building better libraries for stronger communities.

Light Refreshments served from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Roving Clown Mahsa Matin: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Magic Dan: 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month

Saturday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m.

• Asian Pacific Islander Biographies and Student Showcase: Power Point presentations, Portraits, and Research Projects compiled by students from Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University about people who made a difference. Kid's Projects:


• Make mini-books, a small kite, a paper airplane, and/or a folding vintage streetcar to remember.

• Peruse recommended books about Asian Pacific Islander Americans.

• Complimentary Resource Book: Crossing Boundaries Asian and Pacifica Islander Americans, published by The Association of Chinese Teachers, will be given to teachers, librarians, youth program staff in attendance.

• A few classroom sets will be available on loan to educators.

• Send an e-mail to tactbook2010@yahoo.com to sign up for a classroom set which can be picked up during the celebration.

• Featuring:

- Don Chee, Chief Engineer of the F Line, for whom a street in San Francisco is named

- Mamie Tape, from the court case Tape v. Hurley, which established the right of Chinese Americans to attend public schools

- Wong Kim Ark, from the court case that established the right of citizenship by birth, on its 100th Anniversary

- List of Asian Pacific Islander Women for the Wall of Women Project

- Chinese shrimp fishing industry: Make an origami boat modeled after those that once sailed in San Francisco Bay

• Presented by The Association of Chinese Teachers (TACT), P.O. 210564, San Francisco, CA 94121 and Asian American Studies Department, College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132.

How to Take Care of Pet Worms

Wednesday, April 24 at 4:00 p.m.

Did you know that worms will eat your food scraps and turn them into compost? Come learn how to make a special house for worms called a "worm bin." Free red wiggler worms will be given away to 15 lucky participants. An environmental program presented by Urban Worm in celebration of the Merced Branch earning LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Images of Nature in Contemporary Art

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.




Jimsonweed by Georgia O'Keefe

A lovely presentation of work by artists who celebrate nature in their paintings, watercolors, photographs, drawings, sculpture, and environmental installations, this program celebrates the Merced Branch earning LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  From the gorgeous paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Stella and, Charles Burchfield, to the photographs of Minor White and Ansel Adams, to environmental earthworks by Andy Goldsworthy, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Ana Mendieta, and Maya Lin (who designed the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.), Marlene Aron will present a wonderful exploration of those artists whose work has been inspired by the landscapes and gardens in which they live.  Ms. Aron will include a selection of her own nature-inspired work.  Over one hundred slides will be shown

Dreaming Before Daylight by Marlene Aron



Uilleann Pipe Concert

Merced Arts & Culture Salon

Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Todd Denman performs uilleann pipes and tin whistle with Richard Mandell on guitar. A rare form of bagpipe native to Ireland, the uilleann pipes are bellows inflated, played while sitting, and have the largest musical and harmonic capacity of any bagpipes in the world. They are a social, indoor instrument with a rich 200-year history in Ireland. Todd received an NEA endowment to study the pipes in the 1980s, he has studied in Ireland and has performed in Europe, Ireland and across the U.S., including the San Francisco Symphony, and has been a California Arts Council Touring Artist. His recordings have reached Top-10 charts and received wide acclaim in both Ireland and America. His music can be heard on the recent Disney Brave iPad games. A very unusual instrument and exciting music, not to be missed!

Buffalo Soldiers of the Presidio

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

Based at the Presidio in San Francisco, Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks where they patrolled the backcountry, built trails, stopped poaching, and otherwise served in the roles later assumed by National Park rangers.  In observance of Black History Month, Ranger Frederik Penn will discuss the importance of the Buffalo Soldiers to the management of the National Parks and to the legacy of African Americans in the post-Civil War era.  In this presentation, he will display historic photographs and explore this multi-layered and multi-faceted, yet seldom told, story.

San Francisco's Watch Dogs: The Civil Grand Jury

Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m.

• What is the purpose of the grand jury?
• Who are the people who serve on the grand jury?
• How does it work?: Selection of issues studied and how investigations are done.
• Does anything happen with the jury’s findings and recommendations?

Come to the community meeting and get the answers. And ask other questions at the discussion period following the brief presentation by former civil grand jurors.