Patrons browse through books at the Berryessa Branch Library on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. The San Jose Public Library has added Sunday hours to several branches in a pilot program. (Courtesy San Jose Public Library)
There was a lot of fanfare — and more than a few ice cream sundaes — at the San Jose Public Library’s Berryessa branch last weekend to celebrate new Sunday hours.
Mayor Sam Liccardo, City Librarian Jill Bourne and City Councilman David Cohen drew quite a crowd while kicking off the celebration last Sunday at the Berryessa library. It was one of 16 branches out of the system’s 24 that will now be open Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., in addition to Sunday hours at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library downtown. Patrons at all 16 of those branches got a visit from a Mister Softee ice cream truck to add a sweet treat to the occasion.
Bourne said the community and many advocacy groups — including the San Jose Public Library Foundation, the Library and Education Commission and various Friends of the Library groups — have asked for increased access on Sundays. Liccardo and the City Council budgeted for the extra hours this year, and the branches picked for the pilot program were selected with the library’s Equity Index, taking into account the geographic location and circulation and usage data. (You can check for your library’s hours at www.sjpl.org.)
While the library is lengthening its hours, one of its strongest advocates decided to shorten her hair for a good cause. Dawn Coppin, executive director of the San Jose Public Library Foundation, has had long hair for more than a decade but decided it was time for a new look, especially with the foundation’s 35th anniversary gala coming up Oct. 20.
Coppin cut 20 inches of her hair and donated it to Maggie’s Wigs for Kids (www.wigs4kids.org). If you want to see Coppin’s new ‘do in person, you can register for the anniversary gala at www.sjplf.org/35th.
TAKING THE SHORT VIEW: Given the TikTok generation’s passion for short bursts of content, this week’s San Jose International Short Film Festival should be a good fit. Instead of three-hour snoozefests, these flicks are anywhere from two to 30 minutes in length.
The fest’s has its opening night celebration Oct. 6 at Santana Row’s CineArts theaters, followed by more than 100 short films shown in blocks throughout the weekend. Co-founder Bill Hargreaves says the films — which are grouped into 15 viewing blocks — run the gamut from documentaries and world cinema to comedy, animation and science-fiction/horror. And with the festival back in person after COVID-19 pushed it virtual, filmmakers from around the world will be coming to Silicon Valley to represent their films and take part in Q&A sessions.
You can get more information — including the schedule and ticket pricing — at www.sjsff.com.
RUNNING TO THE BEAT: There’ll be a lot of feet on the streets of San Jose this weekend — and plenty of music to listen to along the way — as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series returns with a quartet of runs.
The 5K race and Kids Rock run will be held Saturday morning, and the 10K and half-marathon races will take place Sunday morning. There’s also a health expo at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Bay Area party band Wonder Bread 5 will provide the post-race entertainment on Sunday, starting around 10 a.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
The races will close various streets in the downtown core, especially around Plaza de Cesar Chavez, and the half-marathon stretches into the Shasta-Hanchett neighborhood off The Alameda. You can get information about what’s closed, as well as other details, at www.runrocknroll.com/san-jose.
Originally published at Sal Pizarro