Vacation!

Yes, it is true! I am escaping the library to head out on vacation! I will be back in a couple of weeks and will update the blog when I get back. I was thinking about vacation movies to leave you with. The only true vacation movie that sprang to mind was National Lampoon’s Vacation (and European and Christmas and Vegas). Anyone want to add their favorite vacation movie to the comments?? On the web, movies like Groundhog’s Day or Little Miss Sunshine were listed as Vacation movies. I love both of these but, no one in these films are really on vacation. So, I guess it comes down to your definition of a great vacation movie. Is it a film that is centered around going on vacation or a film that you can just kick back and watch when you are on vacation? What do you think?
I am out of here!

Curse of the Popular Class

First, I want to thank those that showed up for the screening on Thursday of the Hollywood Librarian. As far as I know this will be the only screening of this documentary in Orange County, so I am glad that attendees had an opportunity to view it.
Second, although I very much wanted to do a fall film program of political films, there is “no room at the inn”. Our meeting rooms and theatre are fully booked!! I have already started looking at dates for a spring film program and will post dates here as soon as they are finalized. The spring program will have a different theme which is also TBA. Things to look forward too!! Next month I will have a list of political films to watch to get ready for the November elections.

In the meantime, for those who missed the Hollywood Librarian but are looking for a documentary to watch, check out The Cats of Mirikatani (of course, available at HBPL). This is the story of Jimmy Mirikatani, a homeless, elderly artist of Japanese decent living in New York City. Jimmy was living near the Twin Towers when 9/11 happened and the days’ events threw his life into even more disarray. Linda Hattendorf (the director of this documentary) found Jimmy on that day and decided to give him a place to stay. She learned more about him, including that he spent time in a Japanese internment camp. This sends her on a journey to help Jimmy organize his life, reclaim his past and look for a home of his own.

The Hollywood Librarian

Take a time machine into the past to a librarian conference I attended 2 years ago. At that conference, a librarian/filmmaker was showing a rough cut of her documentary and soliciting funds to help her create the finished product. Jump forward to today, and her documentary, The Hollywood Librarian, is completed and having a screening here at HBPL. On August 14th, at 7pm in the Library Theatre, you will have a chance to discover how librarians have been portrayed in the media, why librarians love their job and increase your awareness of the complex and democratic nature of librarianship in the age of technology. Oh and did I mention that it is FREE! I hope to see you there!