Our Boys & Girls Clubs Story

We have been with Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Santa Cruz County four years in a row for Leni and Paulie.

I happened to be aware of its existence through my former colleague Paula C. Years ago, she sent her grandchildren there when they came to stay with her. As far as I remember, she was at once impressed and pleased with its service and potential benefits.

In 2022, Leni came to spend her summer in Santa Cruz. Prior to her arrival, Paul and I inquired about the BGC and started our application process. Little did we know that it was a very competitive one. There are three BGCs in Santa Cruz County, Downtown, Live Oak and Scotts Valley. The most competitive BGC is the Live Oak one, due to its brand-new building and proximity the Simpkins Family Swim Center.  Its admittance list is always full with a long waiting list to the boot. 

We finally heard from the Downtown and Scotts Valley BGCs. In consideration of my work location, we chose the Downtown one. And it was a wise and happy choice, especially with its nurturing and experienced director Katie Freeman. In the three years there, Leni has transformed from a scarred and quiet girl to a good swimmer, excellent artist and dabbling guitarist. With the frequent visits of Santa Cruz Public Libraries nearby, she has acquired the habit of reading.

Through Leni's attendance, we have also learned our lesson. It seems that spring is the time to register. In as early as March this year, we signed Paulie up, as Leni was planning to stay home with her parents. Just a week before June, we got an unexpected call, saying that a hundred kids from the Downtown BGC would join the Live Oak one for the first two weeks, due to its construction on the building. Two weeks later, we fell a victim of convenience, and decided to stay put for Paulie in the location of Live Oak where we reside. 

After a mutual confer between the Unit Director Silka and Area Director Katie who has deservedly been promoted to the top position, our request was duly approved. It has a bitter-sweet ending. Paulie has grown mentally and physically in this summer, especially his art work and, eloquence of language and reasoning. Owing to his young age and free spirit, he was not used to receiving and obeying explicit instructions. As a result of this compounded by administrative miscommunications, he was prevented from attending several outdoor activities, such as movie-going, local sight-seeing spots, Beach Days and Simpkins Swim Field Trips. Thanks to the sympathetic Papou, Paulie was not wanting from any of those activities. Papou took him to CineLux Capitola for How to Train Your Dragon the same week after the group viewing. He also let Paulie play on beaches and the Simpkins Center. "It is the best days of my life," declared Paulie after the last swim. Hopefully, he will be mature enough next year to avoid those penalties, and truly blossom and succeed in the club.

After our personal experience with Boys and Girls Clubs, Paul and I have been curious about BGCs, its present and part. It seems that it is a nationwide organization founded in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, by three women, Elizabeth Hamersley, and Mary and Alice Goodwin. At present, there are around 5864 BGCs in the United States (BGCA), with 800 local chapters/alliance in the state of California. According to BGCA, about 92% club members expect to graduate from high school, 81% plan to go to post-secondary education, 86% are prepared to stand up for what is right and 88% are ready for a leadership role, and treat people around them fairly. It is quite impressive achievement and bright prospect for our future leaders!

Upright Paulie

Grandson Paulie has been staying with us this summer to attend his Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz County. Gradually, we have discovered a number of extraordinary qualities in him. 

For instance, he is an upright seven-year-old boy. Young for his age, he adheres fiercely to his principles. He prefers his breakfast a bowl of traditional Cheerios with milk. He was outraged to the point of tears when I sneaked in some smashed quail egg or chicken egg yolk. After several unpleasant episodes, I have finally given up my feeble attempts to boost his protein intake at breakfast. As a traditional Cheerios consumer, Paulie is not tempted to try other cheerio types, even though he is a big fan of the Bluey series, and loved his new Bluey outfit instantly. The aversion might be associated with his throwing up perhaps from eating Bluey cheerios during the 4th of July vacation week.

Paulie receives his punishment stoically. A month ago on June 11, he wandered off during his first Beach Day. His temporary disappearance ruined the day club activity. His teachers combed the whole Twin Lakes State Beach to look for him. It turned out that he was talking to an unknown couple on the beach, which escaped the due notice of searchers, assuming that he was their family member. As a severe repercussion, Paulie was banned from swimming field-trips activities in the month of June, including Simpkins swims and beach days.

During that period, he was unusually quiet, but with no complaints. He was to miss How to Train Your Dragon at Cinelux Theater Capitola the following Tuesday, due to a mix-up in the sign up period. He refused his club lunch or his own that day. On hearing this, Papou Paul could not sit still. The very next day, he met and talked to the Club Director, to reach a mutual understanding and course of action for Paulie. Additionally, Papou purchased tickets to Simpkins that Saturday and swam with Paulie in the Warm Water Pool. On Sunday, three of us all went to the Cinelux to see the Train your Dragon movie with popcorn in hand. After due delays and testing, Paul has now proved himself to be outdoor-worthy. Today, he is at the Buccaneer Bay Mini Golf, Santa Cruz Boardwalk!

Politeness is another quality Paulie has possessed. His "Excuse me" has endeared himself to friends and strangers alike. He never speaks ill of anyone, but always praises people around him. In slightly over one month, he has been promoted to one of the most popular club members, receiving a chorus of greetings and goodbyes upon arrival and departure.

Seriousness about one's responsibility is Paulie's other notable quality. Once designated as a lime picker, he has picked all scattered fruits cheerfully, no matter how low he has to bow to reach them. He is also a dedicated paperboy to get daily Sentinel papers from the driveway to the kitchen table. He does it willingly, regarding the job more as a spirit lifter, than a chore or nuisance. 

Paul and I are in constant amazement living with Paulie, even though he can be quite demanding in getting two necessities on time, i.e., his dinner, and fruit bowl. Like his sister Leni, Paulie is a serious fruit eater, strawberries in particular.

Celebrating International Children’s Day with Paulie

This Children’s Day was devoted to Paulie who had arrived Thursday night.

After a simple breakfast, Paul, Paulie and I drove to Neary Lagoon. Last Thursday noon, I happened to see a big batch of goats and sheep chewing away tall grass along the wooden ramp, with the other side had already been eaten clean. I learned from one of the shepherds that they had been here since Memorial Day, and planned to stay until the following Monday. It’s the first time Paulie saw goats in large numbers with a great variety of coloration. According to our chat with another shepherd, there were a total of 650 goats who were to clean both the Lagoon and Santa Cruz High School.

Once reaching the ramp, Paulie set off well ahead of us. He could not believe the sight, sound and smell of so many goats allat once. He seemed to be more interested in his new friends than his sister the year before. Leni was a little disconcerted by the human-like eyes of goats. There were some maneuverings on the part of shepherds, for a portion of goats had to go to a new site while the rest would stay in the existing site that was pretty much chewed clean. It turned out that the goat team was a victim of its success. They completed their task too quickly and thoroughly. A girl was so sympathetic to the hungry goats that she climbed over the far ramp to grab bunches of grass, with the encouragement of her father. She was generous to a fault by sharing her goods with Paulie, so he could have the opportunity to feed goats himself.

After the goat population was settled and calmed down, we left for the Downtown Library. As planned, we were going to sign Paulie up for his summer reading program. At the library circulation desk, Paul filled in the library card application for Paulie. In a week, he would be a full-fledged member. Afterwards, we went up to the second floor, Children’s section. Paul selected thee Rabbit & Bear books by Julian Gough and Jim Field, while Paulie picked Sea Turtles in the World Book’s Wild Animal kingdom series. They all proved to be well-liked by the whole family.

Paul drove us to our third destination of the day, I.e., the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. We had our lunch at Riva, our favorite restaurant. While we had our Fish and Chips, and Fishemen’s Platter, Paulie was more keen on coloring his pelican. His choice of tacos was entirely untouched. Paul and I had to save tacos by ignoring our own food. After Riva, we went to visit the sea lions, Paulie’s other new friends. He was duly fascinated with pups and their doting mothers, and aloof fathers on the sunny ramps. 

What a Children’s Day we had! Hope it will make some difference in Paulie’s life.

Busy May

Ever since we came back from Shanghai on April 20, Paul and I have been busy in and outside the house. We tamed wild weeds, planted nine tomato plants, fed roses, and watered the parched front and back yards now and then. This past weekend, we harvested our first batch of oregano. Several times, we shelled our fava beans, and gave away bags of limes. The rain from spring has truly been beneficial to all growths.

In addition to heeding the yards, we fulfilled a series of commitments and obligations. Besides his daily photography, Paul has been regularly attending his AI seminars/salons weekday afternoons and evenings, and joined his Midjourney classes at noon Mondays and Fridays. April 23 was our Spring ‘25 Staff Day. As scheduled, I presented my History through Biography about three California library founders, James L. Gillis, and his two assistants, Laura Steffens Suggett and Harriet G. Eddy. While working four full weeks, I completed my draft employee annual self-appraisal with Paul’s revisions and approval. 

We also finalized Paulie’s Boys and Girls Club application, sent out group and individual photos to my two aunts/cousins, Training Classmates, university classmates, and Screen International colleagues. Then we went to Debora/Robert’s dinner, Lee and Judy’s afternoon tea, and invited Jim and Fran home for the Warrior's last playoff pizza night. 

This morning, we went to Palo Alto for a medical appointment. Once back, we will get ready for Lee Anne and Paulie’s arrival on Thursday night. Friday morning, Lee Anne is going to CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay) for a day conference. She is leaving Saturday morning while Paulie stays for his first Boys and Girls summer program in Santa Cruz. It is uncertain if he can handle the program as well as his sister. But we have full confidence in him who is social and bright enough. 

Reunions in Shanghai

After months' planning and visa applications, Paul and I arrived in Shanghai on April 5, 2025 for my 50th Foreign Language Training Class Reunion. At the Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhenping, Brother Ying greeted and helped us with our luggage. He had come all the way from Hong Kong to celebrate the Qingming Festival for our parents. 

A succession of reunions was thus started. During our two-week stay, we visited our grandparents, parents, and uncle in the Changre Cemetery, guided by my cousin and his wife, Huifu and Xiao Yan. Afterwards as usual, we went to my Big Aunt and her husband's. At the high recommendation of Xiao Yan, my aunt treated us at the Jiangna Xiaochu (Southern Yangtze Little Kitchen). We had a light-hearted and delightful dinner, if not for Huifu's heart-wrenching complaints about his two greedy younger brothers.

Paul in the vicinity of Oriental Pearl Tower, Pudong

After reunions with my Little Aunt's family, my university classmates in Pudong Shangri-la, former colleagues, Wang, Fan, and their two guests, Paul and I managed to saunter along two major shopping roads, Nanjing and Huaihai, visited both the South and North Bunds, the Raffle City Mall, Shanghai's Little White House (Museum of Arts and Crafts) at #79 Fenang Road, Shanghai Fashion Center (formerly No. 17 Cotton Mill), Yu Garden, and Jian Temple. 

Our Hotel Suyu

Courtesy of Paul Titangos Photography

The long-waited reunion of April 17-18 finally came upon us. We got up early to get ready for the hotel breakfast. At 7:30 am, we were due at the Metro Station to board Line 7, and transferred to Line 16 to the Wild Animal Park station. At 9:30, one hour before the scheduled time, we were standing outside Exit 1. After waiting for half an hour without spotting any familiar faces, we decided to call one of the organizers Jemmy who was waiting in an unknow place for us. It turns out that the bus stop forbad any vehicles from parking in the vicinity. In less than two seconds, my classmate How Beautiful, Professor Feng, appeared and drove us straight to the Reunion destination. Jemmy had to wait for the van to take the rest of the arriving guests.

Mary Wu, me, Zhou Yanqun, Han Yuner, and Eyvonne Zhou

Courtesy of Paul Titangos Photography

In the guest hall of the villa, we greeted an endless line of newcomers who I did not see for 10 or 50 years. To everyone's delight, it was the highest attended reunion. With the exception of six classmates who were absent due to various reasons, 27 of us (Paul plus two instructors) were all meeting in one place. 

After lunch, we went to shopping and boating separately. Paul and I missed the boat by minutes. Fortunately, Jemmy called me while we were in despair seeing the boat shooting by. He put six of us stragglers in the final boat after a hard bargain with the boat owner. 

Paul & I in the Boat

Courtesy of Paul Titangos Photography

At 8:00 pm, the reunion of Foreign Language Training Class #3 started with a slide show prepared by How Beautiful. The beginning was dedicated to Big Wang who was deceased for over four decades, and Yu Shuzhu who has been institutionalized. There were some speeches by participants, such as two instructors, Cincinnati Kid Shen Xiaoming, Little Woman Kang Qing and me at the specific request of Zhou Yanchun, the organizer. Then the dancing by Mary Wu, and singings by Wang, Wu, Li and topped by How Beautiful. Finally there was the climax of prizes hosted by Zhang Jun and drawn by Paul. All the pads went to a cluster of female classmates, one of who I had not seen since the final day of the class. I did win a sports watch, with no nepotism involved, since Paul does not know Chinese characters.

All of Us 

Courtesy of Paul Titangos Photography

The reunion ended with 毛阿敏的《同一首歌 》(The Same Song by Mao Amin), but was continued with the next day's breakfast and lunch, and many photo sessions by Instructor Yang, and mini discussions and chats. Afterwards, we were packed in one mini-bus to go to the Metro Station. At the Gate, there was a white Porsche stopped by the bar. After more than ten minutes' silent wait, Cincinnati Kid asked our drive to honk. It turned out the Porsche was Mary's, with two passengers Yvonne Zhou and Zhang Jun. After the honk, out came Zhang to pay for some unknow fee to get through.

After a few stations on Line 16, the rural scene was behind us, the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan Shanghai awaited us. On April 20, Paul and I boarded our UA858 back to San Francisco. I am glad that I saw many classmates again. I am also glad that I am now in this country.

Winning Warriors Playoff Ticket: Not a April Fool's Day

In the afternoon of March 31, I received a flurry of emails from the office of City Manager and Human Resources (HR), talking about the lottery for tickets to go to the Warriors Playoff game the following evening. I did not pay too much attention, since they were mostly addressed to all users, until our Director Christopher came down to our office to congratulate me on winning a ticket plus two guests. 

The curtain of a full drama was thus lifted. After sharing the good news with Paul, I confirmed with HR about my intention of going, and listed my preferred email address and cellphone number. As instructed, I would receive an eTicket soon. If not receiving it by 5:00 pm the next day, I should email a designated email address for assistance. 

The next came quickly, but without any trace of the ticket. Since we had invited Jim to a pre-game pizza dinner, and game as a second guest, it was my responsibility to secure a definitive answer by 5:00 pm. In the face of a total silence from the authoritative source, I started to bug people for follow-up details. I started by emailing my other two fellow winners, and managed to wangle a name and address for a personal contact. The contact promised that in the next hour, we would receive our tickets, but without avail. A quarter before 5:00 pm, I finally emailed HR. As if to preempt winners' due anxiety, the HR manager sent out messages stating that the tickets would duly arrive in each one's account before the game at 7:00 pm. She and her department were working frantically and closely with Ticketmaster.

At Woodstock Pizza, I wolfed down my three pieces, while my eyes were gluing to my phone for any glimmer of news. At 6:19 pm, a confirmation email finally came. Three admission tickets were indeed in Paul's Messages. Without further ado, the guys happily gobbled their last bite of pizza and the rest of their beers. We three left Woodstock to go straight to Kaiser Permanent Arena in the rain and under a rainbow. At 6:38 pm, the arena was half full. We were inspected at the entrance, but immediately rewarded with our long-lusted-after t-shirts and a portrait of the Santa Cruz Warriors. Our seats in D-section were decent, according to Jim, a seasoned Warrior fan and loyal attender of games. 

Paul and Jim with new shirts and portrait

At 7:00 pm sharp, the game began with the national anthem. It was a solemn moment with everyone standing up towards the American flag. I have seen similar occasions before on TV, but not in person. This is the second time I had been to a sports event. It was decades ago when Nick bought us tickets to go to a football game between Cal and Stanford in Berkeley. The first game was lost to the guest team, even though there were many highlights of catching up and even scoring ahead ten points and more. 

Scoreboard shows a close match

It was the City's plan to fill the arena with spectators, so as to render support to the first Warriors playoff game against the Valley Suns. The City was certainly not disappointed in its plan. As warned beforehand by our courier drive Jon, the arena was filled with deafening sound and noise from many a sturdy man or woman fan. An extra heavy set man behind our row was thumping and shaking the whole section at the slightest provocation, while his young daughter was constantly shrill with her high-pitched cry for "Defense."

There were many professional Warrior fans. In front of our row, sat three families with a dozen kids, all of similar age. They started by constantly buying snacks, drinks, and memorabilia, but recouped their expenses by catching all freebies thrown in our direction. At the height of 6'6" or more, one of the three men netted all freebies without a miss with his extra long arms waving all directions. It was quite a rare skill.

We left a little before 9:00 pm under the crescent of a new moon, ending two exciting days after winning the ticket. The experience was real, definitely not a April Fool's Day joke!

Myself with our favorite mascot

We Have Got Visas

For two weeks in a row (February 26 and March 3), Paul and I went to the Chinese Consulate located at Laguna and Geary in San Francisco, to apply for our visas to China. We are going to attend the 50th Anniversary Reunion of our Foreign Language Training Class. 

It is no easy task to get the visa yourself. You have to have your most recent visa photos properly taken by a professional service like Bay Photo, fill in the application online, go to the consulate in person to submit your passports, and finally return to the consulate to get back your passports after paying $140 visa processing fee, if your visa is approved. Thanks to Paul's wealth of experience and famed time management, we did everything strictly according to the schedule. To eliminate any hassels in street parking, Paul had even consulted ChatGPT to find the closest garage, namely, Japan Center Garage at 1737 Post Street. Leaving home no later than 6:00 a.m., we managed to arrive at the destination and secure our position in the front middle line that inevitably meandered around the corner to Eddy Street, when the consulate was open for business at 9:30 a.m.

The long journey to obtain our visas is not without its glimmers of joy. Thanks also to Paul's vigilant supervision, Tesla Y drove us tirelessly and safely twice from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, and then from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, right before noontime. It then sat on the driveway, sipping electricity quietly after 9:00 p.m. The other unforgettable moment was when Paul saw the M letter in the entry category. After a closer look, we saw that the visa expiration date as February 3, 2035. It seems that we were granted multiple entries for 10 years! Without further ado, Paul strode to Window One to double-check and received the due confirmation. Wish the staff could inform us of this extraordinarily good news when we had been there to receive our visas. Oh well, maybe it is always better to find out things yourself.

With one month to go before our departure, both Paul and I have loads of work ahead to complete and plan. But we have got our visas!

Name Changes for Gulf of Mexico & Mount Denali

Per my manager's suggestion, I summarized a recent event and posted the summary on Around the Water Cooler, a posting board on our intranet. Below is the full content.

Background

In January 20, 2025, U.S. president Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14172. To respond, the Library of Congress (LC) published LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS TENTATIVE MONTHLY LIST 12 LCSH 2 (February 13, 2025). The two proposed geographic names changes are Gulf of Mexico, and Mount Denali. Heated debates and responses have appeared in AUTOCAT, an international electronic discussion list devoted to the cataloging and authority control community. We at CMS have selected a few representative responses and resources for your reference. Thank you.

Deadlines for Public Comments: 2/18/2025

Proposed LCSH change from Mexico, Gulf of to America, Gulf of. Comments are due TODAY. Send all comments on this list to the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division - Email: listcomments@loc.gov by Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Proposed LCSH change from Denali, Mount (Alaska) to McKinley, Mount (Alaska). Comments are due TODAY. Send all comments on this list to the Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division - Email: listcomments@loc.gov by Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Response from PTCP (Policy, Training & Cooperative Programs Division, LC): 2/19/2025

PTCP acknowledges the communications that the Library has received in response to tentative monthly list 12 LCSH 2 (list 2412a). The Library of Congress defers to the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) for place names contained within our controlled vocabularies and classification. For more information, please see our Subject Headings Manual sheet H 690 Formulating Geographic Headings [https://www.loc.gov/aba/publications/FreeSHM/H0690.pdf] and visit the BGN webpage [https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names]

Judith P. Cannan

Chief, Policy, Training & Cooperative Programs Division

ABA Directorate, LCSG

Library of Congress, Washington D.C. 20540

Response from SAC (Subject Analysis Committee, American Library Association): 2/20/2025

To: Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division (PTCP), Library of Congress

We are writing to express our strong opposition to the proposed name changes of Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali on Tentative Monthly List 12 LCSH 2 (February 13, 2025), as well as the manner in which this list has been shared to the cataloging community.

The changes are not based on literary warrant, but political concerns. One of the names, Gulf of America, is less than a month old at time of proposal, while the previous name has been in use for centuries. The abrupt creation and implementation of this name change, as well as the unclear nature of its scope create uncertainty for catalogers applying geographic terms. The one-to-one name change is also inaccurate, as Executive Order 14172 states that name is meant to refer to “the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba,” which is not the extent of the Gulf of Mexico.

The name Mount Denali has been used by Indigenous communities for centuries. Changing the name to Mount McKinley contradicts the “nothing about us without us” policy adopted by the Library of Congress respecting Indigenous peoples and place names. According to the Library of Congress’s Interim guidelines for Indigenous heading proposals, “the Library’s guiding principle is to ensure consultation with the described community” to ensure that “the name chosen for [a] heading is the name preferred by the group of people themselves.” As reported by the Guardian, Indigenous Alaskans are dismayed by Trump's renaming and were opposed to the change according to Native News Online.

The change also comes as a departure from Library of Congress precedent in not recognizing politically-motivated geographic name changes, such as “Biafra, Bight of” (instead of “Bonny, Bight of”). The extensive number of geographical names on the list only serve to show the extent of the issue with changing the heading, both in terms of common use and clarity of scope. This change will have negative impacts on our catalogs and create problems for library users, particularly in libraries that do not have the staffing or ability to implement local changes.

Furthermore, it is extraordinary for a change to be made this quickly, with one of the citations in the change proposal dated the day the list was circulated, and that being the only day that comments will be received on this portion of the list. This goes against the considered nature of the way changes and additions should be made in a widely shared controlled vocabulary, particularly one that is used internationally. The short time frame precludes consultation or comment both from international bodies such as the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), and from non-United States based institutions which use LCSH and where no executive order has been issued to change these well-known geographic locations.

The changes proposed on Tentative List 2412a are not motivated by, nor do they provide, improved accuracy, accessibility or discoverability for library patrons, either within the US or in libraries worldwide. As a group interested in the improvement of subject analysis, we oppose the implementation of these changes.

Sincerely,

Subject Analysis Committee of the American Library Association

Additional Resources 

Executive Order 14172—Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202500139/pdf/DCPD-202500139.pdf 

Gulf of Mexico

https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulf-of-Mexico-Gulf-of-America 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico

Mount Denali

https://www.britannica.com/place/Denali

Denali - Wikipedia

A Report to Santa Cruz Public Libraries' LJPA Board

The following is a report to be delivered at the Library Joint Powers Authority (LJPA) Board meeting on 6 February 2025 at Aptos Branch Library.

***************************

STAFF REPORT

DATE:              February 6, 2025

TO:              Library Joint Powers Authority Board

FROM:             Christopher Platt, Library Director 

RE:                  Bulletin Publication

...

BACKGROUND

A staff librarian here at Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL), Hui-Lan Titangos, has authored two articles published by the California State Library Foundation (CSLF) that we would like to highlight. Her latest article has been printed as a four-part series in the Bulletin, a CSLF quarterly publication. Hui-Lan has also authored a special edition entitled Harriet G. Eddy and California County Libraries. The Library would like to congratulate Hui-Lan on her professional accomplishments as well as announce them to the Board and the community. These publications can be found at the Library for a further reading.

DISCUSSION

After reading this very article on Laura Steffens Suggett, a friend of ours observed, “We all grew up taking libraries for granted, but of course there’s a lot of history to learn about how they were developed out here in the west.”[i] Interestingly, her comment is a perfect entrée into the story of Laura.

At the turn of the 20^th century, libraries in California were at a critical crossroads. Unlike today, the California State Library (CSL) was a closed entity, serving exclusively state legislators and officials; a handful of tax-supported town/city libraries were in their infancy, barely able to support themselves fiscally or geographically. There were more people living outside the city/town boundary than within. It was not until the ninth State Librarian James L. Gillis (1857-1917) took the office in 1899 when fundamental changes started to take place in California. He modernized the CSL by opening it to all Californians, hiring professional staff, correcting the prevalent nepotism, and establishing library schools. Moreover, he unified a supermajority of new public libraries to the county library system, so as to create a far more financially sustainable model surviving and thriving up to now in the state of California. Despite his untimely death in October 1917, Gillis succeeded in modernizing and developing California libraries, in large part due to his two able assistants, Laura Steffens Suggett (1874-1946), and Harriet G. Eddy (1876-1966) who assisted him in implementing the county library system.

As Second Assistant State Librarian, Laura is one of the most important pioneers in the history of California libraries. She was Gillis’s very first hire in 1902. After graduating from Stanford University and four years’ graduate study in Germany, Laura helped him to transform the CSL into a true leader of all California libraries, and assisted him in planning and launching the California county library system. As head of the Extension Department, she led a series of library experiments to reach out to underserved residents through her four divisions, Traveling Libraries, Study Club, Public Libraries, and Books for the Blind. In addition, she created California’s first union catalog that enabled the beginning of interlibrary (ILL) service in the state. Today, we can still trace her resulting work when using WorldShare of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), or Link+ in California.

To celebrate their lives and achievements for the first time in history, two biographical projects came into being. They are A bright Star over the California State Library: the Life and Work of Laura Steffens Suggett (published in four parts in 2024 Bulletin, #141 through #144), and Harriet G. Eddy and California County Libraries: a New Interpretation (published as 2021 Special Edition). The projects are made possible through collaboration between publisher CSLF, and author Hui-Lan Titangos, a librarian at SCPL.

We hope that you will enjoy our biographical projects. We also hope that more projects will be added to the list, so that we can remember the past, savor the present, and plan for a better and brighter future. 

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________

[1] Bone, Deborah. Laura Steffens Suggett. Email; Sun, 5 January 2025, 10:50 PM

 Report Prepared by: Hui-Lan Titangos, Librarian II

 Reviewed and Forwarded by: Christopher Platt, Library Director

Chasing the Green Sun

Congratulations to Paul who has won his second Photo Contest in GT!

Courtesy of Good Time, 5 February 2025

Paul and I are opposites in many ways. For one thing, he thinks in graphics while I think in words. He is a very determined guy, seldom giving up on his hopes and dreams, while I am easily distracted, often giving in to setbacks.

January 4, 2025, Paul and I went to the Lake Moran Beach for the sunset. Perhaps it was because of the New Year, there were clusters of visitors at our usual perch. A lady squeezed in between Paul and another man with a serious camera. Just as the sun started to dip into the horizon, I heard her asking Paul if he had ever seen a green flash at sunset. Paul shook his head and told her that he had only seen a green cast in the sky after the sunset in his hometown Ohio back in the late 60's.

"No, no," the lady explained. The green she referred to was a flash of green right as the sun dropped under the horizon. In her lifetime, she witnessed it twice, once in Santa Cruz and another time in Oregon. Paul found her experience interesting, even though he had never heard of it. He was unusually quiet on our way back to the Pleasure Point, and then the Hook. The fascinating story apparently was rooted in his head. 

The very next day, Sunday the 5th, we went to Seacliff State Beach for a late stroll and managed to see another sunset. All of a sudden, Paul excitedly told me that he had seen the green flash. As the sun began to make the final slip below the horizon and disappeared into the ocean, he began to back off on his telephoto and used a slightly wider shot. Just as the sun was about to disappear altogether, he saw some green beginning to appear. He kept shooting until the green grew to a large emerald green bright flash in the previous sunspot for a second or two. With a dim blue puff, all was gone. 

Right next to him, I managed to miss the rare green opportunity, due to a untimely distraction to practice panorama shots. Paul contributed this moment to his dumb luck, but I am more inclined to think of it as being a sharpened goal for a new discovery right after his conversation with the lady the day before on Moran Beach. "Fortune favors the prepared," as the old saying goes. It has been proven that it is extremely rare to witness the green flash, it is rarer to have caught it on camera!

According to Paul, "The Green Flash is a phenomenon that sometimes occurs just after sunset or right before sunrise. It happens when the sun is almost entirely below the horizon, and for a brief moment, the upper rim of the sun appears green. This is caused by the refraction of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere, which disperses the light and makes the green part of the spectrum visible. As the sun sets, the sunlight refracts from red, orange, yellow and then to green, progressing through the "ROYGBIV" colors. It is extremely rare and usually only lasts a couple of seconds. Here, in the last frame you can also dimly see a bit of blue spectrum."

The following is a video produced by Paul Titangos from his series of photos.

Photography by Paul Titangos, 5 January 2025, Seascape State Beach, Santa Cruz, CA