Library News

The Library is celebrating all sorts of things in March:

• Women's History Month
• Birds

There was more, but it's already happened!

They also want you to know that they have a library of things you can check out.

You could find out about other things by subscribing to the Library's mailing list. Like us, they send one or two messages per month, more usually one.

There is also the Library's events calendar that has a lot besides when the Library is closed.

-Frank McConnell

 
Computers

A raft of books related to "Big Data" came in, and are on a special shelf near the window. If you are interested in database design, data mining, data analytics, or data streaming (Adobe Spark), check it out.

Some other topic sections are also bulging with good stuff. The Java section has multiple books about functional programming in Java. The Networking shelf has books on a variety of networking technologies. And you never know what might show up in the Opinion/History shelf!

-David Cortesi

 
Tools

When you see our tools for the first time you will think that you have died and gone to heaven, a veritable gangsters paradise. Why? Because our tools are so cheap that you will think that you are stealing. Most of the tools are $1 to $3. We abide by the Ottawa Treaty, no Dangerous Mines here. So don't cause a stink, be a fink and spend a night in the clink, buy our tools and be in the pink!

-Toolio

 
Politics

After Mr. Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Feb. 24th, Americans are wondering what is really happening in the world. With our President saying that we are residing in a golden era of prosperity that seems not to be true. Although the Politics section can't provide books heavy on tariffs and the economic status of our country, what we can provide is the actions of our presidents before Mr. Trump. From comparing former president Obama's own address, to the 140 something long one that Mr. Trump delivered, to even the actions of the Clintons before they were put under fire for the Epstein files. In the end, a quote from George Orwell's book, 1984, can remind us, in 2026 about the dangers of our society; "Who controls the past controls the future, and who controls the present controls the past." Therefore, to stop the loss of information from our own past, come to the Politics section in the main room to really keep and remember the past as it happened.

-Emma Chen

 
Poetry

March is windy, March is wild,
Hurries like an eager child;
T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath
Will guide you down that windy path
And if you want some schoolboy kicks,
Just add Byron to the mix.
Eager child, what e'er you choose,
With this month's poems you cannot lose.

<https://fopalbooks.com/poetry.html>

-Mandy MacCalla

 
Children's Room

The March sale includes books for St. Patrick's Day, Passover (April 1-9). and Easter (April 5)--a good selection for each of the holidays.

This month we ran out of room on our Giftable Hardbacks shelves for all our great picture books, so check out the $3-and-up boxes on the wooden table near the cashiers, as well. We also have some real finds in poetry and award winners.

On the Picture Books tables you'll see fabulous Fancy Nancy hardbacks; many books with duplicate copies by local author Lynn Reiser; and several collections of 5-Minute Stories: Curious George, Disney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pete the Cat, and Bedtime Stories. We also have Disney hardback Yearbooks 2002 through 2012. Visit our Multiple Copies bin for many stories by celebrated authors. Finally, there's a good collection of Sesame Street books, from board books through picture books.

In the Activity section we don't have a monopoly on games, but we do have an amazing assortment of Monopoly games, including the classic, a "bookshelf" edition, Dog-opoly, Shepherd-opoly, Horse-opoly, NYC-opoly, and SF-opoly! We also have a floor-size checkers set, other classic games such as Scrabble and Clue, and loads of recent favorites. Our packed puzzle shelves include a magnetic "street map of San Francisco" as well as several Ravensburgers. For paper-puzzle solvers, we offer many Highlights puzzle books including Hidden Pictures and Mazes. You'll find a variety of wooden toddler toys, including small colorful puzzles. We also have a large selection of one-of-a-kind offerings such as a 600X microscope, a mathematics learning balance, an oversized sketch pad, a moon night-light, and a Cuttlebug die-cutting machine. As usual, our graphic novels shelves are overflowing. And be sure to shop early for the best selection of LEGO!

School-age Fiction has boxed sets of both Roald Dahl and Beverly Cleary books. You'll find these gems in the award winners section, along with many other treasures.

Non-fiction offers its usual widely varied collection, with sale items on the display table.

In World Languages we're featuring lots of French-language graphic novels, along with Harry Potter books in German.

For beginning readers we offer Mo Willems's Elephant and Piggie books, always a favorite. You'll also find many very inexpensive sets of books for early readers, in addition to great books for readers at somewhat more advanced levels.

It's a good month to shop in the Children's Room!

-Carolyn Davidson

 
Children's Vintage

The children's vintage book section is slowly morphing into children's vintage books and toys! Every month we seem to have more and more interesting items that fall into the "definitely vintage and definitely not books" category. This month we have an entire collection of Native American dolls by Carlson with tags attached. Made in the 50s, these six-inch dolls have buckskin dresses complete with beadwork. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a couple of math activities, including Cuisenaire rods and a "binary teacher" that help make abstract concepts real.

Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2nd is celebrated as National Reading Day and in recognition, we have stocked an entire bookshelf full of Dr. Seuss books, including some of those no longer in print. So grab a couple of them, pull up a kid, and start them on a lifetime of joyful reading. If Seuss is not your thing, we've also got some Disney offerings, both on the art of the Walt Disney studios and also a treasury of some of his classic stories. Graphic novels of Asterix, Tintin and Iorix (in both French and English) and pulp fiction novels from the early 1900s add some pizzazz to the usual rich fare.

Shelf pictures are available for all of these items at fopalbooks.com.

And you can find even more children's vintage books at our eBay store: <https://www.ebay.com/str/friendsofthepaloaltolibrary>

-Lisa Heitman

 
Home & Crafts

Spring is just around the corner; time to get rid of all that clutter around the house! How about donating some of those old books to FOPAL? Here are some "next-to-new" titles to help you freshen up with spring cleaning, new hobbies and crafts, bold fashion statements, plus home remodeling inspirations. Are you feeling lucky? We have a pot of golden books just for you!

Craft titles include Easter by Tessa Evelech and How to Wrap Five Eggs, as well as Basketry by Ruby Taylor. There are several books on decorative mosaics, in addition to Making & Installing Handmade Tiles. A wonderful title, The Flower Recipe Book, will give you new ideas for 100 seasonal arrangements. Fabric arts feature: sewing, knitting, quilting, crocheting, needlepoint, cross-stitch, and embroidery, for beginners and pros.

Our Beauty shelf is loaded with titles for both men and women, plus an array of fashion design, including The Power of Glamour and The Power of Style. Also, don't miss Fashion in Film by Christopher Laverty. Our Home shelves are packed with entertaining and decorating, plus organizing and storage. In Home Building there's Ana White's guide to The Handbuilt Home. Also this month, we have a plethora of regional home design titles, from western and desert homes, to southern country.

eShelf photos can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>.

-Virginia Perry

 
Antiques & Collections

In the month of March you'll find a great collection of books on LEGO: The Cult of LEGO, Brick Wonders, Brick City, and The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Fantastic Contraptions. Jewelry offerings include: Erte: Art to Wear, Fabergé, and Tiffany in Fashion. We also have the White House: At Home with History by Hilary Rodham Clinton (remember the East Wing?) What's more, we received several titles on making and collecting model soldiers, as well as making and collecting doll houses. In addition, look for Antiques Roadshow: 20th Century Collectibles. Discover these and more titles to guide you in your reference work.

eShelf photo can be found at <https://fopalbooks.com/crafts.html>.

-Virginia Perry

 
Judaica

Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion and culture including editions of the Torah and other basic texts, Kabbalah, Jewish history, the Holocaust, memoirs, Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects.

Special this month -

• Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Romance with Israel Is Coming to an End
• The Twentieth Train: The True Story of the Ambush of the Death Train to Auschwitz
• Torah of the mothers : contemporary Jewish women read classical Jewish texts
• Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guide for Every Woman of the Tribe
• Hope Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance
• The Passover Haggadah: Legends and Customs
• The Savage in Judaism: An Anthropology of Israelite Religion and Ancient Judaism
• Holy Beggars: A Journey from Haight Street to Jerusalem

Most fiction with Jewish themes will be found in Modern Literature/Classics or Current Fiction. Books entirely in Hebrew are shelved in the European Languages section.

Shelf photos at <https://fopalbooks.com/judaica.html>

-Charlotte Epstein, Judaica Section Manager

 
Mystery

Mystery has 55 new 2025 and 2024 books for sale this March. Come buy a new book for $3 or $4. A real good buy and a real good read. You will be glad you did!

-Cathy

 
Mitchell Park Store

If you are unable to go to this month's sale or just want to be outside in the beautiful weather here is a reminder that the Mitchell Park Store is open during all library hours seven days a week. We stock books from most of the major sections of the Main Room. We do our best to have a wide selection of books that will appeal to a diverse audience of readers. We love to offer unique books that may have been overlooked in the Main Room in addition to current popular books. We also stock Children's books as well as CDs, DVDs and blank note cards.

This month the special on the front kiosk of the store is Fiction on the front side and Cookbooks on the back side. The specials usually run about six weeks. Two of our smallest sections, Poetry and Language are very popular and it's hard to keep those books in stock. Often books will sell almost immediately after being shelved. War and Peace by Tolstoy and a large format book The New Yorker Cartoons are two examples of books that sold within minutes while I was volunteering on my Friday shift. Our goal is to have no books on the shelf for more than six weeks and no less than two weeks. (Those little colored dots on the spines help us meet those guidelines.)

Our volunteers are in the store to answer questions and/or help you find a book every afternoon for two hours except Sunday. The range is from 2:00 to 5:00 pm depending on the particular volunteer's preference. We have delivery of new books two times a week so our selections are constantly changing.

If Mitchell Park Library is not convenient for you, both Rinconada and Downtown Libraries have stores that are smaller but also filled with books for your reading pleasure.

Come visit us. We think you will be pleased.

-Suzanne Brown Little, Mitchell Park Manager

 
Humor

As a complete change of material for Humor in March there are no cartoon books on offer, the top shelf is only for vintage humor. Stage-Land, Jerome K. Jerome. Henry Holt, Publisher, 1890. Best known for his classic Three Men in a Boat this is based on his early experiences on the stage.
An Attic Philosopher in Paris, Emile Souvestre. Appleton, Publisher, 1894. A comic take on a room with a view.
A Bunch of Yarns, Cahill. Carey, Publisher, 1906. Vaudeville anecdotes. Bound in buckram.
Irish Bulls, Kelly. Carey, Publisher, 1906. Irish bulls and puns. Bound in buckram.

Check out the Humor section in the Bargain Room.

Cartoons will be back in April!

Shelf pictures at <https://shelfphotos.fopal.org/humor/>.

-Nigel Jones

 
Philosophy

In Philosophy for March we have nine books by or about the ever popular Hannah Arendt. Making its first appearance we have Alexander Waugh's The House of Wittgenstein, a follow up of sorts to his previous book about the complexity of his own family. We have good looking editions of Machiavelli's The Prince, Plato's Selected Dialogues and three books on different aspects of epistemology.

Make sure to check out the Bargain Room for more philosophy books.

Shelf photos at <https://shelfphotos.fopal.org/philosophy/>.

-Nigel Jones

 
History

This month FoPAL got a large donation of books about the US during the 1920s and 1930s, along with the usual collection of books on political and social history.

-Lin McAllister

 
Bargain Room

This is a big month for CDs in the Bargain Room, more than 2200! Lots of Great titles. Tons of Children's books: lots of middle grade and YA books. Computer books, Health, Medicine, Self Help, Psychology, Reference, Vintage & Magazines: All full or overflowing. Lots of Mystery hardcovers, Cookery books and more. Plus plenty of DVDs, Tools, Collectibles, Odds and Ends, Doodads, Geegaws, etc.

-The Boogie Woogie Frugal Boy From Company B

Frugal Boy is NOT KIDDING. Classical music on CD will be taking up most of the space usually used by Records. Opera too. Popular music, International, Soundtracks, Comedy CDs will probably be out front on carts. No room for Shellac (78s) this month but they will return.

-Frank McConnell (does that in the Bargain Room too)

 
Cameras

Sad news on the Camera front. Our former Camera correspondent, Squeegee, died doing what he loved, photographing the wild underbelly of the big city. The coroner's report said that his death was a combination of blunt force trauma from the piano that fell on him and choking after swallowing his ever present cigar. Now back to The News. Not much in the way of new cameras but we do have lenses, flashes and other camera accessories.

-Sir-Lens-A-Lot

 
Magazines

We have 60+ Playboy Magazines for $3 each plus lots of vintage National Geographics for $1 and many collectable magazines.

-Ghost in the Magazine

 
Collectables

We have tons of Matchbox replica vintage vehicles. Lots of fire trucks, old timey cars and a few WWII fighter planes. We also have an enameled cowboy coffee pot and a bugle!

-Son of Sanford

 
Tools

Once again we have many tools! Screwdrivers, wrenches, a circular saw, a router, soldering irons and more!

-Toolcan Sam

 
Donations

We accept donations on Monday through Friday from 3-5 pm in the Main Room, and on Saturday with extended hours from 1-5 pm. But we close to donations in the week before the sale so that we can prepare the Main Room for the sale, which means that we are closed for donations from Sunday March 8 through Sunday March 15. Please hold your donations until Monday March 16.

Please read our donation guidelines before you bring materials to us. Also look at that page if you need to bring us a donation larger than six boxes or outside our usual donation times, it has information on scheduling appointments and requesting a pickup.

In addition to books, vinyl, DVDs, CDs, toys, etc. We now accept the following types of donations:

• Cameras
• Tools
• Watches
• Clocks
• Typewriters

See our full list of accepted donations at fopal.org/donate.

 
Suggestions?

We're always eager to hear your suggestions for ways to improve our book sale. Please email us at suggestions@friendspaloaltolib.org.