Reading mates, genealogy study at area libraries

Dogs, a cat and even an oversized bunny make regular appearances at the Morgan Hill Library anticipating the arrival of their friends who visit and read to them.  Who are these animals? They are the Reading Buddies.
“It’s all about the child and the dog,” said Nancy Reynolds of Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services about the program that provides specially trained animals to children who benefit from having a reading buddy.
Mary Lou Dahl brings all three of her grandchildren to read with the reading buddies.
“The confidence it builds in these children is amazing,” Dahl said.
Reynolds explained that nobody corrects the students as they read, which in turn helps build their confidence.
“That’s what it’s all about, getting the confidence to read out loud and to enjoy the books,”
she said.
Morgan Hill Library teamed up with Furry Friends Pet Assisted Therapy Services five years ago to initiate the Reading Buddies program.
The concept behind the program is simple.
“Learning to read can be a pretty stressful situation in the first place, when you’re trying to parse out the words and even understand what you’re trying to do,” said Tamara Palmer, child-
ren’s librarian.
Some children come for other reasons.
“It’s a chance to see their favorite friends; and
if they don’t have animals at home, it’s an opportunity to get to interact with animals, too,” Pal-
mer said.
Mark Heredia brings his sons, Nathan, 7, and Justin, 9, on a regular basis.
“We try to come every month; you have to reserve a spot … it fills up quick,” Heredia said. “This is our fifth time here. I like that the kids are thrilled to read. It encourages them to read.”
Cathy Campbell, a Furry Friends volunteer, felt Reading Buddies was the program for her and her dog Kailu.
“I just love dogs and kids, and I’m a teacher,” Cunningham said. “So I thought this was a perfect combination.”
Palmer recommends parents register their children to attend a Reading Buddies session.  They have only 20 spots available each month, 20 minutes per spot, from 3 to 4:20 p.m.
Gilroy Library offers genealogy workshops
to help people discover their lineage
“Where do I come from?” seems to be the question people are asking these days.  The search for
past generations and the connections to them
is on the rise.
Recently at the Gilroy Library nearly 40 people filled the program room to learn tips on how to find a means to discover their lineage, as speaker Karen Abel presented “Genealogy 101–Getting Started,” the first of five workshop sessions.
 “I’ve been doing (genealogy) for a number of years, probably close to 30,” said Verona Flint of Hollister. “I knew back in the fourth grade we were descended from the Mayflower, so that’s what got me hooked. I never had a beginning class before and this is a beginning class, so I’m going back to the beginning.”
Abel said everybody wants to do genealogy these days.
“I think a lot of it is advertisement; people hear about ancestory.com and there’s the TV shows,” she said. “ I think all those things have really motivated a lot of interest.”  
Morgan Hill resident, William H. Adams said he’s a fifth generation American. “I’ve been collecting little bits and pieces for years but I haven’t taken the time to put it all together.”
Karen Abel has conducted genealogy research for 15 years. She has extensive experience researching early American, German and German-Russian families. She has volunteered at the San Jose Family History Center for 11 years. Early this year the director of the center asked Abel if she would be interested in teaching a class.
“I was excited about it because it was something I’d been thinking about doing,” Abel said. “I like doing it a lot.  I meet a lot of interesting people and get a lot of interesting questions.”
Abel explained there’s a great deal of information about genealogy available on the internet compared to when she first started.
“I think people need to learn how to use it appropriately,” Abel said. “You get sucked into errors and paying for things you don’t necessarily have to pay for. That’s what I like to push is free stuff, free websites.”   
Lisa Duff, adult services librarian and organizer of the workshop, heard patrons express an interest in genealogy. She found out about Abel from the Morgan Hill Library, where she’d conducted a workshop series in March.
 “I think anytime a program brings people in, really it’s a good thing; that’s what we want,” said Anne Chand, library assistant. “Because we’re here to inform people, to educate people.”
For more information about other free library events in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, go to sccl.org.