Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Trivia Contest

Overbrook Park Library

7422 Haverford Avenue

Philadelphia, Pa 19151

Phone: 215-685-0182

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Birthday Celebration Trivia Contest

Contest Run Dates: December 28 - January 23, 2014

Come  together and learn plus test your knowledge about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Legacy and the History behind Martin Luther King,Jr. Day as a federal Holiday. Fill out a trivia questionnaire for a chance to win some great prizes.

Teen Prizes:                                  Adult Prizes:

1st Place Kamir Scott             $30 Target Gift Card                     

2ns Place  A.W.                        $10 Target Gift Card                    

 

Adult Prizes

1st Place Sarah Brownely        $30 Target Gift Card                    

2nd Abdul Sabir                         $10 Target Gift Card                   

Contest Rules: Trivia contest questionnaire will be distributed and completed in the presence of a Library Staff member. Questionnaire must be completed without the use of any outside materials. (cell phone, books, computer, etc)

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. -
                                                                           Martin Luther King, Jr.

"A Very Jazzy Christmas" Concert featuring The Andy Kahn Trio - 2013

By : Marvin DeBose Sr.



The Jazzy Christmas Concert 2013

To spread holiday cheer, the Overbrook Park Library hosted “The Jazzy Christmas” concert, a heartwarming musical celebration featuring the acclaimed Andy Kahn Trio. The Trio—Andy Kahn on piano, Kenny Davis on bass, and Overbrook Park’s own Bruce Klauber on drums—delivered an unforgettable holiday performance that filled the library and surrounding neighborhood with the spirit of the season.

In an unexpected twist for late December, the weather was unseasonably warm, with temperatures reaching up to 68 degrees. This added to the festive atmosphere, as residents in the nearby apartments opened their balcony doors to enjoy the music. Many even sang along to the Christmas melodies, turning the entire block into a living, breathing celebration of community and song.

The performance held deep emotional resonance for the trio as they dedicated the concert to the late Father John D’Amico, a beloved jazz artist who passed away in November. D’Amico had performed in last year’s Jazz Appreciation Month concert alongside Klauber and Davis, leaving a lasting impression on the community. In his honor, the trio performed a touching tribute piece that moved the audience.

A standout moment came when Bruce Klauber stepped out from behind the drums to sing the holiday favorite "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", earning a warm ovation from the crowd.

Inside the library, guests enjoyed refreshments provided by the library staff and received a thoughtful holiday gift—a winter-themed coffee mug—as a token of appreciation from Overbrook Park Library.

(L-R) Kenny Davis, Bruce Klauber, Andy Kahn and Marvin DeBose

 

Looking ahead, jazz and history lovers have more to be excited about. Bruce Klauber and I are currently collaborating on a major jazz project to be hosted at the Lucien E. Blackwell-West Philly Regional Library in the near future. Stay tuned for more updates!

The Overbrook Park Community Enjoying the Concert!

"A Very Jazzy Christmas!" Concert featuring The Andy Kahn Trio

                                                                                                                

Overbrook Park Library

Present

 

"A VERY JAZZY CHRISTMAS!"

Saturday, December 21st

1pm - 2:30

Andy Kahn

 

 

 

Featuring

The Andy Kahn Jazz Trio

Kenny Davis: Bass

Bruce Klauber: Drums

 

All are Welcome to this Free Jazz Holiday Concert!

Light Refreshments will be Served!

 

Free Special Gift for First 50 People

 

For more information contact the

Overbrook Park Library

7422 Haverford Ave.

Phila. Pa 19151

 Phone: 215.685.0183

 

 

 

 

 

50 Years Anniversary of JFK's Assassination

 

 

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

35^th President of the United States

1917 -1963

 

Even after 50 years after the death of our 35^thPresident, John F. Kennedy

his legacy as well as the mysteries behind his untimely demise goes on.

 But one thing is for sure, America lost a groundbreaking,

charismatic president.

JFK had many great accomplishments but here are a few:

 

 

1)     He became the 35th president of the US at the age of 43.
      He was the youngest, as well as the first Catholic president of the US.

 

2)     He served in the US senate form 1953-1960

 

3)    Served in the US Navy in WWII and Won the Purple Heart,
      a medal for soldiers injured or killed in the line of duty.

 

4)     JFK's cautious and sensible approach to the standoff during
      the Cuban missile crisis that ultimately diverted a nuclear war
      with the Soviet Union and secured the removal of missiles from
      Cuba.

 

5)    Under JFK's administration, laws was put in place to end
     segregation in interstate travel facilities

 

6)    JFK issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in the
      sale or lease of housing that was financed by federally guaranteed
      loans or owned by the federal government.

 

 

My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy

 

 Here are a few books about President Kennedy that are in
The Free Library of Philadelphia collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Celebrating the life of “Father John D'Amico”

Celebrating the life of “Father John D'Amico”

A Philadelphia Jazz Legend

Father John D'Amico
1939-2013

My friend, Father John D'Amico was an outstanding jazz pianist who had fans wherever he played throughout the city, and he was also a compassionate and devoted to helping other people, passed away this week.

Father John was born John Aloysius D'Amico, a former Roman Catholic priest, was 74 and lived in Wynnefield section of Philadelphia. He played his cool style of jazz at numerous venues throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and was also a music historian and teacher.

John performed solo and also with his trio, consisting of Kenny Davis on bass and Gregory McDonald on drums. Over the years, he performed with some of the jazz greats, including Lionel Hampton, Jimmie Oliver, Bootsie Barnes, Bruce Klauber and Philly Joe Jones.

Just last April, he did us the honor of performing at our library Overbrook Park helping us celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month. We were looking forward to seeing and hearing Father John play his piano at our “2013 Holiday Celebration” this December but God had better plans for him. He was a true friend to the Overbrook Park Library on his last visits he told me “he just wanted to expose the young people to the rich history of jazz music”.

Father John D'Amico was an extraordinary musician as well as an extraordinary human being and he will be missed by many.

 

  (LtoR) Bruce Klauber(drums), Kenny Davis (Bass), Marvin DeBose & John D'Amico(Piano)

 The Father John Trio visit to the Overbrook Park Library last April for "Jazz Appreciation Month”

Services: Memorial service 4 p.m. Nov. 17 at Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Carpenter Lane and Lincoln Drive, Mount Airy.

Rev. Al Sharpton - The Rejected Stone

Sharpton, Al. (2013) The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership. Hardback | Cash Money Content | ISBN-13:9781936399475 | $13.46 |  272 Pages

On October 10th The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Authors’ tour hosted Rev. Al Sharpton to promote his new book The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership.

Civil rights activist and MSNBC's PoliticsNation host Rev. Al Sharpton makes his latest entry into the literary world with The Rejected Stone, which was released October 8th, 2013. The book's title is named after the biblical quote in Psalms chapter 118 verse 22.

He give details on his  wisdom in chapters all their own titled, “Learning from Flawed Leaders,” “Never Rest on Your Laurels,” “Practice What You Preach,” and “Don’t Be Afraid to Be Big,” to name a few

I thought this book was good very insightful of his childhood stardom, as a 9-year-old preacher and his turbulent upbringing of moving from a middle class home to the projects.

Another rather interesting aspect of this book is the fact that it is distributed by Cash Money Content whose parent group is Cash Money Records, a record company with whom Rev. Sharpton has had a tumultuous relationship in recent years.  

Just last summer, Rev. Sharpton called a meeting with Pepsi Co. to protest their endorsement of Cash Money rapper Lil' Wayne after he made an insensitive reference to Emmett Till, the African-American teen who was lynched in Mississippi back in 1955.

During the book's presentation, one the spectators in the crowd asked Rev. Sharpton about his unexpected collaboration with the same company that he protested. Sharpton eluded the question by saying that he was signed with company Simon & Schuster.

Needless to say, the circumstances surrounding the book's publishing are questionable. However, The Rejected Stone is a good read which covers the life and lessons of one of the most significant figures of the 21st century. 

   

Urban Public Librarians as School Media Specialists | EasyBib Blog

Urban Public Librarians as School Media Specialists

Posted by Emily G. on Oct 11, 2013 in Blog Posts, Librarian profile | 0 comments

Librarian Profile: Marvin DeBose

Teen Librarian, Free Library of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

We’ve featured many great academic and K-12librarians in our Librarian Profile blog posts over the past year, but what about public librarians? In many communities, they play an equally important role as the school library — sometimes, they are the school library.

Marvin DeBose, a teen librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia, knows this situation all too well. Public libraries, particularly in ubran areas like Philadelphia that have faced dire school budget cuts, play a crucial role in providing information and educational resources to students.

DeBose, who has worked as a teen librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia for eight years, has seen an influx of student patronage as school budgets were slashed. “One of the problems we have in Philly is that the majority of public K-12 schools don’t have libraries –we are the primary source of information access for the kids,” he said. With a high school right down the street, DeBose has students coming in everyday. “We really kind of operate in the capacity of a school library. Anything K-12 school library media specialists do, I do.”

Given the lack of school libraries in Philadelphia city schools, DeBose makes a concerted effort to form a relationship with local schools to educate students on how the public library can help. The importance of K-12 schools forming relationships with public librarieshas been discussed frequently in recent months, and is something DeBose has continued to nuture.

“The relationships with the public schools are good, but some of them have such a bad behavior problem that coordinating visits and programs gets put on the back burner,” he said.

“Our programs depend on the demographic and what type of school it is — we’ve done everything from talking to a large crowd in an auditorium, to going from class to class, letting students know about our services.” DeBose organizes a “boot camp” for ninth graders, where he gives them a crash course on what they can expect when they start high school, and how the public library can help them.

“We find it really helps. When you become a part of the community, the kids come to you, and the library.”

Check out Marvin’s blog, Mr. Philly Librarian, where he writes book reviews, discusses library events and shares author interviews. Feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn, too.

Emily Gover is the information literacy librarian for EasyBib andResearchReady. In the Philly Cheesesteak battle of Pat’s vs. Geno’s, she goes for Pat’s every time. You can find her on Twitter, @Emily_EasyBib, or posting news you can use at the EasyBib Librarians Face