Edible SF

A common resolution people make at the start of a new year revolves around improving their diets, so what better way to start developing healthy eating habits than exploring Edible San Francisco--a local magazine from the Wallace Environmental Stegner Center?

A publication of Edible Communities--a network of local food publications that focuses on "transform[ing] the way consumers shop for, cook, eat and relate to local food . . . . and connect consumers with local growers, retailers, chefs, and food artisans, enabling those relationships to grow and thrive in a mutually beneficial, healthful and economically viable way." To find back issues of Edible San Francisco, check with the Magazines & Newspapers Center for further assistance.

Finally, to whet your culinary palette through a variety of ongoing library programs and exhibitions, check out the San Francisco Eats events page which showcases "menus, historical photographs, an array of food writers, cookbooks and culinary history, ephemera such as coasters and matchbooks, and San Francisco food inventions, including gadgets and signature dishes."

Out with the old, In with the new . . .

As we launch into the new year, one of our longstanding magazines has recently migrated into the digital world. After over 60 years, U.S. News and World Report has abandoned its print format and gone totally online. Reporting and analyzing current events and issues throughout the United States and worldwide, this magazine covered a wide range of topics in the business and financial fields as well as sociological and technological trends. For more information, check out the New York Times article.

December 2010 marked the last print issue of U.S. News and World Report. You can, however, still browse through the older issues here at the Magazines & Newspapers Center. Also, to find other databases that contain the archived articles to Newsweek online, check Periodical Finder. You will need a San Francisco Public library card to access databases from outside of the library.

ABCs of Digital Scanning Microfilm

The Magazines & Newspapers Center will host another hands-on demonstration workshop to introduce you to digital scanning techniques for 35MM microfilm and microfiche periodicals found in our collection. Please attend and participate as we scan, capture, edit and save archival images in the microfilm room on the Fifth Floor of the Main Library.

-Address:100 Larkin (at Grove)

-Location:Main Library, Fifth Floor, Magazines & Newspapers Center, Microfilm Room

-Event Date and Time:Monday, December 20, 2010 (Noon to 1 pm)

The Bay Citizen - a new SF Bay Area news source

If you have been searching for more coverage of local news, the Bay Citizen may help you with your informational needs.

From the mission statement:

"The mission of The Bay Citizen is to enhance civic and community news coverage in the Bay Area, stimulate innovation in journalism, and foster civic engagement.

Across the nation, the field of journalism and access to local news about civic and cultural issues are in jeopardy.

In the Bay Area, local newspapers have cut their newsrooms by nearly 50% in the last five years. And coverage of civic news topics – including education, government, the environment, science, health, and arts – have been cut dramatically compared to topics such as sports and entertainment.

Professional journalism is worth saving. The Bay Citizen aims to provide unbiased and independent coverage of news, which we believe is critical to a functioning democracy and the information health of our communities."

For more information about the Bay Citizen (including the nature of its relationships with the New York Times and the UC Berkeley School of Journalism), take a look at their FAQ page.

Here are some examples of the fascinating articles by the reporters at Bay Citizen:

Bold Ideas Inspire New Life for Magazines by Jeanne Carstensen
The magazine as form being revitalized as evidenced by Longshot (delivered as a print on demand product through MagCloud) and Pop-Up Magazine (magazine as live action theater).

On Gold Coast, a Legacy of Low Taxes by Elizabeth Lesly Stevens
An article describing the discrepancies in the amount of property tax owed on some of the City's most valuable domestic properties. The article includes an interactive graphic that shows a portion of Broadway with pictures of houses together with their estimated current value, their assessed value, and property tax.

In Tough Times, Grandpa Pushes Pills by Shoshana Walter
The economic downturn and the increasing street demand for prescription drugs has broadened the demographics of the "drug dealer" in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco.

Mark Twain, Bay Area Man Around Town by Thalia Gigerenzer
This article gives a brief description of Twain's history and writing while in California (including a stint at the San Francisco Daily Morning Call). Part of a series of articles that celebrates the recent publication of yet another edition of Twain's biography.

ABCs of Digital Scanning Print Documents

Join us as we demonstrate easy digital scanning techniques for legal documents, government records, private papers, historical manuscripts, and more. Bring some materials to scan. See you there!

- Address: 100 Larkin Street (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Fifth Floor, Magazines & Newspapers Center, Microfilm Room
- Event Date & Time: Monday, November 22, 2010 (Noon - 1 p.m.)

Reading the Giants

As the San Francisco Giants enters the big leagues to face off the Texas Rangers in the World Series, many baseball fans in the San Francisco Bay Area are already gearing up for the upcoming games, rain or shine. In honor of this rare event, the Magazines & Newspapers Center highlights the Giants magazine devoted to San Francisco's favorite baseball team.

Published quarterly, the Giants magazine contains feature articles about the San Francisco Giants baseball team and its players. In each issue, you'll find full-color profiles on various team members, close-up batting, pitching, and action shots from past games, behind the scenes tidbits, an events calendar for upcoming games and related Giants community activities, and more.

To keep up with latest news on the SF Giants, check out SF Gate's sports news page which highlights new developments as they occur through news feeds, fan forums, blogs, and tweets.