Library

For some time after my husband read the book "The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914", by David McCullough, and recommended it to me as a "very readable" book, I have had it in my pile of reading material. But the very size of it, and the fact that it was nonfiction, kept me away. Finally, having overdosed on mysteries, I decided to tackle it. And I had a hard time putting it down. If you are interested in history, or public health, or technology, or even politics, it is a great read.

Ole! The Huntington Beach Library will host the Mexican Train Domino Party from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Talbert Room, 7111 Talbert Ave. The free popular domino event, which welcomes players of all ages and skill levels, is noncompetitive and limited to 50 people. Lessons will be offered for beginners, according to a news release. Those interested can sign up at MexicanTrainFun.com or RSVP (714) 969-8138. * Weekend swap meet at local college There's nothing like the swap meet for great finds, and the Golden West College Swap Meet takes place each weekend, rain or shine.

There were two annual occasions celebrated in Costa Mesa's Donald Dungan Library on Saturday. The local alumnae club of the Pi Beta Phi fraternity commemorated Dr. Seuss' March 2 birthday and marked 100 years of the fraternity's literacy push by inviting local kids to read, eat and compete. At a cluster of tables amid the bookshelves, volunteers clicked on a stopwatch for 30 seconds while an elementary schooler read as far as they could through a Dr. Seuss tale. They then passed it to the next student in line, who tried to beat the mark.

Newport Beach's Central Library closed after an unexpected construction issue Friday afternoon, according to a library official. The library at 1000 Avocado Ave. closed about 2 p.m. and is expected to reopen at noon Saturday, said reference librarian Allen Kesinger. The nature of the issue was unclear, although it "seems to be an issue that's easily fixed," Kesinger said. None of the other three branches were affected by the closure. — Lauren Williams Twitter: @lawilliams30

Probably not too many people notice the plaque just to the left, inside the door of the Costa Mesa Donald Dungan library. It reads: "This Orange County Branch Library is dedicated to the memory of Judge Donald Dungan, an avid reader and a dedicated activist in the incorporation of Costa Mesa, who throughout the years volunteered his time and personal skills to enrich the lives of those around him. It is our desire that this facility will forever stand...

The Donald Dungan branch of Costa Mesa's library system will be closed April 1 through July 5, according to a city news release. Construction crews will replace a structural beam at the library, 1855 Park Ave. The Mesa Verde branch, 2969 Mesa Verde Drive East, will be open during the closure period. The city also said the library's new Technology Branch, 2263 Fairview Road, Suite A, is scheduled to open April 18. That branch was previously on Bristol Street at Paularino Avenue.

Climbing Mt. Everest is the theme of the program at the Feb. 23 Speaker's Series event sponsored by the Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries. Bill Burke, who has reached the summit of Mt. Everest twice, will be the evening's speaker. Burke has scaled the highest peaks on seven continents and has done this after reaching the age of 60. One of Costa Mesa's own, he is a corporate lawyer, husband, father and grandfather. He will bring some of his climbing equipment to demonstrate its use. The talk will follow a Mexican dinner from Taco Mesa and a very short business meeting.

Someday, the citizens of Costa Mesa will sit up and demand that we build a large library in town. This may be a brand new building, or it may be a redesigned building, or it may be accomplished by adding on to a present library. But it will happen. When we get ready to do this, I have come across lots of advice we might follow. "Designing a Fine Library: Tools from the KLA Standards Committee, the Regional Systems and the Kansas State Library," by Bill Shared, is one source. I liked this article because it not only tells you what to do, and it also tells things not to do. The following is a selection of five from their list of 25 problems collected by Kansas consultants.

The Costa Mesa City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an upgraded security system for City Hall and a new one for Lions Park. City Hall's current system is 6 years old and consists of eight cameras and a digital recorder, according to a city staff report. Those cameras cover part of the lobby and the first floor's hallways. The new system would monitor areas of the parking lot and portions of all of City Hall's floors. City officials said the new cameras would not be monitoring employees' desk areas.