Blog

How do we celebrate Labor Day at the Mechanics’ Institute?

We give thanks to the sharp librarians who point us towards new discoveries and to Jenny and Nelson who welcome us through our front door. We pay tribute to the guys and gals of the chess room, the people that make our fiber connect, and those whose sweat created the beauty that is the building.

We celebrate the janitors who clean, the framers who frame, the plumbers who plumb, and the electricians who wire. We think a...

Are you a writer? At our last Writers' Lunch on August 19, our special guest Michael Larsen, codirector of the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, stated with conviction that "The Bay Area is America’s second largest writing and publishing community. It’s the best place in the world to be a writer. The Mechanics Institute is one reason why." I estimate that about 10-20% of MI’s members are actively engaged in writing something. Therefore I am delighted to a...

This series of posts was prompted by a recent statistical report of library circulation. In part I, we explored Mechanics’ Institute members’ favorite fiction and film. In part II, we looked at the non-traditional formats you’re enjoying – from music and magazines to audio- and ebooks...