I don’t think there are many people out there who are bigger library fans than me (I currently have five valid library cards, including three from different countries), but contributor Sonora Slater, author of this month’s most-read story, might be a contender. The piece is both a love letter and a very practical A-Z guide to Sacramento’s robust library system. And I do mean literally A-Z; Sonora found a relevant resource for every letter in the alphabet, including X (but there’s a long wait list for that one).
Speaking of libraries, inspired by memories of this 2022 Back Story, I made it out to the Sacramento Archives Crawl for this year and had my first glimpse of the California State Library. The reading room is open to the public and features a gorgeous mural by Maynard Dixon, the celebrated Western painter and first husband of photographer Dorothea Lange. You can even borrow books from its circulating library, though you need to request them via your local branch.
There are design flourishes like this at libraries around the Capital Region, some of which we covered in an architecture feature earlier this year. See what you can find at the branch nearest you!
And while you’re at it, why not use that free Wi-Fi to leave a comment on one of Comstock’s social media pages? We feature a few top comments in the On the Web page in every print issue. Here’s who we included this month.
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Leave a comment on one of our posts and you might see your username in print next month.
–Jennifer Fergesen, digital editor
Last Month’s Most-Read Stories
Top Story: Seeds, Cake Pans and an Xbox — Are You Making the Most of Your Sacramento Library Card?
This highly useful article (which I took the lead photo for on my way to drop off my latest stack of loans) got over 1,000 likes on Instagram in addition to being our most-read story of the month.
Mark S. Allen Is Not Just That Silly Guy You See on TV
Local TV personality Mark S. Allen opened up to contributor Ed Goldman for the latest installment of Getting to Know, a print column centered around interviews with some of the region’s most recognizable and influential people.
Downtown Sacramento’s Lunch Scene Is Changing. Will State Workers Fuel Its Comeback?
This article spurred a lively discussion on Instagram, particularly among the state workers who downtown restaurants are hoping to lure back to lunch. Several commenters pointed out that the infrastructure in downtown Sacramento — a formerly mixed-use neighborhood that was demolished in the 1950s and ’60s to make room for that era’s vision of steel-and-glass, car-dependent modernity — is hostile to both commuters and visitors who might be tempted to come in for a sandwich. “You know what would actually improve DT’s business struggles? Building dense, affordable housing for individuals to reside there and spend more frequently as opposed to relying on an underpaid workforce that is only in the area a finite amount of time during the week,” wrote @mateos_in_paris.
Here’s What People Wore to Aftershock in an October Heat Wave
Photographer Gabriel Teague got a press pass to Aftershock, but with a caveat: He wasn’t allowed to photograph any of the artists. But who needs more photos of My Chemical Romance and Limp Bizkit, anyway? I asked him to instead point his camera towards the music festival’s most interesting outfits.
A Food Bazaar Keeps Northern California’s Japanese American Farming Heritage Alive
New contributor Adiva Mittal is still a student, but she’s already on her way up in the region’s journalism scene. She took a break from her ambitious responsibilities, including running the independent publication City Speaks and serving as Broken Bounds editor for the Granite Bay Today, to share the history of a rural Japanese American community through the lens of its 59th annual food bazaar. I later learned that this event may be the last edition of the bazaar, but I hope that Adiva’s article might attract the money and volunteer hours it needs to keep going.
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