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Written on: May 15th, 2009 in News
So the lesson is: if James Patterson wrote a history book or two, he would be able to buy a number of small U.S. states from the proceeds…
Alternatively, here are some searches from our Delaware Technical and Community College patrons:
and here it is again without psychology!
Written on: May 15th, 2009 in News
You may be familiar with our downloadable e-audiobooks service- we subscribe to NetLibrary for access to hundreds of titles, mostly unabridged digital audio books.
You can see a brief demonstration of how to search for e-Audiobooks in the Delaware Library Catalog here, or view it below (click on the icon in the lower right of the screen for full-screen view):
To summarize: logged-in patrons can search the ebooks collection by checking the “search the E-content collection” box under the main search panel and then entering their search or browse terms as usual. Titles that are available for download are listed as [electronic resources] and when the full record is viewed, clicking the blue “eCheckout” link:
OCLC and NetLibrary recently announced their new Media Library, a downloadable interface which provides enhanced search capabilities along with options to download to iPod or other compatible devices.
Once you have searched in the catalog and clicked the echeckout link, you will be connected to NetLibrary, where you’ll be asked to enter your NetLibrary account name and password (or create one if this is your first visit). You can then select either to download the selected title to your computer, where it will play using windows audio or another compatible service, or click this link
to download it to a portable device such as an iPod, iPhone or other compatible device.
The first time you do this you will be asked to download the NetLibrary Media Center to your computer. You can click here for a four-minute online demo on installation and use. You can skip the first minute or so, because this part of the presentation deals with connecting to NetLibrary from the web, rather than from the library catalog.
Written on: May 12th, 2009 in Learning Journeys
Honoré here: In early April, Annie shared with us a report*: 2009 Horizon Report: The K12 Edition – the web version. I quickly scanned the Table of Contents – liked so much that it was right there, up top in prime real estate or as it's called in web parlance – above the fold section of the computer screen. Chapter 11: Four to Five Years: The Personal Web immediately caught my attention. Not only was I interested in today's web 2.0 tools: blogs, tweets, personal videos and photos that one sees on YouTube or Flickr, nings – social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, I was taken back to the beginning of my web/Internet learning journey, circa 1997.
Then, we were still in the land of DOS; monitor screens were black with yellow or orange text. Boring! Email was all the rage and Netscape – the premiere Internet browser – was in its infancy, destined to revolutionize the way people used computers, accessed and viewed information. Truly, the world became small. Even though I was a public library branch manager and worked a lot on the information desk, we didn't have computers outfitted with the Internet and actually, very few people in the system had any experience or training…but, we were warned that wasn't always going to be the case.
I recall my curiosity was piqued with it all and, I must admit, perhaps I was a little (lot?) intimidated. So, what does one do? Well, in my situation, I turned to my trusty resource: books. I scoured the library's then meager collection and bookstores. I looked for titles that would help me unravel the mystery of how this thing called the Internet and www – the world wide web – would play out, not only in my work/professional life but also, and most importantly, my personal life. And I discovered Paul Gilster: a writer who specializes in computers and technology. I'm not sure if the first title I read was Finding It On the Internet or the Web Navigator – unfortunately, I didn't keep a journal or reading log way back then – or if I did, I've long since lost my notes. I do recall two things though: 1 – I read all the titles he'd written at the time, 3 or 4; and 2 - he shared with us not only the technical stuff and jargon but more importantly, how he used the Internet/web tools to create his own personal web resources and experiences. In short, he shared the process with us, his readers, in a very conversational and informational style. The outcome: I could envision myself using the Internet and surfing the web; I no longer was intimidated but empowered to embrace this new phenomenon and began to explore and experiment more.
Today, I'm perfectly comfortable with embracing – trying out – these new web tools, not every one because they don't all appeal to me – but I do look into them so that I'll have a better understanding and I can grow my own knowledge. I am really awed and inspired by the Internet and the web 2.0 tools – they do bring the world closer and make it so much smaller while at the same time, infinitely expand our horizons and current and potential learning journeys. What a glorious world. BTW: I also keep better track of what I read and my learning paths. 
Cheers~
*PS. Even though the report is targeted to teachers, I think it's a great read for us all…
Written on: May 12th, 2009 in News
Click on the links below to get lists of new items available from the DLC in various formats:
All New Items
New Audio Books
New Books
New DVDs
Written on: May 10th, 2009 in Reviews
I was excited to see a big article on Amy Krouse Rosenthal in today’s NYT Review! They must have seen my March posting about what a wonderful author she is! Read the article, but this is the thing to take away:
Her books radiate fun the way tulips radiate spring: they are elegant and spirit-lifting
Also in this weeks reviews:
Bad Mother, essays by Ayalet Waldman about motherhood and marriage.
Nobody Move! by Denis Johnson, a “pop-art crime noir” originally written as a serial for Playboy magazine
Vanished Smile, by R.A. Scotti, an investigation of the mysterious 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa
Written on: May 6th, 2009 in News
The Free Library opened its Rare Book Room for attendees at today’s conference. They were particularly showcasing their collection of early (14-15th Century) music scores, but it was also a nice opportunity to meet Grip- Charles Dickens’ pet raven, who watches over the collection.
(it’s a cellphone shot, so apologies about the quality)
Written on: May 6th, 2009 in News
I’m at a conference at the Free Library in Philadelphia today, which is itself and impressive building- and due to get more impressive with the planned renovations- but this article about the New York Public Library really gets illustrates some of the splendor and magic that many of these institutions possess.
Written on: May 5th, 2009 in Learning Journeys
Kathy here: Phase III of the DLLJ is underway! And, it centers on monthly meetings after the formal program presentation.
Readers bring one or two titles to each meeting to share with the group. This exercise offers up new reading choices, of course. But, it also gives us a chance to examine the road we were traveling for the previous 4 weeks…yet another way to be intentional…perhaps to find meaning…in our reading.
Or not.
I say this neither Annie or I brought books to this first meeting that made us stand up and shout "HURRAY! Read this!" And, that is perfectly okay, right? Yes! We continued to have a spirited conversation with our attendees about topics ranging from poetry to historical fiction to scientific processes. The best part was the ease with which each freely described how these topics were woven around and through their life-long reading/learning.
There was a new visitor with us. Following a short-and-sweet version of the program before the meeting, she shared her preferred method of tracking her learning. She keeps her books piled by topic, full of Post-it notes. The piles – situated in physical relations to one another – enable her to visually cross topics over when the mood strikes.
At the conclusion of our time this month, she commented, "I thought I was weird until I heard what you all have said. This is so great." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Written on: May 4th, 2009 in Reviews
You can click on the links below to get lists of new items available from the DLC in various formats:
All New Items
New Audio Books
New Books
New DVDs
Written on: May 4th, 2009 in News
Until June 30th, Delaware library card holders have access to the truly marvelous Credo Reference database, which provides full-text searching of hundreds of reference texts published by MacMillan, Colombia University,
Cambridge University Press, Collins, and more. Topics available include all manner of general and specific biographical and topical dictionaries and encyclopedias, medical resources, wine guides, and pop culture.
To access the Credo Reference search platform, click here. If you are not in a public library, you may be asked to enter the following login and password:
Username: Delaware
Password: trial
Another great thing about this platform is the ability to cross-search in our other subscription databases- once you have completed a search in Credo, you can click to extend the search in Encyclopedia Brittanica,
EBSCO, and the Delaware Library Catalog to see other resources available online or in print.
Please check out this trial service, and let us know what you think about it in the comments section.
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