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Written on: July 14th, 2009 by: in Learning, Learning Journeys
Kathy here: We have talked before about reading with our ears. Dave Robicheaux, Stephanie Plum and Sookie Stackhouse come to life before me…the supporting characters welcome me into their conversations…when I listen to these tales. But, I simply cannot read one of these novels with my eyes. Period. Well, now I know the reverse is true as well. Last week, I marched from Disc 1 through Disc 3 of Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince while commuting to and from work. It was my 3rd vain attempt. Torture. On Saturday, I pulled my copy from the living room bookcase and dived in. Heaven. The very same thing happened when I repeatedly tried to listen to Lord of the Rings. Go figure.
What reading tales have you to share?
And, last, it must be acknowledged that my intense enjoyment of the particular audio books mentioned here is due to the talents of Will Patton, Lorelei King and Johanna Parker, respectively.
Written on: July 14th, 2009 by: in Reviews
If it’s Tuesday, it must be time for our weekly new item announcements! You can sign up to receive a weekly reminder of new items via email- visit our catalog homepage and go to the “connect with us” section in the lower left of the page and click on “other new item feeds”- enter your email address, look for a verification email, and you’ll receive a reminder when new item links are posted.
Click on the links below to get lists of new items available from the Delaware Library Catalog in various formats:
Written on: July 14th, 2009 by: in News
The nomination of Regina Benjamin to the office of Surgeon General was announced yesterday by President Obama. According to the Surgeon General’s website, the appointee serves “as America’s chief health educator”, and reports not to the President, but to the Assistant Secretary for Health. Dr. Benjamin, the first African American woman to be elected to the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, and has served for 20 years as the only doctor in the remote Alabama community of Bayou La Batre. You can read about previous Surgeons General here.
Former office holders have written on personal subjects as well as on public health issues. C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General during most of the Reagan administration, wrote a well-regarded biography in 1991, which as well as describing his own fascinating life, also provided an inside look into his thinking about various controversial and ethically complex medical issues. Joycelyn Elders’ biography, also available from the Delaware Library Catalog is another fascinating story of personal accomplishment, as well as an interesting perspective on the political calculations of the Clinton White House.
Courtesy of EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete databases, here are a select few of Discover magazines “20 things you didn’t know about the Surgeon General”:
You can read the whole list here with your Delaware Library Card ID and PIN
Written on: July 10th, 2009 by: in Q & A's
The 5-second rule states dropped food that spends less than 5 seconds on the floor is safe to eat.
The short answer is no, it is not true. In 2005, the Discovery Channel’s Dr. Know went to scientists at the University of Maryland to test the rule. Moist foods, like lunchmeat, picked up germs faster than dry foods, like crackers, but all the food still had germs. The scientists found “Food that has been on the floor for five seconds or less is no safer to eat than food that has been on the floor for a long time.”
In 2003, a high-school intern at the University of Illinois conducted an experiment on the 5-second rule (with graduate-level supervision). She found “…if you drop your food on a floor that does contain microorganisms, the food can be contaminated in 5 seconds or less. ”
At Clemson University, food scientists discovered “In the case of the five-second-rule…bacteria was transferred from tabletops and floors to the food within five seconds.” The Discovery Channel’s MythBusters declared this myth “busted.” And, Nemours reminds us that “A clean-looking floor isn’t necessarily clean. A shiny linoleum floor is probably cleaner than a 1970s-era carpet. But even clean, dry floors can harbor bacteria. Newly washed floors are only as clean as the tools used to wash them.”
Thanks for using Ask a Librarian Delaware! Have a question? Ask us!
Written on: July 9th, 2009 by: in Q & A's
Answer: According to the ASPCA website, hot spots, also known as acute moist dermatitis, are red, moist, hot and irritated lesions that are typically found on a dog’s head, hip or chest area. They grow quickly because dogs tend to lick, chew and scratch the affected areas, further irritating the skin. Hot spots can become quite painful.
Anything that irritates the skin and causes a dog to scratch or lick themselves can start a hot spot, including allergic reactions, flea bites, skin infections, or constant licking and chewing prompted by stress or boredom.
The ASPCA recommends that you visit your vet for an exam as soon as you notice any abnormality in your pet’s skin, or if your pet begins to excessively scratch, lick and/or bite areas on his fur.
For more information please check the ASPCA website.
For further reading check out these titles:
Hound Health Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Keeping Your Dog Happy, Healthy & Active (available to library patrons in Kent County, Sussex County, and through Delaware Tech)
What’s Wrong with my Dog?: A Pet Owner’s Guide to 150 Symptoms and What to Do about Them (available to library patrons in New Castle County)
Thanks for using Ask a Librarian Delaware! Have a question? Ask us!
Written on: July 9th, 2009 by: in Reviews
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff contributed to the kids summer reading debate last week with his column on the Best Kids’ Books Ever!
I was immediately tempted by his recommendation of On to Oregon!- a thrilling tale of a pioneer family whose parents die early en route and who must finish the grueling journey alone- although Mr. Kristoff must not have run his choices past a librarian, because if he had, he would have discovered that On to Oregon is now entitled Seven Alone (it’s also available as a movie, but in the spirit of summer reading, keep that a secret from the young ones). Kristoff’s other choices are all good stuff, from the wonderful Anne of Green Gables to Alex Rider and Harry Potter.
You can offer your suggestions (or those of your kids) at his blog
Written on: July 8th, 2009 by: in Q & A's
A: Yes, Legislative Hall is open the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information and guidelines on visiting the Capitol please check:
http://regulations.delaware.gov/Tour/services/guided_tour.shtml
Thanks for using Ask a Librarian Delaware!
Written on: July 8th, 2009 by: in News
Recently overshadowing the tension over the disputed election in Iran is an outburst of ethnic violence in the far-Western Chinese province of Xianjiang, between the native Uighur population and the transplanted Chinese majority Han residents of the capital city of Urumchi. This region’s history as a waystation on the fabled silk route means that there is a tremendous cultural and historical significance to the land and its people.
PBS Frontline did a recent feature on the Uighurs and the Chinese- you can see it here
You can read a background history on China’s relationships with the Uighurs here– enter Delaware Division of Libraries for the library name and select “Access the Complete Article” to read Chapter 7 of Shu Shun Luh’s “Peoples of China” (from EBSCO’s Non Fiction Book Collection.)
This New Statesman article is also a recent and interesting account. (You’ll need to enter your Delaware Library Catalog account number and PIN to access the article through Academic Search Complete)
You can also check out books from the Delaware library catalog concerning the history and culture of the region, here, here, and here.
To see photojournalist Caroly Drake’s award-winning photographs of traditional Uighur life, click here.
Written on: July 7th, 2009 by: in Q & A's
A: Yes! All items checked out in Kent or Sussex County may be returned at any public library in Kent or Sussex.
We also have a state-wide delivery system. Just let the library staff member know your book/movie needs to be sent to a library in a different county (and be aware items may take up to a week to be received).
Thanks for using Ask a Librarian Delaware!
Written on: July 7th, 2009 by: in News
This is the first time on our new blog for our weekly new item announcements!
Click on the links below to get lists of new items available from the Delaware Library Catalog in various formats:
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