JULY 29, 2010
An Evening with Vick Mikunas
The Friends of Wright Library are sponsoring An Evening with Vick Mickunas, a special program to encourage new members to join and to provide a fun opportunity for current members to renew their membership for the 2010-2011 year. Book reviewer extraordinaire Vick Mickunas will be the guest speaker on Wednesday, August 4th at 7 p. m. in the library meeting room. Mickunas will share anecdotes about the hundreds of authors he has interviewed. No advanced registration is necessary.
Vick Mickunas introduced his program "The Book Nook" on WYSO Public Radio in Yellow Springs in 1995. Over the years he has interviewed over 1400 authors. He also wrote regular book reviews for the WYSO radio magazine "Sounds Local" and in 2004 he began writing his weekly Book Nook column for the Dayton Daily News and the other Cox Ohio newspapers.
Mickunas has served on the board of the Antioch Writer's Workshop. He is a founding member of the board of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. When he speaks to library groups he enjoys sharing anecdotes about writers and the interviewing process.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Library Event
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JULY 28, 2010
Mango Languages
Wright Library is now offering a new online language learning resource to our patrons. Mango Languages teaches real conversation skills for practical communication. Through fun and engaging interactive lessons, Mango makes learning a new language fast, easy and incredibly effective.
The system is completely web-based and remotely accessible, so you can learn anywhere you have an Internet connection. As you listen to and repeat after native speakers, you'll learn more than just words and phrases. You’ll learn how those pieces can be rearranged and combined to make new thoughts, new conversations, and even more practical communication! In no time at all, you'll be able to navigate all sorts of everyday situations — get directions, order a meal, make new friends — the possibilities are endless!
Ask a reference librarian for help getting started using Mango Languages. A training program will be offered in September. Watch Wright Library's Web site for details.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Categories: Language,
Featured Resource
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JULY 12, 2010
Audiobook Community
Recently we did a post on social networks for book lovers. We want to add another Web site to the list. The Audiobook Community is just what the name implies, a community of audiobook listeners. As it says on the site, "Audiobook Community was created and is maintained by the team at AudioFile as an open, uncensored, unbranded forum for all audiobook listeners to discover audiobooks and connect with other fans as well as publishers, authors, and narrators."
If you're an audiobook listener, check out the discussions. Plus you can download free audiobooks from Sync (read about it), which is hosted by Audiobook Community.
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posted by Audiovisual Librarian |
Category: Reading
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JULY 7, 2010
Truth and Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett
Another author returns to the On-the-Road at Starbucks Book Club. Previously, we read Ann Patchett's novel, Bel Canto. For our August meeting (the 7th at 7:00 p.m.), we will be reading Truth and Beauty: A Friendship, the story of Patchett's friendship with writer, Lucy Grealy.
Ann Patchett and the late Lucy Grealy met in college in 1981, and, after enrolling in the Iowa Writer's Workshop, began a friendship that would be as defining to both of their lives as their work. In Truth & Beauty, the story isn't Lucy's life or Ann's life, but the parts of their lives they shared. This is a portrait of unwavering commitment that spans twenty years, from the long winters of the Midwest, to surgical wards, to book parties in New York. Through love, fame, drugs, and despair, this is what it means to be part of two lives that are intertwined ... and what happens when one is left behind. --from the publisher.
To learn more about Ann Patchett and her books, visit her Web site, which includes a biography with audio interviews and a reading guide. You can also read reviews of Truth and Beauty below.
Reviews
Other books by Ann Patchett
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Book Club
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JULY 5, 2010
Free Audiobooks to Download
Each week, from July 1st until September 1st, you can download two totally FREE audiobooks through SYNC! Anyone may participate, there's no required sign-up or personal info or credit card needed. The titles are in MP3 format compatible with ANY digital player or computer, and the choices are top titles from the best audiobook producers - how much better could it get?!?
The downloads are handled through OverDrive, the same company which supports the Wright Library Digital Collection at the Ohio Ebook Project. The OverDrive Media Console, a program for downloading and managing audio and video files, is used for the downloading process and for transferring the audiobook to your portable device. If you haven't done this before, a Wright Library audiovisual librarian would be happy to help you get started. And your digital audiobook experience doesn't have to end with SYNC, free audiobooks are available from the Wright Library Digital Collection with just your library card. Check out this slide show.
In addition there's an entire social community where SYNC participants may interact with authors, narrators, audiobook producers, and each other! SYNC has been developed to promote audiobook listening to teens ages 13 and up through the unbranded open forum Audiobook Community. But it's not just for teens! Each week, two new titles will be available for download - one a current teen favorite, one a classic with a similar theme. What a great way to experience classics on your summer reading list, discover great YA literature, or download perfect family listening for a wide spectrum of ages.
Check out the entire list of titles:
Available July 1 - July 7
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Available July 8 - July 14
Over the End Line by Alfred C. Martino
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Available July 15 - July 21
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Available July 22 - July 28
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Available July 29 - August 4
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Available August 5 - August 11
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Available August 12 - August 18
Beastly by Alex Flinn
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Available August 19 - August 25
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Available August 26 - September 1
Handbook for Boys by Walter Dean Myers
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
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posted by Audiovisual Librarian |
Categories: Digital Collection,
Reading
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JUNE 28, 2010
July 4th Book (and Film) List
Stir those patriotic feelings with some historical fiction set during the founding of our nation.
Novels:
- Bruce, Alexander. An Experiment in Treason
- Carter, Jimmy. Hornet’s Nest
- Charyn, Jerome. Johnny One-Eye
- Clark, Mary Higgins. Mount Vernon Love Story
- Cornwell, Bernard. Redcoat
- Fleming, Thomas J. Dreams of Glory
- Hambly, Barbara. Patriot Hearts
- Hammond, William C. Matter of Honor
- Lehrer, James. The Franklin Affair
- Lussier, Paul. Last Refuge of Scoundrels
- Safire, William. Scandalmonger
- Shaara, Jeff. Rise to Rebellion
- Shaara, Jeff. The Glorious Cause
- Swee, Karen. Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Murder
Movies:
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Book Lists
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JUNE 25, 2010
Social Books
If you are an online social networker and love books this post is for you. Maybe you know about the user reviews on sites like Amazon (maybe you even write them), but where do you go to really share your love of books. Below is a list of places you can go and indulge your passion by organizing your collection online, sharing it with others, discussing specific books, and passing on and finding new books (literally! Check out bookcrossing.com.)
Learn about more sites in this About.com article on social networks for book lovers. Tell us what site you use in a comment.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Reading
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JUNE 14, 2010
Quotations
A common request received at the Reference Desk revolves around who said what or what exactly did someone say. There are numerous print resources in the reference collection (including Bartlett's Familiar Quotations), but there are also numerous Web sites dedicated to quotations. So if you are ever wondering who said something or are looking for a quote to use in a speech, here are a few places to start.
Remember attribution, which means from whom and where the quote came, is an important part of any quotation. If you are unsure of the attribution, the Wright Library reference librarians can help.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Quotations
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JUNE 7, 2010
Gardens & Their People
Many of you have already been living in your gardens for weeks, but there will still be days when you are kept from that passion. Indulge it with one of these books. This list is just the emerging tip of all the gardening books the library owns.
Adams, Abby
The Gardener’s Gripe Book: Musings, Advice & Comfort for Anyone Who Has Ever Suffered the Loss of a Petunia
Alexander, William
The $64 Tomato
Browning, Dominique
Around the House & In the Garden: a Memoir of Heartbreak, Healing & Home Improvement
Buchanan, Carol
Wordsworth’s Gardens
Carter, Jimmy
An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood
Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul: 101 Stories to Sow Seeds of Love, Hope, & Laughter
Eck, Joe
Our Life in Gardens
Farr, Judith
The Gardens of Emily Dickinson
Hanson, Victor Davis
The Land Was Everything: Letters from an American Farmer
Kincaid, Jamaica
My Garden (Book)
Kingsolver, Barbara
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Lear, Linda J.
Beatrix Potter, a Life in Nature
Logsdon, Gene
The Contrary Farmer
Martin, Tovah
Tasha Tudor’s Garden
Mattox, Polly McLeod
Private Gardens of Georgia
Once & Future Gardener: Garden Writing from the Golden Age of Magazines, 1900-1940
Reddell, Rayford Clayton
Full Bloom: Thoughts from an Opinionated Gardener
Simon, Laura
Dear Mr. Jefferson: Letters from a Nantucket Gardener
Spiegelman, Annie
Annie’s Garden Journal: Reflections on Roses, Weeds, Men & Life
Whaley, Emily
Mrs. Whaley & Her Charleston Garden
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posted by Reference Staff |
Categories: Gardening,
Book Lists
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JUNE 4, 2010
Genuine Negro Jig by the Carolina Chocolate Drops
The Carolina Chocolate Drops play the old timey music of string and jug bands from the Carolina Piedmont. This African-American roots music from Appalachia has been, to a large extent, overlooked. The trio appears determined to rectify that.
Genuine Negro Jig is the third album of the group, which includes Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson, and Rhiannon Giddens each of whom play multiple instruments and sing. The album is a mix of traditional tunes given new arrangements, originals, and a couple of surprising covers. Their version of Blu Cantrell's 2001 hit "Hit 'Em Up Style" transports the song back in time. (Watch a performance.) Produced by Joe Henry (whose reputation continues to grow having produce Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, and Mose Allison), the entire album is full of rousing fiddle and banjo work and excellent vocals, especially by the opera-trained Giddens.
Check out the group's Web site for more information on who they are and what they do. They have also been featured on NPR several times, including on All Things Considered, Fresh Air, and World Cafe. You can also read reviews of Genuine Negro Jig from
The library also owns Carolina Chocolate Drops' 2006 debut, Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind.
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posted by Audio-Visual Librarian |
Categories: Music,
AV Highlights
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JUNE 2, 2010
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Meet at Starbucks Tuesday, July 6, at 7 p.m. to discuss the next book for the On-the-Road at Starbucks Book Club, Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. This bittersweet story takes the reader back and forth in time in a southern French village.
"When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous woman they hold responsible for a tragedy during the German occupation years ago. But the past and present are inextricably entwined, particularly in a scrapbook of recipes and memories that Framboise has inherited from her mother. And soon Framboise will realize that the journal also contains the key to the tragedy that indelibly marked that summer of her ninth year. . . ." -from the publisher
For more information on Joanne Harris, visit her Web site, which includes a page on Five Quarters of the Orange. You can also check out this reading group guide and the reviews below.
Reviews
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Book Club
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MAY 24, 2010
The Past and Future of Books and Publishing
Local used/rare bookseller Owen Kubik will speak on "The Past and Future of Books and Publishing" on Wednesday June 9, 2010 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Following his talk, Mr. Kubik will offer free book appraisals. One book per person may be brought to the program for appraisal. Registration is required and will be limited to twenty persons. Reservations will be accepted starting Monday, May 24. You may call the Reference Department at 294-7171, or register online at reference@wrightlibrary.org
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posted by Reference Staff |
Categories: Library Event,
Program
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MAY 18, 2010
Vote for Ohio Statue
The Legacy for Ohio is sponsoring a vote by Ohioans to decide whose statue should go in the National Statuary Hall to replace the statue of William Allen. Ohio residents may vote only once, but children and adults of any age are encouraged to participate. Your vote counts, but don’t delay. Voting ends June 12, 2010.
The National Statuary Hall, located in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C., houses 100 marble statues—2 given from each state—of individuals of notable historic importance who most ably reflect and represent the values of their native state. The two statues from Ohio are of James A. Garfield and William Allen.
Allen’s pro-slavery views led Ohio leaders to seek a new Ohio representative for Statuary Hall for the 21st century. An act of the 126th General Assembly created the National Statuary Collection Study Committee to recommend a replacement. Below, listed alphabetically, are the ten finalists as identified by the Study Committee. - James M. Ashley
- Thomas Edison
- Ulysses S. Grant
- William McCulloch
- Jesse Owens
- Judith Resnik
- Albert Sabin
- Harriet Beecher Stowe
- Harriet Taylor Upton
- Orville and Wilbur Wright (counted as one)
Ballots are available online (PDF or Word document) and at Wright Library as well as various other locations.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Ohio
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MAY 17, 2010
What Would YOU Download?
Are you interested in downloading ebooks, audiobooks, music, or videos to your home computer or portable device? An Audio-Visual Librarian will provide a demonstration and instruction on how to download materials from the Wright Library Digital Collection.
Choose one of these convenient classes, which will be held in the Library Meeting Room:
Tuesday, May 25 at 10:30 a.m.
or
Thursday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m.
Come learn how to download ebooks, digital audiobooks, music, and videos from the Wright Library Digital Collection, part of the Ohio Ebook Project. The class is designed to familiarize you with
- installing required (free) programs
- searching the collection
- checking out and downloading items
- transferring titles to CD and portable devices
Get an early start with this slide show covering the download process.
The Digital Collection is available 24/7 from Wright Library without leaving the comfort and convenience of your home!
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posted by Audio-Visual Librarian |
Category: Digital Collection
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MAY 10, 2010
East of the Mountains by David Guterson
The next book for the On-the-Road at Starbucks Book Club is by the same author, David Guterson, of a previous book club selection. This time we are reading his novel East of the Mountains (previously we read Snow Falling on Cedars). Join us Tuesday, June 1, at Starbucks in Oakwood to discuss the journey of Ben Givens.
A retired heart surgeon, Givens is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Unwilling to simply wait for the inevitable, he sets out determined to end his life on his own terms. His final journey is interruped, however, and the people he meets and the memories that return to him lead him down a path he hadn't anticipated.
For more on the book read the following reviews
Find David Gutrerson's biography by searching the Biography Reference Bank.
Other books by David Guterson:
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Book Club
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MAY 3, 2010
Choose Privacy Week
The first ever
Choose Privacy Week, May 2 – 8, is a new initiative sponsored by the
American Library Association’s (ALA)
Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) that invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. More information and resources are available from
www.privacyrevolution.org.
Other starting points for understanding this issue are
You can also view the
Choose Privacy video. Get a preview with the
Choose Privacy Week Trailer.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Categories: Libraries,
Libraries,
Libraries
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APRIL 26, 2010
Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010
Hey, we're starting a new series of blog posts that feature recent arrivals to the Audiovisual Department whether music, movies, or audiobooks. The focus is going to be on things that we think are really good, but that you may not have heard of.
Our first post highlights Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010, which is an anagram of "Live Music Capitol," which is what Austin, Texas has been labeled. The city has been known for years for its local music scene and the ever growing South by Southwest Festival (Did you know there is a NXNE Festival?). But forget about that, this is a compilation of local bands, the music one can hear on a typical night in Austin.
I'm sure that there's a wide variety of music coming out of Austin, but this set leans toward garage and punk. This is a musical underground that rocks, and however the choice of what to include was made, it exhibits excellent taste.
Check out this other info on the album:
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posted by Audio-Visual Librarian |
Categories: Music,
AV Highlights
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APRIL 20, 2010
Fast View DVDs Now Available
For those who are not yet aware of it, Wright Library is now offering Fast View DVDs. The collection will consist primarily of current, popular feature films and is located by the font door across from the Check Out desk. These items go out for 3 days and there is a limit of 3 titles per card. They cannot be renewed and no holds can be placed on them. Overdue Fast View DVDs have a fine of $1.00 per day. By introducing the Fast View DVDs to our collection we hope that our patrons will be able to get a copy of more in demand titles more quickly. However, to guarantee that you will get a copy, you can still place a regularly circulating copy on hold. This is the same arrangement as we have for out Fast Read Books.
Come in and check it out.
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posted by Audio-Visual Librarian |
Category: At the Library
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APRIL 19, 2010
Household Products Database
Wondering what's in the household products you use everyday? And how healthy are they to use? The Consumer Product Information Database has the answers. It was developed to bring together information on household product types, brand names, chemical constituents, health-related information (acute and chronic effects and target organs), and exposure minimization techniques. It is the basis for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Household Products Database.
Information you can find in the database includes:
- What are the chemical ingredients and their percentage in specific brands?
- Which products contain specific chemical ingredients?
- Who manufactures a specific brand? How do I contact this manufacturer?
- What are the acute and chronic effects of chemical ingredients in a specific brand?
- What other information is available about chemicals in the toxicology-related databases of the National Library of Medicine?
To find out about recalls on all product types visit www.Recalls.gov.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Consumer Information
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APRIL 11, 2010
National Library Week
Communities thrive @ your library
This week, April 11-17, is National Library Week. Libraries, librarians, library workers, and supporters across America are celebrating.
- Libraries everywhere play a vital role in supporting the quality of life in their communities.
- Our nation’s school, academic, public and special libraries make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans, today, more than ever.
- Librarians are trained professionals, helping people of all ages and backgrounds find and interpret the information they need to live, learn and work in a challenging economy.
- Libraries serve as crucial technology hubs for people in need of free Web access, computer training, and assistance finding job resources.
- Libraries are part of the American Dream – places for opportunity, education, self-help and lifelong learning.
- Library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, continuing a decade-long trend.
Today’s libraries are modern community centers where everyone is invited to explore, dream and learn. All that’s missing is you! This is National Library Week, so visit us today – in person or online. Come see how your library helps our community thrive.
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Libraries
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APRIL 7, 2010
An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamison's insightful memoir, An Unquiet Mind , is the next book for the On-the-Road at Starbucks Book Club. Join us Tuesday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m. to discuss her experience living with manic-depression.
Her memoir is a deep and personal inside glimpse at what it's like to live with this difficult and disruptive mental disorder. Jamison describes her struggles since childhood with manic-depression and how it has shaped her life as a psychologist and professor of psychiatry. It is the "dual perspective -- as healer and healed -- that makes Jamison's memoir so lucid, learned, and profoundly affecting"--from the publisher.
To learn more about Kay Redfield Jamison and An Unquiet Mind check out the reading guide from the publisher. There is information about Dr. Jamison at her information page at Johns Hopkins Medicine's Web site. You can also read the following reviews: Dr. Jamison's talk Personal Reflections on Manic-Depressive Illness is available on YouTube.
Other books by Kay Redfield Jamison:
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posted by Reference Staff |
Category: Book Club
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