from Newport Beach Public Library http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152 books, movies, music and more Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT Copyright 2013 Newport Beach Public Library en-us Tue, 21 May 2013 20:45:55 CDT Project Gutenberg http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=10125 United States Copyright Office tells us, the public domain is not a place. It means that a work, such as a book or piece of music, is no longer protected by copyright in the United States. This may happen if a work was published long enough ago that its copyright has expired.

Many classic works of literature--like the ones students read in English or History classess--are in the public domain. A great website for accessing thousands of these books is Project Gutenberg. Gutenberg "offers over 36,000 free ebooks to download to your PC, Kindle, Android, iOS or other portable device. Choose between ePub, Kindle, HTML and simple text formats."

A quick browse through their authors list reveals plenty of choices: Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, Jack London, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. That's right: Frankenstein, free to your computer or portable reader.

And that's only the beginning. Like any library, there are thousands of hidden gems just waiting for you to discover them.


]]> MC Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:35:04 GMT Teen book groups http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=9307 Do you love reading? So does the Library! To prove it, we've started two book discussion groups for teens. 

 
Book groups:
We're starting simple. The groups are called 'Seven-eight-nine' and 'Ten-'leven-Twelve,' or 7-8-9 and 10-11-12 if you're numerically minded. 7-8-9 is for students in grades seven through nine and 10-11-12 is for students in grades ten through twelve. 
 
7-8-9 will meet on Wednesday, July 20th, at 5:30pm in the Conference Room of the Central Library. We'll have snacks, book discussion, and trivia fun (who knows, there might even be some Wii Jeopardy!). We're reading Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. It's the first book in the popular Uglies series that combines adventure and suspense with great characters in a unique setting.

About Uglies:  When Tally is forced by Special Circumstances to choose between becoming a Pretty like everyone else and betraying a friend, she starts a journey to the Smoke, that could end up not only changing her life, but the world. Check the library catalog for a copy. 
 
Did we mention there would be snacks? Anyone up for pizza?

10-11-12 group will meet in August, on Wednesday the 13th, at 5:30pm in the Conference Room of the Central Library. We're reading The White Darkness, by Geraldine McGaughrean, a suspenseful adventure set on the frozen ice of Antarctica.

About White Darkness: A vacation trip with her uncle becomes a nightmare when Symone realizes she's practically been kidnapped. Fighting for her survival in a threatening land, Symone discovers a terrible secret and a strength she didn’t know she had. This is a great read for anyone who likes a good story. We have copies at all our libraries.
 
Read the books!
If you need a copy and all the books are checked out, contact Mara Cota in Teen Services by email or at 949-717-3808 to see if there are any extra copies set aside for the book group.
 
You can also call or email Teen Servivces if you have other questions. We'd love to know you're coming and encourage you to sign up through the Events Calender.
 
Or not, but come anyway!
Even if you don't finish the book, come to the meeting. You may get a great recommendation from another reader. Hope to see you there!

]]> MC Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:57:23 GMT Teens Top Ten nominations http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=8899 The 25 titles nominated for this year's Teens' Top Ten list have been announced. We have most of them at the library. So you can catch up on what others have been reading and see if you agree that these titles belong on the list.

 
Teens Top Ten titles are picked by teens in reading groups nationwide. Here are the nominated titles in our catalog. 
 
For the full list, and a link to a list with summaries, visit the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) website.
 
Voting for the Teens Top Ten will run from August 22nd through September 16th. Don't miss your chance to pick your favorites!

]]> MC Sat, 07 May 2011 17:19:28 GMT Meet the author! http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=8848 "The Rangers are a mysterious group of people..."
 

The Ranger's Apprentice is coming to the Newport Beach Public Library. John Flanagan, the bestselling author of the 'Ranger's Apprentice' series, will visit our library to celebrate the publication of 'The Emperor of Nihon-Ja', the final book in his popular ten-book series. He'll speak about his books and about being a writer and will autograph books afterwards.
 
The 'Ranger's Apprentice' series follows the adventures of Will Treaty. Left as an orphan at Castle Araluen, Will hopes to win an apprentice-ship at battleschool, the prestigious academy where knights are trained. However, the legendary and shadowy Ranger called Halt may have other plans for Will. His education and training could influence a dangerous chain of events in the Kingdom of Araluen. Beginning with the first volume, 'The Ruins of Gorlan,' the series follows Will and his friends (and enemies) through adventures of intrigue, battle, loyalty, and friendship. Flanagan's writing is both accessible and engaging and the pacing of the books keeps readers engrossed from start to finish. Suffice it to say: our copies of titles in this series are almost always checked out!
 
 
Mr. Flanagan will speak at the Central Library, at 4pm on Tuesday, April 26th. Whale of a Tale Children's Bookshoppe will sell books prior to the event. Due to time constraints and as a courtesy to the publisher, only books purchased at the event may be autographed.

This is a free event. No registration is required but space is limited by room capacity of 200.

]]> MC Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:16:27 GMT Free books! http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=6993 The Great Paperback Give-Away may be coming your way.What it is: free, fun, paperbacks. What's the catch? No catch, just free books!

Our first-ever visit, to Corona del Mar Middle/High School, was a resounding success (running out means people like the stuff, right?). Check out our Page on Facebook for a few pictures.

CdM was our first stop but not the only one. We'll be at Newport Harbor High School on Tuesday, June 1st, and at Ensign Intermediate on Tuesday, June 8th. Come out and see us at lunch and get a free book!

Thanks to the Library's Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) for coming up with this great idea and to the Friends of the Library group for funding it. Hope to see you there.

]]> MC Thu, 27 May 2010 16:36:49 GMT Authors with skills http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=6798 John Green, David Levithan, Jordan Sonnenblick, and Francisco X. Stork. All of these authors have published multiple books and have never skimped on quality. Their stories are funny, suspenseful, dramatic, mysterious. They explore everyday situations as well as not-so-ordinary ones. Their latest books (respectively) are Will Grayson, Will Grayson, After Ever After, and The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. If you haven't read anything by these talented writers now might be the time to get acquainted.

]]> MC Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:08:07 GMT Happy New Year! http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=6162 We're back! Time to come in and return that mound of books, CDs, DVDs and other random materials that you stockpiled, hibernating bear-like, in order to survive our week-long closure. As always, there is an abundance of intellectually stimulating and emotionally gratifying material to be had at the library. There's even a new art display: digital artwork created by Sage Hill School students will grace our walls through the month of January. So swing by, stay for a bit, and check out the new books, the old books, and everything else in the building just waiting for you to discover it. Hope to see you soon.

]]> MC Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:30:39 GMT Thanks! http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=8531&BlogID=152&BlogPostID=6121 It's been another great year working with our teen customers, their parents, teachers and other assorted adults. Thank you to all of you for your support of the library and for making it such a vibrant place. On behalf of all the staff we wish you a fun holiday season: sleep in, eat dessert, read for hours in your pajamas, while away the days with friends, music, movies.

The library will be closed from 1pm on December 24th through January 1st. It will re-open at 9am on Saturday, January 2nd. However, our website and databases will be available during the closure. For a little more information on this closure visit our homepage.

Since we always aim to take excellent care of our customers, here are some links to keep you from going into library-withdrawal:

My iLibrary free downloadable book service

YALSA Booklists (lists and awards for print and audio books from the Young Adult Library Services Association)

Overdrive free downloadable book service

NBPL Teens Facebook Page - Check out the Discussions tab. We would really appreciate your input about the services you need most from the library.

So there it is. Enjoy the holiday break and come see us, soon, in the new year!

]]> MC Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:28:58 GMT