Monday, June 18, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
2007 Adult Summer Reading Program
Listen to what your fellow library-goers are saying about what they are reading. There are so many books to choose from - in May the Main Library alone ordered approximately 119 new adult nonfiction books and 220 new adult fiction books. Whether you like Patterson, Turtledove, Evanovich, Oates or Picoult, there's something for everyone. And with prizes like Phillies tickets and merchandise, restaurant gift certificates, and tickets to Sovereign Center events; there's no reason not to pick up a stack of books and a stack of entry forms and start reading!
Murder at the Monk's Table by Carol Anne O'Marie
Good mystery! A very entertaining, easy, quick read.
You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Really entertaining!
Cold Company by Sue Henry
Exciting adventure in wilds of Alaska.
Lisey's Story by Stephen King
Some parts predictable but a real tearjerker.
Velocity by Dean. R. Koontz
Thrilling and suspense filled.
Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth's Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise by Michael L. Rosenzweig
Every little bit helps!
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Wonderful multilayered story of bullying and school violence.
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
Excellent study of character and the family as character.
Carousel by Belva Plain
Interesting Story about families, relationships and secrets. Heartbreaking but also heartwarming.
All about Evie by Beth Ciotta
Recently divorced Evie Parish is over 40, an unemployed actress and desperate for a regular paycheck. While in her agent's office, an acting positionbecomes available on a couples only cruise ship. There are some risks involved if she takes the job, and there's no script to follow. Her role... Sugar Dupont, an ex-Vegas showgirl on her honeymoon with her wealthy husband, Charles Dupont. Charles, a senior citizen with trimmed beard, wired framed round glasses, a belly like the Pillsbury doughboy and a voice like Sean Connery. Wonder what Charles looks like without the makeup? I think Evie's gonna love this acting gig!
Diary of a Serial Killer by Ed Gaffney
Ed Gaffney, husband of bestselling aither Suzanne Brockmann, pens his third novel in the mystery genre. Gaffney was a defense attorney before the writing bug bit him and his "lawyerese" shows on each page. The "diary" of this serial killer is gruesome; the plot contains many twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final pages. I would have enjoyed a longer epilogue to calm my nerves. This is a godd story and style for the male reader.
Murder at the Monk's Table by Carol Anne O'Marie
Good mystery! A very entertaining, easy, quick read.
You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
Really entertaining!
Cold Company by Sue Henry
Exciting adventure in wilds of Alaska.
Lisey's Story by Stephen King
Some parts predictable but a real tearjerker.
Velocity by Dean. R. Koontz
Thrilling and suspense filled.
Win-Win Ecology: How the Earth's Species Can Survive in the Midst of Human Enterprise by Michael L. Rosenzweig
Every little bit helps!
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Wonderful multilayered story of bullying and school violence.
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
Excellent study of character and the family as character.
Carousel by Belva Plain
Interesting Story about families, relationships and secrets. Heartbreaking but also heartwarming.
All about Evie by Beth Ciotta
Recently divorced Evie Parish is over 40, an unemployed actress and desperate for a regular paycheck. While in her agent's office, an acting positionbecomes available on a couples only cruise ship. There are some risks involved if she takes the job, and there's no script to follow. Her role... Sugar Dupont, an ex-Vegas showgirl on her honeymoon with her wealthy husband, Charles Dupont. Charles, a senior citizen with trimmed beard, wired framed round glasses, a belly like the Pillsbury doughboy and a voice like Sean Connery. Wonder what Charles looks like without the makeup? I think Evie's gonna love this acting gig!
Diary of a Serial Killer by Ed Gaffney
Ed Gaffney, husband of bestselling aither Suzanne Brockmann, pens his third novel in the mystery genre. Gaffney was a defense attorney before the writing bug bit him and his "lawyerese" shows on each page. The "diary" of this serial killer is gruesome; the plot contains many twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the final pages. I would have enjoyed a longer epilogue to calm my nerves. This is a godd story and style for the male reader.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Reading Public Library presents . . .
A Book Discussion
When: Thursday, June 21, 2007
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: City Espresso, 124 South 5th Street, Reading, PA
RSVP: The program is free, but pre-registration is requested.
To sign up, call 610-655-6355, or visit the Reference Desk
at Reading Public Library, 100 South Fifth St., Reading, PA.
Refreshments will be available for purchase from City Espresso
When: Thursday, June 21, 2007
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: City Espresso, 124 South 5th Street, Reading, PA
RSVP: The program is free, but pre-registration is requested.
To sign up, call 610-655-6355, or visit the Reference Desk
at Reading Public Library, 100 South Fifth St., Reading, PA.
Refreshments will be available for purchase from City Espresso
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Online LibrarianCarl
IMDB www.imdb.com
Founded: United Kingdom (Online 1993, Incorporated 1996, Bought by Amazon.com 1998)
What THIS SITE IS:
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is a free online database that collects information about movies, actors, TV shows, and video games. What began in the late 80’s as an online community’s attempt to list movies with the latest pretty actress soon blossomed into a legitimate database powerhouse. With 6.3 million individual film/TV credits this is the largest accumulation of data about films on planet earth. Don’t believe me? Check out IMDb’s Statistics Page.
Positives: Information is kept up to date and mistakes corrected; Coverage goes back to virtually the beginning of film (see the video); Search interface allows for various field types (titles, names, companies, etc.) as well as an advanced “power” search
Negatives: The navigation and display of information can be clumsy and confusing for the unfamiliar; Commercial ads (but hey it’s largely a free site this is to be expected)
Who SHOULD USE THIS SITE:
IMDb’s primary use is as database for movies, TV shows, and video games. Entertainment fans will delight in the cutting edge content and ranking schemes offered. Information professionals will rejoice in the search capacities and depth of information available.
Supplemental to IMDb’s capacities as a straight database it also offers current openings, reviews, links to video trailers and previews, movie & TV news, message board, showtime & ticket finder, rankings, links to purchase the item under review, optional personal account, and many other features.
Librarian Note: The multiple search fields and power search allow the information professional to quickly narrow down which film or movie and what edition the patron is interested in even with only partial information. The rankings and sorting features allow for further recommendations of genres, types, and specific related movies, shows, and video games. Also, by clicking on “movie connections” for any given film one can quickly ascertain sequels, prequels, or other related spin offs.
Interesting FEATURE:
One of the hardest tasks of any information professional is to make recommendations and this becomes even harder when one is not familiar with the particular item or type of item under consideration. When it comes to films one helpful tool is the recommendations available on IMDb.
These suggestions for similar films can be found by clicking on the “recommendations” link found under “Awards & Reviews” in the left hand toolbar for each entry in the IMDb. You can also directly access this through the Recommendation Center.
Bottom LINE:
This should be everyone’s first choice for finding movie information online. IMDb’s secondary draw is as a source of information for TV shows and video games and should not be overlooked. The database’s additional features (message boards, rankings, etc.) are just icing on an already rich cake.
Helpful LINKS:
Instruction/Tutorials/Features
Search Tips
IMDb Index
IMDb Browse
IMDb Section Browsers
Extras
Wikipedia Entry
Any QUESTIONS?
Please feel free to make a comment by clicking on the comments link below or if you prefer to reach me by email.
Monday, April 16, 2007
National Library Week
To celebrate National Library Week, we are hosting three contests with chances for great prizes!
Contest #1
1. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
2. Answer as many trivia questions as you can on an official answer sheet. Obtain your questions and andswer shhet at the Reference desk. You must return the questions to the Reference Department when you hand in your answers.
3. Answers must be turned in to the Reference Department by 5:00 pm on Friday, April 20, 2007.
4. First prize is a $25 Boscov's gift certificate. Second prize is a $15 Boscov's gift certificate, and third prize is a $10 Boscov's gift certificate.No purchase is necessary, but you must have a library card to enter.
5. All decisions of the judges are final.
2. Answer as many trivia questions as you can on an official answer sheet. Obtain your questions and andswer shhet at the Reference desk. You must return the questions to the Reference Department when you hand in your answers.
3. Answers must be turned in to the Reference Department by 5:00 pm on Friday, April 20, 2007.
4. First prize is a $25 Boscov's gift certificate. Second prize is a $15 Boscov's gift certificate, and third prize is a $10 Boscov's gift certificate.No purchase is necessary, but you must have a library card to enter.
5. All decisions of the judges are final.
Contest #2
“Why I Love the Reading Public Library” Contest
You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
In 25 words or fewer, tell us why you love Reading Public Library. Simply fill out the entry form and turn it in at the Circulation Department. The deadline for entering is April 20, 2007.
All entries become the property of Reading Public Library and will not be returned. In addition, parts or all of the entries may be used in publicity releases, etc. and will include the writer's name Three entries will be chosen as first, second, and third place winners based on originality and creativity.
First prize is a $25 Boscov's gift certificate. Second prize is a $15 Boscov's gift certificate, and third prize is a $10 Boscov's gift certificate to Boscov's.
No purchase is necessary, but you must have a library card to enter.
You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
In 25 words or fewer, tell us why you love Reading Public Library. Simply fill out the entry form and turn it in at the Circulation Department. The deadline for entering is April 20, 2007.
All entries become the property of Reading Public Library and will not be returned. In addition, parts or all of the entries may be used in publicity releases, etc. and will include the writer's name Three entries will be chosen as first, second, and third place winners based on originality and creativity.
First prize is a $25 Boscov's gift certificate. Second prize is a $15 Boscov's gift certificate, and third prize is a $10 Boscov's gift certificate to Boscov's.
No purchase is necessary, but you must have a library card to enter.
All decisions of the judges are final.
Contest #3
Enter a drawing to win an MP3 player! Details to follow.
Join us in our celebration of National Library Week!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Internet Book List
I just found this website, so I haven't explored it very extensively; but it looks like it might be something to rival Amazon in searching for fiction titles and information. According to the About page, "its purpose is to provide a comprehensive and easily accessible database of books, since Patrik considers the Book to be humanity's greatest creation." There's a bold statement.
The database is designed to search by title, author, genre, and rating. It is particularly easy to search information about books in a series, a function I find lacking on Amazon.
The forums are also quite interesting and extensive. There are forums for general discussion of books; author, book and convention announcements; discussion of movies, music and cultural trends; specific official and unofficial author discussion forums; and more.
Explore and enjoy!
The database is designed to search by title, author, genre, and rating. It is particularly easy to search information about books in a series, a function I find lacking on Amazon.
The forums are also quite interesting and extensive. There are forums for general discussion of books; author, book and convention announcements; discussion of movies, music and cultural trends; specific official and unofficial author discussion forums; and more.
Explore and enjoy!
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