Selections

The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System

~ December 2008 ~ Volume 3, Issue 8

Read Selections online each month or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email.
If you have difficulty reading the newsletter in your email, read this issue here.

Background Photo: "Snowflake 1, 2006" by CaptPiper on Flickr, used with a Creative Commons license

In this Issue:

• Events
• Local Library News
• Community Connection
• National Library News
• Featured Internet Sites
• Featured Story
• Staff Picks
• Reference Question
  of the Month
• Featured Database
• Your Feedback

This month's issue is brought
to you
by the staff of North Port Library.

Community Connection:

SHINE-ing a Light on Medicare Prescription Plans Do you know SHINE?  The North Port Library is proud to count SHINE as one of its active community partners. SHINE is especially important from November 15 through December 31, each year during Medicare Annual Open Enrollment time. So what is SHINE?  SHINE stands for Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders. It’s an award-winning, Florida based program, under the auspices of the Area Agency on Aging, that “empowers Medicare beneficiaries, their caregivers and/or family members to make informed decisions about Medicare and other health insurance issues, including prescription assistance programs.” Now write down this date:  December 9, 2008.  That’s the day trained SHINE representatives will be at the North Port Library, laptop computers in hand, to help anyone who’s eligible to enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan. This is free one-to-one help. There’s no need to sign up in advance.  SHINE will be at the library all day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm.  So what happens if you miss December 9?  You can still get help making an educated decision on which plan is good for you. Every Tuesday, SHINE volunteer Jeff Wides sits in the Conference Room at the North Port Library from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. offering individual counseling. SHINE offers this assistance to those currently on Medicare, those who will soon be eligible and those who act on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries, including family members and caregivers. For more information on the Area Agency on Aging and SHINE, visit www.aaaswfl.org/. For more information on Medicare prescription plans, visit the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder.

Featured Internet Sites:

11 of the Coolest Interactive Websites for Kids Be a Newspaper Reporter in Ancient Rome Headline History www.headlinehistory.co.uk/ You can travel back in time and interview main characters in history and write articles about people and events. Paint an Online Picture that Dances NGA Kids: The Art Zone www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm Make a still life, play with an interactive Dutch dollhouse, brush paint, construct cubits, 3D images and create motion paintings with FLOW. Design a 3D House Architect Studio3D architectstudio3d.org Have you ever wanted to know what it was like to be an architect? This site allows you to design a house using different floor plans, locations, interior and exterior materials. Live like a Wolf WolfQuest www.wolfquest.org Create your own realistic 3D wolf using different coat colors, textures and abilities; then complete a mission based on your profile. Take a Trip Through an African Forest Brookfield Zoo – Ways of the Knowing Trail www.czs.org/WOK/index_f4.html Complete an ecological journey through a jungle based on a fun and interactive storyline which allows you to decide each move you make. Produce Your Own TV Show My Pop Studio www.mypopstudio.com Create your own TV show, pop star, music video and online magazine. Virtual Hip Replacement Edheads www.edheads.org Want to know what it is like to be a surgeon? Join us in surgery as you learn about the human anatomy and surgical procedures as head surgeon.   Case of Grandpa’s Painting Eduweb www.eduweb.com/pintura/ Investigate a painting as A. Pintura Art Detective. Live Animal Cam Smithsonian National Zoological Park nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ WebCams View animals in their natural habitat, day or night. Create 3D Faces Facegen www.facegen.com/ Using this trial software you can create faces using different choices; you can even make funny faces by using the stretching features. You can’t save your work or print it. Make Your Own “Wanted” Poster Glass Giant www.glassgiant.com You can put your face in a “Wanted” poster, make your own “Hollywood” sign, Hershey’s bar, or put your name on a boat.

National Library News:

ALA Seeks $100 Million in Stimulus Funding as U.S. Libraries Face Critical Cutbacks, Closures The American Library Association (ALA) is asking Congress for $100 million in stimulus funding to aid the nation’s working families during the current economic crisis. Aid is sought to stem the bleeding of critical library services that help Americans with job searches, small business development, financial literacy and other essential assistance in hard economic times. Public libraries are facing the most severe cutbacks in decades as budget shortfalls hit cities, towns and rural areas across the country, according to the association. From Los Angeles to Boston, libraries are cutting hours and services; some are even facing the threat of closure at a time when their support is needed most. ALA’s recommendation comes as Congress holds hearings this week on economic growth and job creation, including a Joint Economic Committee Hearing tomorrow. Public libraries depend heavily on local property taxes to maintain operations. Across the country increased foreclosure rates, lower home values and fewer sales have sharply reduced available funds, forcing libraries to cut services and hours. “America’s free public libraries provide a lifeline for citizens in need across the country,” said ALA President Jim Rettig. “Ensuring Internet access, career workshops, business seminars and other economic support services are vital links in the nation’s financial recovery. This is no time to cut much-needed support, reduce hours or close library doors.” Rettig pointed to a recent ALA study showing that 73 percent of all libraries nationwide provide the only free Internet access in their communities. In rural areas the rate rises to 83 percent, according to the 2007-2008 report on public library funding and technology access. Many libraries are reporting double-digit growth in computer use this year, he said. The National League of Cities recently estimated that a 3.6 percent decline in property tax revenues is likely to affect city budgets until 2010. In response to these budget shortfalls, libraries are being forced to cut back on hours or even close neighborhood branches. The Trenton, NJ, public library will close its four branches and lose about half of its 57 employees by Nov. 1. The city of Milwaukee is considering closing two of its 12 branch libraries. In Newton, MA, outside of Boston, four branch libraries closed this summer; four others in nearby areas also closed or are on the chopping block. Many cities are choosing between cutting staff and reducing hours. Others, such as Fort Worth, TX, are looking at both, with proposed cuts of more than 100 library jobs along with reduced hours. The city is facing an estimated annual shortfall of more than $20 million. Additionally, a number of communities are also facing shorter hours and fewer days of operation in Florida. ALA’s recommendation for stimulus funding seeks support for basic library services across the country as well as specialized assistance to help Americans deal with the current economic crisis. In particular, funds are being requested to: • Expand critical employment activities and services such as resume development, job bank web searches and career planning workshops; • Reinstate or supplement evening and weekend hours of operation at libraries to provide the greatest possible access to services; • Promote financial literacy, housing counseling and small business development assistance; and • Acquire additional resources and materials to help keep up with increased demand for economic services nationwide. Investments in libraries often yield high dividends for communities. Studies show economic returns from salaries and wages paid to staff, construction costs, employment services and library purchases. A recent Pennsylvania study points out that for every dollar invested in the public library, the community receives a return of $5.50. A similar report from Florida shows a $6.54 return on investment. “Economic studies demonstrate the positive impact of spending in local communities,” said Joe Matthews, an internationally recognized expert on library management with an MBA degree from the University of California, Irvine. “Known as the multiplier effect, every dollar spent in the community will ripple through the economy with an impact ranging from 7 to 11 times the initial spending,” he added. “The proposed stimulus spending for America’s public libraries will have an enormous impact on local economies, helping communities across the country get back on track financially.” Matthews is an acclaimed author and professor at San Jose State University.

back up to "In this Issue"

ALSC Announces Exceptional Web Sites for Children The The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has added Web sites this fall to Great Web Sites for Kids (www.ala.org/greatsites), its online resource containing hundreds of links to commendable Web sites for children. Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) features links to valuable Web sites of interest to children, organized by subject headings such as animals; literature and languages; mathematics and computers; the arts; and history and biography. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers, plus an area devoted to sites in Spanish. The ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee maintains and updates the site. ALSC’s GWS Committee voted to add the following sites in fall 2008: Adolescent Literacy - www.adlit.org Bob the Builder - www.bobthebuilder.com/usa/intro.html Career Information for Kids - http://www.bls.gov/k12/ The Children’s Book Review - www.thechildrensbookreview.com Exploring Nature Educational Resource - www.exploringnature.org The Federal Communications Commission Kids Zone -www.fcc.gov/cgb/kidszone GoGooligans - www.gogooligans.com The Harry Potter Lexicon - www.hp-lexicon.org Leading to Reading - www.rif.org/leadingtoreading/en/ Nutrition Explorations: Kids - www.nutritionexplorations.com/kids/main.asp The Road to the Capitol/National Mock Election - www.nationalmockelection.org/game/ Vicki Cobb’s Science Page - www.vickicobb.com We Shall Overcome Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement National Register Travel Itinerary - www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel/civilrights Ziggity Zoom - www.ziggityzoom.com ZOOM by Kids, for Kids! - pbskids.org/zoom/help/contact/general.html  The complete listing of great sites with annotations and selection criteria can be found at www.ala.org/greatsites.

back up to "In this Issue" 

Featured Story:

(Click the book covers to search the library catalog.)

	Run by Ann Patchett
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
	Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
Still Summer by Jacqueline Mitchard
	Trespass by Valerie Martin
The Sea Lady by Margaret Drabble
	Letter from Point Clear by Dennis McFarland
Strange As This Weather Has Been by Ann Pancake
	The Golden Country by Jennifer Gilmore
The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein
	Train to Trieste by Dominica Radulescu
Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
	The Eight by Katherine Neville
Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg
	Accordion Crimes by E. Annie Proulx
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie Macdonald

Read more about each title in this month's picks here.

Staff Picks:

Books by New Authors Get an "A" for Admirable by Janis Russell, Librarian North Port Library I give the novels I read a grade, which is surprisingly difficult. Since I often read reviews before I start a book, or I go by who has recommended the book on the back cover, I know ahead of time that the novel is going to be pretty darn good. Yet I rarely give an “A.” But I’ve given the last three books I’ve read an “A-minus.” Why is this so noteworthy? Because they are all first-time authors. I expected the latest novels by Ann Patchett, Richard Russo, Ivan Doig, Jacqueline Mitchard, Valerie Martin, Margaret Drabble and Dennis McFarland to be excellent, and they were. These titles (respectively) are Run, Bridge of Sighs, Whistling Season, Still Summer, Trespass, The Sea Lady and Letter From Point Clear. But what I love even more is discovering good reads from new authors.  Newcomer Ann Pancake’s novel Strange As This Weather Has Been is something of a masterpiece, and if I were still teaching English, I would have students read this book along with Steinbeck. Her style of writing and imagery will astonish you. It’s set in the coal mining areas of West Virginia in the 1980’s. The Golden Country by Jennifer Gilmore, another “first,” is about the lives of three immigrants from the 1920s to the 1960s in New York. It’s a treat: a good old-fashioned, meaty novel with interesting characters. Jennifer Cody Epstein’s The Painter from Shanghai, is an epic set in early-twentieth century China and fictionalizes the life of the real painter Pan Yuliang. It’s luminous and authentic, sad but triumphant.   First-time novelist Domnica Radulescu escaped from Romania in the late 1970s, just like her main character in Train to Trieste. We follow her to Rome, then to Chicago. I have never read anything that describes the immigrant experience quite as well as this. Her experiences in both Romania and the United States will haunt you.  The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney is set in the 19th century Canadian frontier and is quite a wild ride. It reminded me of some of my favorite historical suspense novels:  Peter Hoeg’s Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Katherine Neville’s The Eight, E. Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes, and Ann-Marie Macdonald’s Fall On Your Knees. This article was originally published in the North Port Herald section of "The Sun" on September 17, 2008, p. 5.

back up to "In this Issue" 

December is Read a New Book Month If you are searching for something new to read, consider the "Staff Picks" listed above and to the left but also the "Notable Books" below. There's no reason why December can't be "Read 2 (or 3 or 4 or ...) New Books Month"! The Notable Books List: The List for America's Readers Each year the The Notable Books Council, ALA Reference and User Services Association selects titles for "their significant contribution to the expansion of knowledge or for the pleasure they can provide to adult readers." The current list was created from books published from November 2006 through November 2007: Fiction: An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke Away by Amy Bloom Cheating at Canasta by William Trevor Finn by Jon Clinch The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe Five Skies by Ron Carlson The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson The Pesthouse by Jim Crace The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon    Non-Fiction: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman Oil on the Brain: Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline by Lisa Margonelli Super-Crunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart by Ian Ayres When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa by Peter Godwin The World Without Us by Alan Weisman The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman   The New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2008 The New York Times Book Review recently published their list of notables for 2008. This list is composed of outstanding books reviewed since the publication of the 2007 list. See the complete list for 2008 on the New York Times Sunday Book Review pages. Want even more? View the 100 Notable Books of past years: 2007, 2006 and 2005. Happy Reading!

back up to "In this Issue"

Reference Question of the Month:

How do I get information about the conversion to digital television in February 2009?

To obtain information about the conversion to digital television and to find out if your current television will still work after February 2009, you can visit the TV Converter Box Coupon Program website at www.dtv2009.gov. This website has answers to various questions, explains about the conversion to digital, and if you need a converter box for your current television, you can have a coupon mailed to you.

Your Feedback:

Do you have suggestions for future issues? Would you like to share your opinion about Selections? Or do you have questions about something you've read in Selections? Email** your suggestions, comments and questions to librarywebmaster@scgov.net. (Please mention "Selections" in the e-mail subject.) Or send them through the "Your Comments" page of the library website, write "Selections" in the message: http://sclibs.net/comments.aspx.   ** Important Notice Regarding privacy and e-mail.SB 80 effective July 1, 2006: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead contact this office by phone or in writing.

Featured Database:

Expanded Academic ASAP  Are you looking for the kind of article that you know won’t appear in a typical newsstand publication? Is your subject esoteric or scholarly?  If you are looking for in-depth, authoritative research on any academic topic, then don’t look in an ordinary periodical index! Choose instead, Expanded Academic ASAP. High school students, college students, researchers and anyone who wants more than cursory coverage of any topic need to use Expanded Academic ASAP. For example, suppose a student is writing a research paper on some aspect of body language. If he looked in a general periodical index, he might find articles that led him to magazines such as Time, Newsweek, etc. If he looked in the Expanded Academic ASAP, he would find articles in scholarly journals such as: • Business Communication Quarterly • Human Physiology • Journal of Counseling and Development • Journal of Psychology • Journal of Social Psychology • Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research Look at this example of an article published in a scholarly journal: "Interpersonal distance, body orientation, and touch: effects of culture, gender, and age." Martin S. Remland, Tricia S. Jones and Heidi Brinkman. The Journal of Social Psychology 135.3 (June 1995): pp281(17). (7004 words) Compare the above to the article published in a typical newsstand magazine: "His dating body language.(whether your guy is hooked)." Cosmopolitan 237.4 (Oct 2004): p266(1). (69 words) The scholarly article is much longer. It has a very specific focus and  is co-authored by a number of experts. It has been published in an internationally recognized journal. The focus is on research, not fun. The intent of the article is to instruct, not entertain. For the student who needs actual research, there is simply no contest between these two articles.  If you don’t know which database to use, consult your Reference Librarian. This trained professional can direct you to the database most appropriate for your topic. Find Expanded Academic ASAP and other databases on the library website's Electronic Information Resources page: sclibs.net/resources.aspx. A Sarasota County Library card is required to access databases from outside the library. Read database descriptions from previous issues of Selections here and in the newsletter archives.

back up to "In this Issue"

Ranganathan's Five Laws:
Books are for use.
Books are for all; or Every reader his book.
Every book its reader.
Save the time of the reader.
A library is a growing organism.

— Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1892-1972)