Monday, August 27, 2012

Sign up for OneClickdigital audiobook webinar

Recorded Books will be hosting training webinars for library patrons to review the features of your OneClickdigital downloadable audiobook service. Topics covered in this 45 minute program will include:

- A complete demo tour of the service
-  How to create an account
- How to install the OneClickdigital Media Manager on your computer
- Easy ways to search for content
- How to download and transfer audiobooks to your device
- Managing your downloadable audiobook checkouts


This webinar is open to all patrons at your library. Click on the link  to register for this upcoming webinar.

We’ll continue to provide training webinars throughout the year. As new webinars are scheduled, the dates and times will be available at www.recordedbooks.com/webinar.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival at the library


Save the Date: The Chinese Moon Festival Celebration

Featuring the Mulan Performing Arts Association
Saturday, September 29th,  2:00 p.m-4:00pm.

The Moon Festival, the second largest holiday in Asia after the lunar new year, will be celebrated at the Worcester Public Library! Also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is an annual Chinese celebration of the moon, based on the story of the Moon Lady, a popular Chinese folk tale. 

Enjoy an afternoon family program of culture and fun with the Mulan Performing Group's dance and music, and taste delicious moon cakes!
 
Free and open to the public, all ages welcome.

Saxe Room Main Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester MA 01608





 What is the Chinese Moon Festival?

The Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn or Moon cake Festival, is the second biggest holiday for Chinese after the Chinese New Year, similar to Thanksgiving in the West.
It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar, when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the entire year.  The festival is a day celebrated throughout the Far East and all Chinese communities in the world. In 2012, it is on September 30th


The Moon Festival is full of legendary stories. Children are told the story of the moon lady living in a crystal palace, who comes out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface.
The legend surrounding the moon lady dates back to ancient times, to a day when ten suns appeared at once in the sky. The Emperor ordered a famous archer, Yi,  to shoot down the nine extra suns. Once the task was accomplished, Goddess of Western Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal. However, his wife, Chang Er found the pill, took it, and was banished to the moon as a result. Legend says that her beauty is greatest on the day of the Moon festival.

 How to celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival


Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival eat moon cakes, drink jasmine tea and watch a program of Chinese dances and music.
There are varieties of moon cakes, which in their roundness are symbolic of family unity. Some are made of lotus seed paste, some of red bean paste, some with mixed nuts, and many have a salty duck egg yolk (representing the full moon) in the center. In some regions, the moon cakes are crusty, while in others they are flaky.









Free Access Consumer Reports Online through the library



Did you know you can access  Consumer Reports online for free through the library's website with your Worcester Public Library card?

To access:
Go to the library's website at www.worcpublib.org
Click on "Online Databases" on the left column
Select "Consumer" under "By Subjects"
Click on the little house icon to access if you are home or in your office
(Worcester Public Library card is required for access.)

Now you can research your next purchase or find information and advice on many topics from the comfort of your own home or office.  In August 2012 issue, you will find recommendations for e-readers, laptops, tablet and an article on Hospital Safety.





Consumer Reports is just one of many online databases and resources made available though the library.  Contact us with any questions or comments.