Sunday, September 2, 2012

Friends Film Series

Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saxe Room
— On Film, On Campus
Sept. 1: Labor Day weekend, no film
Sept. 8: The Paper Chase  
A Harvard law student struggles with balancing his coursework and his relationship with the daughter
(Lindsay Wagner) of a stern professor, 1973. (PG)
Sept. 15: Good News
An enthusiastic, good-hearted romp through 1920s college life. Stars Peter Lawford and June Allyson, 1947.
Sept. 22: The Sure Thing
Two mismatched college students (John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga) find themselves trapped together during a cross-country road trip to get home for the holidays, 1985. (PG-13) 

— Mrs. Month —
Oct. 6: Mrs. Miniver
Greer Garson commands this film in the title role as a middle-class British housewife whose strength holds her family together when World War II literally hits their home, 1942.
Oct. 13: Mrs. Brown
Charming film about Queen Victoria (Dame Judi Dench) and commoner John Brown who becomes her closest friend and confidant, 1997. (PG)
Oct. 20: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
All but abandoned by her family in a London retirement hotel, an elderly woman strikes up a curious friendship with a young writer, 2005.
Oct. 27: Mrs. Dalloway
Vanessa Redgrave shines as the heroine of this superb adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel, 1998. (PG-13) 

— A Month in the Trenches (Trench coats!) —
Nov. 3: Laura
This silky smooth film noir
features a gruff police detec- tive (Dana Andrews)
investigating the murder of a beautiful advertising executive
(Gene Tierney), 1944. 

Nov. 10: The Pink Panther
A bumbling French police inspector (Peter Sellers) tries to catch a daring jewel thief whose identity and features are unknown in this comedy, 1963.
Nov. 17: Columbo
Peter Falk stars as Columbo, the clas- sic cigar-chomping, rumpled trench coat-wearing police lieutenant, 1971.
Nov. 24: Casablanca
Set in Africa during World War II, an American expatriate (Humphrey Bogart) meets a former lover (Ingrid Bergman), with unforeseen complications, 1942.

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.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Need Summer Reading Ideas? Download library ebooks


Follow instructions below to download an ebook to your Kindle, Nook or other ereaders.

For Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo or other e-reader users:

1. Go to the library's website at http://www.worcpublib.org./

2. Click Digital Downloads in the left column http://www.worcpublib.org/resources/audiobooks.htm

3. Choose Overdrive

4. Sign in with your library's card number

5. Click Advanced Search

6. Under Format: choose Kindle if you have a Kindle, choose EPUB if you have Nook or other e-reader.

7. Check Only Show titles with copies available

8. Then click Search

9. After you choose a book, click Proceed to check out

10. After the item is checked out,
 For Kindle users: 
- you will be prompted to Get for Kindle button.
- Click the button, then you need to log in your Amazon account.
- Choose which device you want Amazon to deliver the library ebook to under Get Library book.
 - Your library book should show up on your Kindle. If not, press Menu button on your Kindle, then choose Sync.
For Nook, Sony, Kobo or other e-reader users:
-before you click on Download button, you need to following the link above Download button to download the needed software (adobe digital edition) to your computer.
- Follow the instructions on the page to activate your computer and your device.
- After that, click Download, your book will be downloaded into Adobe Digital Edition on your computer.
 - Then connect your Nook or other device to your computer. Your device will show in the left column of the digital edition panel.
- Then drag your book into the device. Unplug your device, sync your device, your ebook should appear on your device.

For Kindle Fire users:

Follow the instructions for Kindle above on your Fire. You don't need to use a computer to download a library ebook.

For iPad, iphone or any other tablet or smartphone users:
All you need to do is to download free Overdrive app on your device. Choose an ebook in EPUB format (see instructions above) and then download it through your device.
__________________________________________________________________________

Let us know if you have any questions.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Need summer reading ideas? Check out Playaways!






What’s a Playaway?
Small - a matchbox-sized  audiobook player, preloaded  with titles for children, teens, and adults

Convenient - No computer, charger or Internet connection are needed. One pair of earbuds and one AAA battery are all you need. A universal headphone jack allows you to use any headphones, speakers or car adapters for listening.

Easy to use - You can navigate back and forth through chapters, bookmark where you stopped listening, and control the reader’s speed.

Portable - Go anywhere you go

How do I check them out?

Adult Playaway titles for are located in the DVD area on a red book truck. Playaways for teens or children are located in YA area or Children Room.  All Playaways can be checked out for three weeks with two renews.

How do I find a Playaway in the library's catalog?





Ask a librarian at 508-799-1655 x 3 if you have any questions 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

WPL chosen to be a trial site for Playaway View's New Titles

Exciting news: the Worcester Public Library is chosen to be a trial site by Playaway as one of a small number of innovative and progressive libraries across the country. Playaway give us 30 units with movies preloaded for our patrons to try for 60 days. At the end of 60 days, the library can keep all the units if we wish . Patrons who check those out are encouraged to take a quick online survey at www.playaway.com/viewsurvey about the product and could win $100 Visa Gift Card!



What’s Playaway View
Simple - Just press play! Seven-button design is simple to use regardless of age or ability.
Portable - Goes wherever you do. Equipped with a built-in speaker, and an optional headphone jack, so you can watch anywhere.
Convenient - No DVDs, downloads, or additional players are needed. Pre-loaded content is ready to watch whenever you are.
Chargeable-Can be charged anywhere with the included standard AC Adaptor.

How to check them out
Playaway View titles are located in the DVD area on a red book truck.  If they are all checked out,  you may place a hold on any title of your interest through the library's catalog https://bark.cwmars.org/eg/opac/home?loc=142. When you search, look for Digital View for call number. For example, here is Lucy Show record in the catalog.

What's on Playaway View

Classic Movies
A Farewell to Arms
Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes
Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much
John Wayne: Blue Steel
Sherlock Holmes: Murder at Baskervilles

Classic Television
Bonanza
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Lone Ranger
The Lucy Arnez Show

DIY
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Around the House
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Around the Yard
Simple Solutions: DIY Tips for Home Maintenance

Documentaries
American Masters: Ernest Hemingway
The End of the Road: The Final Tour '95 (Grateful Dead)
Greenpeace: The Story
The Louvre
Nelson Mandela: One Man

Financial Advice/Instructional
Suze Orman's Money Class

Professional Development
21st Century Leadership
Doubling Your Productivity
Essence of Success
Remarkable Communication Skills

Television/Film
Ernest Goes to Camp
Masterpiece Contemporary: Page Eight

Travel
Treks in a Wild World: Diving, Biking, Climbing, Canoeing and Hiking, the best of the West and East
Treks in a Wild World: Ice Climbing, Kayaking, and Hiking in the Pacific Northwest
Treks in a Wild World: Trekking Coastlines of the World

If you have any questions, please email us.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Why Can't You Find That e-book You Want from the Library?

Although demand for eBooks is growing, the biggest book publishers are limiting library access to their eBooks.

Some publishers cite security concerns while others point out that eBooks, unlike print books, will never need replacing in a library's collection. They fear that library eBook lending cuts into income for both publishers and authors. As library users, it means limited access to some of the current, popular titles we want to read on our new e-readers.
Different publishers set limits in different ways.
  • MacMillan Publishing has never allowed e-books to be distributed to libraries via OverDrive.
  • Simon & Schuster has never allowed e-books to be distributed to libraries via OverDrive.
  • Hachette no longer offers e-book titles to libraries via OverDrive.
  • HaperCollins limits each eBook to 26 checkouts, then requires libraries to buy another copy.
  • Ramdom House recently raised its prices for libraries, as much as 300% more. For Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith the ebook price went from $40 to $120.  For Blessings by Anna Quindlen the ebook price went from $15 to $45 
  • Penguin Group no longer offers e-book titles to libraries via OverDrive. Previously purchased Penguin Kindle titles in our OverDrive catalog will no longer be delivered through a WiFi connection from Amazon. These titles will need to be downloaded to your computer first and then transferred using a USB cord
As we continue to expand our eBook collection, we hope you understand some of the limitations that are placed on us. The eBook industry continues to evolve and we're optimistic that a workable solution between publishers and libraries will come about.

Please email us with any suggestions and questions.

This article is adapted from and used courtesy of the Daniel Boone Regional Library serving Boone and Callaway Counties and Columbia, Missouri.  

Monday, May 21, 2012

What you need to know about the new catalog system?

On May 29th, the library new catalog, Evergreen system will replace the current catalog. Below are a few things you should be aware of:
  • You will have the option to create a username to sign into the catalog. The default login will be your LAST NAME in ALL UPPER CASE.
  • You will be required to create a new password when you login for the first time.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The library Facebook has reached 1,000 Fans!













Thanks to all our library Facebook fans for clicking on 'Like' us. In the month of April 2012, the library Facebook page has reached a 1,000 fan milestone.  This number makes our Facebook page one of the most fan Facebook pages among Massachusetts public libraries and among the city departments.

If you love the library and enjoy what you read on the library Facebook page, please share this Facebook page with your friends and family members. Help us to reach more people in the community so they, too, can get to know about a wide range of library services and resources.

How do I get connected with Worcester Public Library on Facebook?







If you have already had your own Facebook account, after you log in, search for Worcester Public Library page. Then click on "Like" us.

If you don't have a Facebook account, go to Facebook.com and sign up one. Then search for Worcester Public Library Facebook page. Click on "Like" when you find us.

Here is the link for the library Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/worcesterpubliclibrary. Please forward it to your friends. 

Feel free to email us  for any suggestions and questions.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Freading: a new library ebook service

Freading, a new eBook library service is offered by Worcester Public Library. Over 20,000 titles are available from a variety of small and independent publishers. New books are added weekly.

Unlike OverDrive, Freading allows for unlimited number of simultaneous users. Each library user is allotted 4 tokens each week that can be used to download the books. Books range in token value from 4 to 1 token, with most newer titles being 4 tokens. All titles are compatible with most popular ereaders except regular Kindles. Ebooks can be checked out 14 days and be renewed once. To get started: - You will need a valid Worcester Public Library card. - Go to Digital Downloads webpage on the library's website at http://www.worcpublib.org/resources/audiobooks.htm - Under eBooks, you will see Freading link. Please read through Freading FAQ before using it.

Email pchen@worcpublib.org if you have any question.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Resources for Librarians and Teachers

LAD: Library Administrator's Digest, a publication reviewing current library news and innovations from newsletters and the press, focusing on public libraries, call 410-887-6196, jpeeling@bcpl.net
Library Hotline: braking news for library and information decision makers, published by the staff of Library Journal & School Library Journal





Games

Tips for Using US Census Records, 1790-1930

Video Tutorials by National Archives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl54NX_H1ko

Digital Media

Apps

Social Media

Friday, December 30, 2011

E-Readers and E-Books

  • Publishers can now set ebook due dates: http://www.impelsys.com/ its iPublishCentral softwar now enables publishers to set expiration terms for patron downloads of their titles, institution by institution. It will also enable patrons to access ebooks from iPads, laptops, and desktop computers offline, regardless of the form of online atron authentication that is established by their library. Library Hotline June 25, 2012
  • Lawsuit: E-readers needed for the blind, not just seniors philly.com, May 8, 2012

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

E-Reader Petting Zoo and Q&A










This training session is designed
-for those who are thinking about purchasing an e-reader but not sure which one to buy,
-for those who have an e-reader but not sure how to use it or want to know how to download an e-book from the library,
-for those who would just like to know more about new technology.

Please join us in the main library's computer lab on the third floor, every Friday from 1:00 pm-2:00 pm. Our e-book librarians will answer all your questions and show you how to download a library's e-book. You will have an opportunity to try out Kindle, Nookcolor, Kindle Fire and I-pad.

For people who can't make Friday's 1-2 session, please come to our one-on-one eBook Help every Wednesday evening from 5:30pm-7:00pm, or drop by anytime to ask to speak to one of our ebook librarians.

(Note: If you have questions regarding your devices, please bring your device or laptop so we can walk you through the process. )

Ask a librarian if you have any questions, please visit the main library at 3 Salem Sq. Worcester MA or call us at 508-799-1655 x3.

Note:

T&G.com: Worcester Public Library staff offer e-reader workshops on Fridays