Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Friday night at 2a.m.


Of course no one reading this will actually need this tool, but maybe you know someone or you know someone who knows someone who might make good use of it...
Webroot's Social Media Sobriety Test can help save you from your greatest enemy--yourself! For those who find themselves apt to combine alcohol and Facebook (or any other social media site providing the means for permanent embarrassment), here is an absolutely necessary tool for self-preservation. Set up this Firefox add-on to apply a sobriety test when you attempt to log in to certain sites at the times you tend to be, well, at your drunkest. You will have to prove your mental acuity by keeping a cursor inside a moving bubble or typing the alphabet backwards. If you fail the test you will not get access to the site and maybe you'll breathe easier on your next job interview.
--RL

Popular Science Books of 2010

The following 2010 science books are listed in order of there popularity based on library circulation.

Decoding Reality: The Universe as Quantum Information
by
Vlatko Vedral

This exhilarating book spans everything from betting strategies in casinos to quantum teleportation.





Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion through the Astonishing World of Math
by
Alex Bellos

Bellos searched the world for fascinating stories of mathematical achievement, from the breakthroughs of Euclid, the greatest mathematician of all time, to the creations of the Zen
master of origami.



The W
ave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan Casey

For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary was brewing in the planet's waters.


The Grand Design
by
Stephen W. Hawking, & Leonard Mlodinow

In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity.




Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives
by Tho
mas French

This meticulously reported and smartly written book will make you think in new ways about animals, human beings, and our respective places in the world.





Th
e Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean


The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession.




TB

Sunday, December 19, 2010

New Audio Releases Coming in January



Bartok, Mira - The Memory Palace - Memoir of the author's estrangement from and reunion with her schizophrenic mother. (Tantor Audio)



Edward
s, Kim - Lake of Dreams - A follow-up to Edward's best-selling debut , The Memory Keepers Daughter

Lippman, Laura - The Girl in the Green Raincoat - A new Tess Monaghan novella (AudioGo)

Patterson, James & Michael Ledwidge -
Tick Tock -. The 4th book in the series that began with the No. 1 NY Times bestseller Step on a Crack.

Proulx, Annie - Bird Cloud - Part autobiography, part naturalist's journal, this is the author's first work of nonfiction in more than 20 years. (Recorded Books)

Reagan, Ron - My Father at 100 - Biography marks the centenary of the 40th president's birth (Blackstone)



-DB


Friday, December 10, 2010

New books for January



















What new titles are coming out in January? Here are a few:

Love Letters by Katie Fforde


I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson


The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld


Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Suzanne Vreeland


Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods
maf

















Monday, December 6, 2010

Some Great Holiday Gift Suggestions

It's that time of year again, when you're desperately seeking a present for that special someone on your list and you don't have any idea what to get them. I've always found a good stand-by in these times of trouble is the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010, just released this last Sunday. Know a fan of Oprah? Her new book pick is on the list! Someone that devours the New Yorker? Ann Beattie's works, spanning three decades, will fit the bill. You can also extend the list to the power of 10 by giving a look at their 100 Notable Books of 2010. For specific tastes, they have lists for gardening, cooking, travel, mystery, music, visual arts, and graphic novel/comics enthusiasts. Have a young reader on your list? Then have a look at the notable children's books of the year. You can even go beyond books and check out their general holiday gift guide--so save yourself some grief and get some shopping done early by giving these lists a try.




MW

New York Times Book Review Top 10 Best Books of 2010 and 100 Notable Books of 2010



For your reading pleasure, the New York Times announced its Top 10 Best Books of 2010 on December 1, 2010. They include many titles found on other lists. Click on the title to find out more about it or reserve the book for pick up.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Fiction, Franzen, J.)

The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie. (Fiction, Beattie, A.)

Room by Emma Donoghue. (Fiction, Donoghue)

Selected Stories by William Trevor. (Fiction, Trevor)

A Visit from the Goon Squad. by Jennifer Egan. (Egan, J)

Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet. by Jennifer Homans. (792.8 Homans)

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. (Biography, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt/Schiff)

Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. (616.994 Mukherjee)

Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes by Stephen Sondheim. (Oversize 782.14 Sondheim)

The Warmth of other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. (304.8 Wilkerson)

100 Notable Books of 2010 may be found on the New York Times website. SH

Image at top of page from New York Times Website.

Biography in Context is December's Featured Online Resource

Have you ever wished there was an online resource where you could find good, quick information about people such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Steve Jobs, Jonas Salk, or Picasso?

Whether you are just interested or have a research project to complete, Biography in Context is your first stop in the library or from home to find nearly 1,000,000 biographical entries from reference books, journals, audio clips and videos for over 525,000 people in history.

This is one of my favorite online resources, and it rarely lets me down. Try it out today! SH

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Credo Reference Online Resource Class December 7th, 2010!

If you haven't tried our newest online resource--Credo Reference--yet (or even if you have), come to the class in Jackie's Room at the library on Tuesday, December 7th from 2-3 p.m. to be amazed!

This is not your typical resource.
Rob Lerman will give you a tour and point out what makes this research tool so unique as well as useful for students, researchers, and those of us who would like to know a little bit more.

Whether you are training a dog, looking for word origins, checking medical conditions/diseases, or looking for a video of a speech by George H. W. Bush, Credo is the place to start.

The topic pages contain information from:
  • 500+ reference books
  • dictionary and encyclopedia entries
  • journal and newspaper articles
  • many of our other online resources such as CQ Researcher, Biography in Context, etc.
  • Books, dvds and music in our library
  • videos
  • images
  • concept maps
--All from 1 search!

So get ahead of the game and
sign up for Introduction to the New Credo Reference Online Resource with Rob on Tuesday! SH

A New Look for the Library Catalog





The library catalog is getting a new look. The new Encore software adds new features to our catalog which creates an entirely new user experience.


Key features of Encore include:

  • Keyword search engine with improved relevancy ranking.
  • An attractive easy to use interface.
  • Easy limiting of search results on the left of screen.
  • Spell check.
  • Tag cloud generated from search results.
  • Requests placed from the results screen.
  • Item availability and location on results screen.
  • Ability to search for both articles and local collections.

Look for the new catalog in January 2011.

TB

Monday, November 29, 2010

Just In Time for Christmas


Wouldn't it be nice if all the on-line shopping tools were available on one easy-to-use page? All the price comparison sites, product reviews, classifieds, etc in one place? FaganFinder.com has put together a wonderful collection of product-related search engines. The 70 web sites are arranged under the categories of Price Comparison Searches, Retail Companies (only 4, thank goodness), Marketplaces and Auctions, Handmade Goods, Product Reviews, Products in Local Stores, Local Classifieds, Product Manuals, Product Code Searches, Green Shopping, and Renting and Borrowing. Included of course are several sites facilitating giving stuff away. (Thanks to Phil Bradley for the tip.)
--RL

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Anyone hungry?


With the current media obsession about food and cooking, there has been an explosion of websites to guide you and, certainly, overwhelm you. Below are a sampling of some popular ones.


All Recipes (www.allrecipes.com) offers recipe collections (desserts, breakfasts, etc.), a recipe exchange, holiday recipes and more.


America the Bountiful (http://digital.lib.ucdavis.edu/projects/food/index.html) is a library exhibit about 10 classic American food groups and a historical perspective for each including recipes.


Cookstr (www.cookstr.com) has recipes by well-known chefs and authors from accalimed cookbooks. You may sign up for a weekly newsletter with 10 recipes.



Episurious (www.epicurious.com) was one of the first food sites. It has recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet. It includes cooking videos and information on wine pairings.



Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org) encourages visitors to "eat local and buy local." The site links to the Meatrix http://www.themeatrix.com/ which explains the difference between factory farms and locally raised meat. Also included is an "Eat Well Guide" for finding local, organic food. Resources for teachers are also included.

-DB


Friday, November 19, 2010

New Books for December and January











What's coming out in December and January? Here are a few fiction titles:


Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy


What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz

The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
maf

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Interlibrary Loan's Top 10 Libraries Borrowing From and Lending to Us


Last year the Interlibrary Loan Department tweeted the Top 10 Libraries that we borrow material from and the Top 10 Libraries that we lend material to. You can find that on the official Wellesley Free Library Twitter feed.

This time around we thought we'd list the Top 10's on the blog for your reading pleasure.

Top 10 Libraries Lending Us Materials

  1. Boston College
  2. UMASS Amherst
  3. Brandeis University
  4. Wellesley College
  5. Tufts University
  6. Northeastern University
  7. Smith College
  8. Williams College
  9. Amherst College
  10. Mount Holyoke College
Top 10 Libraries Borrowing Materials From Us

  1. Quincy Public Library (on behalf of the former Central, Western, and Southern regions)
  2. Stonehill College
  3. UMASS Boston
  4. Mid-Continent Public Library (Missouri)
  5. Tufts University
  6. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  7. Boston College
  8. Boston Public Library
  9. Simmons College
  10. UMASS Amherst
If you followed this last year you'll notice that there are some changes to the list. Brandeis University, Harvard University, Holy Cross, and Denver Public have all fallen off the above list of top 10 libraries borrowing material from us. They still borrow materials from us but not enough to warrant a place in the top 10.

Both lists also show that most of the items borrowed for patrons here and lent to patrons elsewhere are loans between Massachusetts libraries outside of the Minuteman Library Network. Most of those loans are also between libraries that use the state funded library delivery system.

JR

2010 National Book Award Winners Announces


The 2010 National Book Award Winners were announced last night, November 17--More titles for your Holiday Gift List! Check out the website to enjoy interviews with the winners as well as a video of the ceremonies.


Fiction Winner

Lord of Misrule--Jaimy Gordon
Lord of Misrule is a darkly realistic novel about a young woman living through a year of horse racing at a half-mile track in West Virginia, while everyone's best laid schemes keep going brutally wrong.

Nonfiction Winner

Just Kids--Patti Smith
In this memoir, singer-songwriter Patti Smith shares tales of New York City : the denizens of Max's Kansas City, the Hotel Chelsea, Scribner's, Brentano's and Strand bookstores and her new life in Brooklyn with a young man named Robert Mapplethorpe--the man who changed her life with his love, friendship, and genius.

Poetry

Lighthead--Terrance Hayes
From an award-winning poet, a new collection in which the political and the personal converge in innovative and beautiful ways.



Young People's Literature


Mockingbird--Kathryn Erskine
Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

SH

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Calling All Late Library Items! Fine Free Weekend November 18-21

Did you forget to return Wellesley Free Library books, CDs, or movies or discover some library items when you were cleaning the house or car? Even George Washington found himself with late items.

The Wellesley Free Library Trustees are offering you this one time opportunity to return all past due Wellesley Free Library items with no fine this weekend--Thursday, November 18 through Sunday, November 21.


You may return the past due items to any Wellesley Library location with our appreciation and No Fine!

Image from CBS News

Saturday, November 13, 2010

History Websites

A collection of useful history websites.

A Chronology of US Historical Documents

http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/

This site is a Chronology with links to U.S. Historical Documents.

American History and World History

http://www.historycentral.com/index.html

This site has 500 primary sources in American History.

Archival Sound Recordings

http://sounds.bl.uk/Default.aspx

The British Library's Archival Sound Recordings Online.

Atlas Obscura | Wondrous, curious, and bizarre locations around the world

http://atlasobscura.com/

The Atlas is a collaborative project whose purpose is to catalog all of the "wondrous, curious, and esoteric places" that get left out of traditional travel guidebooks.

Best of History Web Sites

http://www.besthistorysites.net/

Gives links to history websites by period.

Chronicling America - The Library of Congress

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

This site allows you to search and view newspaper pages from 1880-1910 and

find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.

CIA - The World Factbook

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

The New CIA World Factbook updates its information every two weeks.

Documenting the American South homepage

http://docsouth.unc.edu/index.html

Documents the American South with material related to southern history, literature, and culture.

From Revolution to Reconstruction: Documents

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/D/index.htm

This site links to Primary documents and State of the Union Speeches.

Galaxy of Images | Smithsonian Institution Libraries

http://www.sil.si.edu/ImageGalaxy/index.cfm

The thousands of images from the more than 1.5 million printed books and manuscripts in the collections of Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

Harvard Open Collections Program

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/

OCP offers new, virtual collections of thematically linked material selected from

numerous Harvard repositories.

HBO Archives: Archival Collection: The March of Time®

http://hboarchives.com/apps/searchlibrary/ctl/marchoftime

Episodes from The March of Time newsreel and documentary series, produced from 1935 to 1967.

The Living Room Candidate

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/

Presidential Election Commercials Since 1952.

National Museum of the American Indian : Collections Search

http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/home.aspx

This site includes a sample of NMAI’s object and historic photo collections.

Newseum

http://www.newseum.org/

Newspaper Front Pages .

Our Documents - 100 Milestone Documents

http://www.ourdocuments.gov/content.php?flash=true&page=milestone

Primary Documents Selected by the National Archives and Records Administration.

POTUS -- Presidents of the United States

http://www.potus.com/

This site provides information on the Presidents of the United States.

Primary Documents in American History

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/PrimDocsHome.html

Library of Congress presents primary documents on American history.

Pritzker Podcasts

http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/podcasts/index.jsp

This site has podcasts of the best authors, historians, journalists, and members of the military discussing their latest books on military history and military fiction.

Railroads and the Making of Modern America

http://railroads.unl.edu/

This site has documentary materials on the railroads.

Roman Emperors

http://www.roman-emperors.org/

This site is an online encyclopedia of the rulers of the Roman Empire.


United States Digital Map Library.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/maps/

This site had digitized historical maps of the United States.

TB
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