A New Kind of Radio Station

http://www.pandora.com/invite

I just posted a blog this morning, but I couldn't wait to share this with music lovers.

My neice showed me how this site works in a matter of minutes.

" Everyone knows about it, and my friends all use it."

Dinosaur that I am, it's all new to me.

Pandora is to music as "if you like this book" is to Amazon.

By creating your own stations, it chooses like songs and artists.

You can accept or reject a particular song or artist at any time.

You can build up several of your own stations, and an extensive faq's page guides you along.

You may already have enjoyed Pandora, but for someone who used to carry around a transistor radio,this is HUGE!

Summer Savings in Massachusetts.

http://www.massvacation.com/valuepass/greaterboston.php




Believe it or not,summer is here.
The sun will come out...maybe not tomorrow, but soon.
With that in mind,take advantage of what Massachusetts has to offer in the way of discounts to many places of interest, hotels, restaurants, and activities.
There are good deals throughtout the state.
Choose a region you plan to visit,and see what is available each week,since the deals are for a limited time.

May the rest of your summer be filled only with warm, sunny days.
After all...we can only hope!

Earth911.com

When “going green” or “recycle” is what your patrons want to do to be a conscientious human being, earth911.com could help them achieve their goals. It is a one-stop shop for all your recycling needs with over 100,000 recycling locations from across the country. You can recycle hundreds of products from packing peanuts to computers with information provided by local governments, organizations and everyday consumers. Topics include reuse, recycling, hazardous waste disposal, composting, local agencies, state and local programs and environmental groups among others. There’s also a glossary, “green" shopping tips and community-specific environmental information.

Indeed.com

http://www.indeed.com/

Many patrons are seeking work, in Massachusetts, and elsewhere.

Time was when the only current resource we had to offer were want ads in newspapers of major cities.

Worcester's Workforce Central is recommending this cite in a flyer I saw recently.

This is only for the listing of available work, not an application, or direct contact with the company.

It will list the website of that company. It is up to the job seeker to make contact.

Please check out the FAQ's section on the site, for any questions.

It is easy to use, informative, and timely.

Important Notice to Those Who Purchase DVDs

From: info@midwesttapes.com
Slumdog Millionaire Confusion & Fox's new policy

Many libraries have contacted us concerning Slumdog Millionaire. This title, delivered before 20th Century Fox announced their new retail and rental edition policy, was shipped to some customers with incorrect artwork.
Due to a mix-up at Fox's replicator, some rental edition copies of Slumdog Millionaire were shipped in retail edition cases. Fox has set up a hotline (1-888-223-4369 or SlumdogDVD.orderassistance.com) for customers who have received these items and would like a replacement item. If you prefer replacement artwork, Midwest Tape is happy to provide it through our customer service department (1-800-875-2785).
Midwest Tape has been notified that, beginning immediately, all new Fox releases will be issued in two editions: retail and rental. Because Fox has decided to classify libraries as part of the rental market, the rental edition will be the only edition available to public libraries.
Fox has decided that the rental edition and retail editions will be two separate and distinct items. Each edition will have unique artwork and UPC numbers. Additionally, retail editions will have the text "Retail Exclusive" on the cover art.
Click Here to view samples of both the Retail and Rental edition artwork.
Fox has decided that there will also be a difference in content between the retail and rental editions. In most instances, special features and bonus disks will not be a part of the rental (library) edition. Upcoming Fox releases with separate rental and retail editions include:
Bride Wars
Legally Blondes
Taken
Possession
S. Darko
Valkyrie
Labou
Dr Doolittle: Million Dollar Mutts
Driven to Kill
Nobel Son
Street Fighter
Pink Panther 2
Miss March
12 Rounds
The Betrayed
Customers who would like to voice a complaint about Fox's new distribution policy may do so by emailing: mailto:nancy.perfett@fox.com? and mailto:info@midwesttapes.com? on all inquiries.
We are sorry for any inconvenience that Fox's new policies may cause.
Sincerely,
Midwest TapeThe Librarian's #1 Media Source800-875-2785

Serendipity

One of my professors in graduate school liked to talk about the concept of serendipity in reference work. This seemed particularly strange at the time because it was Introduction to Library Resources where our assignments consisted of answering “reference questions” using specific reference titles. But as most of us now know, sometimes you find the answers through sheer serendipity.
I happened upon a reference to the Special Library Association’s 23 Things Initiative in an article I was reading online.

23 Things is an association-wide learning initiative introduced by Stephen Abram to help us all be in a position to innovate…The idea is that we all commit 15 minutes a day or about an hour (or two -- because you'll get hooked!) a week to learning and practicing with these new tools.
This is a self-discovery program which encourages us all to take control of our own learning and to utilize lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY. …

If you run SLA 23 Things as a search, you will find the initiative. I decided to check it out, especially since I am serendipitously registered to attend How Blogger, Del.icio.us and other Web 2.0 Tools Have Enhanced Management offered by CMRLS at Worcester Public Library later this month. Maybe I’ll get some practice in beforehand…

World News from Everywhere

GlobalPost has consistently produced interesting news stories not often seen in the popular press. Its correspondents live in the countries they cover. They and the other employees are shareholders in the for-profit company. I like that I can search by topic, geographic area, or by correspondents. Use of the site is free, with costs paid by online advertising, syndication, and a higher paid membership.

Radical Reference

My curiosity got the best of me when I read the email forwarded through CMRLS about an upcoming Western Massachusetts Radical Reference meeting. Are the Berkshires filled with radical librarians, decked out in tie-dye shirts and plotting an overthrow of traditional reference practice? According to the national website, "Radical Reference originated as a service provided by volunteer library workers from all over the United States to assist demonstrators and activists at the convergence surrounding the Republican National Convention in New York City August 29-September 2, 2004. We are evolving, expanding our services, and continuing to utilize our professional skills and tools to answer information needs from the general public, independent journalists, and activists."

So, being curious, I had to check it out...this interactive site is loaded with blog posts on a variety of subjects, links to online reference tools, a wiki and both answered and unanswered questions submitted by librarians, activists and journalists. They have a dream list of future projects you can get involved in, and there's also some discussion about expanding services to include outreach to teens and schools. It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is, just browse around and see what piques your interest!

Free Resources for Women's History Month

If you are looking for free resources and activities on this year's Women's History Month, here are some websites you might find useful:

• Gale: Free Resources - Women's History Month
• Infoplease: Women's History Month Features
• NWHP: National Women's History Project

For Seniors Only...

The National Institute of Health has a website designed for the special needs of seniors, NIH Senior Health. The area of gerontology is evolving as more and more citizens live longer, and topics include those of particular interest to seniors such as Healthy Aging, Memory and Vision & Hearing. Complementary and alternative medicine is included as well. According to the site, "NIHSeniorHealth features authoritative and up-to-date health information from Institutes and Centers at NIH. In addition, the American Geriatrics Society provides expert and independent review of some of the material found on this web site. Each health topic includes general background information, open-captioned videos, quizzes and frequently asked questions (FAQs). New topics are added to the site on a regular basis."

Calling itself "senior friendly", this website is simply designed for those new to online searching, and users can increase the text size, change the text color and/or have the text read aloud. This was of particular interest to a friend suffering from macular degeneration who ordinarily finds it hard to search online. Great to have web resources specifically designed for those who might need it most!

Free Materials for Librarians and Educators

Hello, there is a website, http://www.teachkind.com/librarians.asp that offers free materials for librarians and teachers. It is the educational program of PETA (People for the ethical treatment of animals.) They offer a comic book series for kids, a free subscription to Animal Times magazine, and videos for kids through adults. Cookbooks and general animal protection books are also available.

They share these materials with us to promote their cause, but as librarians we can take advantage in order to have more materials for our patrons on all sides of issues. I can vouch for the cookbooks. Two of them i use quite regularly. Yummy brownie and chocolate chip cookie recipes, "nice cream" recipe, as well healthy stuff that tastes good to vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.

http://www.teachkind.com/librarians.asp

USA.gov for Seniors

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml


You may be aware of the official government web site, USA.gov. Quite a bit to navigate through.

Geared specifically to issues and concerns pertaining to elder Americans, the above link is worth bookmarking to your homepage.

I found it easy to navigate, timely and inclusive. The more on-line services segment is especially useful.

In these difficult times, we need all the help and assistance our government can provide. This is one place to start.

Family Health Portrait

My colleague and office-mate, Anna K, showed me an Associated Press article printed in the Boston Globe, "Tracking red flags in family history", knowing my interest in medical issues. Thanks to the efforts of Surgeon General Steven Galson, there is now an online tool to create a family health tree, similar to those genealogists use. According to the website, "My Family Health Portrait is an internet-based tool that makes it easy for you to record your family health history. The tool is easy to access on the web and simple to fill out. It assembles your information and makes a "pedigree" family tree that you can download. It is private--it doesn't keep your information. It gives you a health history that you can share with family members or send to your health care practitioner."

The premise behind the creation of this site is to find familial connections that may alert you to identify potential risk factors. If you know you may be predisposed to cancer or hypertension, you may want to quit smoking, reduce salt intake, etc. According to the Center for Disease Control, fewer than 30% of Americans have ever collected health information from relatives.
If you want to check out this site and perhaps start creating your own family health profile, go to https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action

Locally Grown

An article in boston.com caught my eye the other day. It was “Nine finds in New England” and one of the “finds” related to buying locally grown products:

There’s nothing more satisfying than doing good by eating well. Whenever you’re traveling in New England, resolve to patronize restaurants that support local growers, fishermen, foragers, cheesemakers, bakers, and beekeepers. New England chefs have been in the vanguard of the ‘‘locavore’’ movement that nurtures sustainable agriculture and fisheries while providing the best possible food with the smallest carbon footprint. Some parts of New England make it easy to find these local boosters. Berkshire Grown (www.berkshiregrown.org) lists more than 50 restaurants. (The Red Lion Inn, for example, serves a locavore ‘‘sustainable menu’’ on Sunday and Monday nights.) Vermont Fresh (www.vermontfresh.net) lists more than 100 restaurants that support Green Mountain State producers. They include the Farmers Diner in Quechee (www.farmersdiner.com), which devotes 65 cents of every dollar to buying food produced within 70 miles. New Hampshire is just getting organized; check the sponsors list for Seacoast Eat Local (www.seacoasteatlocal.com) for a few restaurants. You can browse for options throughout New England by checking the website of Chefs Collaborative (www.chefscollaborative.org), an organization that celebrates local foods and works to foster a more sustainable food supply. Click on ‘‘local food search,’’ highlight restaurants, and put in the location you want to search.
(Text : David Lyon/Globe Correspondent)

This idea, or movement, has been getting a lot of attention lately, so I thought I would do my part to support the movement especially since there are so many fresh products produced here in Central Massachusetts. Some other websites worth checking are:
http://www.nofamass.org/programs/ofg/index.php/
http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/farmers_markets.htm
and perhaps my favorite, www.localharvest.org.
It’s probably not the best time of the year to start trying to become a locavore, but it is a good time to stay inside and read up on a new idea or investigate restaurants you might visit on an upcoming vacation.

Need Help? Dial 211

Mass 211 is the telephone number to connect people to information on health and human services. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Council of Massachusetts United Ways (COMUW) made this Information and Referral Line the Commonwealth"s primary call center in times of emergency.
The state wide Resource Locator has been developed with cooperation between the Executive Office of Health & Human Services , many United Ways, CAC's and community agencies. It replaces the First Call IR service by individual United Ways. Translation is available when one calls.

More details are available at http://www.mass211.org or www.mass211help.org

Marketing/Media packets can be downloaded from this site to advertise the service.

anna k

catching up with popular culture

Popular culture is more than teen lit. If you are like me, and want to keep up with or reach for the cutting edge, there are a few sites, catalogs and magazines that cater to your needs.

Daily Candy: http://www.dailycandy.com/

Daily Candy sends me two emails everyday. One is for "Everywhere," and the other is specific to the Boston area. To use the vernacular, they have the coolest stuff! They will give you the lowdown on up and coming fashion designers, local eateries and the best gifts. Yes, I consume twice the Daily Candy.

• Wired Magazine: http://www.wired.com/

Wired Magazine has been following the technological revolution since March of 1993. In a confusing world, it consistently breaks down the nonsense into understandable chunks. Wired is always on top or ahead of what's happening with computers, science & technology, and the Internet.

My favorite sections are "Jargon Watch" and "Expired-Tired-Wired"...and of course, it's excellent cover-to-cover.

• McPhee's for Christmas: http://www.mcphee.com/

Ever need an inflatable fruitcake? Deluxe finger monsters? The world's largest champagne glass? These gifts are edgy and frankly, out there. Perfect for 30 somethings. They get this!

All for now,
Jillian M. Parsons

Culture Shock

Are you aware that it is respectful in certain cultures to remove your shoes when entering a home or place of worship? Or if invited to a Costa Rican home it is appropriate to bring flowers but not lilies since they are a symbol of death? In Indonesia, it’s better to point with your fist than your finger. Culture Crossing is an entertaining website that provides these and other valuable pointers on other cultures.

It is a good place to start if you are traveling abroad or meeting people from other cultures and would like to know a bit about their values, protocol and communication styles. It touches on gesture, taboo, greeting, facts, dress code and other such details so you are better prepared. Some country listings have a short video clip on etiquette.

Although Culture Crossing is a crash-course in cross-cultural etiquette, the information seems to be user generated, so take it with a grain of salt and a pinch of common sense.

VEGAN COOKING

With Thanksgiving around corner many people are looking for recipes. For those of us who don't want to eat the animals, there are lots of yummy vegan recipes out there. I am going to share a few websites and titles of cookbooks that i have encountered to get you started.

www.theppk.com Is the Post Punk Kitchen which is a cooking show's website with Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero. I have 3 of their cookbooks which are terrific. I have tried many recipes and they have been enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters. There are suggestions for altering non-vegan recipes to be vegan with substitutions as well as information on vegan cooking and cooking in general.

Veganomicon
Vegan with a Vengeance
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (i love the title!)

www.vegcooking.com

www.veganmania.com

www.fatfreevegan.com

www.veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com which is a site for Bryanna Clark Grogan who is the author of many cookbooks.

www.vegweb.com has reviews and comments on the recipes. It is helpful to read a few of them to see what a few people think of it as well as ideas on how to alter the recipe.

www.vitalita.com is a website that has two downloadable cookbooks on it that are also mostly gluten free.

govegan.net is a site from a canadian cookbook author Sarah Kramer. I have one of her books and it has lots of information on vegan cooking and other things as well (ex: many uses of baking soda.)
The Garden of Vegan.

www.peta.org has recipes as well as information on the vegan lifestyle. they have put out a few cookbooks, two of which get lots of use at my house.

The Compassionate Cook, or, Please don't eat the animals.
Cooking with PETA (terrific brownie recipe- they will never know it has tofu-tried and loved by many staff at Worcester Public Library and a delicious pumpkin pie that i make for my family every thanksgiving - never know it has tofu! secret is to really blend it well so no lumps.)

Another book that gets too much use at my house is
The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Lots of information on baking and substitutions. Full of information as well as good recipes.

I hope you all enjoy your holiday baking and cooking.

Katherine R.

U.S. Cities Profiles

http://www.city-data.com/
According to the about us page of this site "We've collected and analyzed data from numerous sources to create as complete and interesting profiles of all U.S. cities as we could. We have over 63,000 city photos not found anywhere else, graphs of latest real estate prices and sales trends, recent home sales, home value estimator, hundreds of thousands of maps, satellite photos, stats about residents (race, income, ancestries, education, employment...), geographical data, state profiles, crime data, registered sex offenders, cost of living, housing, businesses, local news links based on our exclusive technology, birthplaces of famous people, political contributions, city government finances and employment, weather, hospitals, schools, libraries, houses, airports, radio and TV stations, zip codes, area codes, air pollution, latest unemployment data, time zones, water systems and their health and monitoring violations, comparisons to averages, professionally written city guides, a forum and a social network with 420,000 registered members and 5,300,000 posts, 5,000+ user-submitted facts, 13,000+ exclusive local business profiles with photos, and more demographics. If you ever need to research any city for any reason, from considering a move there to just checking where somebody you know is staying, this is the site for you."

Voting Reference: learn about the upcoming election

A few nonpartisan sources to learn about the candidates and ballot questions:

• Congress.org: Presidential Candidate Guide
  
• New York Times Election Guide
  
• Washington Post Elections
  
• FactCheck: University of Pennsylvania site which analyzes claims made by candidates
  
• Project Vote Smart
• Massachusetts Information for Voters (PDF)