Death by PowerPoint

Have you suffered through a “Death by PowerPoint”? Boring presentations with PowerPoint where a speaker reads and repeats slide after slide of the exact words on the screen, or shows screenshot after screenshot of pages?

I just attended a workshop on one of the new types of PPt presentations, Pecha Kucha from Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecha_Kucha) that is helping to save people from the deadly and or excruciatingly long presentations.

How it works is you must present your topic with only 20 slides and you have only 20 seconds with each slide to talk so that your presentation is completed in 6 minutes and 40 seconds. And you must do it with mainly images, which I learned should also be emotionally evocative relating to your subject.

It is one way to narrow, organize, and focus your subject matter but also great fun to do, too. There are even Pecha Kucha nights held in various cities.

In the library setting it can help you in giving presentations, for example to the Board or funders or students in a class, as you’ll know and can guarantee them it will last for less than seven minutes!

Granted, it won’t work for all presentations as some subjects do require more time, however, it has given me a new way of looking at how I do my own productions and how to make them more interesting and stimulating. If you use PowerPoint, or want to try it, look into this format, it’s a positive.

Examples of Pecha Kucha are on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/ (Check out this librarians show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeKFLw_HdxI called Pecha Kucha 2.0 Podcasting Edition) and search in Slide Share http://www.slideshare.net/ .

Have fun with it and if anyone wants to do a Pecha Kucha library program, let me know!

RefUSA--Phone & Business Directories available remotely

The Worcester Public Library now offers remote access to RefUSA --Phone and Business Directories. RefUSA databases are available to anyone with a valid Worcester Public Library card.

The offer includes both U.S. Business and U.S. Residential databases.

U.S. Business contains14 million U.S. Businesses which are verified, accurate data and updated monthly. U.S. Residential includes 135 Million U.S. Households. Those records are continuously updated and processed against the USPS National Change of Address (NCOA) and Delivery Sequence File (DSF).

To access:

Go to http://www.worcpublib.org/
Click on Online Databases
Then select Business & Finance
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ping at pschen@cwmars.org

Healing Foods

Have you ever wondered about the healing qualities of food? Ever wanted to know if a certain food is helpful for a particular medical condition? Check out HealingFoodReference.com to learn more about them. You might find this site useful if you need to look up something quickly. This site has a lengthy list of health conditions and foods that help them. Click on Reference Information on the top right corner to visit the individual pages on Herbs, Supplements and Nutrients.

HerbReference.com lists herbs and their uses, covering Western and Chinese herbs.

SupplementReference.com lists dietary supplements, their benefits and organs that they support. This site is fairly small compared to the others.

NutrientReference.com lists healing nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Using this site, you can find out which nutrients help certain health conditions, or even which foods contain specific nutrients.

In addition, on each page you will find a list of other recommended sites and a link to current news and articles on each topic.

www.50states.com

http://www.50states.com/

Quick....With a few clicks of the mouse find the high school,college, and professional sports teams in Massachusetts, with links to the web sites. Now do that for our other 49 states. These and numerous other "fast facts" can be found on this comprehensive, easy to use site.

Also included are facts and useful information links arranged specific to each of the 50 United States of America. State homepage, capitol tours, constitution, driving rules, election links, genealogical resources, newspapers, maps, political representatives, state symbols, tax forms, topography, tourism, veteran affairs, weather, and more. I especially liked the links to the state home pages. This site will assist the many questions librarians answer about a state flower, bird,flag, or emblem. Worth a look, perhaps even a bookmark.

One of Life's Little Mysteries

I've noticed a recent trend in the cover art for biographies of historical women to use portraits that only show the subject from the neck down. "Jane Boleyn" by Julia Fox, "Elizabeth and Leicester" by Sarah Gristwood and "Shakespeare's Wife" by Germaine Greer are all examples of this type of cover; there are even two new biographies of Catherine the Great, one by Simon Dixon and the other by Virginia Rounding, that use headless portraits. I'm wondering why this style of book jacket has become popular. It strikes me as vaguely demeaning to the subject of the book; but maybe the author is just trying to imply that we are unable to know her thoughts. Does anyone have an answer or a good theory? Have you seen any covers of this type on biographies of men?

Rotten Tomatoes: Movies Reviews and Previews

Don't let the name of this web site fool you (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/). In the world of movie reviews and trivia, it is anything but rotten. In fact, it is what companies like Midwest Tapes use to rate the selections that librarians will ultimately choose from. Below is taken from the web site:ABOUT ROTTEN TOMATOES
Like most of you, we love movies … all kinds of movies. Whether it's the latest sci-fi mindbender, visual effects romp, or intimate and personal character-driven independent film, we're there front and center. Life before RT and our Tomatometer was fairly tough when it came to organizing weekends of movie watching at the local cineplex. Sure, we could rely on our local critics or word of mouth, but where was the consensus? Why should we rely on a single critic who may have a particular taste in film different from ours? Couldn't we organize and collect all of the reviews from a variety of sources (newspaper, online, magazines) and average them into a single score? We could and did.

Over 7 million readers each month use RT globally as a dependable, objective resource for coverage of movies and DVD. With more than 250,000 titles and 850,000 review links in its ever-growing database, RT offers a fun and informative way to discover the critical reaction on movies neatly summarized via the Tomatometer.

Worcester County Writers Project Update

As many of you know, in 1987 Worcester author and activist Michael True authored and the Worcester Public Library published "Worcester Area Writers, 1680-1980", a volume which has served as an important resource for anyone interested in the literary history of Worcester County. Now, a group of WPL staff and local scholars, including Michael True are working on updating and expanding this work. Ultimately, the updated version will be made available electronically and a limited edition of print copies will be created as well. Our goal, as we begin this project, is to be as inclusive as possible within the criteria the committee has outlined.

Since we first met, on February 11th 2008, we have compiled a list of well over 300 writers with strong connections to Worcester County and are now looking for anyone we might have missed! We would appreciate your input as to writers you would like to see added to the new edition. We are considering all types of published works, both fiction and nonfiction, including, but not limited to, works of history, science and biography, as well as literary works including poetry, essays and drama. Works for children and young adults are also of interest. In general textbooks and self-published items will not be included but the work of any writer who was born, resided or worked in Worcester County at any point throughout its history will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please include as much biographical and bibliographic information on the writers you would like to include as possible.

With these few criteria in mind, we encourage you to send your suggestions to Worcester Local History Librarian Joy Hennig, (jhennig@cwmars.org). If you have questions, would like to participate in our project, or would simply like to attend one of our committee meetings to see what we are about, please feel free to contact Joy as well.

We look forward to hearing from you.

U.S. Government Documents Through Interlibrary Loan

If you locate a U.S. Government Documents in the Worcester Public Library OPAC and the record indicates "Library Use Only", in most cases that item may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan for Use in your Library. The exceptions are the very old documents which are in fragile condition.

Books and More Store WPL

Patrons at The Worcester Public Library frequently ask when will the book sales be held throughout the year. We mention to them that they no longer have to wait for a specific date to great some wonderful bargains. Below are the details and operating hours of this little, but packed with treasures shop.

Library Book Store 508 799-1686

Hours:
Tuesday through Thursday 11:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sunday (Jan 9 to May 18): 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Library Bookstore is located at the parking lot entrance of the Worcester Public Library. The store sells high quality used books and other media, book-related gifts, office supplies, and Worcester-related items. All proceeds from the store support programs at the Main Library and its branches. Friends of the Worcester Public Library get 10% off purchase in the store.

The store is operated by The Friends of the Worcester Public Library, Inc. The Friends depend entirely on volunteers to staff the bookstore. In order to expand our hours, we are currently seeking additional volunteers. If you are interested in working in The Library Bookstore for a weekly shift of two or more hours, particularly mornings or evenings, please stop by the store or contact the volunteer office at 799-1675. We ask for a minimum commitment of at least three months for students and six months for adults. Volunteers get 25% off purchase in the store.

Finding Inexpensive and Fun Activities in Worcester

Spring is in the air and with the trees blooming and the weather growing warmer, more and more patrons are coming in to ask about our museum pass availability. This is great! Our community is taking advantage of this wonderful service. But what happens when you find that all the passes are booked for the date the patron wants to go? You give them lots of suggestions for inexpensive and fun activities to do in Worcester and beyond. For example, if a patron would like to spend the day outside taking a walk, a hike, a bike ride, etc…you can direct them to the National Parks of Massachusetts homepage: http://home.nps.gov/applications/state/ma/. This site gives information on location, price, directions and more. Many of these parks are free!

Looking for some indoor activity on a rainy day? On Saturdays from 10am to noon admission is free for everybody at the Worcester Art Museum. Check out their website and learn about their collection at http://www.worcesterart.org/Information/.

There’s something for everyone at the website Worcester-Right Place. Right Time: http://www.worcestermass.org/. Here a patron can get information on music, theatre & dance, literature & poetry, history & heritage, art service organizations and much more, all right here in wonderful Worcester!

Massachusetts Bar Directory

For years and years the Worcester Public Library received, as a gift, a used set of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. When this stopped we found ourselves in a bind because the volume containing Massachusetts law firms and lawyers was heavily used.

After looking around for a substitute that would fit into our budget I found, for less than $70, the Massachusetts Lawyers Diary and Manual; a bar directory of Massachusetts. The only aspect of the directory that I took note of after it arrived was the arrangement of the lawyers and firms. The directory then sat on our reference shelf for months without much consideration from me until I began to get ready for a workshop on reference books.

What I have since discovered is that this item is truly a gem! If we were only looking for a bar directory it does this beautifully. The text contains an alphabetical arrangement of lawyers with contact information, date of admission to the Massachusetts Bar, and the name of the law firm and their affiliation. A second directory is arranged by city and then alphabetically by name of the lawyer. A third directory lists attorneys grouped by areas of practice.

The following is a list of some, but not all of what this directory has to offer

• A comprehensive directory by county of all federal and state courts, court personnel, sheriffs offices, district attorney offices, correctional facilities, probation offices, law libraries, registry offices, deeds and probate offices, and more.


• A municipal directory with the name, address, and telephone numbers of all town officials and departments.


• Area code and zip code directory for all cities and towns in Massachusetts.


• A court reporters directory.


• The exact cost for all filing fees and transaction fees in the state and federal courts, the registry of deeds, plus the fees of sheriffs and constables, and more.


• Digest of federal and state civil procedure.


• The ABC's of Massachusetts estate tax, divorce procedure, marriage, and motor vehicle law.


• Comprehensive directory of all state departments and agencies, key personnel and contact information.


• A listing of all Massachusetts correctional institutions.


• A directory of all federal departments and agencies, descriptive summary, key personnel, and contact information.


• National directory that includes, for each state, key departments, boards, and administrative and municipal offices.


• A directory of affidavit of non-military service record sources.


• Where to write for overseas birth and death records.


• A list of Massachusetts hospitals, health centers and rehabs arranged by city.


• A directory of Massachusetts insurance companies.


• A list of Massachusetts law schools and key departments.


• Federal and state holidays for each state.


• A directory of all federal, state, and county judges alphabetically arranged.


• A directory of Bar Associations.


• All legal aid and referral services arranged by county.

The Manual is published annually out of Newark New Jersey. You can go to their website at http://www.lawdiary.com/ or you can call them at (800) 444-4041.

Downloadable Pimsleur Language Series Available at WPL

Worcester Public Library is excited to offer Netlibrary downloadable eAudiobooks to our patrons.

Netlibrary eAudiobooks include:
-Pimsleur Language Series Collection: (39 languages) Easy-to-understand lessons for beginners, intermediate level language learners including ESL students.
-eAudiobooks Core Collection: the latest audio best-sellers, book club favorites, award-winning authors, timeless classic and more.
- eAudiobooks Essentials Collection: Classic fiction with titles from Dickens, Joyce, Melville, Dostoyevsky and many more.
- Holy Bible Collection in 30 parts

The eAudiobooks can be played on a wide range of desktop, laptop and portable devices. The collection is available to anyone with a Worcester Public Library card.

For more information, go to http://www.worcpublib.org/

Google vs. Refdesk.com

Looking at the Google homepage you encounter a clean, crisp screen. Viewing Ref desk.com, it is anything but. Could they possibly fit any more information on the scroll-down webpage? We all love Google-admit it. It even spells for you. But refdesk? Is it too much of a good thing in one place? I would like to hear some opinions about this site. Read the mission statement. Take a look at how it is set up, what is included. I can't think of anything that was overlooked. I do know one thing. One can get lost in that site for days way, way, out in cyberspace, taking me to places I never intended to visit.

Read On...Read On...Read On and On

There are four imaginative guides in the readers' advisory tradition, copyrighted between 2006 and 2008, published by Libraries Unlimited in their "Read On" series.

"Read On--Crime Ficiton"
"Read On--Horror Fiction"
"Read On--Historical Fiction"
"Read On--Fantasy Fiction"

The four volumes are available in attractive paperbacks priced at $30.00 each. Titles are recommended under categories such as mood, atmosphere, setting, character, language, and story line. The subheadings in these categories are catchy and amusing, such as "Machiavellian Men and Women," "Rebels with a Cause," "I'm Too Sexy for My Fangs: Erotic Horror," and "With Humans Like These, Who Needs the Supernatural? Maniacs and Sociopaths." The list goes on, so you get the idea. The books recommended are up-to-date. The series should be a good addition to any library's collection of aids on making topical selections for reading in the various genres to patrons.

Does the Worcester PL have Rosetta Stone Language Learning Software?

Worcester Public Library has received many inquiries asking if the library has Rosetta Stone Language Learning software. The answer is Yes. But it is for learning ENGLISH (As a Second Language) only. It is accessible through the library's website to anyone with a Worcester Public Library card.

Literacy Volunteers of Great Worcester offers classes in the Worcester Public Library’s computer lab for people who want to learn how to use the software. Please contact LVGW directly at 508-754-8056 for more information.

Where Do I Vote?

Where do I vote?

A good place to look for the answer to this question is on the web site for the Secretary of the Commonwealth http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ .

It does not matter what town or city that you call home. You could live in Worcester, Holden, Spencer, Webster, etc. Just go to this web site then click on Elections Division, and click on Where do I vote. Fill in the information and you will get your election information. The election information tells you your polling place, the name and address of your town clerk, and the names of your elected officials.

The Elections division page is a great source of information. You can find how to apply for an absentee ballot, how to register to vote, how to run for state office and results of past elections, etc. It's a great site. Take a look.

Animal Rights Websites

The National Antivivisection Society has useful information on their site to aid people who want to avoid buying products that are tested on animals as well as many useful links in their "Resource Center"

Go to their website, navs.org, and click on the bottom left where it says "who tests on animals." It is written over a picture of a bunny. You can search by company name, product name or product category.

It gives information on types of animal testing as well as alternatives to them.

They have a good "FAQs" section that covers many topics. One of these is to offer alternatives to student dissection.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.

This site offers dissection alternatives, this may come in handy for school librarians who may have teachers or students asking what alternatives are available and how can i find them? PCRM.org is their website address. On the right side click on "Animal Experiments," then scroll down to "non-animal methods in research and education." Click on "Dissection Alternatives."

Another website from PCRM on dissection is http://www.dissectionalternatives.org/. It is geared toward schools and has lists of which states offer student choice on dissection or alternatives as well as information on alternatives.

PCRM has joined with other research modernization and animal protection organizations to form the Council on Humane Giving. The Council on Humane Giving has developed the Humane Charity Seal of Approval, which is awarded to health charities that fund only nonanimal research and programs. http://www.humaneseal.org/ is the site which lists charities which are approved or unapproved by the organization.

Hopefully these sites will aid librarians to assist their patrons in finding ways to protect animals.

Katherine R.

New and Beautiful

Have you seen "The Asia Book" and "The Africa Book" published by Lonely Planet? These beautiful books pose an interesting dilemma. The spectacular and fascinating color photographs, lists of unforgettable tourist experiences and random facts, and information on the best time to visit and local festivals seem to make these books items for the circulating travel collection. But the brief paragraphs of information on the landscape, economy, and religious and ethnic breakdown for each country on the continent is almost enough information is almost enough material to put these volumes on the reference shelf.
The photographs are different from the ones that appeared in Lonely Plnet's 2004 "Travel Book" and the price and size are both less overwhelming. I'm hoping that Lonely Planet goes on to do the remaining continents of the world.
Incidentally, Worcester Public library has put both "The Asia Book" and "The Africa Book" in the circulating collection.

Local Info- Hanover Theatre

The Hanover Theatre re-opened its doors this past Friday, March 14th with the music of Bernadette Peters. On Sunday The Hanover welcomed The Saw Doctors (just in time for St. Patrick's Day) and excited fans actually go up and started dancing in the aisles during the show. Hanover Theatre is located on 554 Main Street, only a few blocks from the Main Library. It has a number of exciting performers lined up for the Spring and Summer including, Joy Behar, B.B King and Jim Brickman, just to name a few. Visit their website at http://www.thehanovertheatre.org/ to learn all about the original Hanover Theatre and its history. Enjoy the show!