Newest WCPL Blog - Fine Print

Be sure to check out Washington-Centerville Public Library's latest blog - Fine Print.


Fine Print is a great source for finding your next great read. Each week, we will bring to you the finest in fiction and nonfiction, or at least the titles that strike our fancy. New releases, old favorites, and everything in between will be covered, so check back often and don't hestitate to share your comments.

Our growing lineup of Library Blogs offers a convenient way to stay up-to-date on the latest news from your Library and get helpful tips on topics that interest you.

EBSCOhost 2.0 Offers New Look, New Features

EBSCOhost 2.0 is live! Based upon results gathered from extensive user testing, the new research database interface offers a clean look and feel, for a technologically sophisticated, yet familiar search experience, with the built-in flexibility to provide individual user customization options. New features include:

• A new simpler basic searching screen
• The ability to preview an article or image by mouseover
• New result list
• New detail display
• New search history capability
• Enhanced personalization features
• New organization of limiters and expanders
• New search modes including SmartText
• URLs that can be bookmarked

An overview of EBSCOhost 2.0 is provided in the Flash demonstration here.

Individual Research Databases now using the new interface include Academic Source Premiere, Health Source, Masterfile Premiere, Newspaper Source, and Regional Business News. See the complete lineup of EBSCOhost research databases accessible for free with your Library card here.

New Specialty Search Engine Dispenses How-To Advice

Founded by Rhode Island entrepreneur Ted Ives, FindHow has assembled an index spanning nearly 30,000 Web pages with written, photographic and video instructions on a wide variety of topics ranging from prosaic tasks like tying a necktie, to more exotic missions like inviting the Queen of England to a Super Bowl party.

Relying on a team of human editors, FindHow has orgainized the information into discrete categories like "food and drink," "careers and work" and "wild and wacky," and emphasizes tips from well-established government and business sources. Users can brose by category or just type some keywords into the search box.

A search for "cucumbers" results in 12 matches. Most are recipes, but you can also find a link to How to plant cucumbers by University of Missouri Extension and How to grow cucumbers by Oregon State University Extension Service. These are perfect examples of FindHow emphaszing information from well-established, trustworthy, authoritative sources. University Extension offices are always our first go-to resources for information in the areas of agriculture, nutrition, and family and consumer sciences.

Give it a try today, and bookmark it for the next time you are looking for some how-to information: http://findhow.com/

For additional How-To advice, check out the sites eHow.com and wikiHow.

Show Me New Video Games!

Last week we told you about the launch of our video game collection. For those of you who want to be notified when we add new video games to our collection, you can set up a Preferred Search in our online catalog that will notify you via email when any new video games have been added to the collection:

1. Log in to your account by clicking on Log in to My Account (top right of screen).


2. Click on the Search Catalog button. (It's located to the left of your name and address.)


3. Click on the Advanced Search button.


4. Your search query should be Subject: video games (or a specific platform: wii video games, xbox 360 video games, playstation 2 video games, playstation 3 video games)


5. Limit Material Type to Video game.


6. Click on the Submit button.


7. Click on the Save as Preferred Search button. (It's located underneath search box above your results.)

To mark your Preferred Search for email notification, click on Return to Your Record (top right of screen).

1. Click on the Preferred Searches button. (It's located to the right of your name and address.)


2. Look for the Preferred Search you created and check the box under Mark for Email. (This is the second box, the first box is for removing the search.)


3. Click on the Update List button.

Notifications are sent weekly via email with a list of any items we've added that match your search.

Finding Web 2.0 Tools

The term Web 2.0 refers to the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users.

Popular examples of Web 2.0 services include Blogger, Facebook, Flickr, Wikipedia, and YouTube. But what of some of the smaller, lesser known, but just as (if not more) useful and fun Web 2.0 sites and applications out there? Here are some directories chock full of Web 2.0 goodness:

All Things Web 2.0 - A Sacred Cow Dung Directory
http://www.allthingsweb2.com/

FeedMyApp
http://feedmyapp.com/

Go2Web20.net - The Complete Web 2.0 Directory
http://www.go2web20.net/

Listio
http://www.listio.com/web20/

Web 2.0’s Top 1,000 List - Everything 2.0
http://techwatch.reviewk.com/2008/04/web-20s-top-1000-list-2/

Fun Database of the Month: BicycleTutor.com

BicycleTutor.com was created by bike enthusiast and former bike mechanic Alex Ramon. He created the site to help people learn how to fix their own bikes.

Let's take a look at the page on How To Adjust Sidepull Caliper Brakes. Besides the textual description of the procedure, you also are presented with a visual list of tools required and a video of exactly how to perform the procedure. Also on the page are links to related videos at BicycleTutor.com and related resources at other sites.

There are currently 33 different tutorials available on the site, with new ones added weekly. Ramon even takes requests.

Get Your Game On @ the Library!

Wii've got game! Check out best selling and classic video games for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii for free! Visit the Library to browse the collection or browse online for your favorite game.

Video games check out for one week, with one renewal and can even be reserved. Limit two games per patron. Overdue fines apply.

For security purposes, actual disks are kept at the circulation desk. Once you've selected a game, bring the empty case to the circulation desk and the appropriate disk will be retrieved for you.

With the advent of the new video game collection, you'll see new scopes in eCatalog. The new scopes are: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Video Games. You can use scopes to limit your searches to just the video game collection or to your specific console.

For example, if you want to see if a copy of Iron Man for the Wii is available, you would type "iron man" in the search box, then select "Wii" from the drop down menu. The resulting search will show you only the Iron Man game for the Wii, and not the dozens of other Iron Man titles (books, DVDs, other games) in the library's collection.

Please let us know if you have any questions about searching the catalog for video games.