Search Savvy

Google Responds to Privacy Policy Backlash: Don't Log In

2012-02-01T09:25:00.035-05:00

From SearchEngineWatch.com 1/30/2012:

Google was on the hot seat as online privacy concerns swirled in Washington, D.C.[...] A group of lawmakers sent Google CEO Larry Page a letter requesting responses to several detailed questions about changes the company made to its privacy policies on January 24.
[...]
The missive asked why Google made the changes, and requested responses to questions about what types of data the company will track and across which platforms, as well as how the data is protected and how it is used.

"While Google suggests that the purpose of this shift in policy is to make the consumer experience simpler, we want to make sure it does not make protecting consumer privacy more complicated," stated the letter. "We believe that consumers should have the ability to opt-out of data collection when they are not comfortable with a company's terms of service and that the ability to exercise that choice should be simple and straightforward."
[...]
Google's answer on the call for more opt-out control: don't log in.

"If you are logged in, you can still edit or turn off your Search history, switch Gmail chat to 'off the record,' control the way Google tailors ads to your interests, use Incognito mode on Chrome, or use any of the other privacy tools we offer," noted [Betsy Masiello, Google's policy manager] Masiello in her post [on the Google Public Policy Blog]. She also stressed that Google isn't collecting any more data than it already did.

[Read the Full Article].

Google's New Privacy Policy

2012-01-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

When I logged into Gmail yesterday, I was greeted with a message announcing Google's new privacy policy. Instead of 60 different policies for the 60 arms of Google (Gmail, Web searching, You Tube, Google News, etc.) the company is moving to one all-encompassing policy. The result is that Google will know and share a lot more information about you.

Here are the details, according to American Public Media's Marketplace Tech Report:

Google is changing its approach to how it treats the information it gathers from you. The result of the change will likely be that Google knows a lot more about you than it used to.

Traditionally, Google has had separate privacy policies and separate terms of service for each site it operates. YouTube has one agreement, Google News might use another, Google+ something else. The idea behind the new privacy policy is that it will cover all of Google. That will mean the different parts of Google will be free to use information about you with each other.

"The classic example they've been rolling out to explain this is maybe you've done a lot of searches for skateboarding on Google web search," says Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Land, "and now you click over later in the day to the YouTube home page. YouTube can see maybe what you've been searching on on Google web search and say, oh, you're really interested in skateboarding so I'm going to prepopulate the YouTube homepage perhaps with a lot of skateboard videos."....

Read the full article or listen below.

Search Open Access Journals with Jurn.org

2012-01-23T15:54:00.000-05:00

Jurn.org indexes over 4,000 academic journals, all freely available on the web. Launched in 2009, Jurn uses a Google custom search engine to index ejournals.

The complete list of journals indexed by Jurn is available here.

Learn more by reading the Jurn FAQ and Jurn's Short Guide to Free Academic Research.

Wikipedia Protests Online Piracy Bill with Blackout

2012-01-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

It's 10:20 AM and I miss Wikipedia already. The site is blacked out today, January 18th, in protest of two bills being debated in Congress. Other sites, including Google, Twitter, Reddit and WordPress, are also participating in the protest in various ways.

Instead of encyclopedia-like articles, visitors to Wikipedia will find a short description of its opposition to the bills, a plea to contact your representatives and a handy search tool providing contact information for those representatives.

But never fear Search Savvy readers, it turns out that there is a way to access Wikipedia articles today. Simply push the Escape key on your keyboard during the brief seconds before the blackout message loads. Mobile users can access the site by using the Wikipedia app.

Like many researchers, I use Wikipedia as a first-stop tool to orientate myself to a new topic. I use it not as a definitive source of information, but as a useful finding tool. In its absence, before learning of the work-around, I simply used another tool. The blackout was a minor roadblock resulting in a short delay, not a major barrier to information. Nevertheless, within a few hours of starting my day, I missed Wikipedia. I'm interested to hear how the blackout affected others and whether it was effective in encouraging you to get involved in the online piracy debate.

Please leave your comments below.

Financial Education from FINRA and WCPL

2012-01-16T10:22:00.001-05:00

If you intend to make the most of your money in 2012, take advantage of the Financial Education modules available on the Washington Centerville Public Library website. As part of our Money Sense program, we've made finding reliable information on investing and preparing for retirement as easy as clicking your mouse.

Compiled by the investor education arm of FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the modules cover the following topics:

Preparing to Invest
Key Investment Concepts
Bank Products
U.S. Treasury Securities
Common Types of Investments
Retirement Savings Vehicles
Choosing the Right Investments
Managing Investment Risk
Evaluating Performance
Investment Professionals
Safeguarding Your Investments

Be sure to check out the worksheets on goal setting, risk tolerance, and net worth to help you on your way to meeting your financial goals.

National Archives Puts Genealogy Workshops on YouTube

2012-01-06T09:13:00.028-05:00

From Research Buzz 1/5/12:
The National Archives has announced that video of its genealogy how-to workshops are now available on YouTube. The URL for the archive’s YouTube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/usnationalarchives.

Videos available include:

Genealogy Introduction: Military Research at the National Archives: Regular Service
Genealogy Introduction: Immigration Records at the National Archives
Genealogy Introduction: Census Records at the National Archives

The channel has 878 videos in total, with playlists that include “Inside the Vault,” “Public Programs from the National Archives,” “ARC Film Clips, and a series of four short films about the 1940 Census.

The Year in Social Media

2011-12-28T09:53:00.038-05:00

It's time for more year-end lists! Social media sites are giving search engines a run for the money in terms of how information is gathered. Explore the links below to see what the world was sharing in 2011.

Twitter's Top Stories of 2011
Most Shared Articles on Facebook 2011
YouTube's 2011 Rewind
Social Media Democracy by Mashable.com

Free Legal Forms Now Available

2011-12-23T10:32:00.029-05:00

Happy Holidays to all Washington Centerville Public Library patrons! Our gift to you this year is.....

Gale's Legal Forms Database!

You can now access thousands of business, personal, real estate, and general forms covering hundreds of legal subjects and issues.

If you have a library card with us, you can use Legal Forms 24/7 from home, and everyone can use it when they visit the library. Access Gale's Legal Forms and our many other research databases at http://www.wclibrary.info/databases/index.asp

Free Shipping Day is Today!

2011-12-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

The fourth annual Free Shipping Day is today - Friday, Dec 16. More than 2,500 online retailers will be offering free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve.

Visit http://www.freeshippingday.com/ to see participating retailers and details of each retailer's offer, including required minimum purchase and any restrictions. Happy Shopping!

Is Facebook Hiding Your Messages?

2011-12-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

Mashable.com recently reported that many Facebook users do not know about their "Other" mailbox. I didn't.

For about a year now Facebook has been filtering out messages from events and people that you do not interact with regularly and placing them in the Other mailbox. It is intended to act as a spam filter.

You won't see the Other mailbox unless you click on the word "Messages" from your home screen, so many users, including me, had no idea that it existed. This has angered some, who say they've missed important messages.

I checked my Other box for the first time after reading the story. It was mainly spam, for which an email/app notification would have annoyed me. There were a few announcements that I would have liked to receive, but I can live with that. Now that I know about it, I'll just make a point of checking the Other box every now and then.

For more information, view the video below.

Chrome surpasses Firefox to become second most popular browser worldwide.

2011-12-07T08:27:00.001-05:00

Google's Chrome browser, launched in 2008, is now the second most-used internet browser worldwide. Chrome recently surpassed Mozilla's Firefox, with 25.7% of the market, compared to 25.2% according to StatCounter. In the U.S. Firefox still comes in at number 2. Chrome is third.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is the most popular browser, both worldwide and in the U.S. Given Chrome's quick rise, (Firefox has been around since the 1990s) industry analysts are expecting a Microsoft v Google browser showdown in the near future.

Read More:
New No. 2 In Browser Battle - WSJ, 12/2/11
Chrome Surpasses Firefox to Become Second Most Popular Browser - www.t3.com, 12/4/11
Chrome Usage Surpasses Firefox for the First Time - www.bgr.com, 12/2/11

Ancestry.com Offers Free Access to WWII Records

2011-12-02T07:49:00.001-05:00

Genealogy aficionados rejoice! In honor of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, Ancestry.com is offering free home access to its extensive collection of WWII records from now through December 7th. No subscription required.

To access over 60 million WWII records, visit www.ancestry.com/pearlharbor.

For more information read Website Makes WWII Records Available for Free, USA Today, 12/1/2011.

And of course, you can always access Ancestry.com for free when you visit the library.

Google Maps Adds Indoor Navigation for Airports, Retail

2011-11-30T09:19:00.002-05:00

From Engadget 11/29/11:
Google Maps 6.0 for Android, released this week, will now help you find your way around airports, shopping malls and department stores. Gone is the need to find a freestanding map or helpful employee to find your way around large buildings.

Although its currently available for just a small number of locations, including Mall of America, IKEA, Home Depot, Macy's, Bloomingdale's and the Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco airports, Google will be continuously adding more floor plans of public buildings to the app. Eventually, business owners who wish to participate will be able to upload their own floor plan.

Perhaps soon, instead of asking your friendly librarian where the biographies are, you'll have the option of just checking your phone.

Students - Get the Most Out of Google for Research

2011-11-28T16:47:00.005-05:00

According to a recent article on www.stateofsearch.com, 3 out of 4 students could not perform a 'well-executed search' using Google. To remedy this, the site published an infographic full of hints and tips useful for student research. A preview is below. You can get all the information at www.stateofsearch.com/get-more-out-of-google.

Research with Free eBooks from Hathi Trust

2011-11-21T11:41:00.001-05:00

The Hathi Trust (http://www.hathitrust.org/) is a free digital collection of thousands of eBooks and periodicals.

The collection is particularly useful for hard-to-find genealogy resources and 18th and 19th century periodicals

Maintained by a partnership of over 60 research institutions and libraries, it is committed to preserving and providing access to research materials. There are currently over 9 million items available, and the collection is growing every day.

For more information, view this video tutorial from the University of Michigan.

Google Launches 'Verbatim Search'

2011-11-16T15:09:00.001-05:00

In response to user requests, Google now offers a search tool, Verbatim Search, which allows users to tell Google the exact terms to search for.

In Google's standard search, algorithms make spelling corrections and substitute synonyms. In most cases this works well, but there are some instances where users intend to search for a misspelled word or wish to avoid common synonyms.

Access Verbatim Search through 'more tools' on the left side of the search results screen.

Read more on The Official Google Blog 11/15/11.

New Career Database Now Available

2011-11-12T14:12:00.000-05:00

Are you still trying to decide what to be when you grown up? Washington-Centerville Public Library cardholders now have access to Career Cruising, an industry-leading online career guidance and planning system. Access it through our databases Web page.

People of all ages can use the tools to find the right career, explore education and training options, and build their own portfolio. The database also contains a resume builder and financial aid selector.

Even if you are happily employed, give the career matchmaker tool a try. You never know what the future may bring. The results may surprise you!

Royal Society Journal Archive Now Freely Available Online

2011-11-02T09:31:00.046-04:00

From www.royalsociety.org 10/26/2011 :

The Royal Society, a fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists, has announced that its world-famous historical journal archive – which includes the first ever peer-reviewed scientific journal – has been made permanently free to access online. Around 60,000 historical scientific papers are accessible via a fully searchable online archive available at http://royalsocietypublishing.org/search.

The Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific publisher, with the first edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the world's first peer-reviewed journal, appearing in 1665. Treasures in the archive include Isaac Newton’s first published scientific paper, geological work by a young Charles Darwin, and Benjamin Franklin’s celebrated account of his electrical kite experiment.

The move is being made as part of the Royal Society’s ongoing commitment to open access in scientific publishing. Opening of the archive was timed to coincide with Open Access Week, and comes soon after the Royal Society announced its first ever fully open access journal, Open Biology.

Share Internet Safety Tips, Win College Scholarships

2011-10-28T14:06:00.026-04:00

From the Ohio Attorney General's Blog 10/26/2011:

Ohio high school students can submit 60-second videos on Internet safety for the chance to win college scholarships in the 2011 Take Action High School Video Contest.

To enter the contest, individual students or teams of up to two students must submit their videos to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office by December 15, 2011.

The top three winning teams will receive college scholarships of $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively.

For official rules and details, visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/TakeActionContest.

Get Graphic Census Statistics from DemographicChartbook.com

2011-10-24T11:15:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for graphs and charts showcasing long-term demographic trends, look no further than Demographic Chartbook.

Created by Campbell Gibson, who worked at the Census Bureau for 30 years, the site contains visualizations of census data from 1790 through 2000. It provides an instant feel for trends in demographic topics ranging from age distributions to metropolitan populations, households, homeownership, fertility rates, educational attainment, language spoken, and more.

You can examine the Chartbook online or, after registering, download chapters or the entire dataset onto your computer. This is a great resource for students, historians and educators.

Fun facts can be found in every chart. For example, did you know that more Welsh live in Ohio than any other state, except Pennsylvania. And we come in third for people born in Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. See below.

This information was taken from the American Consumers Newsletter. Edited by Cheryl Russel and published by New Strategist Publications, its a great source of information related to business, economic and of course, consumer trends. Check it out at www.newstrategist.com/.

What's All the Fuss About Google Plus?

2011-10-15T12:29:00.000-04:00

It's now October and Google+ is still around, so I suppose I can ignore it no longer. Why should you use Google+ instead of other social networking sites? Here's what some early adopters had to say:

From Mashable.com 7/16/2011:

“Google+ is a much cleaner way to selectively share data with others. As Google integrates more of their other cloud products, like Documents, Calendar, and Reader, you’re going to see it become one of the primary means of absorbing the data streaming from the Internet and sharing it with others.” ~ Jason Poggioli

“It’s the combination of being able to share based on (hopefully!) mutual interests with the ability to get exposure to interesting people and ideas. The relationship doesn’t really have to be two way, but it doesn’t all have to be public.” ~ Holly Henry

“For some reason, the level of engagement is higher. Commenting and resharing seems to happen at a higher rate here (so far.)” ~ Bill Shander

“I’ve had a Facebook account since 2003. It’s time for something more grown up that gives me more control and has a more organic user experience.” ~ Sean Cooper

“The clean user interface of Google+, combined with the lack of distracting elements, or so-called features (such as all of the add-on games and apps on FB that clutter up your stream), that I never use, attract me to Google+. This, combined with the Circles feature, choosing who you share with, are the primary draws.” ~ Scott Davis

“If Facebook and Twitter had a baby, they’d call it Google+.” ~ Olaf Wempe

For more information, including a nuts-and-bolts user guide, read Mashable.com's Complete Guide to Google+.

Get Notified When New Video Games Arrive

2011-10-12T09:00:00.013-04:00

Did you know you can set up a Preferred Search in our eCatalog that will notify you via email when any new video games have been added to the collection? Here's what to do:

Log in to your account by clicking on Log in to My Account (top right of screen).
Click on the Search Catalog button. (It's located to the left of your name and address.)
Click on the Advanced Search button.
Type an asterisk (*) into the search box.
Limit Material Type to Console Game.
Click on the Submit button.
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).

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

Amazon's new Silk browser: More speed and less privacy?

2011-10-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

From American Public Media's Marketplace Tech Report, 9/30/2011
By John Moe

Lost in all the hullabaloo about the $199 price tag on the new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet is the fact that the Fire uses a very different way to connect to the web. The way it does that is raising some privacy concerns.

Along with the Fire tablet, Amazon introduced the Silk browser this week. Whereas most browsers allow your computer to connect to the server of a website, Silk routes everything through Amazon's networks. Once your request is there, Amazon can rely on cached versions of that site that it serves up faster than if you had to wait for another server somewhere else. The difference will be usually measured in fractions of seconds but still, we all want faster speeds online. [...]By providing a fast connection to the site you want, Silk will be trying to figure out what you want next. They're going to collect all this data on other users' behavior as well as your behavior and use that to predict what is the next page that you're going to want to click on. Then they will cache that page or get it ready for you so they can quickly load it to your mobile device.
[...]
An Amazon spokesperson told us that the data used to determine these predictions will be gathered and then aggregated and anonymized. Your name won't be attached to it. Still, you're letting Amazon be a middle man in your communications. Chester Wisniewski from the security firm Sophos says, "All of your communications will be sent through Amazon's computers. That means that they will be logging basically every website that you visit and would have ability to look inside of that traffic."
[...]
You can erase your browsing history on YOUR computer. You can't erase Amazon's computer. But again: Silk is fast. And now, says Bai-Ling Yin, you've gotta do some soul searching."For someone not concerned about privacy, this is great. Your custom browser is going to be optimized to be super fast, however for those who are more concerned, this is a little scary actually."
Read the Full Article

Google Turns 13; Bing Gains Ground

2011-09-30T09:32:00.001-04:00

Google celebrated its 13th birthday yesterday. For a nice round-up of its history and milestones, read this article from PC World.

Meanwhile, Bing celebrated increasing its market share for the second month in a row. Since its launch in 2009, Microsoft's Bing has been slowly gaining on industry-giant Google. It's efforts, including a prominent TV ad campaign and including Facebook data in its results, are beginning to pay off.

But Google won't be losing too much sleep over it. It's 64.8% of the market still swamps Bing's 14.4%. For more information on the battle of the search engines, see this article from Bloomberg.com.

Library Books for Kindle are Here!

2011-09-23T11:39:00.000-04:00

At long last Kindle books have arrived at the library. Thanks, Amazon!
We knew our patrons were chomping at the bit for these - see the graphic below for proof. In their first day, check-outs of library Kindle books by WCPL patrons surpassed all other digital formats.

Kindle books can be read on a Kindle (of course) or on any smart phone or tablet - just download the Kindle App. So far, there are plenty of titles, including best-sellers, instantly available. To get started, find and check out a book from our digital collection. Be sure to select 'Kindle Book' as the format. Your librarians have found the Kindle format and app very user-friendly. Give us a call or view this tutorial if you need help.

Learn to Talk Like a Pirate

2011-09-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Ahoy! Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. If you need to brush up on your Pirate language skills, look no further than your library. Mango Languages, one of the library's online language-learning databases, now offers "Pirate" as one of its language choices. Seriously. You can brush up on your 'shiver me timbers' and 'blow me downs' from the comfort of your home or office. Just enter your library card number when prompted. Arrr!

Free Web Resources For Science Projects

2011-09-17T14:14:00.000-04:00

It's science fair time! We've been busy helping Centerville students find resources as they plan their projects. There are many useful books in the library, but they fly off the shelves this time of year, so here is a list of handy web resources to use instead.

Facts on File Science Online
You WCPL library card gets you access to the Facts on File database. Enter through our website. Appropriate for grade-school students, it contains ideas for experiments, step-by-step directions, and articles for background research.

How Stuff Works - Science
Fun explanations of everyday occurrences. Explore the natural world, the human body, engineering, space, military technology, physics and even supernatural phenomena.

Science Online Web Links
A list of vetted websites organized by category: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computers, Earth Science, Environmental Issues, General Science, Genetics, Marine Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Weather. Also a great source of biographical information on scientists.

The Science Channel
From the folks behind those cool programs on the Discovery Channel, the Science Channel website is a portal to information on technology, outer space, geology, oceanography and weather.

Encyclopedia of Life
This site contains information on each of the 1.8 million known species on the planet. Search by common or scientific name. Advanced information is approrpriate for older students or science buffs.

Online Fun With Literary Giants

2011-09-13T17:23:00.088-04:00

I recently stumbled upon two fun online tools that bring your favorite classic authors into the digital age.

The WorldCat Identities Network is 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' for the library world. Authors, actors, fictional characters and organizations, referred to as 'identities', are linked graphically. I was able to go from Shakespeare to Tori Spelling in six steps. Still haven't made it to Kevin Bacon though. He should do more movies based on books. Fun aside, its an interesting way to see relationships between your favorite literary figures.

Mashable.com recently listed its favorite Literary Fakes on Twitter. These are Twitter profiles that spoof famous authors from beyond the grave. You can find out what William Shakespeare thinks about Lady Gaga, how Edgar Allen Poe feels about Boy George and what problems Laura Ingalls Wilder would use 21st century technology to solve.

And don't forget, thanks to Project Gutenberg, you can get almost all the classics as e-books for free. Just ask a librarian how to do it!

12 Ways To Be More Search Savvy

2011-09-07T14:53:00.000-04:00

Mind/Shift, a site that focuses on technology in education, recently published more tips on getting the most from your Google searches. With the name of this blog in the article's title, we just had to republish it here.

From Mind/Shift 9/2/2011:

1.CONTROL F. A deceptively simple tool, the Control F function (or Command F on Macs) allows you to immediately find the word you’re looking for on a page. After you’ve typed in your search, you can jump directly to the word or phrase in the search list. According to Russell, 90 percent of Internet users don’t know this, and spend valuable time scrolling through pages of information trying to find their key word. “They’re being terribly inefficient,” Russell says.

2.KEEP IT SIMPLE. Use search terms the way you’d like to see them on a Web site. But think of how the author would phrase it. “It’s not about you, it’s about the author,” Russell says. “What would they say and how would they say it? What are some common terms and phrases they’d write? It’s the kind of thing that people over-think and are hyper-analytical about.” Stay on topic and keep it simple.

3.DEFINE OPERATOR. This has to be one of the best items of Google’s offerings. To learn the definition of a word, just type “Define,” then the word.

[Read the Full Article]

Google Like Google Googles

2011-09-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

Check out these great tips on Google Search, Gmail and Google Maps, direct from the folks at Google Inc.

From PC World 8/31/2011
by Mark Sullivan

Google made the best search engine on the Web and then went on to create (arguably) the best email and mapping apps, too. But as you might expect, these services are filled with cool features that don't stick out on the surface--including some of the most useful features offered by the apps.

We hit up Google for some insider tips for searching, gmailing, and mapping that are commonly used by the nice people who work at Google. We'll start with search, and progress to Gmail and Maps.

The Searchers
You may know how to use Google to search for a flight, look up a definition, or solve a simple math problem, but here's Google's "Top 10" list of search tips and tricks for searching like a Google pro.
[Read More]

Be a Gmail Ninja
Gmail is a very deep program, with too many tips and tricks to list in this article. In fact, Google categorizes its Gmail user tips into four stages--white belt, green belt, black belt, and master. The tips for each belt can be found at Google's "Become a Gmail ninja" site. There's even a printable guide; after all, even ninjas forget their moves once in a while. [Read More]

Mad Skills for Mappers
Check the weather for your upcoming trip directly on Google Maps. Whether you're organizing a trip overseas or a picnic at a local park, make travel and activity planning easier by knowing the weather forecast. See temperatures and conditions for the next few days for places around the globe by selecting the weather layer from the widget in the upper right corner of the map. Zoom in for conditions in specific cities, and zoom out for cloud coverage over an area. [Read More]

Facebook Gives Users More Privacy Controls

2011-08-27T22:26:00.000-04:00

From CNET 8/23/2011:

Facebook is announcing changes that will let people quickly know exactly who can see everything they post and to block unwanted photos and other items tagged by others from their profile page.

The company also is making a semantic modification that will eliminate a lot of confusion for new Facebook users--changing "everyone" to "public." Currently, many people think that setting their sharing to "everyone" means everyone on the social-networking site, when it actually means "everyone on the Internet."

Overall, the changes make it easier for people to understand what audience will be seeing what they post on Facebook and to control who sees what others post that refers to them. The changes will start rolling out in coming days and people will be prompted with a tour option when they are available.

Facebook users have long complained that it's not always clear who can see what content is posted, among other concerns. Meanwhile, Google+ has been praised for avoiding some of the Facebook (and Buzz) privacy pitfalls by allowing users to easily control who they share content with. Asked if the Facebook changes were in response to Google+, a Facebook representative said no. [Read the full article]

More on this topic:
APM's Marketplace: Facebook Has More Privacy Controls
ARS Techinca: Facebook Brings Sharing, Privacy Settings Closer to Those of Google+
WSJ: Facebook Adds New Privacy Controls

Hurricane Irene: Best Sites To Track the Storm

2011-08-26T15:37:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Irene is coming and it's going to be a bad one. If you are concerned about friends and family on the East Coast, there is a wealth of information available online. Here are the best sites to keep you up-to-date:

The Weather Channel - Currently, it's the most-used weather-related website, receiving 100 million hits yesterday alone.
The National Hurricane Center - official hurricane site of the National Weather Service.
Google Crisis Response - Incorporating information from Google Maps allows this site to include evacuation routes and emergency shelters.
FEMA's Ready.gov - Consult the hurricane-preparedness checklist and make a plan.

Need a mobile hurricane tracker? Get reviews of available apps from CNET, Time and PC Magazine.

Science Fiction / Fantasy Web Resources

2011-08-22T15:00:00.001-04:00

Library Journal recently published an excellent article on the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres, including a list of best websites to keep you up-to-date on your favorite authors, share ideas with other fans, or discover something new.

Fantasy Book Critic - book reviews focused on fantasy, with a sprinkling of sci-fi and horror.
IO9 - pop culture, real science, and event listings.
Locus Online - book reviews and genre news.
SciFan - author bibliographies, series chronologies, new release announcements.
SF Signal - news, interviews, awards, podcasts and free online short stories
SF Site - reviews books and videos. Don't miss the 'best-of-the-year' lists posted each March.
SFF World - news, forums, interviews and a place for fans to post their own work.
TOR - contributions from major authors, and analysis of the genre's hallmark works.

What's Your Name?

2011-08-20T14:21:00.002-04:00

Google+ Says 'Real Names Only'

Until now, I've successfully ignored Google+. I'm happy with Facebook, and just because there is something new (and possibly better) doesn't mean I have to try it. But the recent headline 'Does Google+'s Real Names Policy Make Sense?' caught my eye.

If Google suspects your profile name is not your real name, you are given four days to change it or your account is deleted.

My Facebook profile name has changed several times. At times I've included my maiden name (so long lost high school friends could find me) or omitted my last name (first and middle only, while job hunting). I've also used a nickname (I just thought it was more fun).

I've noticed that many of my younger friends, the ones who post where they are and what they are doing ten times a day, use their first and middle names only. I see this as an attempt by the 'post-it-all' generation to maintain some level of privacy. I may know that Brandi Nikki of Beavercreek is at the gym, but at least I can't look up her address in the phone book and go rob her house.

Google's response to criticism of its 'real-name' requirement is this:

Google Profiles are designed to be public pages on the web, which are used to help connect and find real people in the real world. By providing your common name, you will be assisting all people you know - friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, and other acquaintances - in finding and creating a connection with the right person online.

Some believe that using real names will encourage people to be more

responsible about what they post and encourage civility. Others argue that people in the public eye (not just celebrities, think of government employees or your local newscaster), political dissidents or those in abusive relationships will not be able to post freely without fear.

What do you think? Do you use your real name on social networking sites? Is Google right to require real names?

YouTube: more than just puppies and pranks

2011-08-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

If you are a visual learner, don't overlook YouTube as a source of how-to information.

In addition to watching someone change a tire or bake a cake, YouTube contains instructional 'screencasts' on how to use most research databases.

The videos below, both found on YouTube, demonstrate Value Line, the popular investment research database and the genealogy database Ancestry.com. These are just two examples. Search YouTube for an instructional video of almost anything that puzzles you online.

ReshapeOhio.org - Public Participation in Legislative Redistricting

2011-08-10T18:17:00.000-04:00

Do you know what legislative district you live in? Whether you do or don't, be prepared for a change. Every ten years, after the completion of the U.S. Census, legislative districts are redrawn to reflect changes in the population.

This year, for the first time, ReshapeOhio.org allows the public to learn about and contribute to the redistricting process.

Through ReshapeOhio.org, Ohioans can:

Gain a better understanding of the redistricting process.
Follow the proceedings of the state Apportionment Board and committees.
Read public testimony on the drawing of congressional districts.
Try their hand at redrawing state legislative and congressional district lines.

Using the latest technology, map-drawers will have the opportunity to formally submit state legislative maps for consideration by the Ohio Apportionment Board.

To learn more, visit ReshapeOhio.org or read the Secretary of State's press release.

Great Sites About Words

2011-07-29T12:58:00.000-04:00

If you're a book lover who is also a word lover, you'll enjoy this round-up of the best word-related websites.

Learn 320 other words for 'cool' in the Online Slang Dictionary. Laugh at misheard song lyrics on KissThisGuy.com, (although it turns out Hendrix really did sing those lyrics after all), and misheard expressions on The Eggcorn Database. (I'll admit it, I say 'mute point.' I know it's wrong, but I think it's fine. And it certainly would be tough to hoe a road, so that's fine too.)

More serious folks can find out where words come from in the Online Etymology Dictionary or ponder how pop culture impacts language with The New York Times' Words of the Year list and the Oxford English Dictionary's New Words site - First used in 1968, Cryonaut has finally made the cut!

Speaking of the OED, book lovers who are also word lovers should be sure to check out The Professor and The Madman: a Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, available from the library in print or as an eBook.

Online Test Preparation - free with your library card!

2011-07-23T11:07:00.000-04:00

Are you studying for the SAT, GRE, GMAT, GED or ASVAB? Sometimes it's hard to get your hands on a library copy of a test-preparation book. We have many but they fly off the shelves. Luckily, we have an always-available database to meet your test preparation needs.

Learning Express Library, which you can access from any computer, offers online practice exams, instant results and feedback, skill development exercises and educational eBooks. Whether its a Nursing or Real Estate certification test, AP exam, or the US Citizenship test, Learning Express has you covered. In addition, there are exercises to train you on Microsoft Office 2010, help you write a resume and cover letter or prepare for a public-services career. Firefighting, border patrol, federal clerical, law enforcement, nursing, paramedic, postal worker, and treasury enforcement are all included.

All you need to take advantage of this great resource is a WCPL library card. If you don't already have one, Ohio residents can apply online for instant access to all our databases.

A Little Online Fun with the National Debt Crisis

2011-07-18T10:44:00.002-04:00

What's fun about America's debt crisis? Not much, but our friends at American Public Media have managed to make some fun amidst the policy issues and political posturing.

Play Budget Hero, an online game that gives you a shot at balancing the federal budget.

We've all heard someone say "I could do a better job than those (insert term of your choice here)s in Washington. Well, now's your chance to prove it. The game uses real numbers from the Congressional Budget Office and real proposals being debated in Congress. To start, players select their core values, then increase or decrease areas of spending based on those values. Detailed explanations of policy proposals and our government's budgeting system allow you to learn as you play.

Players are encouraged to use their game results to start a conversation with friends, neighbors, legislators and policy makers. They also provide many useful links to sources of further information on the budget debate.

One warning - players must submit an email address to play the game. American Public Media promises that this info will not be used outside of their newsroom via its Public Insight Network.

Internet Security 101

2011-07-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

Last week, we shared some web-safety tips for parents. Today, we're focusing on online security for adults.

American Public Media recently interviewed personal finance journalist and author Carmen Wong Ulrich on ways to protect yourself online. Here are the highlights:

Don't use the same username and password for everything. It is particularly important to have a unique password for online banking. Never use the same password for banking and shopping.
Don't announce on Facebook or Twitter that you are on vacation or at an airport.
Do all your online banking from your home computer. Never use public or unsecured wi-fi for banking.
If you bank from your phone, be sure the phone is password protected. Otherwise, if you lose your phone, the finder has access to your money.

Read the full story on American Public Media's Marketplace Money.

British Library Contents To Be Made Available on Google

2011-07-09T09:00:00.070-04:00

From the BBC 6/20/2011:

British Library Makes Google Search Deal

Thousands of pages from one of the world's biggest collections of historic books, pamphlets and periodicals are to be made available on the internet.

The British Library has reached a deal with search engine Google about 250,000 texts dating back to the 18th Century.

It will allow readers to view, search and copy the out-of-copyright works at no charge on both the library and Google books websites.

The works selected to be digitised date from between 1700 and 1870, and the project will take some years to complete, with Google covering the costs of digitising. Read the Full Story

Video: British Library Contents to be Made Available on Google by Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Technology Correspondent

The British Library in London, England receives over

1 million visitors per year and houses 150 million items.

Internet Safety: What Parents Need to Know

2011-07-05T11:32:00.000-04:00

From The Ohio Attorney General's Office 6/27/2011:

Many children use the Internet every day, yet parents may not realize what information their children are sharing online, what content they are viewing, or what software they are downloading.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 34 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds had posted their real names, telephone numbers, home addresses, or the names of their schools online, and 45 percent had posted their dates of birth or their ages. Plus, one third of young Internet users (34 percent) had an unwanted exposure to sexual material.

Consumer Reports also says that younger children are more likely to click on links that would expose computers to malware (malicious software) and viruses.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offers parents the following signs that a child might be at risk on the Internet:

Your child spends large amounts of time online, especially at night.
Your child is secretive about his or her online activities.
You find pornography on your child’s or family's computer.
Your child receives phone calls from people you don’t know or is making calls, sometimes long distance, to numbers you don’t recognize.
Your child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don’t know.
Your child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen when you enter the room.
Your child is using an online account that belongs to someone else.

The FBI also offers parents steps to protect their children and to encourage safe Internet use:

Talk to your child about online dangers and teach them about responsible use of online resources.
Spend time with your child online. Ask to see your child’s favorite websites.
Keep the computer in a common room in the house. Make sure the screen is visible to you at all times.
Utilize parental controls provided by your service provider and/or blocking software.
Monitor your child’s online use, especially on social networking sites or chat rooms.
Randomly check your child’s e-mail account.
Find out what computer safeguards are utilized by your child’s school, by your public library, and at the homes of your child’s friends.
Tell your child to never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone he or she met online and never to give out identifying information, such as name, home address, telephone number, or school name.

If you or your child receives harassing, intimidating, or pornographic communications, call your local law enforcement agency and contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678.

Why You Should Care About Ngrams

2011-06-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

I first came across the term 'Ngram' a few weeks ago, when I told you about Google Labs. I did not mention the Google Books Ngram Viewer in that post, mainly because at the time I did not understand what an Ngram was and I didn't have the inclination to find out. A few days later I saw not one, but two articles about the Ngram viewer and its benefit to searches. I sighed and accepted that I could ignore it no longer.

So, what is an Ngram? The dictionary.com definition is clear as mud. Don't bother, unless you are in the computing field. The Cyberskeptic's Guide to Internet Research got a bit closer to useful information, describing Google's Ngram Viewer as: "a data visualization tool that displays a graph showing how particular words or phrases (Ngrams) have occurred in a body of books (corpora) over selected years."

Basically an Ngram is a word or a phrase (or anything, but let's focus on words and phrases). Remember all those books that Google has digitized over the years? The Ngram Viewer allows you to search all of them, in seconds, to see how often, and when, a particular word or phrase has appeared. Neat!

But why should you care? Check out the graph below, which plots uses of the terms global warming and climate change since 1990. If you are doing research on this topic, but searching only for 'global warming' you will miss much of the newest information. The term 'climate change' seems well on its way to replacing the term 'global warming'.

Watch this space for tips on how to get the most from Ngrams (as soon as I figure them out myself). In the meantime, see the About Google's Ngram Viewer page for a boatload of information about how exactly all this works.

Free World Book Animals App for iPad - Great for Kids!

2011-06-21T09:35:00.000-04:00

Are you a lucky iPad owner? If so, World Book is offering you a free app, just in time to keep the kids amused and learning over summer vacation.

World Book's World of Animals iPad App
Available FREE in the Apple iTunes Store June 16-July 10!

Do you know which animals can detach their limbs to escape a predator’s attack, which species have been launched into space, and the identity of the extinct mammal that scientists believe they may one day be able to clone and bring back to life? Delve into the fascinating World of Animals -- World Book’s extraordinary educational app that gives kids of all ages engaging opportunities to explore, compare, rank, and quiz themselves on their favorite animals. This interactive app features hundreds of stunning pictures, videos and animal sounds, quick facts, encyclopedia articles, a captivating educational game, and more.

World Book's World of Animals iPad App is available for FREE in the Apple iTunes Store from June 16 through July 10. On July 11, World Book will introduce a paid version of the app to the Apple iTunes Store.

How To Use Social Media for Recruiting

2011-06-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, we showed you how to use social media to find a job. Today, we learn that savvy recruiters are also using it to find the best employees.

From American Express's Open Forum 5/23/2011:

These days, it’s the rare holdout who has avoided creating a Facebook profile. Advertising agency Campbell Mithun found resounding success by using Twitter as a recruiting tool for summer interns. But,“you have to think about the types of roles you’re recruiting for,” because while college students can be open about their job hunt, more seasoned professionals may not feel comfortable publicly sharing that they are considering a career move. For those types of roles, LinkedIn can be a good place to start, because, as he puts it, “what LinkedIn has done is given people the permission to put their resume online,” without fear of repercussions from current employers.

Read the full story to get more tips on recruiting with social media, and be sure not to miss the link to the Best Journalism Want-Ad Ever. This witty ad went viral, reached millions of potential applicants and didn't cost the HR team a single penny.

Miss the GOP debate? We've got you covered.

2011-06-14T16:08:00.001-04:00

I'm a bit of a political junkie. I have a particular fondness for Presidential elections and I really like debates. So I was very disappointed to learn that I missed the first debate of the 2012 election last night.

If you also missed the New Hampshire GOP debate, do not despair! You can view it in its entirety on the CNN website. That's what I'll be doing as soon as I get home from work.

I'm also fascinated by the power of social media. Last night, we got a glimpse of the important role that Twitter and Facebook will play in the 2012 election. Debate moderators announced in advance that they would read relevant posts from Facebook and Twitter during the event. Mashable.com reported that at 9pm the hashtag #CNNDebate was the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter, appearing in 1.5% of tweets. In Twitter-land, that's a staggering proportion.

Users were live-tweeting the debate, adding to the conversations their own thoughts, opinions, and questions. A few high-profile Twitter users such as [CNN] journalist Anderson Cooper were even tweeting behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from the debate hall. [Read the full story: How the GOP Debate Exploded on Twitter]

Since I missed the debate, I'll be turning to Project VoteSmart, www.votesmart.org/, to find out where the candidates stand on issues important to me. Project VoteSmart is an outstanding, robust source of non-partisan information on candidates and issues. I can even take a short quiz about my own stand on issues and be matched with the candidate most like me.

2012 election season is here, folks. Let the fun begin!

Job-Searching In a Social Media Age

2011-06-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

From NPR Marketplace 6/3/2011:

Job seekers these days can look to a number of social media tools to help find the right connections and be more selective in their search...To help job-seekers get an edge, new social-media tools are popping up everywhere.

Learn how Twitter, Facebook and Linked in can help you find a job. Read the full story.

For more job-searching tips, check out our Jobs and Career Training web links. We've found the best sites for job-searching and skill development and put them all in one place. If you are looking for a job, bookmark this page!

Savvy Disaster Relief Resources

2011-05-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

The devastation caused by recent storms throughout the Midwest has shocked and saddened us all. Here at the library, we are focused on Joplin, MO’s recovery efforts, as it's the hometown of one of our own. Employees are donating essential items that Reference Librarian Anne will personally deliver when she heads to Joplin to visit family next week.

There are many ways to contribute to relief efforts. If you wish to give money, most organizations are accepting online contributions. Feel confident about your donation - Use the sites below to research your recipient and find out how your money will be used.

Charity Navigator analyzes the financial activities of major charities, including the salaries of top-level executives and overhead. Don't miss the pages dedicated to Joplin relief efforts, other U.S. tornado relief efforts, and more Hot Topics.

The American Institute of Philantropy, http://www.charitywatchdog.org/, rates over 500 national charities in its Charity Ratings and Watchdog Report. They want to you to pay for the full guide, but you can browse AIP's top-rated charities list to see if your donation's recipient makes the grade. Look under Human Services for charities that help with disaster relief.

Google Wants to Be Your Financial Advisor

2011-05-21T09:45:00.001-04:00

Google's march towards world domination continues. Now they want to show us what to do with our money. And I, for one, do not mind a bit.

Yesterday, the search-engine giant launched Google Advisor. According the the Official Google Blog, Google Advisor is a comparison tool, designed to show you mortgages, CDs, credit cards, checking accounts and other financial products side-by-side, based on criteria that you select. Google Advisor hopes to guide you to smart financial decisions.

Sounds good to me. I love and trust Google. I like Gmail and Google Calendar and Google Scholar and Google Maps . I like their efforts to make books freely available online and their elaborate April Fools Day pranks (anyone else remember Virgle?). I like it when the logo changes to commemorate something special and I just love Google Doodles.

So I expect to like Google Advisor as well. But perhaps you aren't as full of love for the big G as I. Perhaps you are wary of their rapid rise. Perhaps you like checking multiple sources? If so, check similar comparison tools on Washington Centerville Public Library's Personal Finance Web Links page. Don't miss Bankrate and LearnVest, two of the best of the bunch.

And while we're on the topic of personal finance, don't miss Money Sense, our series of free seminars on finance and investing. Upcoming topics include credit reports, ID theft, and money management.

Take Control of Your Financial Future: Investor Education from FINRA and WCPL

2011-05-16T17:55:00.001-04:00

Improve your knowledge of investments and personal finance and take control of your financial future!

Washington Centerville Public Library has teamed up with FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, to provide free, accurate and unbiased investor information. How much do you need to learn? Take FINRA's Investor Knowledge Quiz to find out, then follow the links below to start making the most of your money.

Investor Education Topics:
Preparing to Invest
Key Investment Concepts
Bank Products
US Treasury Securities
Common Types of Investments
Retirement Savings Vehicles
Choosing the Right Investments
Managing Investment Risk
Evaluating Performance
Investment Professionals
Safeguarding Your Investments

Want to learn even more? Be sure to attend Money Sense, a series of FREE financial education workshops. Upcoming events will focus on credit , ID theft, money management, and avoiding scams.

Money Sense is a partnership with Hithergreen Center and local businesses and is made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation throughhttp://smartinvesting.ala.org/®, a partnership with the American Library Association.

Get Reviews, Summaries and Excerpts of Library Materials from the eCatalog

2011-05-14T14:50:00.002-04:00

Many of the items in Washington Centerville Public Library's eCatalog have additional information about the material, such as tables of contents, first chapters or excerpts, summaries, and reviews.

To access the extra information, follow these steps:

Search the catalog by author, subject, title, etc.
From the Details Screen of the item you are interested in, click on the cover art (i.e., picture of the book cover, DVD cover, etc.) on the right side of the screen. (Some materials will not have accompanying cover art. If cover art is not shown for an item, you will not be able to access reviews, excerpts, or other additional information for that item.)
An "Additional Information" screen will display, with links to the types of information available for that particular item.
Click on the link for the information you are interested in.
A screen with that additional information will display.

Google Labs: a glimpse at what's next.

2011-05-09T10:17:00.001-04:00

Do you ever wonder what those wild and crazy guys at Google are working on? Visit GoogleLabs.com to find out. Google encourages its engineers to use 20% of their work week to develop new ideas, the wackier the better, and post them on Google Labs as early as possible. The public is encouraged to test them and provide feedback.

My favorites of the current offering:

Google Body - a 3D model of the human body. You can peel back anatomical layers, zoom in, and navigate to parts that interest you. Click to identify anatomy, or search for muscles, organs, bones and more.

App Inventor for Android - Built on the idea that you do not need to be a developer to build great mobile applications, App Inventor allows you to visually design applications. No coding necessary.

City Tours - Suggests multi-day walking tours of major cities. Provides time and distance between landmarks and links to information on opening hours and admission charges.

The other major tech players also have innovation labs open to the public. If you just can't get enough of this sort of thing, check out Microsoft's FUSE Labs and the YAHOO! Sandbox.

Common Sense Media

2011-05-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

Is that movie, TV series or game appropriate for my kids? This very common question is also very tricky to answer. Luckily, Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org/) is here to help.

Common Sense Media is an independent, non-profit organization that analyzes language, violence, drinking and drugs, sexual content and consumerism. It discusses these factors in the context of age and makes recommendations for parents to consider. Reviews are available on the organization's well-designed and easy-to-use website.

In addition to indicating how much sex or violence is present, reviews discuss positive messages and positive role models featured in the movie (or book/TV show etc). Rankings are explained in detail, allowing parents to form their own conclusions. Common Sense Media also identifies opportunities for family discussions.

Scientific Research Results from Science.gov

2011-04-27T20:49:00.000-04:00

Looking for free, reliable, up-to-date scientific information? Science.gov searches 45 databases and 2000 selected websites from various federal agencies, mining over 200 million pages of authoritative research results. Users can search all information at once or select a specific topic to browse or search. A deep web search is available for detailed information. Users can also sign up to be alerted by email when new research is published in their areas or interest. Science.gov also contains an image gallery which will be useful for students seeking the perfect photo to accompany their report or science fair project.

Earth Day Web Resources

2011-04-22T07:30:00.013-04:00

Happy Earth Day! Check out theses sites and learn new ways to go green.

EarthDay.org - This year's theme is 'A Billion Acts of Green'. Pledge an act, attend an event, or use the extremely cool interactive calculator to gauge your ecological footprint.

LocalHarvest.org - The most earth-friendly food is locally grown. Local Harvest helps you find farmers markets, family farms, CSAs and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.

Freecycle.org - Throwing things away is bad for the planet. Freecycle helps people find new homes for their unwanted things.

DriveLessLiveMore.org - With gas approaching $4.00/gallon, who doesn't want to drive less? Doing so will benefit your health, your wallet and the Earth. Drive Less Live More is a Dayton-based initiative that will help you find alternatives to driving. Walking, cycling, carpooling and public transportation are all covered.

Do you know any other earth-friendly sites? Post a comment and tell us about them!

Coming Soon - Library eBooks for Kindle!

2011-04-20T17:57:00.000-04:00

If I had a dollar for every time I've told someone "Library eBooks are not compatible with Kindle" over the past few months, I would be....not rich exactly, but...well, I've said it a lot. However, as of today, I will never say it again.

That's right! Amazon announced today that it is working with OverDrive (the company that supplies most libraries, including this one, with eBooks) to make library eBooks available to Kindle and Kindle app users. Still in early stages of development, Kindle Library Lending is expected to launch late this year. As of now that's all we know. Watch this space.

Read More:
Amazon Press Release - 4/20/2011
Amazon to Launch Library Lending for Kindle Books - Yahoo!Finance 4/20/2011

Tax Day Freebies!

2011-04-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Celebrate the end of tax season with discounts and freebies from area businesses including:

Maggie Moos - free mini ice cream sundae from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
McCormick and Schmicks. - Select entrees priced at $10.40.
Chili's - free appetizer or dessert. (Coupon needed)
Cinnabon -two free Classic Cinnabon Bites from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
DIRECTV - free trial of HBO and Cinemax April 15 to April 18.
HydroMassage - free massage (Coupon and appointment needed).
Bally Total Fitness - work out for free April 18.

Have You Met TED?

2011-04-11T16:49:00.001-04:00

TED [http://www.ted.com/] began in 1984 as a one-off conference and has evolved into a global phenomenon. With a mission to "leverage the power of ideas to change the world," TED has lofty goals and may just be on its way to achieving them.

Today, TED (an acronym for Technology, Entertainment and Design) is both an annual conference where the world's leading scientists, academics and business leaders listen to "big thinkers discussing big ideas" and a free website that offers knowledge and inspiration from some of the world's most inspired people. Its scope has expanded to include science, business and the humanities.

The conference is still the heart of TED, but the website is its primary communication tool. The site is comprised of TEDTalks, short videos from 'TEDsters' such as Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Tim Berners-Lee, Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall and Douglas Adams. TEDTalks are not your typical conference fare. They are bare-bones with little fluff and few visual aids. It's the ideas that are important here. You also won't find commercial tie-ins or plugs in TEDtalks. Well, unless you catch the recent address by Morgan Spurlock, (remember Super Size Me?) who attempted to deliver a talk on corporate sponsorship that was 100% sponsored by corporations. An interesting venture, to say the least, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

At last count there were almost 900 videos available, with more added each week. TEDTalks have been translated into 40 languages. Videos can be searched by speaker, topic or popularity and can be shared and re-posted without copyright concerns. Users can register on the site to comment on talks or keep the discussion going through blogs or Facebook. Over 80,000 people have registered so far. Many have created personal profiles on the TED site to network with other members and share their own big ideas.

The organization also awards the annual TED Prize, a $100,000 grant to help a big thinker put his big ideas into play. 2010's winner was chef Jamie Oliver of Food Revolution fame. 2011's award funds the efforts of artist JR as he engages the world in a global, participatory art project.

If its access to ideas that you seek, there's no one quite like TED.

Government Shutdown Resources

2011-04-08T12:02:00.001-04:00

The clock is ticking. If Congress fails to approve a spending bill by Friday, the federal government will shut down. If that happens, here are some resources to help you know how you will be affected:

Dayton Daily News: A Look at How a Shutdown Would Affect Americans

CNN: Government Shutdown FAQs & Interactive Chart

New York Times: Times Topics - Government Shutdown 2011

Washington Post Blogs: Federal Eye - Government Shutdown 2011

U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Potential Impact of a Lapse in Appropriations on Federal Employees

If you have concerns/questions about a specific government agency, department, or organization, your best bet is to contact them to get the most current information directly from the source. Try the agency's home page first. Many, like the Social Securityy Administration, have shutdown information right up front on their home page. If you need assistance finding contact info for a federal agency, Ask a Librarian.

A-Poem-A-Day delivered to your Inbox

2011-04-04T13:17:00.000-04:00

April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, consider registering for A-Poem-A-Day by E-mail, a free service of the Academy of American Poets. The academy also sponsors Poem-In-Your-Pocket day (April 14th) and Poets.org, a free, robust site featuring thousands of poems, poet biographies, essays, interviews, poetry events, poetry recordings and lesson plans for teachers. You can browse poems by subject or search by title, author or first line.

If you're a fan of both poetry and twitter, follow @POETSorg. Each day in April a guest poet will tweet his or her favorite poems. Poets.org also has a mobile site available on all web-enabled devices and iPhone and iPad users can download the Poem Flow app for daily poems and literary trivia.

What's your favorite poem?

British Library Timelines - History at Your Fingertips

2011-03-26T17:00:00.005-04:00

Timelines: Sources from History is a free, interactive resource that allows users to explore items from the world-renown British Library collection chronologically. From the Magna Carta of 1215 to coverage of 2008 U.S. Presidential election, the site contains images and information spanning 800 years, making Timelines a fantastic resource for anyone with an interest in history.

Highlights of the timeline include:

Manuscripts by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mozart, Beethoven, Wordsworth, Florence Nightingale and Dickens.
Original records from a range of key historical events such as the Black Death and the Great Fire to the French Revolution and the abolition of the slave trade.
The first printed book of the western world, the first cookery manuscript, the first English Bible and the first postage stamp.
Posters, advertisements and illustrations documenting everything from public executions and magic shows to plague cures and séances

Happy 5th Birthday, Twitter!

2011-03-22T10:22:00.000-04:00

Twitter celebrated its 5th birthday yesterday. Since its launch, it has grown to over 2 million users sending a billion tweets every week. Although initially dismissed as mundane and trivial - "I'm too busy to read about what you ate for breakfast" - Twitter has emerged as an invaluable worldwide communication tool, often credited with impacting historic events. In five short years, Twitter has proven that it is possible to change the world in 140 characters or less.

Some Highlights:

In the immediate aftermath of the recent earthquake in Japan, almost 7,000 tweets per second were sent as people tried to get in touch with family and friends.
During the 2009 protests in Iran, Twitter played such an important role in getting information in and out of the country that the U.S. State Department requested that the company postpone scheduled downtime for site maintenance.
Michael Jackson's death was first reported on Twitter, by entertainment website TMZ.
Twitter is credited with both organizing and drawing worldwide attention to the Egyptian revolution.
In 2010, while on board the International Space Station, Astronaut T.J. Creamer broadcast the first live tweet from space.
Prince William and Kate Middleton first announced their engagement on Twitter.

Twitter's 5th Birthday: 5 milestones. PC World. 3/21/2011
@happybirthday! Twitter turns five as site registers 200million users The Daily Mail. 3/21/2011
Happy 5th Birthday, Twitter! 10 Top Tweets of the Past 5 Years ABC News. 3/21/2011

Finding Rare and Out-of-Print Books

2011-03-21T13:03:00.000-04:00

Searching for a rare or out-of-print book? Try these sites:

AbeBooks.com
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Founded: 1996
AbeBooks is an online marketplace for books, listing over 110 million new, used, rare, and out of print books from 13,500 sellers.

Alibris.com
Location: Emery, California
Founded: 1998
Alibris connects people to thousands of independent sellers book sellersaround the world. They offer more than 60 million used and new books to customers around the world.

Amazon Marketplace
Location: Seattle, Washington
Founded: 1995
Amazon.com is a leading global Internet company and one of the most trafficked Internet retail destinations worldwide. Although, Amazon does not directly sell out-of-print books, the Amazon Marketplace serves as a platform for thousands of individuals and book dealers selling rare and out-of-print books.

Biblio.com
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Founded: 2003
Biblio brings together more than 5,500 booksellers from around the world, offering more than 50 million books to choose from.

For more on buying and selling used and rare books, check out these titles available @Your Library:

Among the Gently Mad : Perspectives and Strategies for the Book Hunter in the Twenty-First Century

Instant Expert : Collecting Books

Official Price Guide to Collecting Books

NASA Images - more than just cool photos

2011-03-19T09:00:00.010-04:00

NASA Images (http://www.nasaimages.org/) is a remakable free collection of more than 13,000 spectacular photographs and videos, most transmitted from space. It contains full-color photos and historical images, as well as HD video. The majority of the images are not copyrighted, and NASA not only encourages their use in presentations, projects and documents, it provides the tools to do so.

The site is first organized by broad category: Universe, Solar System, Earth, Aeronautics and Astronauts; then divided into sub-categories. Because of the size of the collection, searching requires some experimentation. Each sub-category can be narrowed by common search terms. Extra resources, including background information, press releases and technical data, accompany most photos.

Information taken from Nancy Cannon's review in Booklist, Vol. 107 No. 13, p70.

Dummies and Idiots on the Web

2011-03-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

This information taken from Information Today, March 2011, pp22-23.

If you're a fan of The Complete Idiot's Guide and the For Dummies book series, be sure to check out their accompanying websites; www.idiotsguides.com and www.dummies.com. Both sites have taken the best information from the popular books, condensed it to article length and made it easily accessible on the Web. The result is a robust reference source offering simple and clear instructions on almost any topic imaginable. There are 450 titles in The Complete Idiot's Guide series and 1600 in the For Dummies series - go ahead, just try to find a topic that these sites don't cover.

Both sites are free, require no registration, and offer full-text searching or subject browsing. In addition to articles, both sites offer short 'how-to' videos on topics that lend themselves to visual demonstrations.

Here's a quick sample of what you can learn from dummies and idiots on the Web:

National Consumer Protection Week: March 6 - March 12

2011-03-06T09:00:00.036-05:00

Understanding your consumer rights is important every week of the year, but during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), government and nonprofit organizations across the country gear up to provide information on avoiding scams and making the most of your money.

Visit WCPL's Consumer Information page for a wealth of resources including product reviews and recalls, opt-out services, credit and debt resources, and consumer advice. WCPL cardholders can access Consumer Reports online, and everyone can learn how to use the Better Business Bureau to research a company or file a complaint.

Begining in April, the library will be offering Money Sense, a series of free seminars designed to help you make the most of your money. Topics include avoiding scams and identity theft, understanding and repairing your credit, stretching your dollars and preparing for retirement. Check the program schedule and mark your calendars.We look forward to seeing you there!

Money Sense is a partnership with Hithergreen Center and local businesses and is made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation throughhttp://smartinvesting.ala.org/®, a partnership with the American Library Association.

Google Tweaks Rankings to Improve Search Results

2011-02-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

In a post titled Finding more high-quality sites in search, the Official Google Blog announced a change to its rankings system intended to reduce the number low-quality sites in its search results. The new system will increase the ranking for high-quality sites with original content, research and analysis and give less weight to low-quality "content-farms."

From Bloomberg.com:

Google Changes How It Ranks Search Results to Spotlight High-Quality Sites

By Brian Womack - Feb 25, 2011 6:46 PM ET

Google Inc. said it changed the way the company carries out Web searches to feature more “high- quality” sites, following criticism that its results favored information of little value to users.

The change to Google’s algorithms, which it relies on to discern what users want when they search the Web, affects 12 percent of queries, the company said. Google made the change this week, aiming to give higher rankings to sites with original content, in-depth reports or “thoughtful” analysis.

“This update is designed to reduce rankings for low- quality sites -- sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful,” the company said in a blog posting late yesterday. Read More

IMDb: the Internet Movie Database

2011-02-24T10:41:00.128-05:00

In honor of Sunday's Academy Awards, its time to highlight the biggest and best online resource for all things Hollywood - IMDb: The Internet Movie Database!

Need a piece of movie-related trivia? IMDb is your one-stop shop. My favorite use for IMDb is to answer the question "what else has that actor/actress been in?" Just search for the movie or show (yes, they cover TV too) that you are currently watching and view the list of characters and the actor that plays them. Click the link for that actor and you are taken to a chronological list of everything and anything that actor has appeared in, including cameos and bit parts.

If you're an Oscar buff, visit IMDb's Road to the Oscars, where you can see the full list of nominees, view pictures of previous winners or vote in the Oscar poll. If you're throwing a viewing party or organizing an office pool, you can even download an Oscar ballot.

You can watch trailers, monitor release dates and box-office returns, and book tickets for new movies. It's also useful to figure out which movies in a series you haven't seen yet, or to find earlier movies by a great director you've only just discovered.

IMDb recently celebrated its 20th anniversary - pretty impressive when you consider that the first Web browser didn't even appear until 1991. In that time, they've grown from a small site created by movie fans for movie fans, to the Web's largest and longest-running film-related site. At last count, the site contains over 30 million credits and is growing every day.

Directory of Open Access Journals

2011-02-19T09:00:00.008-05:00

Check out the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) if you're having difficulty finding appropriate academic sources for a paper or project. "Open Access" means that anyone can access the full text of all articles online, for free. The DOAJ has won numerous awards from SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) for providing quality Open Access Journals. The directory follows a stringent process for admitting new journals and each journal is peer-reviewed to maintain quality control. Currently, there are over 6,000 journals within the directory.

There are several ways to search the DOAJ. By clicking on "Find Journals" you can search by subjects such as "Agriculture and Food Sciences" and "Philosophy and Religion" among others. You can also search all the journals within the DOAJ by clicking "Find Articles." This provides a simple search where you can enter terms under title, author, journal title, key words, etc.

Do Not Track now available from Mozilla Firefox

2011-02-14T01:00:00.021-05:00

Concerned about online privacy? Use Firefox as your browser.

From American Public Media's Marketplace Tech Report Blog

Do Not Track now available from Mozilla Firefox
Posted by John Moe on February 9, 2011 11:20 AM

You can now activate a Do Not Track feature if you’re on Mozilla Firefox. From the Firefox blog: When this option is selected, a header will be sent signaling to websites that you wish to opt-out of online behavioral tracking. You will not notice any difference in your browsing experience until sites and advertisers start responding to the header.

Meanwhile, according to Politico, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK) says he’s likely to include a do not track element to a privacy bill he’s expected to introduce soon.

Seeking investment information? Mergent's InvestorEdge is now free with your library card!

2011-02-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

Washington-Centerville Public Library has added Mergent's InvestorEdge to its suite of investment resources. WCPL cardholders can use the database from home, and everyone can use it when they visit the library. Access InvestorEdge from our Research Databases web page.

InvestorEdge's best features include:

Over 4,000 stock reports, updated weekly.
5 years of equity pricing information,displayed graphically.
Buy/Sell/Hold recommendations from Ford Equity Research.
Industry reports with sector level profiles.
Annual reports for over 300,000 companies, spanning 10 years.
The ability to retrieve "All Strong Buys", and "All Strong Sells" in a single search.

Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Use the eCatalog to Find Materials in Other Languages

2011-02-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

Washington-Centerville Public Library is committed to supporting and encouraging diversity through its programs, services, and collection. Our collection is one of only a few in the midwest with large sets of books in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Books written in other languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Hindi, are also available.

Users can easily limit eCatalog searches to materials in a specific language by using the Advanced Search screen. Type in some keywords, then scroll down to the Language box and make your selection(s). Tip: Use the Ctrl key when clicking to select more than one language at a time.

Please note that you can pull up ALL RESOURCES in a foreign language by using an asterisk (*) as a search term and then limiting to a given language. Remember that ALL RESOURCES will include DVDs and music CDs, too. If you like, you can limit the material type to Book when searching just for books in a respective foreign language.

Fun Facts About the Digital Collection

2011-01-31T16:54:00.000-05:00

Washington-Centerville Public Library partners with several other Ohio libraries to bring you a robust digital collection, featuring eBooks and audiobooks that you can download from home. The group met recently to discuss ways to provide even more digital titles for our patrons. You might be interested to know that:

The group's digital collection checkouts jumped from 9,126 in January 2010 to a whopping 19,415 checkouts in January 2011.
There are 12,471 titles available in the digital collection. The majority of these are WMA audiobooks, with PDF eBooks in second place.
The number of EPUB eBooks in the collection jumped from 510 to 1700 in the past year.
The number of EPUBs checked out increased by 590% between January 2010 and January 2011.
The group has committed to maintaining a 4:1 holds ratio for items in the digital collection. The more holds a title has, the more copies the group will purchase. So be sure to place holds on the titles you'd like to download.

eCatalog Tip - See All New Blu-Rays in Just Two Clicks!

2011-01-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

If you want to know which Blu-Rays have recently been added to the library's collection, just go to our eCatalog and click on Featured Items in the blue navigation bar on the left side screen. Then click on the list titled New Blu-Ray Discs. This list is updated each time we receive new discs - at least once a week, and usually more often.

Please note that the URL for each featured list changes each time we update the list. If you want to bookmark this in your browser, you need to save the page that contains all of the lists. The address to bookmark is: http://ecatalog.wclibrary.info/ftlist

American Airlines no longer on Expedia or Orbitz

2011-01-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

Booking the cheapest airfare just got a little more complicated.One third of air travelers use third-party travel sites to research and book tickets, but these sites only work because the major airlines are all listed.

American Airlines announced recently that it would no longer be listed on Orbitz, Expedia or Hotwire. The decision is primarily a cost-cutting measure. Airlines are charged a commission for each ticket sold. But industry expert George Hobica of AirfareWatchdog.com suggests that it is also a way to increase revenue and predicts that other airlines will soon follow suit.

"If you book a ticket on Travelocity, let's say, you'll notice that you never get a chance to buy the American Airlines credit card or to upgrade your seat or do all the other things [that airlines make money from]", Hobica says.

Southwest, which continues to be profitable in a time when many airlines are struggling, has never offered its tickets on third party sites.

Read more about this on the American Airlines website, Yahoo! News, Reuters or The Washington Post.

Can I Trust That Site?

2011-01-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

Condensed from Iowa State University’s Evaluating Websites: Information Literacy Guide

Countless web pages are available on just about every topic, but how can you know what's worthwhile or credible? Consider the following factors :

AUTHORSHIP

Who is the author of the website? What are the author's credentials? Is the author a student, an expert, an activist, your next door neighbor?
If the author is an organization, What do you know (or what can you find out) about this organization? What is the organization’s mission? Does the URL end in .com, .gov, .edu, or .org? What does this tell you?

PURPOSE

What is the purpose of the site? To inform? To sell? To persuade?
Does the site show multiple sides of an issue? Bias is not necessarily reason to reject a source - but be sure that you can identify it.
Who is the intended audience? Advanced researchers in a field? Elementary school students? Members of a particular organization or viewpoint?

CURRENCY

How current is the information? When was the page written? Last updated or revised? Look at both the date of publication and update, as well as the dates for any cited information.
If the website is not being updated or maintained use it with caution, and only in appropriate areas. An old website is fine for verifying historical facts, not fine for getting legal advice.

ACCURACY

Is the site edited well?
Are there spelling or grammatical errors?
Is it written in a style that you would expect for the topic and audience?
Does the author provide a way to verify information on this site? Are there footnotes, citations, a bibliography or links to other information on the topic? Are the other sources mentioned relevant and credible?

Meet Your Diet and Fitness Goals with SparkPeople.com

2011-01-15T00:30:00.002-05:00

Was your New Year's Resolution diet, health or fitness related? If motivation is already waning, SparkPeople.com may be able to help. It's an online community dedicated to helping people reach their health and fitness goals. As you'd expect, it contains diet and fitness plans, recipes, a calorie counter and workout tracker. What sets SparkPeople apart from similar sites are motivational tools and a social networking element. You can track your progress with charts and graphs, earn trophies and awards for meeting goals, join a team, and share successes and struggles with other members. Users build a profile and then connect with like-minded people. There are teams of single moms, people with knee problems or other injuries, even people who like knitting. Similar interests give members more to talk about than just what they ate for breakfast. SparkPeople has over 9 million users and was voted Best Health Website in Business Week magazine's Best of the Web survey.

Things You Didn't Know Google Could Do

2011-01-10T15:04:00.001-05:00

Reader's Digest recently published an article on time-saving (and click-saving) ways to use Google. This wasn't news to your WCPL Reference Librarians though - we teach these tricks and more in our Google Basics class. After you read the article below, check out our 2011 Internet University schedule. We hope to see you at a class this year!

From Reader's Digest - December 2010

Time-Saver: 8 Simple Search Tricks
Instead of taking the long way around, go directly to Google. These tricks let you skip the multistep clicking and sifting that other sites require. (No quotation marks needed.)

1. What’s playing at the multiplex? “Movies in” + your ZIP code gets you the list.

2. Where’s my package? If you have the UPS, FedEx, or post office tracking code, type it in and you’ll have your answer.

3. Is it time to pick up Granny at LaGuardia, or can I wrap another present? Skip the unfriendly skies of an airline’s website. Type in the airline and a flight number and get the status.

4. Am I rich yet? The stock-ticker symbol and “stock” brings up the price of a share.

5. A pint is how many ounces? A dollar is how many euros? Fifteen hundred yards is how many miles? “Pint in ounces,” “dollar in euros,” or “1,500 yards in miles” gets you the conversions you need (16 ounces, 0.72 euros, and 0.85 miles).

6. Do I need an umbrella or snowshoes? “Weather” and your ZIP code tells you how to dress appropriately.

7. Who won? Type in the name of your baseball or football team and Google lets you know the score.

8. What time is it in Paris? “Paris time” tells you whether they’re eating croissants at breakfast or croque-monsieurs at lunch.

Kaplan offers free eBooks

2011-01-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

Kaplan, the company most famous for its test-prep books and software, is offering free downloads of 130 eBooks. Topics include the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, NCLEX, and AP subject exams. This offer expires on January 17, but your eBook won't. Once you've downloaded the title to your device, its yours to keep forever. When you are ready to download your free eBook, visit http://www.freekaplanebooks.com/

No exams in your future? Kaplan hasn't forgotten about you. Perhaps you have a use for one of the Cleveland Clinic Guides, The Art of Client Service or Math for Moms and Dads. Click here for a complete list of available books.

And remember, your WCPL library card gives you access to other free test-prep resources, including Learning Express Library, which offers online practice tests for most standard exams. Be sure to enter through WCPL's database page.

eBook Checkout Records Smashed!

2011-01-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

The number of eBooks checked out from libraries increased by a whopping 93% last month, not just here at WCPL but across the country, according to Overdrive, the company that supplies our eBooks. That's no surprise to your reference librarians, who have had the opportunity to assist many of you with your new toys over the past few weeks. Many of you were surprised to learn that we purchase a certain number of digital "copies" of eBooks and that you have the option to "place a hold" for eBooks that are currently checked out to another patron. More information is available on our digital collection's FAQ page.
The library's digital collection works on most eReaders (notable exception - the Kindle). View the full list of compatible devices here. iPad, iPhone and Android users will need to download a special app - Revisit our Dec 4 and Dec 20 posts for more information. If you're still getting to grips with your Nook, check out this visual tutorial on using library eBooks with a Nook, or stop by the reference desk for printed step-by-step information that you can take home with you.

Gifts and Choices - a little New Year's inspiration

2011-01-01T13:00:00.044-05:00

Happy New Year from Washington Centerville Public Library! We're taking short break from search tips and Internet news to share some inspiration for the New Year. The thoughts below are from a commencement address given by Jeff Bezoz, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, to students at Princeton University. Thanks to The Unquiet Librarian and Michael at Tame the Web for sharing. Here's hoping your 2011 is filled with peace, prosperity and swashbuckling builders!

How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?
Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?
Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?
Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?
Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?
Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize?
Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?
Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?
When it’s tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?
Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?

How We Used the Web in 2010: generation by generation

2010-12-31T09:34:00.001-05:00

The Pew Internet and American Life Project's annual survey on our Internet behavoir has been released. Check out the summary below to see how you compare to the rest of your generation, or read the full Generations Online 2010 report.

Don't Spend the Holidays Stuck in Traffic - Use the Web

2010-12-23T08:00:00.007-05:00

AAA projects 92.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the year-end holidays. Of these, the majority (93%) will be traveling by road. With so many of us planning to hit the highway over the next few days, combined with road construction and the possibility of winter storms, spending part of the holidays stuck in traffic is a very real possibility.

Local news and radio keeps us well informed for the local area. Use the websites below to check conditions for other areas. Many of these sites use the 511 standard traffic map. Just tick the box for ‘Traffic Speed’ and click 'Update Map’. Look for areas of red and avoid them. Use Google Maps or Mapquest to find alternative routes. And with the price of gas averaging over $3.00/gal for the first time this year, its more important than ever to get the best price on gas. You can use the Web for that, too.
Ohio: www.buckeyetraffic.org/
Columbus: www.pavingtheway.org/projects/
Pennsylvania: www.511pa.com/Traffic.aspx
PA Turnpike: http://www.paturnpike.com/improve/conschedule.aspx
Kentucky: http://511.ky.gov/kyhb/main.jsf
Indiana: www.in.gov/indot/2351.htm
Indianapolis: http://pws.trafficwise.org/ipws/ci/

More Library eBooks for iPads!

2010-12-20T08:30:00.020-05:00

A few weeks ago we told you about a new app, that allows eBooks borrowed from the library to be read on Apple's mobile devices. Now, we bring you even more good news. The folks at OverDrive, the company that supplies the library's digital collection, have developed an app for iPhone/iPad/iTouch and Android. The app supports both eBooks and audiobooks. Our library's digital collection is now compatible with the majority of e-readers.

OverDrive Media Console for iPhone & Android:

Combines eBooks and audiobooks into a single app
Enables over-the-air downloading
Streamlines the browse, checkout and download experience on your phone.

Get the app today and download library books on the go!

How the Mobile Web Will Change Your Life

2010-12-18T09:30:00.218-05:00

WCPL patrons who have embraced the "mobile web" (accessing the Internet while on-the-go, from your smartphone or other device) already know they can search the library catalog, check their library account, IM research questions to a librarian, and access databases, from anywhere, at anytime using the library's mobile services. This interesting article from The Wall Street Journal discusses another way the mobile web will impact our daily activities.

The rise of price-comparison apps for smartphones and the ability to place orders directly from a mobile device saves shoppers both time and money. Great for bargain hunters, not great for stores. Has the way we shop changed forever?

From WSJ 12/15/10:
Phone-Wielding Shoppers Strike Fear Into Retailers
By MIGUEL BUSTILLO And ANN ZIMMERMAN

Tri Tang, a 25-year-old marketer, walked into a Best Buy Co. store in Sunnyvale, Calif., this past weekend and spotted the perfect gift for his girlfriend. Last year, he might have just dropped the $184.85 Garmin global positioning system into his cart. This time, he took out his Android phone and typed the model number into an app that instantly compared the Best Buy price to those of other retailers. He found that he could get the same item on Amazon.com Inc.'s website for only $106.75, no shipping, no tax.

.Mr. Tang bought the Garmin from Amazon right on the spot.
[...]
Mr. Tang's smartphone reckoning represents a revolution in retailing—what Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Chief Executive Mike Duke has dubbed a "new era of price transparency"—and its arrival is threatening to upend the business models of the biggest store chains in America. Until recently, retailers could reasonably assume that if they just lured shoppers to stores with enticing specials, the customers could be coaxed into buying more profitable stuff, too. Now, marketers must contend with shoppers who can use their smartphones inside stores to check whether the specials are really so special, and if the rest of the merchandise is reasonably priced.
[...]
Smartphone fans such as Mr. Tang are still a small subset of shoppers. It remains unclear whether large numbers of Americans will be willing to take the extra time to compare offers with mobile programs. Some consumers may want to deploy the technology only when buying expensive or unusual items. Still, store chains are increasingly concerned about the ability of mobile-equipped shoppers to tilt the balance of power in retailing toward consumers—in part because their numbers are quickly rising.
[...]
E-commerce experts expect use of shopping apps to mushroom as more Americans purchase smartphones. Dozens of mobile shopping apps are already available through Apple Inc.'s iTunes, and programmers are busy developing many more to transform smartphones into shopping weapons. Many of them use phone cameras to photograph bar codes and QR codes, or simply let users speak a product's name into their devices. [READ THE FULL ARTICLE...]

Free Shipping Day - Dec 17th

2010-12-13T09:00:00.007-05:00

The third annual Free Shipping Day is scheduled for this Friday, Dec 17. More than 1,000 online retailers will be offering free shipping with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. Who says procrastination doesn't pay?

Visit http://www.freeshippingday.com/ to see participating retailers. Details of each retailer's offer, including required minimum purchase and any restrictions, will be posted on the site at 12:00 AM on December 17th.

Gifts for Book Lovers

2010-12-11T08:00:00.059-05:00

Are you struggling to find a unique gift for the book lover on your list? Visit these little-known sites to find the perfect gift.

Out of Print Clothing
Buy your book lover a tee featuring the cover art from his/her favorite book. Out of Print Clothing celebrates the world’s great stories through fashion. Shirts feature iconic book covers. Some are classics, some just make great shirts, but all are striking works of art. The company donates one book for every shirt sold to Books for Africa.

American Library Association Store
Not just for librarians, the ALA store features book and reading related gifts for all ages. My favorites are the I Read Banned Books bracelet and the range of ‘Born to Read’ baby gear.

Postcards from Penguin
A collection of 100 postcards, each featuring a different and iconic Penguin book jacket. From classics to crime, here are over seventy years of design in one box.

ABE Books
Abe specializes in rare, unusual and out-of-print books, and also stocks first editions and signed books. Score an autographed first edition of your book lover’s fave and you’re a shoe-in for best gift of the year. If the book lover on your list has a quirky sense of humor, be sure to check out the Weird Book Room, which currently features How to Survive a Robot Uprising, Old Tractors and the Men Who Love Them, and the Pop-Up Book of Phobias.

NYT 100 Most Notable Books of 2010
What better gift for a book lover than a book? Check out the New York Times list of the most notable books of the year to find the perfect one.

Library eBooks for iPads

2010-12-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

Strictly speaking, the library’s eBook collection is not compatible with the iPad, iTouch or iPhone, but a new app, the Bluefire Reader, allows savvy eBook users to transfer library eBooks from Adobe Digital Editions to their Apple device.

The Bluefire Reader app is available to download from iTunes and the Apple app store. Be prepared to invest a little time and effort getting to know it. (But you won't have to invest money - the app is free!)
You will need to:

download the Bluefire Reader app to your mobile device
download Adobe Digital Editions and iTunes to your computer
register your Bluefire Reader and Adobe Digital Editions with your personal Adobe ID.

Take a moment to read through the process and decide if you’d like to give it a try. Complete instructions are available here: http://www.bluefirereader.com/help/libraryBooks.html

Choosing an E-Reader

2010-11-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

What's the must-have Christmas gift for 2010? Well, if questions asked around the library are any indication, many of you will be unwrapping e-readers this Christmas morning. If an e-reader is on your shopping list, be sure to check out the e-reader reviews and advice, now available on the WCPL website. You can also access a list of devices that are compatible with the library's digital collection.

What to consider when deciding which e-reader to buy? Consumer Reports suggests the following:

Screen Size - Bigger usually means easier to read. Smaller is more portable.
Screen Capability - Is the text crisp? Can the screen display color? Is it a touchscreen?
Wi-Fi vs 3G - You'll need to choose between cost and convenience. 3G allows you to download new books from almost anywere. Wi-Fi devices are cheaper, but you can only download when you are connected.
Where do the books come from? - Each device has a dedicated bookstore that will supply books specifically for that device. Some devices prohibit you from obtaining books from other sources. Some devices allow you to obtain books from other suppliers easily. Some allow it, but require file conversions and reformatting.

We hope this information will help you choose the e-reader that's best for you, or for that special someone on your list. Happy shopping and happy reading!

Local 24-Hour Pharmacies

2010-11-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you get released from the Emergency Room after midnight and need to get a new prescription filled. Or maybe you are getting ready to leave on vacation and you realize one of your prescriptions has run lower than you realized. Or maybe you are suffering from an intense cold in the middle of the night and just need to ask the advice of a pharmacist about over-the-counter remedies. Below is a list of local pharmacies open 24 hours:

CVS Pharmacy
5981 Far Hills Ave.
Dayton, OH 45459
(937) 438-5954

Kroger Pharmacy
2917 W. Alex-Bell
Dayton, OH 45459
(937) 294-7210

Walgreens
2140 E. Dorothy Lane
Kettering, OH 45420
(937) 395-0619

Walgreens
1260 E. Central Ave.
Miamisburg, OH 45342
(937) 859-3879

Spend Less on Gas this Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T08:30:00.023-05:00

Is one of your Thanksgiving traditions a long car journey to visit relatives? Save money on gas by using one of these free web resources to choose where to fill up your tank.

GasBuddy - www.gasbuddy.com
Enter your location for a map displaying all local gas prices, or view the National Gas Price Heat Map to decide when to fill up on your journey. Headed east? Fill up early. Headed south or west? The longer you wait to fill up the more you'll save. GasBuddy powers many local websites that monitor gas prices such as www.daytongasprices.com and WHIO-TV's Pump Patrol.

Gas Price Watch - http://www.gaspricewatch.com
Search by intersection, zip code or city. Prices are color-coded to indicate how recently they were updated. Green prices are less than 12 hours old. Red prices are older than 24 hours. Interactive maps allow you to virtually travel your route and quickly spot the areas and specific stations where gas is the cheapest.

Will you be travelling along Rt 35? At the time of this writing, you could save 30 cents per gallon by choosing to fill up in Xenia over Beavercreek.

Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!

Marketplace Special Report: Consumer's Guide to Healthcare

2010-11-15T12:11:00.001-05:00

Marketplace, American Public Media's popular syndicated radio show, is focusing on health care this week. To compliment live radio broadcasts throughout the week, Marketplace has compiled all its recent health-related stories in a Consumer's Guide to Healthcare. The guide contains features on Autism, Swine Flu / H1N1, Veteran's Health and Healthcare Reform, as well as links to new articles, including the following interesting analysis of how the internet has changed the way we take care of our health.
From "Consumer technology is transforming your health care" by Daryl Paranada

The Internet, mobile phones, and emerging consumer electronic devices are changing the way people solve their health care needs. Got a health care question? Google it. Need a prescription? Order online. Want the lowdown on your physician? Check out your doc's online rating. (Five stars and you've got a winner. Two stars and you better keep looking.)

For millions of consumers, the Web is quickly becoming the first line of defense for understanding and solving health care needs. And today, consumers have a wide range of online resources at their fingertips -- search engines, chat groups, message boards, social media channels, blogs, podcasts and countless other information websites.

"There are probably more people asking health questions via the Google search box on any given day than are asking doctors around the globe," said Dr. Roni Zeiger, Google's chief health strategist. ....READ MORE

Blekko.com - New Search Engine Aims to Provide Fewer, Better Results

2010-11-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

Launched on November 1, search engine Blekko.com attempts to eliminate spam by only displaying results from sites it has vetted as trustworthy and useful. Blekko has vetted over 3 billion websites so far. Users can also create their own “mini-Web”, searching only sites that they personally select.

From Reuters.com -

According to Blekko, the Web has increasingly become saturated with spam-like websites, specially designed to pop up in Google's search results but whose content is heavier on marketing pitches than substantive information.

The remedy […] is to narrow searches to groups of websites that people, not computers, have pre-approved as being the best sources of information for particular topics.

I put Blekko to the test recently, and was impressed with the results. When searching for an article that had recently appeared in the Dayton Daily News, Blekko outperformed Google, Bing and the DDN website. My article was the first result on Blekko, compared to being fifth on the list of Google results.

Give Blekko a try and let us know what you think.

Read more about Blekko:
A New Search Engine, Where Less is More – New York Times
Search Engine Blekko to Rely on the Human Touch – Reuters, Inc.
Alternative Search Engine Blekko Launches to Eliminate Spam in Search – Mashable.com
Blekko, The “Slashtag” Search Engine, Goes Live – Searchengineland.com

Google Reaches Settlement in Buzz Lawsuit

2010-11-04T17:43:00.001-04:00

Gmail users received a rare email direct from Google Inc. on Tuesday, announcing a settlement in the class-action lawsuit surrounding Google Buzz (buzz.google.com), the search engine giant’s social networking component.

The February launch of Google Buzz was quickly followed by controversy, and Gmail users concerned that auto-enabled aspects of Buzz infringed on privacy filed suit against the company.

Individual Gmail users will not receive monetary compensation from the settlement. Instead, Google is putting $8.5 million (minus lawyer fees and court costs) into funding non-profit organizations that promote privacy education. Any Gmail user who may wish to bring a similar suit against Google in the future must opt-out of the class-action settlement by December 6.

In Tuesday’s email, Google Inc. stressed that they reacted quickly to address privacy concerns, and made a number of changes to the service. Learn more about the lawsuit and settlement at www.buzzclassaction.com/.

Be an Informed Voter

2010-10-28T13:50:00.005-04:00

Election Day is fast approaching. Have you made up your mind? With paid political ads flooding networks and mailboxes, it requires a deliberate effort to find impartial, relevant information prior to an election. So, where should the responsible citizen turn for information?

For a locally-focused summary of candidates and issues:
Dayton Voter’s Guide
• Compiled by the League of Women Voters and distributed by the Dayton Daily News.
• Contains candidate profiles and the candidate’s written answers to questions on topical issues.
• Copies available at the library – while supplies last!

Can't get your hands on a print copy? Access the information on one of these two sites:
http://www.smartvoter.org/

Input your address to access election information specific to you.
Contains candidate bios and statements, ballot issues, polling locations and times.

http://projects.daytondailynews.com/votersguide/

Electronic version of the Voters Guide.
Contains candidate bios and answers to questions posed by the League of Women Voters (information is identical to the printed guide).

In-depth analysis for the serious researcher:

Project VoteSmart
http://www.votesmart.org/

Covers candidates and elected officials for federal and state offices.
VoteEasy option allows you to find candidates whose views on key issues are most similar to yours.
Political Courage Test ranks the candidates willingness to disclose their views on controversial issues
Search voting records to see how candidates have previously voted on issues important to you.
Search speeches and public statements to see what a candidate has said about a specific topic. Searches have been created for you – just choose the issues that interest you.

Open Access Week, Oct. 18-24

2010-10-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

Open Access Week, a global event now entering its fourth year, is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research.

“Open Access” to information – the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need – has the power to transform the way research and scientific inquiry are conducted. It has direct and widespread implications for academia, medicine, science, industry, and for society as a whole.

Open Access (OA) has the potential to maximize research investments, increase the exposure and use of published research, facilitate the ability to conduct research across available literature, and enhance the overall advancement of scholarship. Research funding agencies, academic institutions, researchers and scientists, teachers, students, and members of the general public are supporting a move towards Open Access in increasing numbers every year.

Find out more at http://www.openaccessweek.org/

Library of Congress Rolls Into Troy This Weekend

2010-10-15T10:27:00.000-04:00

If you aren’t too busy this weekend, and you’ve always wanted to visit the Library of Congress, you might be interested in driving up to Troy. The Library of Congress has packed some of its “library treasures” into an 18-wheel rolling interactive display, the Gateway to Knowledge exhibition. The truck will be parked outside of Hobart Arena in Troy today and tomorrow from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

While most of the items are too valuable to leave the actual Library of Congress, the truck expands to twice its size and offers a multimedia center, computer terminals, displays, and facsimiles of the items such as the a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence (in Thomas Jefferson’s hand with edits by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams), the original 1962 drawings of Spider-Man, handwritten music by jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, the 1455 Gutenberg Bible, and exhibits on Clara Barton, the Veteran’s History Project, the Boston Massacre, the Huexotzinco Codex, and much more.

Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/gateway/.

Search	Total Searches
robin hood	1338
harry potter	1003
glee	857
karate kid	764
how to train your dragon	721
dexter	704
christmas	654
iron man 2	648
diary of a wimpy kid	627
halo	573
toy story 3	552
star wars	500
fringe	497
spartacus	496
tudors	490
pacific	468
invention of hugo cabret	450
hunger games	444
big bang theory	442
get him to the greek	431