Archive for ‘Resources’

May 18th, 2012

New Databases Available

by Bonnie

The library is subscribing to three new databases: Career Transitions, Legal Forms Library, and Price It! Antiques and Collectibles. You can access them at the following address: http://tinyurl.com/NewDatabases. They will also appear soon on the “Database Collection” page of our website (under “Research & Homework Help” on the menu at the left-hand side of the main page).

To access the databases from home, just enter your library card number as your password.

Career Transitions provides guidance for job seekers at every stage: discovering career interests, learning about different jobs, finding schools or training programs, searching job postings, writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing, and applying previous experience to a new career.

Legal Forms Library supplies forms for common legal issues such as divorce, bankruptcy, and power of attorney.  Users can also search for information in the accompanying legal dictionary and law digest.

Price It! helps estimate the value of antiques and collectibles by searching for similar items at auction houses and retail sites.  For more information, users can consult the featured articles or ask an expert at one of the 6300 collecting clubs listed in the directory.

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May 9th, 2012

Tour the World with TourWrist

by Carrie

TourWrist App LogoHere’s a sneak preview from our May Lunch and Learn, during which we’ll gear up for summer travel with a focus on travel apps for iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads.

TourWrist allows you to travel the world with 360 degree virtual tours that you view from your device–as TourWrist explains, your iOS device becomes a portal.  With the gyro view, you actually move your device around to see the full 360 degree view. You can view the tours on your computer, as with this tour of the Eiffel Tower, but you’ll have more fun viewing it on a hand-held device where you control the movement.

This app requires iOS 5.0 or newer. With the newer iOS devices (iPad 3, iPhone 4 and 4s), you can create and post your own tours. If you don’t have a compatible device, you might try Photosynth, another free app for viewing or shooting panoramic scenes.

If you’d like to see this app or others in action, then sign up for the Lunch and Learn on May 17.

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May 4th, 2012

Find Out What to Read Next with NoveList

by Carrie

NoveList Plus is a database that helps fiction and nonfiction readers find suggestions for what to read next. Just type in the name of your favorite book or author, and NoveList will suggest some similar books or authors that you might like. NoveList is also a great resource for finding out what book comes next in a series.

Although you can search NoveList directly from our database page, we’ve recently linked it to our catalog, making it even easier to find recommendations. For example, if you loved John Grisham’s book The Bleachers and want to read something similar, you could type the book title in our catalog and click on it to see the item’s detailed record. At the bottom of the page, you’ll see a tab that says “Novelist Content,” as shown below:

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April 2nd, 2012

JCPL Commemorates the Titanic

by Kendall

April 15, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. This April, the Jessamine County Public Library has compiled a list of books, movies, and more about the disaster.

JCPL has many books about the Titanic, from easy readers to adult fiction and nonfiction. Click on the following covers to check the library’s catalog for each title. For more books on the ship, the aftermath, and fiction related to the disaster, search our catalog here.

Perhaps the most famous film about the event, Titanic, directed by James Cameron, is being re-released to theaters in 3D to commemorate the 100th Anniversary. Watch all your favorite moments with Kate and Leonardo at the AmStar Theater in Brannon Crossing, and the Cinemark Theater at the Fayette Mall. Both theaters will begin showings on Wednesday, April 4th.

Julian Fellowes, the director of the popular Downton Abbey series on PBS, has created a new 4-part mini-series this April about the Titanic that has been rumored to challenge some of the views taken in Cameron’s film. Showing on ABC beginning Saturday, April 14th. For more information about the show visit ABC’s page here.

If you want to delve even more into the world of the Titanic, there is a permanent museum in nearby Pigeon Forge, TN, with living history actors and recreated rooms to give you a true-to-life experience. For more information about visiting the museum, click here.

March 9th, 2012

Hungry for More Books Like the Hunger Games?

by Kendall

The library has even more thrilling, futuristic tales for you!

Try these:
Roth, Veronica.
Divergent
YA ROTH
Beatrice must choose among 5 factions to define her
identity for the rest of her life.

Young, Moira.
Blood Red Road
YA YOUN
Suddenly thrown into the lawless,
ugly world outside home,
Saba finds she is a fierce fighter.

Shusterman, Neal
Unwind
YA SHUS
Anyone between the ages of 13 and 18 can have their lives “unwound”
and their body parts harvested, three teens try to survive.

Treggiari, Jo.
Ashes, Ashes
YA TREG
Lucy survives alone in future devastated Manhattan until
vicious hounds hunt her and force her to join forces with Aiden.

Bacigalupi, Paolo.
Ship Breaker
YA BACI
Nailer has to choose between the meager life he knows
and a chance at a better future.

Condie, Ally.
Matched
YA COND
After a glitch at her matching
ceremony,Cassia finds herself falling
for the wrong guy.

Dashner, James.
The Maze Runner
YA DASH
How did Thomas get to the glade
with no memory?More importantly,
why?

DeStefano, Lauren.
Wither
YA DEST
When women die at age 20
and men at 25, girls are kidnapped
and married to repopulate the world.

Doctorow, Cory.
Little Brother
YA DOCT
Big Brother is watching you.
Who’s watching back?

Falls, Kat.
Dark Life
YA FALL
Ty’s home is on the ocean floor, but when that home is threatened,
he joins a Topside girl in a fight against the government.

Fisher, Catherine.
Incarceron
YA FISH
To free herself from an upcoming
marriage,Claudia decides to help
a young prisoner escape a futuristic
prison with a mind of its own.

Grant, Michael.
Gone
YA GRAN
When everyone over the age of 14
disappears, the teens must figure out
how survive on their own.

Ness, Patrick.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
YA NESS
Todd and Viola are on the run
from a town where all thoughts
can be heard.

Pfeffer, Susan Beth.
Life as We Knew It
YA PFEF
Miranda describes her family’s
struggle to survive after a meteor
hits the moon, causing worldwide chaos.

Revis, Beth.
Across the Universe
YA REVI
Amy is abruptly wakened
from frozen sleep when someone
tries to murder her.

Westerfield, Scott.
Uglies
YA WEST
In a future world where everyone
gets cosmetic surgery at sixteen,
anyone normal is ugly.

March 8th, 2012

Free Silent Films to Checkout or Download

by Carrie

The Artist movie posterThe Artist’s win for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars marks the first time since 1929 that a silent film has won that award. Although The Artist is not available on DVD yet, there are plenty of free silent movies online or in the library to view in the meantime.

To find library DVD’s, search the library catalog for “silent films.” You can also search for popular silent film stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, or Buster Keaton.

Or, you can download silent films from the comfort of home by using the Kentucky Libraries Unbound database, which offers free movies in WMV format. To find these, browse Classic Films under the Video category on the left side of the page.

The website Open Culture is another great source for free movies in various formats. In addition to silent films, the site also links to free classics, comedies, documentaries, Westerns, and more.

Not sure which silent film to watch first? The Guardian has some suggestions here.

February 18th, 2012

A Presidential Visit to Nicholasville in 1819

by Carrie

James Monroe book coverIn honor of President’s Day, here’s a little piece of presidential trivia: President James Monroe visited Nicholasville on July 9, 1819.

According to an article that appeared in the Kentucky Gazette on July 16, 1819, “[The President] was met at some distance from town by Captain Cunningham’s troop of cavalry, and several citizens on horseback, who escorted him to Hightower and Payne’s Inn, where he had been invited to take part of a collation at 12 o’clock.” Read the full text of the toast given in the President’s honor here.

You can search through more copies of the Kentucky Gazette here, or you can come into the library and search the old fashioned way, on microfilm. And just a reminder: the library will be closed on Monday for President’s Day.

February 7th, 2012

Book a Librarian

by Carrie

A stack of booksNeed help downloading eBooks? Can’t find sources for a research paper? Want to know how to search Consumer Reports from home? JCPL librarians can help!

If you’d like one-on-one help with research or a basic computer problem, sign up for a 30 minute appointment with a librarian.

We can help you learn to:

  • Search the library catalog
  • Download eBooks or audiobooks
  • Find the best job search websites
  • Get a free email account
  • Open email attachments

And more…

To make an appointment, call Carrie at 885-3523 ext. 228 or email her at cgreen@jesspublib.org.

February 3rd, 2012

More Free eBooks

by Carrie

Although we at JCPL are proud of our collection of library eBooks, we understand that, just as with print books, sometimes you might want to buy eBooks of your own. If you’re looking to expand your permanent eBook collection, here are a few websites that will help you score eBooks for free–or at least very cheaply.

With the exception of Pixel of Ink, which is just for the Kindle format, all of these websites offer eBooks in several different formats. Due to copyright restrictions, many of these books are in the public domain and therefore were published before 1923.

Disclaimer: The following links are provided to assist in locating downloadable books. JCPL is not responsible for their content. These third party web sites may or may not provide content meeting JCPL’s Collection Development Policy.

Baen Books eBook Library (http://www.baen.com/library/)

A selection of free, current, science fiction and fantasy novels from Baen Books, including books by Mercedes Lackey, David Weber, and Eric Flint. You can read these books online or download them to an eBook reader.

Inkmesh (http://inkmesh.com/)

Search across multiple websites to find free eBooks and compare eBook prices. Allows easy browsing by subject, too.

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January 27th, 2012

Google Hacks from Hack College

by Carrie

Here’s a great, graphic post from Hack College about getting better search results from Google. It’s geared toward college students, but it’s useful for anyone who wants to improve their search results. Thanks to Kendall, JCPL’s Teen Librarian, for the link!

Get more out of Google
Created by: HackCollege

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