February 3rd, 2012
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.
read more »
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
January 27th, 2012
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!
Created by: HackCollege
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
January 24th, 2012
by Carol
Experts are now saying that slow but steady improvement is expected in the job market in the coming months. This is great news, especially with more than 13 million people still out of work in the US. If you or someone you know is out of work and looking for a job, your library is here to help with our upcoming Job Lab and Public Library Workforce Center BTOP Computer classes (see our online calendar for more information).
However, with so many out of work and competing for the same jobs, how can you set yourself above the rest? Statistics show that many of the unemployed have been out of work for over six months with little current information to place on a resume. One possible solution is volunteering. A recent LinkedIn survey found that one in five employers hire someone primarily because of his volunteer service outside the office. If you are unemployed, this volunteer service shows you’ve been productive with your time. It further shows that you have continued to gain experience, and it can provide that current resume information that may set you above the competition.
So, while you continue to wait for the economy to improve, find a volunteer opportunity in your community. Be sure to look for work that is substantive and may apply to the type of employment you would like to have. Ideally, volunteer within your field of expertise and find work that allows you to demonstrate your leadership qualities.
JCPL has various resources available on resume writing and job interviewing to assist you as you move back into the job market. Look on the shelves in the 650.14 section for multiple resources on interviewing and resume skills. Also, check out the links below for more information on using volunteerism in your resume:
http://www.snagajob.com/job-articles/volunteer-experience-on-resume.aspx
http://www.volunteerguide.org/motivate/resume
http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/Resume-Writing-Tips/Leverage-Volunteer-Work-on-Resume/article.aspx
Posted in Programs, Resources | No Comments »
January 18th, 2012
by Carrie
On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the King Center released 200,000 digitized documents from Dr. King’s papers, including letters, note cards, telegrams, speeches, and photographs. The King Center Digital Imaging Project hopes to bring “the works and papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to a digital generation.”
You can search the documents or browse curated themes that focus on subjects such as letters from children, notable sermons, nonviolence strategies, and more. A draft of King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech shows edits he made just before giving the speech. Here’s a telegram from Dr. King to Eartha Kitt, and a letter a child wrote to Corretta Scott King after her husband was assassinated. All of these items make history come alive in a way that only primary source documents can.
Posted in Resources, Uncategorized, Websites | No Comments »
January 13th, 2012
by Carrie
I got hooked on the PBS Masterpiece series Downton Abbey last year, when former staff member Keyth wrote about it in this review. Season 2 began last Sunday on KET, and it whetted my appetite for all things British, Edwardian, and social-class centric.
If you’d like to know more about some of the issues the series explores, such as World War I or the Titanic disaster, or get caught up in the time period with a great historical novel, here are some JCPL resources you might enjoy.
Movies:
Gosford Park
Brideshead Revisited (the 1981 mini-series) and Brideshead Revisited (the 2009 movie)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Howard’s End
Atonement
Books:
Posted in Resources | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2012
by Carrie
If you can’t make it into the library for our eBook training sessions, take a look at the Download Audiobooks and eBooks page of our catalog: http://tinyurl.com/JCPLDownloadables.
Here you can find help sheets for downloading eBooks to your nook, Sony Reader, Kindle, or other device, instructions for installing and using Adobe Digital Editions or the Sony Reader software, as well as links to websites that offer free downloadable eBooks in various formats.
Posted in Resources, Training | No Comments »
December 19th, 2011
by Carrie
The Christmas clock is ticking, but there is still plenty of time for holiday baking. If you’d like to try out some new cookie recipes this year, check out one of the recipe books below. Our newest cookie book is the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies, which includes lots of festive, elaborately decorated cookies that would be great for gifting. How about a wardrobe of wedges and heels for your fashionista friend, or a set of Paris-inspired cookies for the Francophile on your list?
Posted in Resources | No Comments »
December 15th, 2011
by Carol
This is the time of year that many are thinking of ways to give back. Volunteerism increases during the holidays with individuals and families giving of their time and resources to local soup kitchens, angel trees, and service organizations. The gift of volunteering benefits the giver as much, if not more, than the receiver.
If you find yourself motivated to make volunteerism a more regular part of your life, consider taking a Volunteer Vacation this summer. The idea is to use vacation time as an opportunity to do something worthwhile that benefits you and others. Volunteering for a worthy cause during time off can be a fulfilling adventure that you and your family look forward to year after year.
Opportunities are available all over the globe and range from working with livestock, studying wild horses with Earthwatch, working alongside archeologists on remote southwestern digs and with historians on National Forest land, assisting with health care in remote villages, maintaining trails in beautiful mountain ranges, or building homes for the homeless. In the current economic times the fact that volunteer vacations are often free or tax deductible is another added bonus.
Learn more about volunteer vacations at:
www.immersiontraveler.com
www.familytravelnetwork.com
Look for opportunities for volunteer vacations in the following books available at JCPL:
Volunteer Vacations Across America by Sheryl Kayne
Volunteer Vacations by Bill McMillion
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
December 12th, 2011
by Christina
Thinking about buying someone a book or audiobook for the holidays? Not sure what they might enjoy?
Back in October, we told you about NoveList’s NextReads Newsletters, a service which sends you lists of new and forthcoming titles in various genres. Jessamine County Public Library also offers NoveList Plus, a helpful solution for identifying what to read next.
The NoveList Plus database makes recommendations for what to read based on titles, authors, series, or genres you, or someone you love, already enjoy. All the recommendations include an explanation as to why a particular selection would be appealing to the reader. To access this resource from home, simply enter your seven-digit library card number as your patron ID.
NoveList Plus contains descriptions and recommendations for both fiction and narrative nonfiction titles and for all ages from the youngest readers to adults. Additionally, NoveList Plus includes Book Discussion Guides, thematic book lists, and reading and book oriented articles.
More information may be found on the library website at or by speaking with us at the Information Desk.
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
November 30th, 2011
by Barbara
Most of us who commute an hour or more a day know that the library offers boredom-relievers in the form of music CDs, books on CD or tape, and downloadable audio books. An even wider range of listening enjoyment can be found through the podcasts produced by several libraries around the country and available to listeners everywhere.
A podcast is a digital recording made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player. For commuters, an advantage to podcasts over audio books is that they are usually an hour or less in length and cover a seemingly infinite variety of topics. An advantage to podcasts over radio broadcasts is that one can choose what one listens to at any given moment. So many podcasts are available that one need never again complain of commute-time boredom.
In library-produced podcasts you can find interviews with favorite authors, discussions among experts on just about every topic imaginable, live music concerts, university lectures, language lessons, and more. Some libraries also disseminate podcasts produced by their library patrons, including teens and even children.
A sampling of library podcasts is found below (after the break). For most, you can subscribe to a regular feed to download and listen to on your computer and/or digital player. Others list podcasts in an archive from which you can download the ones you like.
read more »
Posted in Resources, Websites | No Comments »
