SelectionsSelections
The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System
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June 1, 2007 Volume 2, Issue 6 |
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Welcome to
Selections, the monthly electronic newsletter of
the Sarasota County Library
System.
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Read Selections online, or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email. This
edition of Selections is brought to you by the | |
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National Library News: |
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In this report on the State of America’s Libraries in
2006, the American Library Association found that: Public, school and
university libraries are flourishing, both in traditional ways and in the
still-exploding universe of the Internet. Library use is up nationwide
among all types of library users, continuing a decade-long trend. Almost
1.8 billion visitors checked out more than 2 billion items last year at
everything from one-room rural outposts to spectacular facilities such as
Investment in e-books at
academic and research libraries rose an astonishing 68 percent from 2002
to 2004, the most recent year for which federal data are
available. Public libraries remain on the
forefront in delivering new programs to their customers while still
providing the “nuts-and-bolts” services that people need to lead full
lives — for example, the tools to conduct a job search, write a résumé or
learn new work skills. Even with the rapid growth of all of these
services, people are going to their public library to check out or read
books in record numbers. The public expressed its
continuing strong support for public libraries in 2006 in positive votes
on library funding referenda and other local ballot
measures. Despite a growing body of
research that links school libraries and student achievement, school
library media centers were hard hit by funding cuts in the past
year. Meanwhile, the library
community continued its work in defending the First Amendment rights of
library users against secret government surveillance, including the USA
PATRIOT Act. Librarians also continued their efforts to oppose censorship
challenges that would restrict the free flow of information and ideas to
both adults and children. Finally, the library community — from the ALA
and its corporate and philanthropic partners to individual librarians to
the children and teens who use school library media centers nationwide —
won widespread acclaim for their work in helping colleagues and fellow
citizens in the Gulf Coast region begin their long recovery from the
devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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Local Library News: | |
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Featured Stories: | |
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Book Club-in-a-Bag
Sarasota
County Libraries recently debuted 21 book discussion bags to meet growing
demand for multicopy reading materials. Groups who enjoy reading and
discussing the same book will benefit from the convenience and added
features that the bags provide. Each bag contains ten copies of the
same title, a biographical sketch of the author, sample discussion
questions and other tools to enhance the reading experience. Library card
holders may reserve and check out the bags for eight weeks to share with
their circle of book enthusiasts. The bag collection includes literary
classics, captivating novels and stimulating
nonfiction. “Though
reading is usually considered a solitary pursuit there is joy in sharing
our feelings and insights about books with others,” said Greg Carlson,
Jacaranda Public Library manager. “We expect the book bag collection will
fuel more of those rewarding conversations.” For
additional information about book bags, or to place a reserve, call the
June 2007 CHIP Newsletter
Consumers who seek a one-stop
source for reputable men’s health information should try Gale’s Health and Wellness Resource
Center (HWRC).
The HWRC offers a
fully-integrated electronic resource center for all levels of health
research. A medical dictionary, an alternative health encyclopedia, a drug
and herb finder, and a database containing full text articles from leading
publications provide broad coverage of medicine and allied fields. Topics
include men’s medical issues from prostate health to hair
loss. Searches are not limited to
print information. Through a partnership with Healthology, a leading
producer of health and medical video content, users can search an
extensive online library provided by Healthology directly from the HWRC
home page.
Select Electronic Information Resources
from the Sarasota County Library System home page, www.sclibs.net, and scroll down to the
Health heading to access
HWRC. Men’s health week is June 11
through June 17, 2007.
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Community Connection: | ||
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Senior Friendship Center's Caregiver Resource Centers | ||
The Jacaranda
Public Library manager Greg Carlson and SFC Venice CRC director Kathleen
Simonds have begun discussing caregiving partnership opportunities and
resource-sharing. Both agencies already participate in the |
Featured Database: |
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MedlinePlus |
Your Health, Your
Web Medicine is getting so
complicated even the doctors can’t keep up with it. You have one doctor
for your toes and another for your nose. Your dentist might use a word that
your dermatologist has never heard. And where can you find a
doctor? And who will tell you
anything at all about your prescription? And how do you know if there is
an alternative therapy, or any new breakthroughs? Would your doctor have
heard of them? Answers to these
questions can be found on one very user friendly website, www.medlineplus.gov. This site
opens to page with links to interesting articles from peer-reviewed
journals. It has regular
featured websites as well as videos of surgeries. The left column of this
website has easily-navigated sections on those things which concern
everyone. The basic health
topics can be searched by word or you can choose to browse a section of
the alphabet. Once you have
found a health topic that interests you take a look at medications, latest
research, any laws that might be in effect about your illness and local
agencies or support. It also has sections for drug information, directories to doctors, dentists and hospitals. Here it is. You can take charge of your health. One website with many answers, in terms we can understand.
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Featured Internet Sites: |
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Founded in 2004 by Suranga Chandratillake, blinkx is the
world's largest and most advanced video search engine. At the website,
users can search for video content, create personal video playlists or
build a customized Video Wall for their blog or MySpace page.
Blinkx is an example of second-generation Internet
technology—sometimes referred to as Web 2.0—which promotes
information-sharing and collaboration online. back to top |
Book Reviews: |
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Staff Picks! |
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Library Events Calendar: |
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Click on the Library Calendar link from the Library's Home page |
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You can limit
what shows on the calendar by individual library, by audience and
by type of event. Just click on the dropdown
boxes. |
Reference Question of the Month: | |
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What is the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims? | |
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Volunteer Spotlight: |
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Diverse Volunteers |
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Library volunteering isn’t
just about shelving books. Milt Heinowitz and Dr. Guenther Hennig repair
audio and video tapes at Jacaranda Public Library. Their deft touch and
clever repair methods return dozens of twisted and damaged tapes to
circulation every month. By improving access to materials and saving
replacement costs our media magicians provide a valuable public service.
The FTB Jacaranda Youth
Department has been very fortunate to host Nadja Marks-Shafton, a senior
in the International Baccalaureate program at Jacaranda
Public Library invites you to join our diverse volunteer corps. Stop by
the library and pick up an application. We look forward to matching your
special talents with a wide range of volunteer opportunities. |
