Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Computer Classes Filling Up Fast!


Call 937-463-2665 to register for these FREE classes

We recently opened a brand new computer lab at the Main Library. This facility boasts state of the art laptop computers with wireless internet connections. We're offering a variety of classes in the lab in the new year - things like basic computer instruction, internet searching, using Microsoft Office programs, and more. A full list of January classes and other events is here.

Our first January class is "Computer Basics" on Janury 6th at 3:00. PM. This class is great for those who've never used a computer before and are looking to get started. We'll explain the components of a PC system and practice using the mouse. Register at 463-2665.

On January 7th at 10:00 AM, we're conducting our "Introduction to the Internet" class. In this session, we'll go over accessing, navigating, and using the net. Register at 463-2665.

We're offering "Introduction to E-mail" on January 10th at 10:00 AM. In this class, we'll teach you how to open a free e-mail account and how to use it.
Register at 463-2665.

Dayton Metro Library Business Page

The success of your business depends on how much you know; about your customers, the market, finances, taxes, and more. With the Dayton Metro library as your partner, the latest info is always ready.

Take advantage of these great programs and resources:

  • Premium databases that give you information you can't find on Google. Check out Reference USA, a valuable resource that gives contact names, financial information, annual reports and more for millions of businesses. Other tools such as Morningstar, Newsbank National Newspapers, Legal Forms are among the many resources that are provided for free from the Dayton Metro Library. It's fast, free and convenient.
  • Free workshops from SCORE counselors give you a chance to learn from successful business leaders with real world advice to share. The SCORE counselors are former business executives now volunteering to share their experience with new entrepreneurs. Topics covered include preparing a business plan, marketing, finances and more.
  • Of course, we have the latest business books and magazines with everything from business basics to the latest leadership techniques. You can also listen to many of the best titles on CD or audio cassette, so you can turn drive time into productive time.
Sandy Prell, our Business Specialist, is also available to give you personalized assistance using the library resources and getting the information you need to make your business a success. Contact her by email or call 496-8910.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Hard Times

Timothy Egan's book The Worst Hard Time won the National Book Award in 2006. It chronicles not only the struggle to survive the dust bowl of the American Southwest in the 1930s, but also the social, economic, and environmental forces that led to the tragic phenomenon. Egan does a fantastic job of transporting the reader to a time and place so far away. This year's National Book Award finalists include a historical text as well, This Republic of Suffering, by Drew Gilpin Faust. Faust explores the cultural consequences of the massive battle casualties in the American Civil War, from freelance embalming to misidentified corpses. Civil war casualties numbered 623,000, more than both World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined.

Steve - Main Library

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Mare Winningham

If you have seen the movie Georgia and your ears survived the gravelly, off-key attack that was Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance, you probably came away thinking "Gee, that chick from St. Elmo's Fire can really sing!" That chick, AKA Mare Winningham (who plays Leigh's older sister in the movie), is actually quite the musical talent. She not only can sing, but she also writes her own songs, music and lyrics. Her first two CDs are harder to find - What Might Be and The Lonesomers. The first is folk with a jazz twist, and the second is more country-cross over.

You can, however, checkout her newest release Refuge Rock Sublime at DML. Winningham recently converted to Judaism, and this is a very personal, spiritual, and lively CD that nearly defies categorization. It's Blue Grass-Jewish-folk-country-Appalachian...let's call it Jew-Grass! Any way you listen, it's beautiful. From the reverent "What Would David Do?" to the laugh with joy "Convert Jig" ("I will be a Jew like all of you and dance the convert jig. I will be a Jew like all of you and never eat a pig.") no matter your faith, you'll be tapping your toe.

The movie Georgia (which is available through the MORE request system) was actually written for Mare and Jennifer by Jennifer's mother. Mare was Jennifer's camp counselor when they both were kids, and Jennifer came home babbling about her counselor who sang to the girls with a voice like an angel. It netted Mare an Oscar nomination. Hunting up the movie is well worth your time too!

Tim C. - Main Library

Friday, December 26, 2008

Healthy and Wealthy

Don't stop at a Google search when your well being is on the line, whether physical or financial. Dayton Metro Library offers several online resources with current, quality, credible content that you won't find for free on the internet. Click here for our health and wellness resources. These digital collections are drawn from such standard reference works as The PDR Family Guide to Prescription Drugs and Mosby's Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary. They also draw from white papers, special health reports, magazines, and scholarly journals. Again, this information is not available free on the internet. Someone has to pay for it, and lucky for you, this one's on us!

Here you'll find our online investing resources - Standard & Poor's Net Advantage and the Morningstar Investment Research Center. These two include full-length analyst reports on both individual stocks and mutual funds as well as tools like stock screeners and the "Portfolio X-Ray."

Monday, December 22, 2008

Historical Postcard Collection on CONTENTdm

Are you looking for an image of a historical Dayton building or scene? Would you like to see some historic pictures of Dayton but don’t have time to come to the library? Maybe you are just looking for a way to pass the time while surfing the Internet.

You can find historical pictures of many Dayton buildings, hotels, churches, aerial views, industrial scenes, airplanes, and much more in Dayton Metro Library’s CONTENTdm collections.

Currently, we have two collections online: the Dayton Postcard collection, which includes a wide variety of subjects, and the 1913 Flood Postcard collection, which includes postcards specifically pertaining to the devastating flood of 1913.

You can choose to browse leisurely through more than 900 images, or, if you seek something specific, you can search for keywords and only view images matching your search.

Library staff members are currently working to add even more “content” to our CONTENTdm site, so please check back often!

- Lisa, Local History, Main Library

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Spice Up Your Search

Is your search engine dull, lifeless, boring? Does your forehead fall to your desk at the thought of Googling another search term? Have you always thought, "I wish my search engine would entertain me while I'm waiting for my search results"? Well, your search for a fun (and funny) search engine has ended.

Next time you are working on an assignment or looking for a recipe or searching for election results, try these sites...just make sure your sound is turned up (if you are alone) or your headphones are plugged in.

She's named for the father of the library classification system, and she has access to the whole of the Internet. Ms. Dewey is a sassy animated search assistant who will help you (or possibly abuse you) while MSN's Live Search works on your question. When you load the site, a random Flashplayer movie is played. When you ask a question or enter a search term, another movie plays; sometimes it's even tied to what you've asked. If you leave her alone for too long, she gets cranky. She's played by American-born Indian/Dutch actress Janina Gavankar who you might recognize from "The L-word" or the "Barbershop" movies. Some of her antics will make you laugh hard so be careful where you access her.

Would you like to search for political topics while being entertained? Try Left Vs. Right. This is another site that uses MSN's Live Search to search the Internet. "Patrick" on the Left and "Britt" on the Right banter about things political and not in a short movie when you surf on. When you type in search, they'll banter again. As an extra added bonus, you can turn on the "Left Search" or the "Right Search" to get search results that agree with you politically. All of their movies are a stitch.

Tim C., Main Library

Friday, December 19, 2008

Stuff We Found While Weeding

Defying Gravity: Contemporary Art and Flight, Huston Paschal, Linda Johnson Dougherty, co-curators. The North Carolina Museum of Flight celebrated the Centennial of Flight in 2003 by mounting an exhibition of artwork related, sometimes tangentially, to flight. Very creative entries include Lockheed Lounge (a chaise lounge made from sheet aluminum and rivets), the Flight Research series (photos of a woman skydiving in a wedding dress) and Give Me Wings (a bright yellow biplane rocking chair). And there is some silly stuff as well. My favorite non-silly work is John Schabel’s series of photos of airline passengers taken outside of the plane, their faces framed by the windows they sleep beside and gaze out of.

Working Women: an Appealing Look at the Appalling Uses and Abuses of the Feminine Form, Jessica Strang. Okay, I am familiar with the Caryatids in Athens and that lippy Marilyn couch, but most of the stuff in this book is new to me (thank goodness). Some of it really is appalling, some of it is charmingly nostalgic, and the rest is weirdly fascinating in a what-were-they-thinking kind of way.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

The Latest from Philip Roth

Philip Roth, who has won just about every literary award there is, recently published a novel of post-war America, Indignation. The book, only 256 pages long, follows Marcus Messner of Newark, New Jersey as he transfers colleges to bucolic Ohio in an attempt to free himself of his father's obsessive worrying. Marcus loses his innocence and so much more through an unfortunate combination of bullheadedness and haplessness. I very much enjoyed Indignation and can recommend it heartily along with Roth's My Life as a Man. I have yet to read the Pulitzer Prize winning American Pastoral or the intriguing Plot Against America, but they are certainly on my list.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Emeril’s Creole Christmas

If you are a fan of the Food Network, you have undoubtedly heard of Emeril Legasse. His Creole cooking has made him famous. Here is a great holiday cookbook from him: Emeril’s Creole Christmas. The book is a collection of recipes for the special meals of the season. For Christmas Eve he offers recipes for a meal which includes Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Horseradish and Black Pepper Crust. Christmas Day Brunch is centered around a recipe for Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears. For New Year’s Eve he offers a truly regional dish-- Crawfish-Stuffed Pork Chops with Crawfish Bordelaise Sauce. For New Years Day Supper he does a menu which includes several main dish offerings including Jiffy Pop Firecracker Shrimp and Caramelized Roasted Duck. Along with these recipes are many for sauces, croutons, biscuits and some yummy desserts including a Creole Christmas Trifle. He makes suggestions for wine for each of the meals. This is a great little book from Emeril that wraps up all your holiday recipe needs.

Christmas Favorites

It’s December and holiday shows are popping up all over Dayton.Maybe you can’t make it to the theater, or maybe you would like your child to learn the story of your favorite Christmas classic before seeing it for the first time.Here are a few versions that you and your family can enjoy at home:

A Christmas Carol is being presented by the Human Race Theatre Company. This edition is unabridged and illustrated. If you would prefer to watch this story, this version stars Patrick Stewart among other well-known actors and is a solid adaptation of the original.

Scrooge is the classic musical version of A Christmas Carol. It is not being staged in Dayton this year, so watch it on DVD.

The Nutcracker is being staged by the South Dayton Dance Theatre and also by the Dayton Ballet.For ballet, knowing the plot before watching can be particularly useful, so let children familiarize themselves with it through this retelling of the original German story. If you can’t make it to the Schuster Center or you just can’t get enough, listen to this recording by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. If you’d rather watch from home, try this motion picture version.

The Dayton Philharmonic is continuing with its traditional pre-Christmas performance of Handel's Messiah. This version is performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dayton Playhouse is staging Miracle on 34th St, the story of a Macy’s Santa who might be the genuine article.Read the original story here. Or watch the classic film version!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the story of a church pageant, is frequently staged by area theatres.This year it’s at Playhouse South.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

'Tis the Season

I am not a huge show tunes fan, but my favorite Christmas CD, and the first CD we play every Christmas at our house once the season starts is Broadway Christmas. This CD is a compilation of original recordings of songs that came from Broadway shows. You might be surprised (or you might not) to know that "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "We Need a Little Christmas Now" originated on the Great White Way. When I hear the tinkling bells that introduce the first song "Be a Santa" from the show Subways are for Sleeping, I know it's time to trim the tree and get out the egg nog.

Once you listen to these great recordings, you will love it as much as we do. There's one from Here's Love, the musical version of "Miracle on 34th Street" ("That Man Over There"). And another from the Wonderful Life ("Christmas Gifts"). Why, there's even one from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ("Hard Candy Christmas"). This CD will make you laugh and cry, but mostly it will get you in the spirit of the season.

If this whets your appetite for Broadway Christmas music, you can try Cabaret Christmas. Or maybe Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays which is worth it just for the frighteningly fantastic duet of "Baby it's Cold Outside" featuring Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming...this year, you'll have to look for this last elsewhere; we don't have it...yet!

- Tim C., Main Library

Adult Anime Club

Come join us at the Kettering-Moraine Branch for an anime club just for ADULTS! This is a newly formed club that will be meeting one Saturday a month from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., see below for dates. Our mission is to watch the best anime out there! We will also eat junk food and meet up with other anime enthusiasts. If you have any questions, give us a call at 496-8938.

December 20 - January 31 - February 28 - March 28 - April 25 - May 23

Monday, December 15, 2008

Beware the Pig Girl!

In this modern-day fairy tale, Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) is the victim of a curse cast upon her family five generations before her birth. She was born with the face of a pig, and the only way to lift the curse is for her to be "unconditionally accepted by one of her own kind." Her family assumes that to mean that she has to be married to a rich man, and they hire a matchmaker to set her up with eligible bachelors, all of whom run screaming from the house once they see Penelope's face. Tired of being a prisoner in her own house, and rejected by the one man who actually seemed to love her, Penelope breaks free and has adventures in the real world, where she is accepted for her disfigurement and treated as a star. She learns that she alone had the power to break her curse all along, and in the end, she gets her man.

Penelope is a light, funny tale with fantastic appearances by Reese Witherspoon, Catherine O'Hara, and James McAvoy. A quick pace and sharp writing keep the story moving smoothly. It's a classic retelling for the ugly piglet in all of us.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

The Closest Library: Your Computer

Looking for something new to read? Why not try something OLD? You don’t even need to leave your computer to read some of the greatest works of the past. These websites allow you to read books on the Internet. You can also download texts to read on your computer or portable device. These can come in handy if your child leaves a book at school over the weekend and they have to have a chapter read by Monday. Now, you don’t need to get another copy at the library! Check these out

http://www.bartleby.com/fiction - Named for Herman Melville’s annoying character Bartleby the Scrivener (and yes, you can read that story here,) this is a collection of verse, non-fiction, reference and fiction. It includes Christie’s “Mysterious Affair at Styles,” Wharton’s “Age of Innocence,” Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” not to mention all of Shakespeare.

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog - Project Gutenberg includes 25,000 free online texts many more obscure than those at Bartleby. “What Maisie Knew” by Henry James, “Lord Arthur Seville’s Crime” by Oscar Wilde, “Eugene Onegin” by Pushkin. And an extra added bonus: say your child says, “I don’t remember the title of the book I have to read but it has this weird guy in it named ‘Thomas Gradgrind.’” Project Gutenberg offers “nearly full-text” searches of it’s online texts. You can use the Google-powered search to find out that your forgetful child needs to read “Hard Times” by Dickens.

http://www.fullbooks.com - Fullbooks offers thousands of online books (with minimal ads). Some not so classic, but still fun such as Mary Roberts Rinehart’s “The After House” and "Tik-Tok of Oz" by Baum.

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu - University of Pennsylvania’s online library boasts 30,000 titles. This is an index of titles available on the Internet, so you will be referred to another site when you pick a title. This includes classics plus modern (free) online fiction and non-fiction.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Metal! We've Got Metal!

We've got jazz, classical, opera, all that library stuff we're supposed to have. But can you believe it? We've got metal too! I'm not talking Disturbed or Slipknot here folks. I'm talking honest-to-goodness, real-deal metal like Trivium's killer new disc, Shogun.


Or, if neo-thrash/metalcore isn't your thing but "adult contemporary progressive death metal" is, we've got Between the Buried and Me's recent release, Colors. This one I can vouch for as true genius having seen them blow Children of Bodom off the stage at the Newport this fall.



And for those who still yearn for the clean vocals of yesteryear, there's always the surprisingly-good-if-not-quite-Master of Puppets Death Magnetic from a resurgent, reconstituted Metallica.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Stuff We Found While Weeding

As much as we love all of our books, we can't keep everything forever. Our highly-trained librarians examine our collections continuously to ensure that they are current, of high quality, and meet the demands of our customer base. Those books that don't make the grade are usually donated to our amazing book sale. We have traditionally referred to the process of pulling up these shelf-chokers as "weeding." Below you'll find some interesting items we came across during this process and decided to keep.

Tall-tale Postcards: a Pictorial History, by Roger L. Welsch. A fascinating collection of faked, boastful postcards depicting giant produce and outsized critters of various rural communities. And I do mean giant—carrots are stacked on railway cars like timber and chickens are so big you can ride ‘em. My favorites are the giant squirrels (“I fought him hand to hand”) and the legendary pronged “warrior rabbit” of the west.


A Bushel of Merry thoughts. Told in pictures by Wilhelm Busch, and in verse by W. Harry Rogers. Anyone who thinks graphic novels are a modern invention needs to see this book. Originally published in 1868, this delightfully illustrated volume tells four cautionary tales with wit and clarity, from the woeful tale of Ice Peter, who made an unfortunate choice on his way to gather wood, to the Cat and Mouse tale that is set thus: a Mouse-hole, a Boot-hole, a Pump, a Clothes-prop supporting a Pair of Trousers, a Lantern and a Blacking-pot.

A Celebration of Gardens, by Roy Strong, decorated by Julia Trevelyan Oman. A perfect book to read on dark winter evenings when a gardener pines for out-of-doors growing things. Poetry, essays, and selected prose from famous and not-so-famous authors, loosely grouped into themes like Types of Gardens, Garden Work, Some Famous Gardeners, Events and Encounters. Illustrated throughout by Julia Oman’s delightful charcoal sketches. Warms a hibernating gardener’s chilled heart.

The Wordy Shipmates

NPR commentator Sarah Vowell sheds new light on the misconceptions of the Puritans who arrived at Massachusetts in the 1630’s as being a bunch of bland and introverted “religious fanatics.” In reality, these “fanatics” were often quite outspoken; especially the rabble rousers who were often not afraid to vehemently express their opinions before the entire colony. Vowell analyzes notable and complex Puritan figures such as Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop, Rhode Island founder Roger Williams, Reverend John Cotton, and the accused “heretic” Anne Hutchinson.

Fans of Vowell’s witty humor from her previous books will not be disappointed with her latest work. The Wordy Shipmates will appeal to readers who want an entertaining break from conventional history texts. Be sure to also check out her other books available at the Dayton Metro Library: Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, and Assassination Vacation. Don’t forget to check out this link to see Vowell’s appearance on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart promoting her new book!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Facebook Too!

Are you on Facebook? Then become a fan of the new Dayton Metro Library page . You can find upcoming adult programming around the library system and keep track of it on your Facebook Events page. Post on our wall or start a discussion in the forums and view library photos. You can even track the latest updates of this blog there!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Holiday Music at the Library

I’m a fan of the music from a Charlie Brown Christmas, but this year I found the music of Charles Brown that I’m enjoying a great deal. He’s the author of “Merry Christmas Baby” which is included on this recording. Brown’s wonderful blues piano playing along with his soulful singing is accompanied by tasteful tenor sax and guitar playing that help me get out of the winter blues and into the holiday spirit. There are lots of holiday recordings of all kinds at the library and every year I look for something I haven’t heard before. Charles Brown’s Cool Christmas Blues is the treasure I found this year. - Barb K., Main Library

Spotlight on Local History

Have you ever wondered who lived in your house 50 years ago? Or maybe you are looking for a yearbook photo of a former classmate. Perhaps you are writing a research paper about National Cash Register, the Wright Brothers, the 1913 flood, or another topic in Dayton’s history. Would you like to know more about one of the many businesses, churches, schools, or historic districts in our area?

The reference staff in the Local History Room, located in the basement of the Main library, will be glad to help you with questions such as these. We have books, newspapers, photographs, city directories, historical maps, manuscript collections, and many other types of resources to help you find the answers you seek. To learn more about our Local History collections, visit our web page.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Fruits of Cooperation

The Dayton Metro Library has a lot of books. Close to two million, in fact. We don't have everything, however, as much as we'd like to. If there's something you can't find in our catalog, try the Ohio Libraries Share MORE system. This system allows you to make and manage your own requests from Ohio public libraries outside Montgomery county online. If you still can't find what you're looking for, come in and talk to one of our expert librarians or give us a call at 937-496-8910. You can also call your local branch. We participate with libraries across the country in what's called interlibrary loan. If we don't have it, we certainly have a great shot at getting it for you from somewhere else.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Who's That Girl?

You've just finished watching all the episodes of the British miniseries "Cranford" based on Elizabeth Gaskill's book. You loved it, but you KNOW you’ve seen the actress who played Miss Pole before...but she wasn't sweet and goofy. You know you've seen her being evil. What are you going to do?


I've got the website of your dreams. Just go to the Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com You’ll be amazed at what this site can tell you. To answer your question, enter the title of the movie ("Cranford" in this case) in the search box. The results list includes the miniseries you just watched (filmed in 2007). Click the title and there's the whole cast list. Scroll down and you'll see that Miss Pole was played by Imelda Staunton. When you click on her name, your question is answered...under the biographical information, there's a list of every movie and television series she's ever been in. Lo and behold, she was Dolores Umbridge in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." THAT'S where you saw her be so evil!


IMDB is the perfect go-to website when you have any question about movies, television series, or actors. Say you've just watched "Then She Found Me" and you think the lead guy is so cute and funny you want to see all his movies...Click on his name (Colin Firth) on the cast list & you can watch everything he ever committed to film! You can search the writers, directors, character names, quotes, keywords, titles, series titles (even episode titles if the series has them). There is also a wealth of knowledge about how the movie was filmed and what it cost, how much it made, etc. through the links at the left. Use it once or twice and you WILL be addicted...and well informed!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Surgin' Sturgeon

The Philosopher Fish tells the story of the sturgeon, an ancient fish with great scientific import which is nonetheless quite endangered. As the source of black caviar, the sturgeon finds itself involved in more economic and political intrigue than perhaps any other animal. Author Richard Carey tours us through the fish's world with an expert eye and a friendly pen.



You might also want to check out Carey's more well-known book, Against the Tide, which examines the fate of New England fishermen as they struggle to survive in our modern age. The author provides a first-hand account with information garnered from a year spent working alongside several fishermen in different segments of the industry.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Saturn's Children

What happens to robots designed, built, and programmed to serve humanity when the humans are gone? Like the Energizer Bunny, they keep going… In Saturn’s Children, by Charles Stross, the robots, androids, worker bots, femmbots and other sentient machines have no choice but to continue to maintain and expand the interplanetary civilization founded by their creators. Unfortunately, humankind has been extinct for centuries. In their place, some of the cleverest (and least empathic) of the robots set themselves up as a new aristocracy, often enslaving others of their kind.

Freya Nakamichi 47 was designed to be a faithful companion to man. She struggles with her purpose in “life”, and considers ending it all, when she is offered a new kind of proposition. She gets a job as a courier, delivering special packages across the solar system, as part of the anti-aristocratic underworld. She continues to make new enemies on every planet; chasing her from Venus to Mercury to Mars and finally to the moons of Saturn. Eventually she learns the true meaning of the secrets she has been carrying. They could lead to the rebirth of her “One True Love”. A rebirth of the human race. But would this really be a good thing for her and her kind?

Saturn’s Children has been lauded as a tribute to the style of the classic science fiction author Robert Heinlein, reminiscent of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land and Friday. If you enjoy Heinlein and Stross, try John Varley’s Persistence of Vision and The Golden Globe.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Helping Hand

Looking for information on Miami Valley food pantries, health services, or employment assistance? The United Way of the Greater Dayton area is a clearinghouse for information on local support services. You can call their HelpLink line by dialing 211 to speak with someone about services you qualify for. If you prefer to search online, HelpLink has a database which can be searched by category here.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Grants Information Center Orientation

Did you know the Dayton Metro Library employs a Grants Specialist to help local nonprofits explore and make use of our collections dedicated to helping them thrive? The Grants Information Center Orientation is an introduction to these resources as well as a basic primer on grant seeking. Areas covered include:

  • what nonprofits need to have in place before seeking grants
  • what you need to know about the world of philanthropy
  • how you identify funding partners

The next session is Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Main Library. Sessions are also scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 1:30 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 23 at 9:30 a.m.

Monday, December 1, 2008

The Whiskey Rebels

In his first work of American historical fiction, David Liss also for the first time uses dual first person narrators. Ethan Saunders is a former Revolutionary War spy, disgraced after a false accusation. One of Alexander Hamilton's agents who is attempting to locate the missing Mr. Pearson approaches him; Mrs. Pearson was engaged to Saunders before his disgrace, and she has turned to him for help.

Joan Maycott and her husband move to the western Pennsylvania frontier. Their success with new developments in whiskey making attracts dangerous attention.

Like all of David Liss' work, The Whiskey Rebels gives a detailed picture of its world, in this case the events leading up to the Whiskey Rebellion. His principal characters live on the edges of their society and yet come across as authentic examples of people who could have lived. In spite of how detailed a history lesson it is, the action and twists keep coming until the last chapter.

There are details on which it could be improved. Each of Joan's chapters is labeled as to when it is set. Ethan's chapters follow each other more immediately; however it would have been nice to be told when his narrative begins. The reader can only guess based on roughly how long it has been since the war ended and what historical events have happened until Joan appears. There was also something I thought was suggested shortly after Joan reached the Pennsylvania frontier, which was never followed up. Now I do not know if I am reading too much into things or if Liss intended for the reader to understand, but not Joan.

All in all I strongly suggest this book to fans of Liss's other work, fans of historical fiction in general, and those interested in the early years after the Constitution.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Better than Starbucks

Yes, Starbucks has free Wi-Fi, but does Starbucks have free books? Free Movies? Free research help? Well, the Dayton Metro Library offers all of those at every location. That's right, every DML branch offers free Wi-Fi. To enjoy the service, your wireless card settings should be:

SSID = Library
WEP= disable WEP encryption
Mode or Network Type = intrastructure mode or access point, not adhoc

On a Windows machine, right click on "wireless network connection," view "available wireless networks," choose "library," and click connect. Mac users select "Apple menu," "system preferences," "network" button. Then select the TCP/IP tab and "configure using DHCP." You may also need to select "configure via Airport" or "other wireless ethernet." The current acceptable internet use policy for library computers applies to wireless use as well. We might not be able to configure the great variety of machines out there, but we'll do our best to help get you set up.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Phone Numbers

One of the most frequent reference calls we get at Dayton Metro Library is a request for a phone number. Sometimes, someone needs a number they can't find in the phone book. Sometimes, there isn't a phone book handy. Other times the caller will want to know who is attached to a particular phone number. If you've a mind to find out on your own and an Internet connection, here are some links to free websites that you can access yourself:

First, if you have a valid library card, you can access Reference USA here. We pay to subscribe to this service so that you can access phone numbers of businesses and people across the country. This is like all the US phone books accessible through your computer with NO ADS! You can search by first or last name or even phone number if you are looking for a person. If you are looking for a business, you can search by company name, state, city or phone number. If you are looking for a business, the database will also give you some further information about the company.

You can do similar searches on the Internet at switchboard which is maintained by the "Yellow Book" people and anywho which is maintained by AT&T. These sites make their money through ad revenue, so there are some ads. If your search has no results, they will direct you to other parties who will require payment to further your search. There are tons of sites out there that SAY they offer free searches for this type of information. Most of those just offer you a minimum of info and ask you to pay for more. The sites mentioned above are your best BETs.

American Music Awards

This year's American Music Awards featured four multiple award winners. You can get this hot music free from us! Here are the winning albums with links to our catalog records:

Chris Brown - Exclusive

Alicia Keys - As I Am

Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad

Kanye West - Graduation


At the other end of the musical spectrum, the country winners were:

Brad Paisley - 5th Gear

Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good

Taylor Swift - Fearless

Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

National Book Awards

The 2008 National Book Awards have been announced and, of course, we have them all available for checkout. The winners' citations are displayed below. They are:

Fiction: Shadow Country by Peter Mathiessen. "An epic of American rise and descent—poetic, mythic, devastating. From his Everglades trilogy Peter Matthiessen has coaxed a masterpiece, a wrenching story of familial, racial and environmental degradation stretching from the Civil War to the Great Depression. His E.J. Watson emerges through a dazzling array of voices as a singular figure in our national literature, the looming personification of manifest destiny within the dark reaches of our history."



Nonfiction: The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed. "In the mesmerizing narrative of Annette Gordon-Reed’s American family saga, one feels the steady accretion of convincing argument: Her book is at once a painstaking history of slavery, an unflinching gaze at the ways it has defined us, and a humane exploration of lives—grand and humble—that “our peculiar institution” conjoined. This is more than the story of Thomas Jefferson and his house slave Sally Hemings; it is a deeply moral and keenly intelligent probe of the harsh yet all-too-human world they inhabited and the bloodline they share. "

Poetry: Fire to Fire: New and Collected Poems by Mark Doty. "Elegant, plain-spoken, and unflinching, Mark Doty's poems in Fire to Fire gently invite us to share their ferocious compassion. With their praise for the world and their fierce accusation, their defiance and applause, they combine grief and glory in a music of crazy excelsis. In this generous retrospective volume a gifted young poet has become a master."

Free Computer Classes @ The Library

The Dayton Metro Library will be offering free introductory computer classes this December at the Main Library in our new wireless laptop lab! Registration is required for each class. Please call 463-BOOK (2665) and ask for "Computer Services" to register.

  • Computer Basics: Learn the very basics of how the computer works, including mouse skills, opening/closing programs and parts of the computer. This class provides the foundation you need to be a confident computer user. Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:00 p.m.
  • Intro to Email: Learn the very basics of Email. This class will provide instruction on signing up for and using electronic mail. Some Internet experience is recommended. Thursday, December 11th at 3:00 p.m.
Look for expanded course offerings in the new year!
 
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