Friday night at 2a.m.

Of course no one reading this will actually need this tool, but maybe you know someone or you know someone who knows someone who might make good use of it...
Webroot's Social Media Sobriety Test can help save you from your greatest enemy--yourself! For those who find themselves apt to combine alcohol and Facebook (or any other social media site providing the means for permanent embarrassment), here is an absolutely necessary tool for self-preservation. Set up this Firefox add-on to apply a sobriety test when you attempt to log in to certain sites at the times you tend to be, well, at your drunkest. You will have to prove your mental acuity by keeping a cursor inside a moving bubble or typing the alphabet backwards. If you fail the test you will not get access to the site and maybe you'll breathe easier on your next job interview.
--RL

Popular Science Books of 2010

The following 2010 science books are listed in order of there popularity based on library circulation.

Decoding Reality: The Universe as Quantum Information
by Vlatko Vedral

This exhilarating book spans everything from betting strategies in casinos to quantum teleportation.





Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion through the Astonishing World of Math
by Alex Bellos

Bellos searched the world for fascinating stories of mathematical achievement, from the breakthroughs of Euclid, the greatest mathematician of all time, to the creations of the Zen master of origami.



The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan Casey

For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary was brewing in the planet's waters.


The Grand Design
by Stephen W. Hawking, & Leonard Mlodinow

In their new book, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow present the most recent scientific thinking about the mysteries of the universe, in nontechnical language marked by both brilliance and simplicity.




Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives
by Thomas French

This meticulously reported and smartly written book will make you think in new ways about animals, human beings, and our respective places in the world.





The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean

The Periodic Table is one of man's crowning scientific achievements. But it's also a treasure trove of stories of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession.



TB

New Audio Releases Coming in January

Bartok, Mira - The Memory Palace - Memoir of the author's estrangement from and reunion with her schizophrenic mother. (Tantor Audio)



Edwards, Kim - Lake of Dreams - A follow-up to Edward's best-selling debut , The Memory Keepers Daughter

Lippman, Laura - The Girl in the Green Raincoat - A new Tess Monaghan novella (AudioGo)

Patterson, James & Michael Ledwidge - Tick Tock -. The 4th book in the series that began with the No. 1 NY Times bestseller Step on a Crack.

Proulx, Annie - Bird Cloud - Part autobiography, part naturalist's journal, this is the author's first work of nonfiction in more than 20 years. (Recorded Books)

Reagan, Ron - My Father at 100 - Biography marks the centenary of the 40th president's birth (Blackstone)



-DB

New books for January

What new titles are coming out in January? Here are a few:

Love Letters by Katie Fforde

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson

The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Suzanne Vreeland

Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods

maf

Some Great Holiday Gift Suggestions

It's that time of year again, when you're desperately seeking a present for that special someone on your list and you don't have any idea what to get them. I've always found a good stand-by in these times of trouble is the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2010, just released this last Sunday. Know a fan of Oprah? Her new book pick is on the list! Someone that devours the New Yorker? Ann Beattie's works, spanning three decades, will fit the bill. You can also extend the list to the power of 10 by giving a look at their 100 Notable Books of 2010. For specific tastes, they have lists for gardening, cooking, travel, mystery, music, visual arts, and graphic novel/comics enthusiasts. Have a young reader on your list? Then have a look at the notable children's books of the year. You can even go beyond books and check out their general holiday gift guide--so save yourself some grief and get some shopping done early by giving these lists a try.




MW

New York Times Book Review Top 10 Best Books of 2010 and 100 Notable Books of 2010

For your reading pleasure, the New York Times announced its Top 10 Best Books of 2010 on December 1, 2010. They include many titles found on other lists. Click on the title to find out more about it or reserve the book for pick up.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (Fiction, Franzen, J.)

The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie. (Fiction, Beattie, A.)

Room by Emma Donoghue. (Fiction, Donoghue)

Selected Stories by William Trevor. (Fiction, Trevor)

A Visit from the Goon Squad. by Jennifer Egan. (Egan, J)

Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet. by Jennifer Homans. (792.8 Homans)

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. (Biography, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt/Schiff)

Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. (616.994 Mukherjee)

Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes by Stephen Sondheim. (Oversize 782.14 Sondheim)

The Warmth of other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. (304.8 Wilkerson)

100 Notable Books of 2010 may be found on the New York Times website. SH

Image at top of page from New York Times Website.

Biography in Context is December's Featured Online Resource

Have you ever wished there was an online resource where you could find good, quick information about people such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Steve Jobs, Jonas Salk, or Picasso?

Whether you are just interested or have a research project to complete, Biography in Context is your first stop in the library or from home to find nearly 1,000,000 biographical entries from reference books, journals, audio clips and videos for over 525,000 people in history.

This is one of my favorite online resources, and it rarely lets me down. Try it out today! SH

Credo Reference Online Resource Class December 7th, 2010!

If you haven't tried our newest online resource--Credo Reference--yet (or even if you have), come to the class in Jackie's Room at the library on Tuesday, December 7th from 2-3 p.m. to be amazed!

This is not your typical resource. Rob Lerman will give you a tour and point out what makes this research tool so unique as well as useful for students, researchers, and those of us who would like to know a little bit more.

Whether you are training a dog, looking for word origins, checking medical conditions/diseases, or looking for a video of a speech by George H. W. Bush, Credo is the place to start.

The topic pages contain information from:

• 500+ reference books

• dictionary and encyclopedia entries

• journal and newspaper articles

• many of our other online resources such as CQ Researcher, Biography in Context, etc.

• Books, dvds and music in our library

• videos

• images

• concept maps

--All from 1 search!

So get ahead of the game and sign up for Introduction to the New Credo Reference Online Resource with Rob on Tuesday! SH

A New Look for the Library Catalog

The library catalog is getting a new look. The new Encore software adds new features to our catalog which creates an entirely new user experience.


Key features of Encore include:

• Keyword search engine with improved relevancy ranking.

• An attractive easy to use interface.

• Easy limiting of search results on the left of screen.

• Spell check.

• Tag cloud generated from search results.

• Requests placed from the results screen.

• Item availability and location on results screen.

• Ability to search for both articles and local collections.

Look for the new catalog in January 2011.

TB