library tips to save you time
The Scout Report from the University of Wisconsin – Madison has a roundup this month of their favorite websites of 2008-2009. Okay, maybe it’s the kind of thing we would expect to see in January, not July, but don’t let that shake your confidence: the Scout Report is selective, and these sites will be the best of the best.
…or something more serious? The best symptom charts are at familydoctor.org, a collaboration between the American Academy of Family Physicans and Answers TV. It’s one of the Top Ten consumer health sites chosen by the Medical Library Association, and I like it so much that I can forgive the annoying ads.
One of the big advantages of this site is that it is written by physicians and medical students, who will not encourage us to poison ourselves with home remedies. Instead, they give enough information to help make an informed decision about when to call the doctor.
The Search by Symptom link is especially helpful: you’ll find it on the left side of the screen on the home page. The link leads to different general problems (cough, fever, skin rashes, etc.) with flow charts that take you through a series of questions about the condition until you arrive at a preliminary diagnosis or a recommendation to see your physician ASAP.
Enjoy the nice weather, and watch out for the 3-leafed plants.
The summer wedding season will shortly be in full swing, and many of us will be traveling near and far to attend the nuptial ceremonies of friends or family members. While the happy couple undergoes most of the stress, wedding attendees also face worries and hassles. Luckily, the library has several resources that should alleviate most wedding-related headaches.
Let’s say you have a friend getting married in a Hindu (Muslim, Mormon, Methodist, etc.) ceremony and you have no idea what to expect. What attire is considered appropriate? What is the basic structure of the service? As someone who is not a co-religionist, are you expected to participate in any fashion? The Reference department has a great book that answers these and a multitude of other questions you may have. Titled How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (REF 291.3 HOW), it covers religious etiquette for a wide range of practices, and offers information specific to wedding ceremonies for each of the faith included.
Questions may arise during the period leading up to a wedding, and determining responsibilities that attendees have (whether as mother of the bride, maid of honor, or guest) can be difficult at times. If you are looking for clarification, or if you are a frazzled and overspent parent looking for perspective, take a look at Miss Manners on Painfully Perfect Weddings (395.22 MAR). Practical information that is wittingly conveyed – what more could one want?
Should one of your wedding responsibilities include making a toast, the library can help you prepare. Our circulating collection contains a copy of Wedding Toasts and Traditions (392 ISH), and in Reference a copy of Toasts: Over 1,500 of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces (REF 808.85 TOASTS) can be found.
Good luck!
My idea of heaven? Lying in the sun, chewing gum, with a juicy magazine while listening to music!
So let’s talk about music…You should basically have music on all summer, so I want to help you with some good sources. Now, my brother’s in a band so, I am REALLY into musicians’ rights, copyright, bleedi-blotti….all these sources are legit.
This library has a lot of books ABOUT music…Jazz, Country, Classical, even Punk! In general you’ll find them in the 780’s (that’s Dewey talking). I like to flip through The Rolling Stones : A Life on the Road for the pictures…and of course, Rolling Stone magazine!
The CD collection has some gems in the rough. No comment on the tapes… The other day I discovered that my favorite CD in the collection by The Devil Makes Three went missing. I immediately exercised my patron rights and requested the CD be purchased, AGAIN! Request CDs by all means – share your musical taste with the world, or at least Brattleboro. All you have to do is fill out a small green form at the main desk or send an email from the library website.
I am a bit of an alterna-chick so, I like to head to pitchfork.com for album reviews, band information, and video links. If you are more Top 40, then billboard.com is your home for what’s hot and what’s not.
As far as listening to the jams, there are three sites I am particularly into…These are great for listening to songs and creating playlists in a wide range of genres.
The last site is particularly fun because it helps introduce you to new music based on the music you like.
I can’t end this post without mentioning that the great internet movie theatre youtube.com is also a great place to not only listen but watch those rock and roll stars…
Yours,
Babette
Is your call important to YOU? Check out gethuman.com to “bypass phone systems, talk to a live person, [and] share customer help tips.” The site lists numbers for businesses and organizations in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries. Entries are dated so you know the information is current, and site users add tips and notes to increase your chances of reaching a real person.
You enter the library and there are ALL THOSE BOOKS! Where to begin? What do you feel like reading? Don’t worry, suggestions are all around you:
First, the big oak a-frame right in front of you usually has a theme-based display (right now, gardening and backyard livestock). On the back are random selections by our readers’ advisors and staff. If none of those appeal to you, on the bottom shelf of the a-frame are several loose-leaf notebooks. There lies a wealth of titles:
A little further on, under the light paperback collection, is another set of notebooks. They contain all the “For Love of Books” columns from the Brattleboro Reformer since 1996, written by many different local people about many different books and expanded subjects.
Perhaps you want to choose your books before you even set foot in the library. The catalog has a tab called “Brooks Books”, which includes various staff picks and theme bibliographies plus links to every award list, from the Agatha Award to World Fantasy. You’ll find those links hiding way down at the bottom of the page in blue type.
And then there is NoveList. NoveList is one of the treasures you will find behind our “Resources” button on the Library’s web page. NoveList only deals with fiction, but you can search it by author, title, theme, genre, series, awards. If you have read the last book by a cherished author, go to “Read Alikes” in Novelist to find similar writers and/or titles. Explore NoveList even if you know exactly what you want to read; it’s an adventure.
Ready to check out? Well, there on the circulation desk is the N.Y. Times Bestseller list. Many of the titles have waiting lists, but this is the chance to put yourself in line for the hot books; just ask, or put a hold on the title from home. If you would like pointers on how to do that, a staff member will be happy to help you.
“So many books, so little time”, as they say, but here at the library you can pick the raisins out of the granola with help from every side. Enjoy!
Tip: Try Centers for Disease Control for tracking information on swine flu.
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The CDC website includes a chart of confirmed cases, key facts, guidance for professionals, and many other useful links. Click to follow their Twitter stream for up-to-the-minute bulletins.
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Tip: Let the scouts do the work for you.
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For many years, librarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been compiling and indexing the Internet’s best sites to make life easier for all of us. Here is how they describe their work:
“Since 1994, the Scout Project has focused on developing better tools and services for finding, filtering, and presenting online information and metadata.
“Located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus, and part of the University’s College of Letters and Sciences, Scout has access to highly educated content specialists and a world-class array of computer science and library resources. Our eclectic staff blends academics and professionals from Library Science and Computer Science, along with graduate and undergraduate students studying the sciences, social sciences and humanities.”
At the Scout Project website, you can subscribe to the Scout Report for periodic e-mail updates on cool Web sources. You can also search the extensive archives by keyword or browse by Library of Congress subject headings. Don’t miss it!
Tip: We’ve got the forms.
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Everyone’s least favorite day of the year is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t filed your taxes yet, the library has resources that will make tax preparation less stressful.
If you need tax forms, just follow the bright orange “Tax Forms” sign. The arrows on the sign will point you in the right direction, and you’ll soon find Federal 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ forms, Vermont State forms, and corresponding instruction booklets. Other forms, of which photocopies can be made, are kept in a binder in the Reference area.
While the binder contains a vast assortment of forms, it may not have the one you need. Federal forms can be downloaded from http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html?portlet=3, while state forms can be accessed at http://www.state.vt.us/tax/forms.shtml. Both the IRS and Vermont Department of Taxes can help with your tax questions and are the first place to go if you need an extension.
Tip: The Library has free resources on all aspects of career planning and job hunting.
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Brattleboro’s unemployment rate currently stands at 7.1% , and many of us have begun the unpleasant process of looking for a new job during an economic downturn. If you find yourself in this predicament, why not stop by the library? We have some fantastic resources that will make your search for the perfect job that much easier.
Interested in making a career change but don’t know where to begin? The library has several guides on hand, including Richard Nelson Bolles’ What color is your parachute? (331.1 BOL) and Laurence G. Boldt’s Zen and the art of making a living: a practical guide to creative career design (650.14 BOL). A subject search for “career development” and/or “career change” will help you locate others.
If you do have a clear sense of what careers interest you but need more concrete information about them (such as educational requirements, average wages, and current demand), you should swing by Reference and take a look at the Occupational outlook handbook (REF 371.42 OCC). The handbook, which can also be accessed online at http://www.bls.gov/OCO/, is produced by the U.S. Department of Labor and has detailed data on countless professions.
In Reference you will also find The guide to basic resume writing (REF 650.14 GUI). Other resume guides can be checked out of the library, and can be located by doing a subject search for “resumes.” If you don’t have access to a personal computer, you can use one of the library’s computers to type up your resume. Just click on the “resume” option at the start-up page, and be sure to bring a flash drive so that you can save your work!
Looking for places to send your resume? Reference USA, a database available at the library (or from home using your library card), has a searchable business database that provides business names and addresses. You can limit your search to Brattleboro businesses by doing a custom search by city.
Now it’s time to improve your interviewing skills. A subject search for “employment interviewing” will list the library’s books on this topic. There are also two DVDs that can be borrowed: Interviewing for a job (DVD 650.14 INT) and The virtual job interview (DVD 6501.14 VIR).
There will also be times during your search when you are in need of encouragement. Lynn Joseph’s The job-loss recovery guide: a proven program for getting back to work—fast! (155.9 JOS) may be just the ticket. And of course, the reference staff is more than happy to assist with questions you encounter during the job seeking process.
