Redesigned World Book Online

Fauquier County Public Library recently upgraded to World Book’s new Public Library Edition to provide library card holders “a comprehensive online reference tool with specific content and features designed for virtually every age and interest." The four modules available are:

World Book Online Reference Center
World Book Online Reference Center-Public Library Edition is a powerful reference tool for advanced researchers and information seekers. In addition to the entire World Book Encyclopedia, the site features hundreds of thousands of complete e-books and primary source documents along with features developed especially for public library patrons, such as Computer and Web Tutorials, How To... guidance, Government Resources, and Interactive Earth.

Key features include:

• Tailored to the needs of patrons of high school age and above
• Computer and Web Tutorials provide help for novices
• How To... documents offer information on skills for living, including applying for jobs, budgeting, transportation, and understanding health care issues
• Research tools, including dictionary, Citation Builder, and local and country research guides
• Interactive maps and atlas
• Individual accounts within the site offer users the ability to create and save content to their own research folders for later use

World Book Online Info Finder
World Book Online Info Finder contains content and features designed for school-aged patrons? homework and research needs. Based on the World Book Encyclopedia, the site features rich multimedia, a collection of age-appropriate science fair projects, a Biography Center, virtual tours, video showcases, links to current events and world newspapers, 21st-century research skills, and much more.

Key features include:

• More than 40,000 encyclopedia and reference articles
• Biography Center, with more than 10,000 biographies searchable by gender, field of endeavor, nationality, and time period
• Comprehensive multimedia collections, including World Book Explores video library and geography resource guides
• Thousands of high-quality Web links selected by World Book editors and expert contributors
• Powerful research tools, including a Citation Builder, How to Do Research guides, and personalized My Research accounts
• Convenient one-click dictionary
• Dynamic Interactive Earth feature, including the World Book Atlas, Interactive Maps, Outline Maps and Flags, and more
• Science projects and experiments, including a collection of last-minute projects
• Current magazines

World Book Online for Kids

This site offers easy-to-read articles and a wealth of engaging multimedia, games, science projects, interactive tools, and activities for younger children.

Key features include:

• Thousands of easy-to-read articles
• Engaging images and illustrations
• Interactive games and activities
• Interactive maps
• Outline maps and flags
• A biography center
• Science projects
• Teacher resources

World Book Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos
A Spanish-language encyclopedia and reference site for native Spanish speakers, bilingual and ESL/ELL students.

Key features include:

•Diccionario Visual - The bilingual visual dictionary includes thousands of images and more than 12,000 labels
• Activities - Activities can be printed, emailed, or saved. Click on Ensenelos teachers guides for English language educator's versions of the activities. Ensenelos teachers guides include national content standard correlations, materials, objectives, and assessment rubrics.
• Encyclopedia Articles - Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos offers thousands of easy-to-read encyclopedia articles on a broad variety of topics. A browse feature helps visual learners and uncertain spellers navigate the site.
• Periódicos del Mundo Hispánico - Features a collection of web links to online newspapers from Spanish speaking countries from around the world.
• World of Animals - Quick facts, images, and videos.

Log in with your library card today and explore a world of learning from World Book.

Foreign Language Month

December is Learn a Foreign Language Month. Here are a few free online resources to assist you in your quest to become multilingual:

• The Annenberg Foundation provides free video on demand for Spanish and French


• BBC Languages - Games, online courses, video/audio resources and links to online tests; check out their essential phrases in 36 languages.


• BBC Kids - Foreign language instruction and activities for primary (ages 4-11), secondary (ages 11-16) and students 16+


• YouTube.com videos tagged "language lessons"


• WatchKnow videos (for students) via category Languages includes Spanish, French, German, Latin and more

Of course, you don't have to go online to learn a language. The library has a number of items in the collection for learning a new language, including:

• For kids -- Juvenile foreign language series


• Teach yourself: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese , Portuguese, Russian and Spanish

December 2009 E-Resource: Contemporary Literary Criticism Select

Contemporary Literary Criticism Select is an award-winning collection of more than 35,000 critical essays on contemporary authors and includes biographical, critical, principal works, and further study information.

Literary researchers and students can use Contemporary Literary Criticism Select to:

• Access biographical/critical introductions to major and new authors;
• Find full-text criticism on major literary works;
• Target sources for further research;

Entries provide extensive information, including:

• Introduction to the Author — a discussion of the author’s life, works and critical importance;
• Critical essays — essays and excerpts taken from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals; interviews with featured authors where available; bibliographical citations
• Suggestions for further reading — an annotated bibliography for further study;

Researchers can search the database by:

• Author name
• Biographical details, such as nationality, ethnicity, gender, year of birth or death
• Title
• Subject/Genre
• Critic/Critical Source
• Full-text Search allows you to search for a word or phrase in any Contemporary Literary Criticism Select entry

To access Contemporary Literary Criticism Select, visit the library's Web site at http://library.fauquiercounty.gov/. On the site's left-hand menu, under Find Information, select Search For Articles & More. CLC Select is listed under the heading, Literature & eBooks.

You Watch, You Know

The library recently added WatchKnow to it's list of recommended Homework Help Web sites. WatchKnow, developed and launched by Dr. Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, gathers and organizes educational videos for students ages 3 to 18. Currently featuring more than 11,000 videos across 2,000 categories on subjects such as math, science and history, this site provides students a YouTube experience that focuses on quality educational content. Video content comes from National Geographic, YouTube and Google Videos, among others, and has been endorsed by educators from Harvard, Stanford, Brigham Young and more. The search tool allows you to type in keywords and apply an age filter (3-18 or 17-18, for example), or you can browse by a specific category/subject.

Be sure to check out all of our recommended Homework Help resources online and at the library on our Youth Services page of our Web site.

Plan on buying a laptop?

Asus, Toshiba Have Lowest Failure Rates, Says Study

Laptops from Asus and Toshiba, followed by Sony and Apple, had the lowest failure rates of the nine manufacturers included in a report from Square Trade, a provider of electronics warranties. Hewlett-Packard, which is the world’s largest producer of PCs, came in last.

Posted using ShareThis

"Handcrafted" Gifts

Holiday gifts from the heart (versus a big box store) are more personal and probably less expensive than anything you could buy, and are probably more appreciated, as well. Consider labeling your creations as artisanal or handcrafted, as these are words that are often used in advertising to describe creations (food, beverage or otherwise) that are made by hand, usually in small batches. Sounds a bit more posh than homemade, don't you think?

One of my favorite Web sites for craft ideas is Kaboose.com. Aside from making great gifts, these crafts will give something for kids to do before the holidays arrive. Consider outsourcing the table centerpiece or napkin rings to the children in your family. Check out their Christmas 2009, Chanukah and Kwanzaa pages.

Other good sites for holiday/Winter craft projects include:

• Disney's FamilyFun.com -- see Cold Weather Crafts and Christmas Gifts, Cards & Decorations
• Better Homes and Gardens -- if you can ignore the "subscribe now" messages, you'll find that Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are all covered
• Martha Stewart Holidays has "good things" for Christmas and Hanukkah; I may try my hand whipping up some Bath Fizzies
  

Resources at the library to help get you started on a "handcrafted" holiday:

• Browse the 745.5 section (in adult, young adult and children's departments) for books with craft, homemade gift ideas, directions
• If you're a beginner, try your hand at craft projects geared at kids, which may be easier to master than say, Martha Stewart's craft projects
• Edible gifts are always appreciated, so be sure to search the catalog for "Christmas cookery"
• Check out a back issue of Crafts 'N Things, FamilyFun, Knitters or Martha Stewart Living for ideas
  

NASA Outsources Mars Exploration...

...just kidding (I think).

NASA and Microsoft recently launched a Web site where "Internet users can have fun while advancing their knowledge of Mars." The site, Be a Martian, allows you to participate as a citizen scientist and improve Martian maps, take part in research tasks (one task is counting craters) and assist Mars science teams studying data about the "Red Planet." One of the hoped-for outcomes is that the collaboration of thousands of "citizen scientists" would assist the real, NASA-employed scientists in producing better maps, for example. (Can I say that as a liberal arts major, with limited math/scientific skills, I might not be the citizen you want submitting data?) And of course, a Web site like this would inspire (hopefully current and future tax-payers) life-long learning and interest in the sciences, particularly space exploration.

To explore the Web site without actually signing up as a Martian, visit http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/.

P.S. Check out NASA's Mars Images and Videos and their All About Mars features