World Book Discover enables you to hear text being spoken in English. You go to the site and put in your library card number. Then, search for something you want to know about. When you find it, click on enable read aloud toolbar. Then, doubleclick on the first word of any sentence and it will read it to you.
If you wish, you can have any block of text in there translated to one of 14 languages including Arabic, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian. This is but one of the many interesting features of World Book Discover.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Facts on File World News Digest
This resource is often overlooked but contains a wealth of information. The introduction states that it is "a detailed, objective and timely weekly distillation of the news and current information as reported in dozens of major newspapers and news magazines from the U.S., Canada, Britain, Australia and elsewhere around the world. Other materials, such as government reports and online databases, fill in the gaps and provide additional verification. The full source list is a long one and is constantly evolving. From this flow of information, the editors seek to record all those events that might be of lasting interest or significance, and to anticipate the needs of researchers in the future. The emphasis throughout is on the factual content rather than opinion or analysis. The News Digest provides a complete, concise, accurate, and permanent record of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, finance, government, crime, the environment, science and medicine, arts and entertainment, personalities and sports, with statistics, background boxes, chronologies, key events, text excerpts, maps, tables and photographs."
Of interest to students, writers and the general reader, this resource provides the user with a distinctive "snapshot in time" of what was happening during a particular week of the year. It can answer specific questions, or provide a springboard for more extensive research in books or newspapers. The collection of Facts on File at BCL goes back to 1976.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Read, Think, Discuss - some writer's thoughts about America
We all have the ability to think things through for ourselves. We should be both thinking about and discussing with others the topics of importance to us today as citizens of the United States and the world. The following titles offer different points of view and interpretations of past, present, and future American history.
Take some time to read them, share your ideas, and start a discussion with friends who have the same beliefs as you as well as those who don't.
The People's History of the United States: 1492 to the present.
Howard Zinn seeks to chronicle American History from the viewpoint of those individuals and groups rarely heard in mainstream histories, such as America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, and the working poor and immigrant laborers. The book offers American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version of history taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Check our catalog for this title.
The American Future: A history.
Simon Schama examines conflicts from America's past in order to understand their legacy in influencing the country's contemporary political situation. By not following a strict chronological order he has allowed himself the flexibility to be able to move around from one time to another, and from people and events to help make his points. Schama takes a long look at the many crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in relationship to our country's history.
Check our catalog for this title.
Ark of the liberties: American and the world.
Edward Midner recovers a long-forgotten success story: America’s history of expanding the world's liberty. Our country’s decline in popularity over the past eight years has been nothing short of astonishing, and with wit, brilliance, and deep affection, Ted Widmer reminds us why this great nation had so far to fall. Ark of the Liberties moves through centuries of history—from America’s start as a fascinating promised land to its present position as a world superpower—all the while reminding us of the necessity and nobility of our nation’s global ambitions.
Check our catalog for this title.
Take some time to read them, share your ideas, and start a discussion with friends who have the same beliefs as you as well as those who don't.
The People's History of the United States: 1492 to the present.
Howard Zinn seeks to chronicle American History from the viewpoint of those individuals and groups rarely heard in mainstream histories, such as America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, and the working poor and immigrant laborers. The book offers American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official version of history taught in schools -- with its emphasis on great men in high places -- to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace.
Check our catalog for this title.
The American Future: A history.Simon Schama examines conflicts from America's past in order to understand their legacy in influencing the country's contemporary political situation. By not following a strict chronological order he has allowed himself the flexibility to be able to move around from one time to another, and from people and events to help make his points. Schama takes a long look at the many crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in relationship to our country's history.
Check our catalog for this title.
Ark of the liberties: American and the world.Edward Midner recovers a long-forgotten success story: America’s history of expanding the world's liberty. Our country’s decline in popularity over the past eight years has been nothing short of astonishing, and with wit, brilliance, and deep affection, Ted Widmer reminds us why this great nation had so far to fall. Ark of the Liberties moves through centuries of history—from America’s start as a fascinating promised land to its present position as a world superpower—all the while reminding us of the necessity and nobility of our nation’s global ambitions.
Check our catalog for this title.
CultureGrams:One-stop "shopping" for country/state information
The Washington County Cooperative Library Services offers those who use the county website, either in-house at a library or online from home, access to many excellent online databases. To access the website from home use either of the following websites: for the county website: www.wccls.org/ or from the Beaverton City Library website: www.beavertonlibrary.org/
Check out the database CultureGrams that you can find by searching under Online Databases or by Database name.
CultureGrams allows one to learn about the history, customs, and everyday life of countries around the world. There are four editions avalailable: World - to experience the world through detailed cultural information on more than 200 countries, Kids - to get a kids- eye view of daily life in countries around the world, States - to explore the states in colorful, kid-friendly reports, and Provinces(Canadian) - to tour all the Canadian Provinces in 13 image-fileld reports.
One can use the information on this site for recreational / business traveling, homework reports , and just for plain old arm-chair traveling:
Check out the database CultureGrams that you can find by searching under Online Databases or by Database name.
CultureGrams allows one to learn about the history, customs, and everyday life of countries around the world. There are four editions avalailable: World - to experience the world through detailed cultural information on more than 200 countries, Kids - to get a kids- eye view of daily life in countries around the world, States - to explore the states in colorful, kid-friendly reports, and Provinces(Canadian) - to tour all the Canadian Provinces in 13 image-fileld reports.
One can use the information on this site for recreational / business traveling, homework reports , and just for plain old arm-chair traveling:
- land and climate
- history
- population
- language
- religion
- general attitudes
- personal appearances
- Customs and greetings: greetings, gestures, visiting, eating
- Lifestyle: family, housing, dating and marriage, diet, recraetion, the arts and holidays.
- Society: government, economy, transportation and communications, ecuation, health.
- One can also find a photo and video gallery of scenes, slideshows, interviews, famous people, and delicious recipes for countr/city/province of your choice.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Travel DVDs - New to the Beaverton City Library
Alaska Globe TrekkerIan Wright begins his journey on the banks of the Yukon River in the town of Eagle, then travels to the town of Chicken, pans for gold, then north to Kennicott and McCarthy. The next leg of his journey takes Ian to Prince William Sound, Seward and more.
Return to the AmazonAfter twenty-five years Jean-Michel Cousteau returns to the Amazon and revisited areas he'd explored with his father, Jacques Cousteau. Deforestation, population shifts and burgeoning cities have taken their toll on the area but so have numerous efforts to protect the rainforests, wildlife and indigenous people. The ecology of this one river has global consequences.
Ancient EgyptUncover the secrets of Ancient Egypt's visionary pharaohs, engineers, and architects who created some of the finest monuments the world has ever seen. On-location footage and computer modeling recreate architectural landmarks that continue to enthrall and inspire.
Rick Steve’s Travel DVDs:- European Travel Skills & Specials
- Greece & Turkey
- Spain & Portugal
Thursday, September 10, 2009
All things Oregon
The Oregon Encyclopedia
The Oregon encyclopedia is an authoritative and FREE resource on all things Oregon, from the expected to the unexpected. All entries are reviewed by experts and checked for accuracy. ~Portland State University
The Oregon encyclopedia is an authoritative and FREE resource on all things Oregon, from the expected to the unexpected. All entries are reviewed by experts and checked for accuracy. ~Portland State University
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Older Adults, Marketing Deomgraphics
1. AARP - see the research section on their site http://research.aarp.org/
2. Nielsen Media Research has a product called Monitor Plus/Ad*Views that collects this information on a variety of demographics. Fee based.
3. AdAge http://adage.com/datacenter/archive?section_id=35 periodically publishes category ad spending ratios.
4. Age Wave (http://www.agewave.com/ a company that studies the Boomer market, has statistics on the 50+ segment
5. Gale Business and Company Resource Center click on Articles, and the subject guide heading is Baby Boom Generation. If you want to use other keywords, change that search type field to keyword.
other age groups are called echo boom generation, post-baby boom generation, yuppies
2. Nielsen Media Research has a product called Monitor Plus/Ad*Views that collects this information on a variety of demographics. Fee based.
3. AdAge http://adage.com/datacenter/archive?section_id=35 periodically publishes category ad spending ratios.
4. Age Wave (http://www.agewave.com/ a company that studies the Boomer market, has statistics on the 50+ segment
5. Gale Business and Company Resource Center click on Articles, and the subject guide heading is Baby Boom Generation. If you want to use other keywords, change that search type field to keyword.
other age groups are called echo boom generation, post-baby boom generation, yuppies
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