Factcheck.org

Do you feel that sometimes the facts from the politicians and media might not be entirely accurate? Try out factcheck.org . Here is a description from their website

Our Mission
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state and federal levels.

Public Alerts

As I was checking the road conditions, I stumbled on a new website that "provides news and information on major service disruptions in the Portland, Oregon area."

Public Alerts

The website provides information on Roads & Bridges, Transit, Schools, Public Health, Community Services and Utilities. Very simple and easy to navigate. You can also sign up for RSS feeds and twitter alerts.

Stay informed!

Shopping statistics

In the United States, the season around Christmas is of deep importance for the health of the economy.


Here are some shopping statistics to peruse:

Pew http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Online-Product-Research.aspx
ClickZ: http://www.clickz.com/stats
Multichannel Merchant: http://multichannelmerchant.com/outlook2010/
Census of Retail Statistics http://www.census.gov/retail/

New Craft Magazines

We have added three new craft magazines to our collection. The subscriptions will start in 2011 and we're hoping that they will be popular with all of our crafters.

Cloth Paper Scissors covers all types of fiber arts and collage work, including mixed media, assemblage, altered books, art dolls, visual art journals, rubber stamping, creative embroidery, and book arts.

6 issues per year.

Step By Step Wire Jewelry includes detailed and illustrated how-to projects for every skill level. Each issue covers the newest wire trends and teaches creative techniques to make your own designer jewelry. Tips on using tools, wire and other jewelry items are also included.

6 issues per year.

Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist is a guide to the fine art of jewelry making using gemstones, metal sheet and wire and more. The latest trends in jewelry and gems are included in each issue as are spotlights on individual jewelry artists. Projects feature clear, concise, illustrated directions and many tips are included.

9 issues per year.

Netherland

NetherlandO'neill, Joseph

Check our catalog for availablity





Impressive fiction work about an expatriate family living in New York after 9/11 and how it catalyzes changes in thier lives. This is a story of a relationship in trouble but also a larger commentary on life in america and the concept of the "american dream". Comparisons have been made to the Great Gatsby and O'neill's prose has a wonderful sense of nostalgia and profound reflection that will give the reader cause to do some of their own deep thinking about life.

Cost of Living around the World

Have you ever wanted to know what the standard of living is in other countries? Is it possible to answer where are the richest people in the world when daily life costs different amounts in other locations? Here is

Prices and Earnings:
Prices and Earnings "provides a comprehensive comparison of prices (122 goods and services plus apartment rents), incomes, income taxes, working hours and vacation days for 14 different occupations. A ranking of relative purchasing power, and thus the living standard for each of the 73 cities in the survey, is derived from this data."

Lists!

We have lots of booklists organized by subject, genre, mood and more.  We are gradually adding these lists to our web page.  Check it out!

while visions of sugar plums dance in your heads...

Just in time for the holidays, Chuck Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma, and former Bon Appetit food editor, Kristin Kidd have released Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home. This wonderful, encyclopedic cookbook features over 1000 timeless recipes with simple, straight-forward techniques for the home cook.


Also new this season, Amanda Hesser's The Essential New York Times Cook Book offers a compilation of recipes published by the paper since it started covering food in the 1850s. The book is a stellar collection more than 1400 recipes.

Season's Greetings and happy eating!

Have you tried a Playaway yet?

Playaway audiobooks are self-contained players about half the size of a deck of cards. They don't require downloading, transfer fees, or even an internet connection. All you need is a AAA battery and a set of headphones, and you're ready to go. Books range in length from an hour up to 60 hours, all in the same small player. The digital audio quality is as good as cds, but doesn't require a stack of discs or even a separate player. You can choose from a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, and even listen in your car with a standard cassette adapter or fm receiver. Or use your own portable speakers so that more than one person can listen at a time.

Try one out today!

One Remarkable Cat

As a cat lover, I knew that I would enjoy this book about an extraordinary cat adopted by staff members at Steere House, a nursing home in Rhode Island. Making Rounds with Oscar, is the story of this remarkable cat that has the uncanny ability to sense when people are about to die. He stays with these patients until they have passed, giving comfort to both the nursing home resident and the families of these patients. What I wasn't expecting from the book was a real world view of what it is like for patients with dementia and the families and nursing home staff who care for these people. The book is heartfelt, sad, funny and truly inspiring.

New Christmas DVDs

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

J DVD 12

Upon being sent to live with her aunt in the small town of Doverville, 12-year-old Emma finds herself in the middle of a 'dog-fight' with the Mayor and the town dogcatcher. In order to strike down their 'no-dogs' law, Emma must bring together a group of schoolmates, grown-ups and adorable dogs of all shapes and sizes in a spectacular holiday pageant.

A Golden Christmas: A Tail of Puppy Love

J DVD Golden

After a magical summer together, a nine-year-old boy whispers his heart's desire into the ear of his best friend. With a loyal, Golden Retriever by their side, the boy and girl bury a time capsule of keepsakes -- then go their seperate ways. Years later, looking for a fresh start, a man and woman each return to the place they felt most at home as a child. Can a certain dog lead them home again?

Visual feast

During this season of holiday feasting, here is one meal that doesn't pack any calories. Author, photographer, and multimedia artist Douglas Gayeton presents a visual journey through Tuscany highlighting it's people and their food traditions in his book, Slow: Life in a Tuscan town. Beautiful, sepia-toned photography coupled with a handwritten narrative of the journey are indeed a feast for the eyes.

Have you tried IMDB's Advanced Search options?

Sure, you've used Internet Movie DataBase for all kinds of movie info- release dates, running times, finding actors & actresses. But did you know you can do even more by using the Advanced Search options? To get to them, just click on the Search button at the top of the screen, without entering anything in the search box. One I've found especially handy is Collaborations and Overlaps. For example, you remember you saw a movie that both Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey were in, but it was long before The Men Who Stare at Goats. Put the two names into the Two People Working Together search (don't forget to select the correct name from the drop down menu), and you get a list of titles, including tv shows, that they both participated in, and there you see it: K-PAX, from 2001. You can also use the Common Cast/Crew search to find out which people worked on any two movies together. For example, a search for Thirteen and Twilight reveals that 10 people worked on both movies, including the director, 2 actresses, and several sound staff.

Comfort Cooking

This is the time of year when I love to pull out my recipe books and find that perfect dish for a cold fall meal. As the buyer of all the cookbooks for the Beaverton City Library, I have the fun job of selecting titles that I think will be popular with our customers. One of my favorites this year is Perfect One-Dish Dinners: All You Need for Easy Get-Togethers by Pam Anderson. The recipes are not intimating and she covers a variety of dishes including stews, casseroles, roasting-pan dinners, summer salads and grilled platters. Last night I made the Salsa Verde Chicken with Herbed Cornmeal Dumplings. It was definitely a keeper!!

Economic Disaster titles--2010 some popular ones

I've been compiling a list of "popular" (as if economic disaster titles can be considered this) books since 2007 that analyze the unfolding economic disaster. This is the ensuing selected 2010 list, of course it will be complete on Dec 31 but.. just thought I could share it. It's probably too long for this blog but maybe it will be ok this time because it's a special list.


Money and Economics 2010

13 Bankers : the Wall Street Takeover and the Next financial Meltdown by Simon Johnson c2010 332.1 JOH
In a stinging indictment of the reckless "new American oligarchy" that led the nation to an economic precipice—and which, because of the government bailout, the authors say, threaten to put U.S. taxpayers on the hook again.
The authors trace suspicion of concentrated banking systems to the beginning of the republic. Jefferson suggested that supporting a federally chartered bank was tantamount to treason. Subsequent tectonic shocks—especially the Panic of 1907 and the Great Depression—led to the financial apparatus of the mid-century—the Federal Reserve, designed to backstop Wall Street in a crisis, and the New Deal, which, by separating commercial and investment banking, protected the ordinary investor from the perils of the system.

All the Devils Are Here: the Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean c2010 330.973 MCL
The origins of the meltdown and the subsequent Great Recession largely lie in the speculator's dream called the mortgage-backed security, which "allowed Wall Street to scoop up loans made to people who were buying homes, bundle them together by the thousands, and then resell the bundle, in bits and pieces, to investors." This innovation netted fortunes for the players at the top, undoing the former bond between buyer and seller and leading directly to the rise of the subprime industry and its toxic holdings. Ironically, write the authors, the securitizing of mortgages was not an invention of Wall Street but of government, with the federal agencies Ginnie Mae and then Freddie Mac selling securities 40 years ago. -Kirkus

Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future by Robert Reich 332.64524 DIA
Former Secretary of Labor Reich argues that America will not have a sustained economic recovery until the middle class has more buying power. In this call for reform, the author writes that the increasing concentration of wealth among a small percentage of Americans was the main culprit in the destabilization of the U.S. economy in 2008. For three decades, the wealthy reaped inordinate benefits from a growing economy while middle-class wages stopped climbing. As the rich spent only a fraction of their fortunes ("The sheer magnitude of the task of spending obscene amounts of money can be surprisingly challenging"), they deprived the economy of the multiplier effect of many millions of dollars. Instead of trying to rebalance the distribution of income, the federal government deregulated, privatized and celebrated the idea of free markets. -Kirkus

The Battle: How the Fight Between Free enterprise and big government will shape America's future by Arthur C Brooks c2010 322.3 BRO
America faces a new culture war. It is not a war about guns, abortions, or gays--rather it is a war against the creeping changes to our entrepreneurial culture, the true bedrock of who we are as a people. The new culture war is a battle between free enterprise and social democracy. Many Americans have forgotten the evils of socialism and the predations of the American Great Society's welfare state programs. But, as American Enterprise Institute's president Arthur C. Brooks reveals in "The Battle," the forces for social democracy have returned with a vengeance, expanding the power of the state to a breathtaking degree. "The Battle" offers a plan of action for the defense of free enterprise.



Crash of the Titans: Greed, Hubris, the Fall of Merrill Lynch, and the Near-Collapse of Bank of America by Greg Farrell
c2010 332.1 FAR In this authoritative account, "Financial Times" reporter Farrell delivers the riveting story of how the decline and fall of Merrill Lynch crippled Bank of America and nearly destroyed America's financial system. Crash of the Titans" is a financial thriller that puts you in the theater as the historic events of the financial crisis unfold and people responsible for billions of dollars of other people's money gamble recklessly to enhance their power and their paychecks or to save their own skins. Its wealth of never-before-revealed information and focus on two icons of corporate America make it the book that puts together all the pieces of the Wall Street disaster.

Crisis Economics: A Crash Course by Nouriel Roubini c2010 338.542 ROU
Two professors explain how we got into the current economic mess and offer a prescription for the way out.
From the writers of A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States. 2007. They define crisis economics as the study of how and why markets fail. The origins of the current upheaval, they contend, are deeply structural—far more severe than simply a housing bubble and the securitization of bad loans—and the storms will persist. They preface their proposed remedies with a whirlwind tour of past crises, a survey of economic thinkers who offer insights into why markets collapse, an analysis of how today’s unstable moment compares with past market traumas and a look at the special dangers posed by our integrated global economy. Critiquing the unprecedented emergency measures taken recently to right the economic ship, they warn of the unintended consequences likely to flow from hasty decisions made under extreme pressure. We should use this moment of relative calm, they argue, to institute necessary changes. -Kirkus

Diary of a Very Bad Year (not at Beaverton but at Tigard) c2010
The HFM (hedge fund manager) offers a brilliant financial professionals view of the economic situation in real time, from September 2007, when problems in financial markets began to surface, until late summer 2009, when the financial meltdown generally subsided and the financial community went back, in HFMs view, to business as usual. With definitions of financial terms and products, and explanations of domestic and global issues as they occur, HFM draws from his decade of nonstop work as a hedge-fund manager to educate the interviewer and us as the financial crisis unfolds. This is a great read.

End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War by Ian Bremmer 330.122 BRE c2010
The power of the state is back, announces Bremmer ("The Fat Tail"), president of the Eurasia Group, in this sobering examination of the threat the emerging powers of China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia pose to the free market. The book presents a whirlwind history of capitalism from mercantilism through the end of the cold war to the ascendancy of state capitalism, a political and economic arrangement in which states exert their influence over markets and big business to serve their own interests. Bremmer provides informative case studies of economies with varying degrees of state control. He weighs how free market economies can compete and concludes on a hopeful note, laying out a powerful case for the superiority of regulated free markets above state capitalism and a clear prescription for how the U.S. can defend its competitive advantage in the future.

Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America by Matt Taibbi c2010 973.932 TAI
Taibbi eviscerates Wall Street for what he considers frauds perpetrated on the American people over the last ten years. Deftly delving deeply into complicated financial history and lingo, Taibbi deftly lays the subject bare, rendering heretofore-dense subject matter simple without being simplistic. Blame for the recent mortgage collapse, commodities bubble, and tech bubble are laid at the feet of a relatively small number of bankers and traders who, in the author's opinion, act without fear of reciprocity from a U.S. government no longer representative of the American people.



King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone by David Carey c2010 338.83 CAR
Carey and Morris reveal the untold story of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone, the financier and his financial powerhouse that avoided the self-destructive tendencies of Wall Street. Analyzes the controversies surrounding Blackstone and whether it and other private equity firms suck the lifeblood out of companies to enrich themselves--or whether they are a force that helps make the companies they own stronger and thereby better competitors. The story by two insiders with access: Insightful and hard-hitting, filled with never-before-revealed details about the workings of a heretofore secretive company that was the personal fiefdom of Schwarzman and Peter Peterson.

The monster : how a gang of predatory lenders and Wall Street bankers fleeced America--and spawned a global crisis c2010 by Michael W Hudson 332.6324 HUD
In this stunning narrative, award-winning reporter Michael W. Hudson reveals the story of the rise and fall of the subprime mortgage business by chronicling the rise and fall of two corporate empires: Ameriquest and Lehman Brothers. As the biggest subprime lender and Wall Street's biggest patron of subprime, Ameriquest and Lehman did more than any other institutions to create the feeding frenzy that emboldened mortgage pros to flood the nation with high-risk, high-profit home loans.

Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines by Richard Heinberg c2010 304.2 HEI
The twentieth century saw unprecedented growth in population, energy consumption, and food production. As the population shifted from rural to urban, human impacts on the environment increased dramatically. The twenty-first century ushered in an era of declines, including: Oil, natural gas, and coal extraction. Yearly grain harvests Climate stability Economic growth Fresh water Minerals and ores such as copper and platinum. To adapt to this profoundly different world, we must begin now to make radical changes to our attitudes, behaviors, and expectations.


The Trillion-Dollar Conspiracy: How the New World Order, Man-Made Diseases, and Zombie Banks Are Destroying America by Jim Marrs c2010 330.973 MAR
A mix of both right-wing conspiracy theories, such as New World Order domination by the Illuminati, and left-wing conspiracy theories, like the planned failure of deregulation, along with charges we can all agree on, such as the bank bailout as a financial coup d'tat for the privileged ultrawealthy. From Reagan to Obama to Congress, he leaves no president or party out of the conspiracy blame game, outlining a plan for world domination that goes back to 1913.

The Zeroes: My Misadventures in the Decade Wall Street Went Insane by Randall Lane
c2010 330.973 LAN
What "Liar's Poker" was to the 1980s, "The Zeroes" is to the first decade of the new century: an insider's memoir of a gilded era when Wall Street went insane-and took the rest of us down with it.
Randall Lane never set out to become a Wall Street power broker. But during the decade he calls the Zeroes, he started a small magazine company that put him near the white-hot center of the biggest boom in history. Almost by accident, a man who drove a beat-up Subaru and lived in a rented walk-up became the go-to guy for big shots with nine-figure incomes. Lane's saga began with a simple idea: a glossy magazine exclusively for and about traders, which would treat them like rock stars and entice them to splurge on luxury goods. "Trader Monthly" was an instant hit around the world.

Legal Links

Oregon Bar Association has a TV show that airs on local cable channels called, Legallinks. The program is designed to educate individuals on legal issues.

Some examples of topics are: Child Custody, Landlord/Tenant Q&A, Neighbor Law and Traffic law.

If you missed an episode the OBA archives their episodes on their website. To view the listing of topics click here.

Biking Maps for Oregon

Experience Oregon's natural beauty on a bike. For anyone who wants to get out there and explore by bicycle, this website offers some valuable guidance on how to get there.

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=36638

College Bound Reading List

Arrowhead Library System has pulled together a wonderful college bound reading list. It's a long list, but check it out for some great choices.  Good for those interested in broadening their reading interests as well.

Pass the salt, please

Much more than just a table seasoning, salt has a rich and fascinating history. Author Mark Kurlanskey unfolds the history of this important mineral that has provoked wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions in his book Salt: A World History.

Continue your education on this vital nutrient with the help of author and local selmelier, Mark Bitterman. In Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes, Bitterman profiles 80 varieties of artisinal salt in addition to providing reference information on 150 salts. The book also includes a chapter on cooking with salt.

Here If You Need Me

After the tragic death of her husband, Kate Braestrup decides to follow in the steps of her husband's dream, that of becoming a minister. Working as a chaplain for the Maine Warden Service, she begins to rebuild her life while caring for her four children. This isn't a maudlin memoir but one that is inspiring, funny, and definitely an enjoyable read. Kate is one of those people you would love to have in your life as a friend and confidant.

Seasonal Cookbooks

Winter can sometime seem like the most challenging time to cook healthy and interesting meals. Farmer's markets close for the season and there are less choices of local fruits and vegetables in the grocery stores. Here are two cookbooks that offer winter recipes that are healthy and simple. Each one is divided into sections for each season for easy reference.

Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express-404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make In 20 Minutes or Less has simple recipes with few ingredients but plenty of flavor. The author writes a food column for the New York Times.

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source by Terry Walters is a great resource for easy, delicious seasonal eating.

Paranormal Romance

You might favor books filled with dangerous women, usually young, often lethal and invariably underdressed, or you might prefer prefer ominous men, usually young, often dark and invariably naked to the waist. Neither of these characters is precisely what they appear to be, the woman turns lupine under the full moon, the young man's actually incredibly old and has long sharp canine teeth. They are compulsively drawn to each other and, in the end, will be very happy together. If this is you; if this is your ideal read; you were born at just the right time. Paranormal Romance is one of the hottest crazes in publishing right now, and this bubble shows no sign of bursting. Here are a few bestselling authors:

Jeaniene Frost
R.J. Ward
Sherrilyn KenyonGena Showalter
Karen Moning

Best website for quick Guitar Rock tabs n' chords

A teenage kid told me that he got a new guitar for his birthday and -did I know any songs? I had to show him this site. It's one of the places I've known about this website since the early 90's. It quite possibly was a "gopher" site before that but I digress....

It's one thing to enjoy official sheet music and proper authorized chords and tabs. But for someone just starting out, these "fake" versions submitted from guitarists and amateurs around the world are just what you need to get started!

http://www.danmansmusic.com/songs2.htm

Let's Felt!

Needle felting is a fun and easy way to add color and texture to wool or knitted fabrics, or to create your own 3-dimensional sculptures. Here are some books to help you get started.


Fast, Fun & Easy Needle Felting
by Lynne Farris

A great beginner's guide to needle felting, with everything you need to know about tools, materials, and techniques.






Designer Needle Felting: Contemporary Styles, Easy Techniques
by Terry Taylor

This colorful guide shows just how easy it can be to get eye-catching results on everything from home accessories to your favorite clothing.

What do Paris, London & NYC have in common?

PARIS 2011









LONDON 2011










NYC 2011









They are all part of the Fodor's Gold Guides that have just arrived at the Beaverton City Library.

Are you a visual person?

If you are a visual person you might like exploring Gnooks. With Gnooks you travel the visual map and locate other books, movies, even music that are similar to your favorites. It is a self learning community so responses might seem crazy, but it is a fun way to discover other titles.

You type in the name of an author, or music or artist and a visual map is prepared. The closer an item is to your author the more likely you will like that author.

But remember, the results are based on other users so the results might seem crazy. Here is a search for Maya Angelou. Would you have thought Dante or Mark Twain would appear? If nothing else it will make you smile!

Best Free Reference Websites

The Reference & User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association compiles an annual list of the best free reference websites. 
http://www.rusq.org/2010/10/03/best-free-reference-websites-twelfth-annual-list/

One highlight is The Baby Name Wizard --designed to help a parent-to-be find that perfect name.  Check it out!

Opposing Viewpoints

One of the many excellent databases available 24/7 (with your library card) at WCCLS is Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a great way to explore and understand topical issues. Opposing Viewpoints provides pro and con viewpoints on issues, full text newspaper and journal articles, podcasts, videos, and selected websites.

If you are searching for a research topic explore the issues in Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

FactCheck

With the November elections fast approaching, you may want to check out a website from the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Referred to as the Annenberg Political FactCheck, this site "monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases". Politicians' claims and statements are analyzed and individuals can browse by date or search by keyword to access the last four years of the archives. An analysis of whether the stimulus legislation actually created new jobs was recently published. The Republican "Pledge to America" was also dissected last month. Interesting reading!!

Oregon General Election--November 2nd, 2010

There is an upcoming Oregon general election on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010. For information on ballot drop sites, voter's pamphlets, and other election information, click on your county's link below:

Washington County Elections:
http://www.co.washington.or.us/AssessmentTaxation/Elections/CurrentElection/index.cfm

Multnomah County Elections:
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/elections/index_ue.shtml#nov10

Clackamas County Elections:
http://www.co.clackamas.or.us/elections/

Man Booker Prize awarded

Since 1969, the Man Booker Prize has been awarded to an author for the book that the prize committee considers the best novel of the year. This year's winner is Howard Jacobson for The Finkler Question. Click on the link below to read more about the author and to see a list of other books considered for this year's award.

http://themanbookerprize.com/

Pulitzer Prize in Biography or Autobiography

The Pulitzer prizes have honored excellence in journalism and the arts since 1917. Biography or Autobiography is one of the categories and the Washington County libraries have many of these recent titles.

Mushroom Season

Don't be fooled, know your edible Mushrooms. The library has many excellent titles available for checkout (just don't leave the book behind on the forest floor!)

Click here for a listing of titles available in our catalog.

Oregon Book Awards

The Oregon Book Award is presented annually to highlight the achievement of one Oregon writer. To date, almost 500 Oregon writers have been recognized. You can find a list of all the books on their website, Literary Arts - Oregon Book Awards.

The Beaverton Library has many of the titles available. Click here to check our catalog for a partial list of award winning titles from 2000-2009. The 2010 winner will be announced in January 2011.

Happy Reading!

Current Biography

One of my favorite biographical sources is Current Biography. This H.W. Wilson publication draws information from newspaper and magazine articles, books, the World Wide Web and other sources like personal interviews. Covering a wide range of personalities, Current Biography gives an informative and very entertaining view on people who are currently in the news. Athletes, politicians, entertainers, scientists and historians are all covered in this monthly publication that cumulates into a yearly volume. We have this resource going back to 1940 and it has proven invaluable for biographical searching. So the next time someone asks you what Lady Gaga's real name is, you can answer Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta and smile!

So Many Green Tomatoes...

If you grow tomatoes, your garden is probably full of green tomatoes right now. What to do with all that unripened bounty and for that matter, the ripened bounty, too? One answer is preserving. It may sound intimidating but it is worth conquering your fears to eat yummy, local foods throughout the winter. Here are a couple of books to help you get started.







Canning and Preserving for Dummies is a quick and simple guide to the basics of canning and preserving. It uses clear language to explain these easy processes which will preserve this year's harvest. It also includes numerous recipes for jams, jellies, pickles, etc. A great beginner's guide!












Once you've gotten the hang of preserving, check out The Art of Preserving: Sweet and Savory Recipes To Enjoy Seasonal Produce Year Round. This is a mouth watering collection of preserving recipes from Williams Sonoma. It includes a delicious recipe for pickled green tomatoes. Happy preserving!

Federal Jobs

Did you know...

That the library subscribes to the bi-weekly publication, Federal Jobs Digest.

Federal Jobs Digest lists Federal job vacancies nationwide. Each listing provides the job grade level, salary, agency, closing date and URL to apply for the position.

There are also a few articles in each issue. The October 1st issue answers the question, "How long do I have to wait for an interview" and explains the recruitment process.

Happy Job Hunting~!

Hey Muffy!

If you've been wondering what happened to Bif and Kitty after the 1980's fame of Lisa Birnbach's The Official Preppy Handbook, wonder no more. Birnbach is back with another view into preppy culture in her latest book True Prep: It's a Whole New World.

Fast and Easy Quilting

Want to try quilting, but you don't have a lot of time? Try these fast & easy quilting books.

Fast, Fun & Easy Scrapbook Quilts: Create a Keepsake for Every Memory
by Sue Astroth.

Turn vacations, family events, or favorite activities into one-of-a-kind keepsakes.






Fast, Flirty and Fun: Easy Quilts from Fabulous Fabrics
by Sarah Bisel


Novice and experienced quilters alike will find plenty of inspiration in the contemporary colors and fresh designs of these 11 exciting projects.





Quilting in No Time: 50 Step-by-Step Weekend Projects Made Easy
by Emma Hardy.

Packed with quick and clever ideas for using up scraps of fabric, this is the must-have guide for quilting items for the home.

Consumer Information

Did you know that there is a great website for doing consumer research on all sorts of items? It is called consumersearch.com. They are a clearinghouse for all sorts of consumer sites like consumer reports, cnet, and others. They have useful links to other reviews as well as links to websites selling the products.

For each product the website selects the top products based on expert and user reviews. They offer a full report on who the experts are and why they say what they say, as well as a review of important product trends and developments. They also rank the top reviews and include pertinent links to the websites and organizations who did the reviews.

The site is easy to use and great for when you want information from multiple sources. Check it out at consumersearch.com

Are you going to San Francisco...

SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

This guide includes new full-color photos, illustrations and enhanced maps. Extensive information on local customs, currency, medical services and transportation. New "Discovering" feature helps decide which regions are best suited to the trip.

Fantastic True Stories...

These non-fiction books read like fiction! But it's all true...

It's easy to forget that as humans, we are all primates. In "A Primate's Memoir," neuroendocrinologist and MacArthur Fellowship grant recipient Robert Sapolsky describes his post-graduate years in Kenya researching baboons in this immensely readable, hilarious, and impassioned book.



How would you survive for 76 days lost at sea alone in a life raft? Steve Callahan's book "Adrift" will give you some ideas. Steve was lost at sea after something rammed into his sailboat causing it to sink in stormy seas. He had just enough time to gather some food, a few flares, a spear gun, a solar still for desalinating sea water, and his nautical charts. His story is a heroic tale of ingenuity, perseverance, discipline, and survival.



Imagine an oil spill larger than the Exxon Valdez spill. Now imagine this oil spill is on land, spans 15 years, and is in your neighborhood. This is what Joe Kane sets out to capture in his book "Savages." "Savages" describes the plight and the fight of the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador's Amazonian rain forest as they learn to live with the crushing demands of civilization on their land, their heritage, and their way of life. It is an unforgettable story.

Historic Oregon Voters' Pamphlets now available online

Now you can browse individual issues, or search across decades of Oregon's colorful elections history at:  http://library.state.or.us/databases/subjects/Voters_Pamphlet.php

The Government Research Services division of the Oregon State Library has digitized a historic run of Oregon Voters' Pamphlets as part of its mission to make government information available to the citizens of Oregon. Digital and paper copies of the Voters' Pamphlets are also a permanent part of the Oregon State Library's Oregon Documents Collection.
In 1904, Oregon became one of the first states to print and distribute a voters’ pamphlet. Voters' Pamphlets are a rich source of historic information including the full text of all measures voted on by the people; statements, biographical information and portraits of candidates running for state office; and statements for and against candidates and measures.

Your Fall Garden

Fallscaping: extending your garden season into autumn. By Nancy J. Ondra and Stephanie Cohen. North Adams, Ma. :Storey Pub, 2007.
635.953 OND


Check our catalog for this title


Don't let anyone tell you that your Fall garden can't be as dazzling as your Spring and Summer gardens. Pennsylvania gardeners Ondra and Cohen bring imaginative ideas, practical techniques and new inspiration to autumn, that often-neglected time of the gardening year.
According to the authors, the main characters in your Fall garden include some of the following: the multicolored foliage of trees, grasses and other plants; flashy seedheads and berries;and so much more.
The authors also offer a number of fall-friendly garden plans, complete with shopping lists, that will cover all kinds of gardens.
Throughout the book you will find Fall Techniques, with practical, down-to-earth information on how to divide perennials and design suggestions on planning paths
The book ends with a Fall Garden Care Primer, sharing ways to evaluate your garden, improve your soil, build new beds, take cuttings, prepare plants for winter, store your tools and care for your lawn.
Ondra and Cohen's vibrant and authoritative guide is a must-have resource for those wishing to maximize their Fall garden's potential.

Bicycle Maps

Our map collection includes a number of maps on cycling in the Portland metropolitan area. Country Cycling explores Washington County by bicycle and there are cycling/walking maps that cover the various areas of Portland. Divided by area, there are maps covering Northeast, North, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. The downtown area is also covered in the Portland by Bicycle map. Enjoy!

Financial Crisis

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has put together a TIMELINE of events and policy actions involved in the current Financial Crisis starting in February 2007. Click here to view timeline.

Other websites of interest include:

A series published in the New York Times. (last updated July 12, 2010). Click here to view NYT coverage.

PBS also offers information on the global perspective. Click here to view PBS article.

World Bank and the International Monetary Fund also provide information on their respective websites.

Get ready for the Holidays

Rick Steves' European Christmas

394.2663 STE

From England to Norway, Burgandy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, Rick Steves' European Christmas gets you a seat at the family feast, up in the loft with the finest choirs, and into the kitchen with grandma and her best-kept holiday secrets. With enchanting photos and more than a dozen recipes, this book captures the spirit of the season perfectly.

Foreign Affairs

No, I'm not talking about "that" type of affair but those that deal with foreign policy. Sorry if I disappointed you! But if you are interested in what is going on in the world of international relations and foreign policy in general, the Library subscribes to three journals that will inform and entertain you regarding the ever-changing world of foreign affairs. Check out Current History, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy in our Periodicals Department.

City Chicks

The Beaverton City Council recently passed an ordinance allowing residents to have chickens in their backyards. The Library has a growing collection of titles on raising chickens in an urban setting. Selecting specific breeds, feeding, caring for and housing information can be found in the titles that we own. The majority of these can be found in 636.6 in the non-fiction section of the collection on the second floor.

Discovery of ancient Biblical texts

The Sisters of Sinai: how two lady adventurers discovered the hidden Gospels

By Janet Martin Soskice


Found in the library at call number 225.0922 SOS

This is the remarkable account of two Scottish sisters (Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson) who discovered a biblical text, called a palimpsest, that contained some of the most important scriptural discoveries of modern times. The author, Soskice, does a good job of setting up the background about the identical twin sisters amazing ability to learn foreign (and ancient) languages as they travelled in the middle east during a time when archaeology and science were turning some old and hallowed beliefs about the Bible upside-down. This is a fun and interesting read, as well as an important contribution to history about the role played by Agnes and Margaret in the amazing discovery of this palimpsest.

RV Comparisons

JR Consumer Resources is a consumer group that publishes unbiased RV ratings and reviews on over 64 different RV manufacturers in North America. The information provided is based on independent research and interviews. Included in the books are motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth wheels. We have the 2006-2008 RV Comparison Guide and the 2008-2010 RV Comparison Guide. Both of these titles are located in the Reference Collection on the Consumer Information Index Table.

Non Fiction that Reads Like Fiction

If you primarily read Fiction there is a whole world of unexplored books for you in the library. There are many books in Non Fiction section that read like Fiction are fascinating page turners.





Interested? Check out this list to get you started.





Non Fiction that Reads like Fiction

Hardback Books / Qualitiy Reprints

There's something important about the lasting quality of a hardback book to libraries. I'm fascinated by how many decent quality hardback reproductions of out of print books have popped onto the market.

We like way it holds up if tossed in a bag or pack, and stands up well on a shelf. It's cover is able to be covered with a slip cover and cleaned off if it gets dirt on it. But you may have noticed that new books bookstores often sell paperbacks of classics rather than the more expensive hardbacks. A copy of Moby Dick must be strong enough to circulate many times and hold up in all kinds of weather, and paperbacks usually spell trouble in that realm.

Hundreds of thousands of classics are in the public domain and can be read on screens, bought widely in paperback, but if you want a new hardback title like that, note that several publishers are doing a good job reissuing good looking hardbacks.

These are imprints of printing publishers that are that are bringing back out of print or public domain

*** (hint on how to make the following links work, flip the search by index to Publisher once you click thru on them, and then limit them by book on the left limiter)
Nabu Press

Bibliolife

Wildside

Wilder

1st World Library
These can be paperbacks and hardbacks
Kessenger

These companies redo the book rather than reprint it, and they are very high quality

Modern Library

Everyman's Library

Library of America

Unconventional Wisdom

Do you like to think outside the box? If so, here is a list of titles compiled by librarians across the country on "Unconventional Wisdom"

Unconventional Wisdom booklist

Access Science

Did you know...

McGraw-Hill's Encyclopedia of Science & Technology is available online?

Current science news and video clips are just a few clicks away and available 24/7 through your WCCLS library card.

Go to www.wccls.org/online_resources scroll to the Science & Technology link in the left hand column. Next click on AccessScience.

Don't let questions about the Periodic Table or Geological Time Scale keep you up at night.

Alcohol consumption - statistics

Have you ever wondered how much Alcohol people consume? Or have you ever needed to do market research on something else?

Library resources

Identify the lead "voices" in an industry with National Trade and Professional Associations and Special Issues.

Special Issues is an affordable database (the library is a subscriber - so come in and use it) is used to pinpoint some of the most authoritative places (websites, magazines) to begin for trends and current practices in any technology or trade. Special Issues tracks salary surveys, lists of top businesses, and websites or trade journals that really care about the specific area you are supposed to research for your business. Assistance by a librarian at Beaverton City Library is necessary to use it for free.
Business and Company Resource Center is a one-stop search database for doing business research. There's a Datamonitor report in Business Source Complete entitled:Alcoholic Drinks Industry Profile: United States; May2010, p1, 38p

Other for fee services may be helpful too, such as Euromonitor,

Wine Institute http://www.wineinstitute.org/resources/statistics

The Beer Institute http://www.beerinstitute.org/statistics.asp?bid=198

Analyst reports (especially year end or initiation of coverage ) on companies like Molson/Coors, Budweiser, Miller/SAB, Diageo Annual reports from these same brewers, etc.

Industry publications - some are linked here http://www.winepros.org/aftertaste/links_info-biz.htm
The Beaverton City Library carries S&P Industry Surveys which also has some data on the alcohol market.

World Book Encyclopedia Online

You are probably familiar with World Book Encyclopedia--did you know that you can use your library card and logon to five different versions of World Book!

r•World Book Discover  Multimedia reference with text-to-speech capabilities, automated translation into 14 languages, life skills activities, and more for older students reading below grade level.

•World Book Online For Kids For young public library patrons. Offers easy-to-read articles and a wealth of engaging multimedia, games, science projects, interactive tools, and activities.

•World Book Online Info Finder Contains content and features designed for school-aged patrons' homework and research needs.

•World Book Online Reference Center For advanced researchers and information seekers. Features thousands of e-books, tens of thousands of articles, and hundreds of thousands of primary source documents and features developed especially for public library patrons

•Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos Spanish language version for elementary and middle grades, or beginning Spanish students.

National Park Service Web Site

nps.gov
Check out this well-designed web site if you want to find a park by state, name, activity or topic. 
Activity includes everything from auto touring to wildlife viewing. The site also has information on scenic rivers, national heritage sites, memorials, monuments, historic sites, seashores, etc. so the topic search covers from American Presidents to Wildflowers. Other information on nps.gov includes news, events, photos and multimedia presentations and information for teachers and kids.

These 2010 travel books just in...

Eyewitness Travel: San Francisco & Northern California









Eyewitness Travel: Switzerland










Eyewitness Travel: New England

Once in Golconda

Occasionally a deep vein will appear in history, out of which bright personalities and their drives are reflected and magnified in the gaze of historians and journalists. One such place was New York's business society in the 1920's. Award-winning writer John Brooks writes of a time not unlike the present; doubtless few readers of Once in Golconda will fail to miss the similarities. The vast wealth inside the New York Stock exchange was territory for insiders whose missteps led them into speculative darkness, ever fewer options awaiting at each turn. His writing is succinct and colorful--masterful. He keeps one mesmerized by the descriptions of such men, specifically Richard Whitney, on track to a convergence of ambition and panic we all know as the great crash of 1929. This book appeals to anyone eager to refract recent readings on the recession, willing to examine a loss of inheritance at several angles, and inclined to see that everything connects.

Westside Economic Alliance

One of the better listings for Business Links in this region is found at


http://www.westside-alliance.org/

Northwest news with a sustainable angle

Interested in the environment and sustainibilty issues in the northwest? Take a look at daily.sightline.org for a roundup of current news and events that looks for solutions as well as reporting on enviromental issues in the northwest. Sightline Daily is a project of Sightline Institute, the Northwest’s sustainability think tank.

Indeed (Job Website)

Although there are many job searching websites available, one of the easiest I have found to use is Indeed. This site searches thousands of company websites, job boards, newspapers and associations and makes searching these sources an absolute breeze. All you do is list the job title, keyword or company name and a location (if you want), and the site will list the jobs available with direct links to the original job posting giving you all the information you need in order to apply for the position. If you don't have a specific job title in mind, you can browse their listings of job categories or search listing by specific geographic locations. Also included in the site are salary charts and job trends. Check it out!