The End

So far, 2012 has gone off without a hitch. No zombies, no rapture, the poles have not reversed, and the sun has not exploded. But there is still time for these things to occur, so get your disaster kits ready because it is going to be a long and scary apocalypse, especially if the zombie thing happens.

For my money, the best investment you can make is to go to the library and find the various books that we have on our shelves about survival and apocalypse, then read them and maybe even practice some of the lessons that are contained in these helpful books. Obviously the library is the best resource for all your 2012 apocalypse needs. If  you are looking through those books and said apocalypse occurs you can always use the books for fire or a hammer or something like that. (Don’t really do that, those books need to be returned to the library in the condition they left, even if zombies are the only ones working at the library upon return.)

Moreover, the government is selling off its unused cold war missile silos for very reasonable prices. It seems to me that an abandoned missile silo would be a great place to ride out any kind of apocalypse that may occur. Some of them may be fixer uppers, but what else are you going to do in this late stage of the game? December 21st is approaching faster than you think.

If you can’t afford a missile silo it is best to learn some survival skills that can get you through the end of the world or just in case you are lost in the woods. Here are some excellent survival books for those just right occasions. Click here now.

With all this doom and gloom upon us, it is also good to know that we have experienced and survived these things before. Who can forget Y2K? That was a close one. Thankfully all those computer geeks fixed that bug before everything shut down and caused mass hysteria. Here is an awesome list of past end times that we as people survived.

Lets not forget all the disaster, end of the world movies, that we all enjoy. Wikipedia has a great list of such films (just click on that link in the previous sentence to see it). I am sure we have many of them here at the library, so you can see what is going to happen and prepare accordingly.

Whichever way the world decides to end (zombies), it is always good to be prepared. There is no better place to get yourself prepared than your local library. (Except for maybe Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters; have you ever been to that place? It is unbelievable; it is like a super amped up Pro Bass Shop.) I guess I’ll see you later, unless we are all dead, in which case I might just eat your brains.

 

 

 

Award-Winning Books for Children and Teens!

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books for children and young adults on Monday, January 23rd.  Think of them as the Oscars for the literary set!  Click here for a complete list of all winners.

Newbery Award: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Caldecott Award: A Ball for Daisy written and illustrated by Chris Raschka

Printz Award: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award: Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Books by the Banks

Join us for Cincinnati’s 5th annual Books by the Banks  free book festival.  It  takes place Saturday, October 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,  at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Children and their families can  enjoy storybook characters, crafts, and other fun activities in the K12 Kids’ Corner.  During this daylong event more than 100 nationally known and local authors will be available to sign books, and will be engaging in book talks and panel discussions featuring  popular topics (such as cooking, fiction, and teen literature and more).

These authors are just a few of the authors who will be participating in the fest.  Check CCPL’s catalog for their books:

Bohjalian, Chris

Capucilli, Alyssa

Clarke, Brock

Clemens, Judy

Collins, Judy

Garretson, Dee

Green, Maggie

Karr, Julia

McLain, Paula

Springstubb, Tricia

Library Now Offers eBooks for Kindle!

Clermont County Public Library cardholders can now check out and download eBooks to their Amazon Kindle or free Kindle reading app anytime, anywhere! Visit the library homepage, select Downloads located under Quick Links on the left-hand side and then select Ohio eBook Project. You can also access eBooks through our online catalog.

How to read on Kindle
Visit the collection of eBooks through our website.
•    Browse and check out a Kindle book.
•    Click the ‘Get for Kindle’ button. This opens the Amazon.com website. You may be required to sign in with your Amazon.com account if you are not already logged in.
•    Select a Kindle device or Kindle reading app. Click the ‘Get library book’ button and sync your device or app to download the book, or choose to send it to your device via USB.
•    An active Wi-Fi connection is required for wireless delivery to a Kindle device.
•    If your Kindle is not Wi-Fi capable or you do not have an active Wi-Fi connection, you will need to transfer the eBook to your Kindle via USB.
•    If you choose to purchase the book from the Kindle Store or check it out again at a later date, all of your notes and highlights will be preserved.

This service, powered by OverDrive, is free for patrons with their library card. Titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period and there are no late fees. Contact the library for more information or assistance.

A View You Can Take With You!

Imagine a device with no DVDs to scratch, lightweight, ideal for small hands and designed to withstand drops.  Where can you get such a neat, kid-friendly gadget? At the library!

Introducing the Playaway View, which comes preloaded with three to seven children’s titles bundled together for up to six hours of playtime. Videos come from National Geographic, PBS Kids, Sesame Street, Nickleodeon and others.

The 3.5” full-color LCD screen has a shatter-resistant acrylic cover and the simple 7-button functionality makes it easy to use. The View has a built-in speaker, optional headphone jack and delivers high quality imagery at the touch of a button.

Each View takes four hours to obtain a full charge and the rechargeable internal battery provides eight hours of continuous play. One great feature for parents is that any charger with a mini-USB input will work with a View, including travel chargers.

The Playaway Views are located at the Amelia, Milford and Union Township branches and all View titles are available through the catalog. For help placing a hold, please contact your local branch.

Databases Changes

Beginning July 1, CCPL will replace a few databases with similar offerings and add new databases for genealogy, online classes and legal forms.

Mango Languages will replace Byki Language Learning
User statistics show the top five languages accessed through Byki were Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, and Japanese, which are also available through Mango Languages. Also, patrons will be able to access 15 English-as-a-Second Language (ESL), packages to help foreign language speakers learn English.

Additionally, Mango offers webinars on their website and an app for the iPhone.

The languages available through Mango Languages are Arabic (Levantine), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Pashto, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American), Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

For years, Chilton manuals have offered everyone from do-it-yourselfers to professional mechanics trusted auto repair information. That information is also available in Chilton Library, a database that will replace Auto Repair Reference Center. Patrons will be able to access the user-friendly Chilton Library from home to view and print PDF diagrams, maintenance schedules, recall information and more.

New Databases

Genealogy is CCPL’s most popular area of databases and we are happy to announce the addition of World Vital Records to our collection. World Vital Records allows patrons to search and view newspapers in their original image format, digitized yearbooks and gravestones photos.

Universal Class is the database for patrons looking to take non-credit, personal enrichment classes in the areas of business, grant writing, computer instruction and more. This database offers over 500 free online continuing education classes led by real instructors. Patrons may enroll in up to five courses and have six months to complete each course. The courses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week so patrons can attend classes and complete assignments on their own schedule while communicating with the instructor via email.

Law Depot database helps patrons locate the appropriate printable and write-in legal form by either accessing the alphabetized list of forms or answering a set of questions. Additional features include videos and free online legal question chat service staffed by attorneys.

Patrons can use all of our databases from within any branch at the Clermont County Public Library or at home. With your library card number ready, click Research and Homework on the top menu of our website and select Databases from the list. Filter choices by subject, search alphabetically, or enter a search term.

Looming IRS Deadline

Just a quick reminder that income tax returns need to be filed by April 18 this year – thanks to a  federal holiday in Washington, D.C. on Friday, April 15.  Not certain you can meet the filing deadline? File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Visit your local library branch for tax forms or assistance finding forms on the IRS website.

Drilling for Answers

The rising cost of oil has once again grabbed our attention (and our wallets!) Are we running out of oil, who really controls the supply, and how do foreign affairs affect the prices at the pump? Checkout these resources to get a better understanding of the dynamics of the world of oil:

The Age of Oil: the mythology, history, and future of the world’s most controversial resource by Leonardo Maugeri

Out of Gas: the end of the age of oil by David Goodstein

Over a Barrel: a simple guide to the oil shortage by Tom Mast

Oil – Opposing Viewpoints by Andrea Nakaya

Oil on the Brain: adventures from the pump to the pipeline by Lisa Margonelli

Thicker than Oil: America’s uneasy partnership with Saudi Arabia by Rachel Bronson

Energy Victory: winning the war on terror by breaking free of oil by Robert Zubrin

A Thousand Barrels a Second: the coming oil break point and the challenges facing an energy dependent world by Peter Terzakian

Greasy Rider: two dudes, one fry-oil-powered car, and a cross-country search for a greener future by Greg Neville

 

 

The End of Sookie?

sookie stackhouseCharlaine Harris, the author of the popular Sookie Stackhouse books, said that she might stop writing the series after the next two books. Read the full interview. I can only hope that she decides to tie up loose ends if she does stop writing the series. Hear that, Ms. Harris? NO cliffhangers!

Need a replacement for Sookie? Our database, NoveList Plus has some readalike suggestions including:

As an urban fantasy fan, my suggestions include: