Thursday, July 26, 2012

Olympics 2012 London resources


The Olympics 2012 London will kick off tomorrow with the opening ceremonies. Whether you like to watch the games or read about them, there’re lots to choose from.  In the library, we have two new fiction books that take place at the 2012 London Olympics—Gold by Chris Cleave and Private Games by James Patterson.  Former Olympic gymnast, Dominique Moceanu, just released her biography, Off Balance last week, and for those interested in the English locations, we have the Rough Guide to England.   For the younger crowd, we have Great Moments in the Summer Olympics and G is for Gold Medal.

There are websites to catch up on medal counts and Olympic gossip including the official sites like http://www.olympic.org  and http://www.london2012.com.  There is a great video on “How to Follow the 2012 Olympics Online” by Mashable.com at http://mashable.com/2012/07/25/follow-olympics-online/.  Also with all the social media playing such a big role in our society, don’t miss their “Must-Follow Athletes on Twitter” at http://mashable.com/2012/07/24/olympic-athletes-twitter/.

The modern Olympic Games were founded on the principle of education through sports.  Through the games, we find ourselves learning about different cultures, countries, and traditions.  As we enjoy the games and the competition between the best athletes in the world, don’t forget to celebrate the Olympic message of peace and friendship.  


Update:  Books on the Night Stand had a podcast 7/31/12 that had some additional suggestions for Olympic reads!

Monday, July 23, 2012

LME Library has new walk up computer stations


Thanks to the generous donations from the family & friends of Janet Hager, the Lillie M. Evans Library now has two walk up computer stations in the library.  These stations are perfect for searching the library’s catalog, navigating the library’s magazine articles and ebooks, and receiving some assistance from the LME Library staff.  There is no sign-up necessary for these computers, but they are for quick searching and resource demonstration.  Regular Internet users will continue to checkout computer passes and use one of the 7 sit down computers.   The walk up stations are located by the circulation staff so if assistance is needed, the staff is available.

Janet Hager contributed many hours to the library—first as a staff member and then as a volunteer—and we deeply appreciated the dedication and joy she brought with her.  She passed away in February 2012, and we miss her greatly.   Since Janet spent so much of her time at the library, it seems fitting for her to be commemorated in this way.   We have many fond memories of Janet and her commitment to the mission of the library.  These gifts will continue to represent the service and enthusiasm Janet provided to the Lillie M. Evans Library District.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Introducing 2 new subscriptions!


The LME Library has recently purchased 2 new online resources for our library patrons.  These resources are available in the left hand column (with our other library subscription databases) on the LME Library web page http://lmelibrary.org.  Just locate the resource and click on the icon—it’s that easy!  The resources are available in the library or from you home computer.  You will need your LME Library card number for home access.

World Book Web has encyclopedias for early (World Book Online for Kids), middle (World Book Online Info Finder), and advanced users (World Book Online Reference Center.  There are more than 20,000 photos, illustrations & maps; science fair projects; primary sources; read-aloud functionality; games & activities; and computer & web tutorials.  In addition, there is a Spanish language encyclopedia (Gran Enciclopedia Hispánica online) and World Book Discover for more graphically based learners.   Finally, there is The Early World of Learning which offers a wealth of resources to help preschoolers and children in the early grades grasp critical early childhood themes while developing reading and oral language skills. 

Rocket Languages is an online language learning site.  Always wanted to learn a foreign language?  Now’s your chance—you can access the site in the library or at home!  There are courses in Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Hindi, German, French, Chinese and Arabic as well as American Sign Language and English for Spanish Speakers.

We encourage you to explore these and other of our library subscription databases.  Our databases include full-text magazines articles from nearly 3,000 publications, newspaper articles from Peoria & around the US, ebooks & audio books, kids interactive books, genealogical research sources, and fiction read-a-like lists. All these databases and more are available through the LME Library’s web site at http://lmelibrary.org. Enjoy!