PPL’s Digital Branch Welcomes the Kindle

The Palestine Public Library is excited to announce that Kindle compatibility has finally arrived at our digital branch. Ebooks and audiobooks can now be downloaded to an Amazon® Kindle or any other device with the free Kindle app, including the iPhone®, iPad®, and Android™. Just as before, titles from the library’s digital branch can also be read on a PC or Mac computer and mobile devices such as the Smartphone, MP3 player, the Barnes & Noble® Nook™, and the Sony® Reader. Visit the PPL’s digital branch at http://palestine.lib.overdrive.com to get started.

The PPL’s digital branch offers some benefits to patrons. For one, the digital collection includes many titles not available in the library, including both popular new titles and classics. There are no overdue fees, as the ebook expires at the end of the lending period. Most digital items have a lending period of seven days. Two items can be checked out at a time, but as many as five items can be downloaded for each lending period. Another convenient way to connect to the digital branch is to visit the library’s main webpage at http://www.youseemore.com/palestine/ then click on the digital branch icon.

To select an ebook or audiobook, visit the digital branch on a PC or Mac computer, browse the library’s digital collection, check out titles using a library card and PIN number, and select “Get for Kindle” to download ebooks to a Kindle device or any device running the Kindle app through their Amazon accounts. Amazon’s Whispersync technology synchronizes the user’s notes, highlights, and the last page read.

To obtain digital titles for the Barnes and Noble® Nook™ and other mobile devices, it’s necessary to first download the OverDrive® Media Console™ or the Adobe® Digital Editions software to a PC or Mac. Users can obtain this software for free from the tabs on the lower left menu of the digital branch webpage. The next steps are to browse titles, add them to the user’s book bag and check them out. The items can then be download them to a PC or Mac. The ebooks can be read from a computer, or they may be transferred to a mobile device after downloading.

The PPL’s digital branch is made possible through a subscription to OverDrive, Inc. (www.overdrive.com), a leading distributor of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and video. Overdrive has recently updated the library’s digital branch website so users can obtain help with downloading digital items.

 

Classically Classical Ladies of Fiction

All of the buzz around the newly released movie version of Jane Eyre has us feeling a bit classical here at Collection Connection.  Here are a few of the greats that have been made into to cinematic versions – you be the judge of which is better; the book or the movie?  We’d love to hear what your thoughts are on Jane Eyre, in theaters March 11, 2011.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Bronte’s classic tale is available in a hosts of formats from your Palestine Public Library.

– Digital Audiobook

– MP3 Audiobook Disc

– Graphic Novel

– Original Text in Print

Compare them all!

 

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

In the mood for tragic romance?  Look no further than this moving work from the other Bronte sister.  “In early nineteenth-century Yorkshire, the passionate attachment between a headstrong young girl and a foundling boy brought up by her father causes tragedy for them and many others, even in the next generation.”

All things Wuthering Heights available from the library: Book, DVD, Blooms Notes, MP3 Audiobook CD

Persuasion, Jane Austen

You’ve most likely heard of Jane Austen’s more famous works – Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and the like.  But have you heard of her final novel, Persuasion?

“The story of Anne Elliot, a woman who gets a second chance. As a teenager she becomes engaged to a man who seems perfect for her, Frederick Wentworth. But she is persuaded to break the engagement off by her friend Lady Russell, who believes that he is too poor to be a suitable match. The episode plunges Anne into a period of bleak disappointment.

Persuasion is a story of self-knowledge and personal regeneration, of social change and emotional politics. It is Austen’s most mature work, and also her most wickedly satirical.”

Available from the library in the following formats: Book, Enhanced Audiobook with Ebook, MP3 CD Audiobook, and DVD Miniseries.

 

Happy Birthday, C.S. Lewis!

Collection Connection is celebrating C.S. Lewis on November 29th, his birthday by sharing a few facts about the author who introduced us to Narnia.

• Clive Staples Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
• Lewis, often nicknamed “Jack” was sent to boarding school when his mother passed away ten years later in 1908.
• In 1916, Lewis won a scholarship to attend University College, Oxford.
• Lewis enlisted into the British army during War World I and was wounded in the Spring of 1918.
• On an evening in 1931, while talking with J.R.R Tolkein and Hugo Dyson, C.S. Lewis became a Christian.
• Lewis published the first installment of his Space Trilogy in 1938.
• “The Screwtape Letters” was published in installments in The Guardian in the summer and fall of 1941.
• The year 1944 produced what is now known as Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce.
• In 1950, C.S. Lewis penned the first of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, beginning with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
• Lewis passed away on November 22, 1963, the same day as the Kennedy assassination.

For more information see http://cslewis.drzeus.net/bio/

The entire Chronicles of Narnia series is available in downloadable eBook from the library’s Digital Collection.  This series and many other CS Lewis classics are available in print from the library’s main collection.

Don’t miss Voyage of the Dawn Treader in theaters Christmas 2010 in Digital 3D. Click below to view the trailer of this exciting story come to life!

 

Trip Tales

With summer upon us and so many traveling I wanted to take a moment to let you know about some of the great audiobook titles we have for kids available on the Digital Branch.  Listen while you ride!  It’s a great way to foster family discussions and as a former backseat listener myself, I can attest that it will keep some kids entertained for hours on those long excursions.  Here are a few kids titles that we suggest:

Batboy by Mike Lupica

What better for summer than our national pastime?  Brian has every 14 year old baseball fan’s dream job – he is the batboy for his major league team.  There’s more to this story than baseball, however, as Brian attempts to use his new job as a way to win back his father.

Mike Lupica is one of the best known authors for fiction that guys like.  Try this book and many others out today by using the library’s Digital Branch.

Watch a video trailer for batboy

Alvin Ho Collection 1 & 2 by Lenore Look

For those of us less atheletically inclined, meet Alvin.

Alvin Ho is allergic to, well, everything. This includes girls, schools, and other natural disasters, just to name a few.  Alvin, the charming main character in this two volume series, is a second grader who is afraid of everything.

Try this title out available for download from the Digital Branch.  You just might be braver when you are done!

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

This new classic Children’s series is one of my favorites.  Full of mystery and a little suspense, the audiobook version shares three adventures of the Alden children including the one that started it all.

Listen to this audiobook on your computer or MP3 player.  There are over 7 hours of a stories contained within this single check-out. 

A Dog on His Own by MJ Auch

From the publisher: “”I’m a free and independent dog!” That’s how K-10 likes to think of himself. But life on the road can get lonely, and as K-10’s travels bring him into contact with a range of dogs, he begins to wonder if being a wanderer really is the best life for a dog. Filled with great canine characters, this novel is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching.”

Hank the Cowdog fans could have found a new friend in K-10.  This is a new title for us – we’d love to know what you think!

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton

Climb aboard for a journey into the mind of Jimmy Cannon.  From the publisher: “Meet a town and a train and a time and a boy — Jimmy Cannon. And meet his father — as strong as a Mallet locomotive — whom Jimmy simply cannot figure out! But who, in a dramatic and unexpected twist, turns out to be so much more than Jimmy ever knew.”

Check this title out and many others from our Digital Branch.  You’ll be glad you did!

Reviewer: E Ponder

 

Growing Up

Ever notice the difference between and eighth grader in the Spring and a High School freshman in the fall?  That evolution has gotten me thinking about some of the great coming of age novels that we have available on the Digital Branch.  Expecting to do some growing up this summer? Maybe you’re like me and you just want to remember what it was like… or maybe even forget.  Here are some great options for Coming of Age novels available for checkout in ebook and audiobook format.  Enjoy!

The Carrie Diaries by Candance Bushnell

Most of us have heard at least bits of main character Carrie Bradshaw through the insanely popular Sex and the City sitcom and movies. Here the mastermind behind this complex character, Candace Bushnell takes us on a journey into Carrie’s past where we now see her as a young adolescent girl in the 1970s.  You might never look at Carrie the same way… then again, maybe you will.

Available in ebook format from the library’s Digital Collection.

Hear what Candace Bushnell has to say about her latest book.

The Giver by Louis Lowry

Possibly one of Lowry’s best works, The Giver begins with the life of Jonas, a young boy living in a Utopian society.  Through a selection committee he is nominated to become the Giver for his community.  It is only then that he begins to see what reality truly is and he must make decisions that will change his life and the lives of those around him forever.  This is futuristic scifi/fantasy at its best.  A classic read.

Available in audiobook format from the library’s Digital Collection as well as in standard book format from the library’s main collection.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Possibly one of the best known “boy” books of all time, Hatchet takes us on an unplanned adventure survival mission where the prize for winning to come out alive.  Brian is the lone survivor in a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.  He is faced with the task of fighting for his life learning how to obtain food, water, and shelter while still braving the fierce elements.

Gary Paulsen is one of the best known authors in children’s fiction.  This title is available in print from our main collection and also in audiobook format from our Digital Branch.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

When a meteor hits the moon and earth is traumatized with the effects Miranda faces a harsh reality.  Confronted with natural disaster resulting in loss of communication, security, and even food she must grow up fast to help her family.

This is a spine tingling edge of your seat trilogy available in audiobook format from the Digital Branch.

For more coming of age stories log on to the library’s Digital Branch.  We’ve got you covered!

 

Free Cliffs Notes using NetLibrary

When I told a group of high school students at Cayuga High School last week that the library had free Cliffs Notes I suddenly became the most popular librarian in town.  In an effort to recreate that moment of library resource enthusiasm, I’ll recap for those of you who might have missed this great free online resource in the past.

Through the TexShare Database subscription that the library subscribes to we are able to offer a database called NetLibrary.  In this database you will find thousands of ebooks on a variety of topics.  These are available 24/7 viewable on a computer with an internet connection and all you have to have to access is a login and password that we have to provide by phone for rights issues.  Our phone number is 903-729-4121 for those interested.

After you type in the login and password you will be ushered in to our TexShare database.  From here you can select NetLibrary from the list of databases and you will be taken to the NetLibrary homepage.  Inside NetLibrary you are able to conduct a basic search.  If you are looking for Cliffs Notes I would suggest simply searching by the book’s title or author.  If the Cliffs Notes are available (and so far in my searching I haven’t found a book with published Cliffs Notes that are not available) you should be able to view these via your internet connected computer.

Still not sure how this works?  Watch a free online video I created to help you with this online resource. If you can’t see the entire video don’t forget to scroll down!

Don’t forget that the librarians are here for you Monday-Friday 9am-6pm should you have additional questions.  Call us @ 903-729-4121 or chat with us from our AskMe! Chat on our homepage http://www.palestine.lib.tx.us

 

Goin’ to the Dogs

PPL’s Digital Branch holds a number of options for the canine caretaker and pet lover alike.  Take a look at some of these true “tails.”  Howling optional.

For those who love the widely known Dr. James Herriot, meet Dr. Nick Trout, veterinarian and author of the NYT Bestseller Tell Me Where It Hurts.  In his second work, Love is the Best Medicine, readers are introduced to ten year old Cocker Spaniel, Helen.  Despite her appearance and the fact that she has been abandoned, new owners Bill and Eileen take her in and their lives are never the same.  The Min Pin, Cleo, suffers leg fractures and comes to Dr. Trout with a distraught owner in the hopes of surgical miracles.  Bogie, author Debbie Macomber’s pooch says, “I sat in my human mom’s lap while she read Love is the Best Medicine. She liked it a lot and said ‘Everyone should read this book!’ She laughed, and I had to lick the tears from her cheeks when she cried.”  With an endorsement like that, I’m not sure how anyone can pass this up.

Meet Dr. Nick Trout and hear what he has to say about his new book, Love is the Best Medicine. This title available from the library’s Digital Branch.

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Climb aboard with author John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, as they take you on a tour of America.  Travels with Charley tells the true story of Steinbeck’s travels across our great nation and introduces us to ourselves.  One of Steinbeck’s greatest commercial successes, Travels with Charley offers a look at 1960 America with a viewpoint from three foot high.

This title is available in audiobook format from the library’s Digital Branch and in print from the library’s nonfiction collection.  Want to see more Steinbeck?  Let us know by posting a comment here on the blog or using the Suggest a Title feature from the Digital Branch website.  This is YOUR library.  Let us know what you want to read.