Take away a Playaway

As Rita mentioned, the Library has started circulating Playaways. These adorable little boxes, smaller than an iPod, come preloaded with a single audiobook. They’re incredibly light-weight and easy to operate, and the quality is superb, as you would expect from Recorded Books. The only thing you need to listen are standard headphones, and if you need them we can sell you a pair for $1. Try them out and let us know how you like them.

The many ways we save you money

Here’s a wonderful post from the Personal Finance Advice blog, and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves. We save you money not just on buying books, cds, DVDs, tapes, newspapers and magazines, but give you research databases, programs for entertainment and enlightenment, and a professional staff who want you to come back again and again.

PS – Be sure to read all the comments, and make one of your own!

Foreign Correspondent

Red Lights (2004)
Starring: Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Carole Bouquet Director: Cédric Kahn
Rated NR
Call #: DVD FOR FRE RED
Genres: Drama, Thriller
Run Time: 106 minutes
Language: French

In this French thriller, a road movie that takes you on a disturbing ride that is leading to imminent horror. A troubled couple drives out of Paris on a holiday weekend to pick-up their children at summer camp. Antoine is Mr. Average with a dead end sales job and resents his more successful wife, Helene, a lawyer. When Helene tires of Antoine’s drinking on the road she takes off leaving him to take the train. When Antoine comes back to the car from his drinking he is in a panic realizing his wife is gone, it’s nighttime and he’s in the middle of nowhere. The film is an examination of the male psyche in crisis and the title “Red Lights” is a metaphor for the obstacles that Antoine faces.

Time Out (2000)
Starring: Aurélien Recoing, Karin Viard Director: Laurent Cantet
Rated PG-13
Call #: DVD FOR FRE TIME
Genres: Drama
Run Time: 128 minutes
Language: French

Another film of a man in crisis. Vincent seems to have it all, a beautiful wife and family and a new prestigous job. In reality Vincent has no job and is too ashamed to tell his family that he has been fired. Instead he constructs an elaborate double life where he works for a top firm in Geneva and is away from home most of the time. To maintain his cover of employment Vincent scams his friends into an “investment opportunity”. As his lies mount , he begins to lose control and is forced to face his future. A good and decent man, he is held in high regard by his friends and colleagues. Through his upbringing he knew much was expected of him and that failure was not an option. Vincent is a man shackled with expectations but in the end he underestimates his family’s love for him.

Riding With Rita

Riding with Rita

Great News! We now are lending PLAYAWAYs – pre-loaded digital audiobooks.
PLAYAWAY is an all in one product: lightweight, compact and easy to use. It is an MP3 player that comes with one pre-loaded audiobook. You supply your own earphones, or purchase them at the Circulation Desk for $1.00.
This is a handy way to listen to books, and no more shuffling of CD’s! It is so easy. Come in and try one today.

I’ll bet I’m not alone in my intention to revisit some of the classics I read in school. I finally got started, with Madame Bovary on CD, and I am so glad I did.

Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert read by Donada Peters.
This book is considered one of the greatest novels ever written. The theme is adultery, which caused moral outrage at the time it was published (1857). Flaubert along with his publisher was put on trial for indecency (acquitted). Even in translation the language is exquisitely precise, as Flaubert could take a week to complete one perfect page. If you love beautiful writing, read or listen to this classic work of French literature.

Here are some others that I listened to on my way to Melville this month- give them a try!

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson read by Alan Sklar
(Also a recent selection of Chris Garland’s non-fiction “the Reader Selects” book discussion group)
I got off to a rocky start with this one as the opening chapter is primarily about all aspects of feces…human and animal. However, as the topic of this book is the London cholera outbreak of 1854, all of that is vindicated in this outstanding record of the deadly outbreak and the unraveling of its cause. Scientific method triumphs over medieval beliefs and we are pulling for the good guys as they fight against the ignorance and economic interests of the powers that be.

The Innocent Man by John Grisham read by Craig Wasson
In this non-fiction account of the prosecution and incarceration of Ron Williamson (a mentally ill, former high school star baseball player and major league prospect accused of brutal rape and murder) we see a police and justice system run amuck. Death penalty issues loom large in this book. It serves as a caveat for those who tacitly condone the eroding of our civil liberties.

The March E.L. Doctorow read by Joe Morton
Historical fiction set during Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s march through Georgia and the Carolinas at the close of the Civil War, beautifully read by actor Joe Morton.

del.icio.us Librarians’ secrets

You may have noticed a new page at the top of the screen – Our Feeds. Over the past few years our Reference Librarians have been collecting favorite websites, ones that we’ve discovered and saved in our arsenal of question-answering tools. Now they are available to you as RSS feeds. Choices range from art and antiques, to business, consumer, government, history, medical, phone directories, and the biggest one of all, Reference. Every time we add one, you’ll get notified! If you’d like to look at our whole collection all at once – here it is.

Reserve now, read later

Another new feature for our catalog users – you can freeze your holds. This allows other holds for the same item to be filled while your request remains “on ice.” Your request will not be filled, but you will not lose your place in line. Perfect for those times you’re away on vacation or have too much to read or watch already!

After you log into your account and click on Holds, check the box next to the item you wish to freeze, then click on UPDATE LIST. When you’re ready to get the item, simply “unfreeze,” by reversing the process. That will re-activate your hold at your original place in the queue.

And you thought ratings were only for movies….

You might notice something new when you search the catalog – it’s time for you to get into the act and tell us how you feel about the items you check out. You can rate the books, music, and movies with a star system. See it in action here on the new Harry Potter book.

It all starts when you View Your Account. From there you can search the catalog for the item you want to rate.  Once you find it, you’ll see the stars waiting for a rating.  Mouse over them and click on the highest star you think the item deserves.  Your fellow library users will thank you!  And so do we.

GIANT Book Sale

We’re at it again!

Saturday, May 19
10 am – 4pm,  at the Dix Hills building

Stop by and browse through hundreds of donated and discarded books. They will be grouped by basic categories, i.e. cookbooks, travel, art, mysteries, etc., to help you find just the books you like! All books will be priced reasonably and proceeds from this event will benefit the Library. Donations are a huge part of our book sale. Books are accepted year round and will be sold at our special book sale in May and the ongoing sale located directly across from the Circulation Desk.

Small business is Big Business at the Library

This May is our second annual Small Business Month – 4 weeks of programs for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Check out Business Link for more details.

They’re here….

New books and movies. Don’t get up. Just click on the title and reserve.