Do you have a patron looking for the difference between LCD's and Plasma televisions? If they can't figure out which one might be the best for their home or work situation, a look through Consumer Reports might give them an idea of which one to look for. EBSCOhost offers, through their MasterFILE Premier database, full-text Adobe PDF documents of Consumer Reports magazine from 1985 to the present. Many other magazines are also available through the EBSCOhost database, reachable online from anywhere in Rhode Island through AskRI.org.

Click on the EBSCOhost logo from AskRI.org and choose MasterFile Premier from the EBSCO portal page in order to begin a search for magazine articles.  The portal page was recently re-arranged by EBSCO to make it more user-friendly.  In addition, starting in September 2012, patrons accessing EBSCO databases within public libraries will now see the same interface as remote users. Patrons can add a publication date, peer review options, and choose from several publication types that can narrow down the amount of articles returned through their search by clicking the Search Options link below the search bar prior to and during their search. MasterFILE Premier gives additional options in Advanced Search to search through magazine cover stories, the preferred article length, or how the document might be classified; including reviews, recipes, short stories, interviews, or articles in order to refine the results.  

When a topic has been searched, the patron is given access to a list of links to full-text PDF and HTML articles from the magazine by default. These PDF documents will include the original images, and any bullet points and insets, just like would be found in the actual paper magazine. An HTML full-text document, found in some magazines also available, gives the full text of the document, but often lacks images. If a patron only requires citations of an article, the Full-Text search option will need to be unchecked from the optional limiters of the search.

If a patron wants to browse through all of the articles of an individual issue of a magazine, they can do that, too. Once they're in the MasterFILE Premier database, the Publications tab should be chosen, and the magazine or journal name should be entered into the search bar. A magazine record can then be chosen which will supply a list of the available years of publication, which can each be expanded to show the individual issues published in that year. The result of choosing an issue is a list of all the articles available that are online. Another option for searching is to use the Subject tab, in order to browse through detailed subject terms recognized by the database.

Just a few of the 1,700 full-text magazine titles in addition to Consumer Reports that are available through EBSCOhost's MasterFILE Premier include: Library Journal, Economist, Variety, Time, Science, Nature, Sports Illustrated, People, Newsweek, Chronicle of Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, Entertainment Weekly, New York Times Magazine, ComputerWorld, InfoWorld, PC Week, Publisher's Weekly, and the Saturday Evening Post. A detailed and complete list of all available magazine titles can be found online at: http://www.ebscohost.com/titleLists/f5h-journals.pdf.

Other sources that are included in MasterFILE Premier consist of primary source documents, biographies, newspapers, and access to information from over 500 full-text reference books. A search for "presidents", for example, will find results from individual biographies of various U.S. presidents, presidential candidates, and presidents from other countries as well as newspaper articles covering various elections and political controversy. Governmental documents pertaining to the presidency can also be found. A list of sources that EBSCOhost includes from these documents can be found at http://www.ebscohost.com/titleLists/f5h-other.pdf.

Don't forget that MasterFILE Premier also gives access to over 592,000 maps, photos, and flags through magazines and academic journals. For example, maps can be found in Backpacker magazine that include hints, tips, and places to visit along the Appalachian Trail. The database also includes other detailed maps, topographical maps, and graphical images to help geography students, hikers or adventurers.

Even as digital e-books take on a larger role in what libraries do, there can be no question that books of all types are still at the core of our mission. With this work, Lyons skillfully presents an overview of the history of books from their earliest development with ancient cultures such as the Sumerians and the Egyptians to current questions and concerns relating to mobile devices and e-books.

Lyon's book is set up in chronological order with sections dedicated to ancient and Medieval times, the eighteenth century, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the future. Each chapter is built with entries focusing on specific topics such as materials used to make books, their format, major works and authors from the period, the methods and business of publishing, and the role books played in the literacy/education levels of the cultures. These entries don't have great depth, but each tends to provide a good amount of detail to introduce the topic thoroughly to the reader. The result is a strong sense of the evolution of books, literature, and printing. Libraries are also often highlighted throughout.

Each of the entries ranges from one to three pages and is accompanied by high quality images. The images are really used wonderfully to help tell the story. Some are simply sample pages or book covers of works that are being highlighted in the section. Photographs or other forms of art are often used to share with the reader what authors and publishers looked like. One of the most interesting types of images included are representations from the art world throughout the timeline covered that show average people reading. The inclusions of the images really add another dimension to the presentation.

One of the things that is most impressive about the book about the book is the fact that it does not focus solely on the use of books in the Western or English-speaking World. There are a number of references to works and publishing information from China, Japan, the Arab World, Africa, and South America. This global approach provides stronger balance, particularly since a number of inventions and trends pre-date their arrival in Europe or North America.

This really is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Due to its format, you can pick it up and read an article or two before moving on without being overwhelmed, though you might find its large size and the use of glossy paper a bit heavy to hold for long periods of time. This "coffee table" style format does speak to the quality of the book's publication.

Books: A Living History is definitely worth a read, though don't be surprised if your friends and family turn to you and laugh that you are reading a book ... about books. I know that some of mine did. Just tell them that they should expect no different. You are a librarian!

--The old carpenter's adage, "measure twice, cut once", holds true for program, policy, and workflow decisions in libraries.

If someone suggests, "Hey, let's do THIS!," evaluate twice, implement once. 

Angelique Montes De Oca

Summer Reading 

Monday night August 20th, the PawSox welcomed onto the field 55 very special kids from Rhode Island's public libraries, to celebrate the completion of this year's "Dream Big: Read" summer reading program and kick off the school year. Each child proudly held up a sign for his or her library and marched out in front of spectators and cameras to await the grand-prize drawing of a trip to Disney World out of the mascot Paws' hat.

This year, the winner was none other than Providence Community Library: Knight Memorial Library's own Angelique Montes De Oca, a 4th grader who not only completed all of the required program activities and read the standard number of books, but also went far above and beyond by reading well over 130 chapter books over the summer, simply because she loves to read! Knight Memorial librarians Maria Cotto and Melissa Rivera gushed over what a truly a remarkable girl Angelique is, and since this is the first time anyone from Providence Community Library has won, what a wonderful representative we have in her!

"I feel happy about winning the tickets. My grandmother and I worked really hard creating the poster and were excited to go to the PawSox game. It was a lot of fun. I am very thankful that I was not only able to go to the PawSox game, but also to win the tickets to Disney World. It's a dream come true! "                                                           ~Angelique Montes De Oca~

Redwood Library and Athenaeum

The Redwood Library and Athenaeum will be providing e-book access to members via the 3M Cloud Library. As a partner in the 3M Early Adaptor program, the Redwood joins hundreds of other library systems across the country in providing access to E-books utilizing this new service.

First announced at the annual ALA conference in 2011, the 3M Cloud
Library promises a user-friendly, simplified experience in downloading
e-books. Patrons may simply use their existing barcodes and passwords without the additional steps of an Adobe ID. It's a "one-stop"
shopping experience. Currently, 3M e-books may be read on PCs, I-pads, Nooks and Android devices or on a 3M e-reader, five of which are available at the Redwood Library circulation desk for easy check-out.  Additionally, content may be transferable to other vendors.

The official Redwood kick-off is slated for October. For further
information on access, please contact Robert Kelly
[email protected]  or Maria Bernier [email protected]   

Cranston Public Library

The Cranston Public Library is pleased to announce that Julie Holden has been appointed Information Services and Emerging Technologies Librarian. Julie previously worked at the Pawtucket Public Library, where she served as a Reference Librarian since 1999. In her new position, Julie will be responsible for teaching Digital Literacy/Internet Basics courses, instruction on the use of eReaders/eBooks and other technology programs. 

ALA

Rhode Island's own Joan Ress Reeves was recently profiled in District Dispatch, ALA's official Friends of Libraries blog. Joan Ress Reeves began her career in library advocacy more than thirty years ago in Providence, R.I. Now, Joan serves as a member of the Library Board of Rhode Island, the organization that advises the Office of Library and Information Services on policy issues and funding for state libraries. Reeves was one of the founders of the Coalition for Library Advocates, an organization dedicated to educating the public about Rhode Island library services, sponsoring educational programs at libraries.

Congratulations, Joan and thanks for all of your hard work on behalf of RI libraries!