Helping Little People Learn Computers

Recently a friend introduced me to a wonderful resource for kids and I want to share it with you. It's called ZAC Browser.

ZAC (the letters stands for Zone for Autistic Children) "is the first web browser developed specifically for children with autism, and autism spectrum disorders."

ZAC is a browser that allows children to interact directly (and safely!) with games (a LOT of games) and activities (focused on MANY interests). The links cater specifically to kids with impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. The icons are big and colorful, thus kids can navigate the site easily.

While ZAC is geared towards children with autism, it is also a wonderful tool for toddlers and children with delayed speech issues. (My 2-year-old son LOVES it!)

Want to learn more about ZAC browser? Blast Magazine wrote a great article about the history of this browser.

ZAC brower is free, so check it out!

COMING SOON! (On Order Now!)

Fragile Lives by Jane A. Adams

Summary
Rina Martin returns in the second book in this new series from the author of the "Naomi Blake mysteries". When a body is washed up on a beach a short distance from Frantham, the first assumption is that it must be Edward Parker who had fallen from Marlborough Head just a couple of weeks before. When the badly battered body is examined, however, it is discovered to be the body of Pat Duggan, son of local nightclub owner Jimmy Duggan. It seems Pat had been abducted. Twice. And, to complicate matters, the missing Edward Parker had worked for Jimmy Duggan and disappeared at the same time as Duggan's son. Coincidence? Mac and Rina don't think so...Mac, following procedure as a serving police officer, and Rina, an interested outsider, soon discover that others are now at risk of meeting Pat Duggan's fate and this time they are only eight years old. Mac and Rina are both dragged into a race against time to solve the case.

Review
"Adams proves her versatility with the new series, a solid village procedural with a clever plot and skilfully drawn characters. Fans of M.C. Beaton and Clare Curzon will find Adams right up their alley"

Booklist on A Reason to Kill: Rina's kick-off emphasizes people and place, letting the reader in on secrets early and relying on psychological conflict to drive the appealing plot.

Kirkus Reviews on A Reason to Kill: The intriguing premise, combined with solid plotting, make this unusual series well worth a look.

Booklist on Legacy of Lies: The plot soon heats up, engaging the reader with its clever twists, intriguing characters and shock ending.

Do Something Wonderful

Are you looking for a "dare to be great" situation? Why not volunteer at the Volunteer Center of RI. The mission of the VCRI is to connect people and opportunities for effective community service. They do this by promoting volunteerism statewide, connecting volunteers to opportunities, building the capacity for effective volunteerism through training and consultation and by collaborating with community stakeholders where volunteers are involved.

The site allows users to search for volunteer opportunities by Member Agencies, Board Opportunities, Internships, Family Friendly, Teen Opportunities, Court Mandated Service, and Disaster/Crisis Response. Users can also search by city, state and keywords. The site features great synopsises of agencies looking for volunteers so you can get to know a group before joining up.

So check out the VCRI! Tell 'em Chris sent you!

Tax Time Help

Are you over 50 and need help preparing your taxes? The AARP can bail you out (sorry, but I couldn't resist). The AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives.

From February 2nd until April 15th the AARP will hold tax-aide programs right here at MPL. These programs run 3 times a week.

Mondays: 12:00-3:00pm
Wednesdays: 4:00-7:00pm
Saturdays: 9:30am-1:00pm

These seminars offer free one-on-one counseling, as well as assistance to help individuals prepare basic tax forms, including the 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ and other standard schedules. For more information about these on-site programs please call (401) 846-1573.

What if you can't make it to MPL? Don't worry! The AARP offers assistance over the telephone and on Internet as well. For more information on this please go to: https://locator.aarp.org/vmis/sites/tax_aide_locator.jsp

Hail to the Chief!

Today we watched power pass from one president to another, and in the process we witnessed the first African American man assume the nation's highest office. In honor of this occasion here are some wonderful websites that will help you get to know a little more about our government.

Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States: George Washington to Barack H. Obama

Find U.S. presidents' inaugural addresses, brief historical synopses of each inauguration, pictures of the presidents, and the text of the oath of office. Includes information about the five presidents who assumed office without inauguration. Searchable and browsable. From Bartleby.com.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden

This site from the Smithsonian presents background information on the presidency, the campaigns to achieve it, and the men who have been president. Find brief biographical sketches, lists of achievements, images of items in the Smithsonian's collection, and classroom aids. The "Resources" section includes a list of all the presidential candidates, a list of military service of the presidents, a bibliography, and annotated links to other presidential websites.

Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States

This site makes available material compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, employing the same database used in producing the hardcover printed volumes. Contains the public papers from the current administration and previous administrations starting in 1991. The volumes are searchable as well as browsable by table of contents, photographic portfolio, presidential documents published in the Federal Register, subject, name of person mentioned, and document category.

Our First Ladies

This site from the White House presents brief biographies of the current and past first ladies. Some profiles include images.

Romance Romance!

So many of our MPL patrons love romance novels. And with Valentine's Day coming up soon (that's February 14th for all my guy readers) I thought this website was perfect for the romantics readers out there in cyberspace!

All Romance Writers is a site dedicated to...you guessed it! Romance novels. The site divided into communities such as Chick Lit, Historical Fiction, Paranormal Romance, and more! It also includes a blog, message board and newsletter for users to get in contact with other romance aficionados. And you can search the site not only by author and title, but also hero/heroine, character type and series (very cool indeed)!

One draw back: it's got lots of ads. Essentially they want you to buy the book through them. However just write down the title and author and let us get it for you...FOR FREE!

So if you are looking for the perfect love story, snuggle up to this site. You'll be glad you did!

COMING SOON! (March 09)

Murder in the Latin Quarter by Cara Black

Summary: A Haitian woman arrives at the office of Leduc Detective and announces that she is Aimée’s sister, her father’s illegitimate daughter. Aimée is thrilled. A virtual orphan since her mother’s disappearance and her father’s death, she has always wanted a sister. Her partner, René, is wary of this stranger, but Aimée embraces her and soon finds herself involved in murky Haitian politics leading to murder. The setting is the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of the Seine, in the old university district of Paris.

This book is part of the Aimée Leduc series.

Book of the Day!

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

Summary: Knit Two returns to the Manhattan knitting store Walker & Daughter five years after the death of the store's owner, Georgia Walker. Georgia's daughter Dakota runs the knitting store part-time with the help of the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club. Drawn together by their love for Dakota and the sense of family the club provides, each knitter is struggling with new challenges.

This book is the sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club.

Free Stuff (No Kidding!)

Did you know the Middletown Public Library has discount passes to some amazing museums in Rhode Island AND Massachusetts? Well we do!

We provide passes and coupons to a variety of educational and cultural destinations throughout little Rhody and our sister state to the north. Passes and coupons can be obtained at the Circulation Desk.

So what passes do we have?

Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Bristol, RI & Seekonk, MA
Pass admits 2 adults and 4 children under the age of 18


Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum, Bristol, RI
Pass admits 2 adults and 6 children under the age of 18


Children's Museum, Providence, RI
Coupon allows free admission for up to 4 people


Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Coupon admits 2 adults at $8.00 each and discounted admission to special exhibits


Museum of Science, Boston, MA
Coupon admits up to 4 people at $5.00 each


New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Coupon admits up to 4 people at $8.00 each - not valid July and August


Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Pass allows 2 adults free admission and 10% discount in the museum store


Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI
Pass admits up to 4 people at below prices:
July and August: $9.00 adults, $5.00 children/Rest of the year: $6.00 adults, $3.00 children

So gather up your friends and family and go see something wonderful!

(Please remember that passes cannot be reserved or renewed. Overdue fine is $5.00 per day. And if the pass is lost or damaged full replacement cost is charged.)

Jobs and Employment Resources

Looking for a job? Looking to change jobs? Looking for great employees? Well look no further! The amazing Heather (my reference librarian partner-in-crime) has compiled a WONDERFUL list of online resources to help you at any stage (or any side) of the job seeking game.

RHODE ISLAND JOB and INFORMATION SITES

RI Department of Labor & Training
This site has valuable information and resources for employers and job seekers. In the Hot Jobs section there are links for State Vacancies and other employment links. Most of the Labor & Training divisions are listed here along with their functions and contacts.

Providence Journal Career Center
Browse jobs listed in the Providence Journal's Job Center.

RIJobs.com
Several major local newspapers, including the Newport Daily News, Sakonnet Times, and Barrington Times have joined together to form RIJobs.com, a Rhode Island job site dedicated to connecting employers and job seekers across the state.

JOB LISTINGS

America's Job Bank
Thousands of new job listings each day. Funded through Unemployment Insurance taxes, this service links the 1,800 state Employment Service offices. Most of the jobs are full-time and the majority are in the private sector. The job openings come from all over the country and represent all types of work, from professional and technical to blue collar, from management to clerical and sales. Resumes can be developed and posted online.

Best Jobs USA
Resources for job seekers and employers. Contains searchable job listings, rankings of employers, a database of trade shows, a resume bank, information on hiring employees, and more.

Boston Works
Search thousands of jobs by job title, region, employer, industry and more. Sponsored by the Boston Globe.

Career Builder
This site claims to list "hundreds of thousands" of available jobs in the United States. Searchable by location, job type, industry, and other factors.

Career One Stop
This government site is the "nation's publicly-funded resource for job seekers and businesses. Find jobs from entry level to technical to professional to CEO. Identify job-ready workers with the right skills...Explore alternative career paths, compare salary data for different occupations, learn which careers are hot, get resume writing tips and job interview strategies, and much more." A product of a federal-state partnership "funded by grants to states."

Moster.com
This site is currently undergoing a total redesign. According to Monster.com the new site will be up and read to go around January 10, 2009. You can see a real-time countdown on the site.

The Riley Guide
Excellent resource for using the Internet for finding a job. Contains introductions to, and annotated links for, job resources categorized by Work Opportunities (career fields), Salary Surveys (what you are worth), Research (career and work options), and Help (with resumes, cover letters, whatever you need). Don't miss the weekly "What's New" and the Quick Index or Table of Contents pages for more navigational options. Compiled and regularly updated by librarian and consultant Margaret F. (Riley) Dikel.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

JobStar Central: Job Search Guide
A library-sponsored guide to job-search resources on the Web. This site includes extensive listings of employer telephone hotlines, local career centers, libraries, and job search events. Job listings are primarily in California, but job seekers nationwide can use the salary information section (with connections to over 300 salary surveys); the resume section with state-of-the-art info; the career guides, and Ask Electra, the Electronic Librarian.

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Detailed job descriptions, along with the employment outlook, educational requirements, and the salary to expect for most occupations. Revised every two years by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Department of Labor
The government website features the information and services the Department of Labor offers on various labor and employment topics.

SALARIES

International Salary Calculator
The Center for Mobility Resources, which sponsors the site, maintains cost of living information for more than 500 cities in the US and Canada, and hundred more worldwide. Just plug in your current location and income, type where you're going, and "calculate". Also available in Spanish.

Salary.com
this site offers "in depth coverage of salary information over a comprehensive set of industries and thousands of job titles." The Salary Wizard tool searches for salary ranges by occupation and by region. Other features include salary news and advice, brief job descriptions, links for job searching, and a section for Human Resources (HR) Professionals.

SalaryExpert.com
This searchable site determines the mean salary, total compensation, and equivalent "renter's buying power" for a chosen job title in a chosen zip code or metro area. Try out the international version as well as the links to many other career sites.

RI Teen Book Awards: Your Vote COUNTS!

Hey there my teenage readers! (I do have some teens reading this blog, right?) Looking for some great winter reads? Well the Rhode Island Teen Book Award Committee has just posted it's list of the 20 best teen titles published between 2006-2008, and now they are looking to you to vote on which book is truly deserving of the title Best Book!

Wait a second...who are these people? The Rhode Island Teen Book Award is a collaborative project of the Rhode Island Education Media Association (RIEMA) and the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA). The goal of the Rhode Island Teen Book Award is to promote quality literature for teens by highlighting well-written books that will be of interest to those between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age.

To vote simply come to the Library, pick up a form, fill it out and hand it to one of the Reference Librarians (that would be either Heather or yours truly, Christina). All votes must be in before February 13th.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...

*Recommended for Middle School Students*

Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
Set during a dynamic era of earth’s history and changing species, Dusk, the world's first bat, must lead his colony to safety and a new home after a massacre from carnivores.

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
In 1943, Dewey moves to Los Alamos to live with her father, a scientist working on "the gadget"- the first atomic bomb.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Kek survives a war in the Sudan that claims the lives of both his father and brother but can he adapt to a new life in the US and still remain true to his own beliefs?

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is a touching and uplifting portrait of a young girl's struggle for survival on the streets and within herself, told through the words in her diary ... a diary she never wanted to use.

*Recommended for All Teens*

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Twins Sophie and Josh are caught in a battle between two alchemists over an ancient book containing the secret of eternal life.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This wordless graphic novel blends historical imagery with science-fiction elements to depict the journey of an immigrant from his terror-beset homeland to a new, more peaceful home.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
With the help of a big secret, overachiever Vassar finds herself traipsing through the wilds of Southeast Asia with her free-living grandmother. How will it change her view of the world?

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Meet DJ, a genuine home-grown cow-girl who wants not only to escape the drudgery of her farm but also to play football. Has she got what it takes to make it in the “real” world?

Devilish by Maureen Johnson
Jane Jarvis, a senior at a Catholic girls’ school in Providence, tries to save her best friend by making a pact with a demon in the form of a cupcake-eating, very friendly teenage girl.

Epic by Conor Kostick
On New Earth, a world based on a virtual role-playing game, Erik persuades his friends to help in order to save his father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
A group of unpopular students thrown together in detention form a band to play at a local school talent show and become a wildly popular local rock band.

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
After her home on the island of Shalott is destroyed forcing her to live in Arthur's army encampments, can Elaine, and the world she has always known, survive the birth of a kingdom?

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Five sisters who live with their merchant father in Transylvania use a hidden portal in their home to cross over into a magical world, the Wildwood.

*Recommended for High School Students*

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
After being bullied at his school on the reservation, Junior Spirit decides to attend an all-white school where he struggles with his identity and feelings about leaving the “rez".

Beige by Cecil Castelucci
Staying in Los Angeles for the summer with your punk rock legend father should be exciting. However, Katy and her estranged dad couldn't be more opposite.

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
How bad can a boot camp really be? For Garrett, it's his worst nightmare come to life. Will he escape the never-ending behavior modifications of Lake Harmony.

Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
When her alcoholic mother is missing, Claudine begins to spin out of control despite her attempts to impose order on every aspect of her life.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Annabelle plays the girl who has everything in a local TV ad, but nothing could be further from the truth. Could her unlikely friendship with outsider Owen help her to mend her life?

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
After a severe blow to the head, amnesiac Naomi faces startling and puzzling consequences while unraveling her past life.

Trigger by Susan Vaught
Jersey is released from rehab after suffering a gunshot wound to the head only to learn the injury was self-inflicted. Now, he must overcome his extensive brain damage to find out why.