Pottsville Free Public Library

EBooks are coming! And more news from the Reference Department.

2011-08-17T10:37:00.005-04:00

In the near future, we will be adding several ebooks to the reference collection of the Pottsville Free Public Library. These ebooks will be available through the library's catalog, and will be available to use on any computer by anyone with a Pottsville Library card. Subjects include science experiments for students; several encyclopedias dealing with poisons, phobias, alcoholism, and drug abuse; and histories of Afghanistan and Egypt. Stay tuned for more details!

Also coming this fall, an updated index to obituaries in the local newspapers. We're up to 143,000 names from the Pottsville Republican, nearly 20,000 more than last year! Look for the updated index on the library's genealogy page in September or October.

The Library's 100th anniversary is being celebrated in a few ways. Don't forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, November 5, when we will host the "Inspired by a Book" exhibit, and a presentation by Sally Wiener Grotta about Pennsylvania artisans.

Snow Days

2011-01-27T12:23:00.004-05:00

It seems like we've been getting lots of little snow storms, rather than one or two big storms, in addition to the really cold weather. Makes you glad you don't live closer to Philadelphia or New York! Here are some of the newer books we've added to our collection related to the climate:

The View From Lazy Point: A natural year in an unnatural world, by Carl Safina (508 Sa17)

The Climate War: True believers, power brokers, and the fight to save the earth, by Eric Pooley (363.738 P789)

Eaarth: Making a life on a tough new planet, by Bill McKibben (363.738 M21)

(No, I didn't spell it wrong; the cover really has the planet's name spelled with two A's.)

How to Cool the Planet: geoengineering and the audacious quest to fix Earth's climate, by Jeff Goodell (551.6 G61)

(Okay, so "cooling" may not be a popular topic after the bitter cold we've had.)

Diet for a Hot Planet: The climate crisis at the end of your fork and what you can do about it, by Anna Lappe (338.19 L318)

Everyone's Talking About E-Books

2010-11-24T15:24:00.002-05:00

With all the hype surrounding the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes and Noble Nook, and the Sony e-Reader, it's obvious that e-books are here to stay. But what if you don't have the cash to drop on a reader or the books themselves?

What if we told you that you could read "Drawings and Studies by Michelangelo", "Essential Computer Skills for Working Women", "Little Women", "Dracula", and hundreds of thousands of other books for free, from your computer? Most of the websites below offer multiple formats, versions for mobile phones, and versions that are easier for Text to Speech software. You can even find some free audio books on these sites.

Here are some of the best we've found so far:

E-Books Directory -- "A daily growing list of freely downloadable ebooks, documents and lecture notes found all over the internet." Promote your own e-book, add comments to others, or just browse the directory. Some topics, like Children's Books, include audio books as well as standard e-books.

Online Books Page -- "Listing over 900,000 free books on the web." This site pulls together e-books from other websites to give you a single point to find titles. Includes prize winning books like Newbery Books and winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature or Pulitzer Prize in Letters; a section on books banned through the ages; and a celebration of women writers. Also includes a single point to find professional and academic journals with freely accessible archives online.

POWER Library's netLibrary allows you to read books both new and old on your computer screen. From the main POWER Library page, just click on the resource you want to use. Home users will need to type in your Pottsville library card number in order to use these databases.

Project Gutenberg -- 33,000 free books and counting from the first producer of free electronic books (e-books).

Read Easily -- This site provides books in formats where you can control the size of the text and color for those who need high-contrast pages, and the books are easily read by Text to Speech software for those who are blind or visually impaired.

For more sites that have free e-books, visit the Texas State Library and Archive Commission's Library Development blog post, "Free E-Books Are Here!" (Nov. 3, 2010)

Depository Library Survey

2010-11-17T16:34:00.003-05:00

Do you use the Pottsville Free Public Library to access federal government resources? If so, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) wants to hear your opinion!

The 16-question survey focuses on depository access, services, and collections. Results of the survey will contribute to the extensive efforts by the Government Printing Office (GPO) to address the value of FDLP membership.

The survey will be administered using Survey Monkey and it will run through the end of December. Access the survey at <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HSLCRRB> . All answers are kept confidential.

The Pottsville Free Public Library has been a member of the FDLP since 1967, and we provide access to both United States and Pennsylvania agency publications in print and online.

Genealogy Resources

2010-10-26T17:09:00.004-04:00

Some people already know about the genealogy resources we have here at the Pottsville Free Public Library. But we thought we'd point out some of the newer additions in case you haven't visited our genealogy page at www.pottsvillelibrary.org/genie.htm in a while.

We recently uploaded a revised, enlarged Pottsville Republican obituary list. This list is now close to 125,000 names! We have also updated our obituary list for the Shenandoah Evening Herald newspaper. It's not nearly as large, but might still be useful for some.

There is also a link on our genealogy page for the full text of Schalck's History of Schuylkill County, Vol. 2. (Vol. 1 is more history-oriented, and does not appear to be part of the online collection.) It is part of Google Books, so you cannot print directly from the page. But you can download the volume as a PDF file to save on your home computer.

A new print addition to our collection is the Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Coroner's Inquest Records, Vol. One, covering records from 1811 (when Schuylkill officially became a county) until 1909. Entries give the date of the inquest, where it was held, the name of the deceased, the cause of death, and the coroner. We do not yet have an everyname index to this volume yet, but there is a last name index we can work from. If you've been trying to track someone down, maybe it's time to try this option!

And of course, any time you have questions about Schuylkill County genealogy, feel free to call or email us and ask away. If we don't have what you're seeking, we may be able to direct you to the correct office or society to help you out.

Help the Pottsville Library by Searching the Internet!

2010-07-28T11:03:00.004-04:00

The Pottsville Free Public Library has joined GoodSearch, a project that gives a small donation to specified charities every time you do a search. GoodSearch has also teamed up with Amazon, eBay, and a few other retailers so that a percentage of your purchase from these sites, through GoodSearch, will go to your selected charity.

So how do you help Pottsville Library? First, go to the Pottsville Library's website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org. Then click on the box on our home page that says "GoodSearch". This will take you to the GoodSearch home page, and Pottsville Library is the selected charity for your Internet searches. The GoodSearch home page also lists some of the online retailers they work with.

Too many steps for you? You can also download a GoodSearch toolbar from their home page. Start at the Pottsville Library's site so the library is the selected charity, then follow the directions on the GoodSearch home page to download the toolbar (just scroll down from the search box that's at the top). The toolbar also provides direct links to Amazon and eBay so that your purchases can help the library.

So what does the library get out of it? Approximately 1 cent per search, and anywhere between .5% to 30% per purchase through a participating online store. You can see how much has been raised by clicking on the "Amount Raised" button on the GoodSearch home page.

Why are we doing this? Because this year, literally every penny counts. Budget cuts at the state, county, and local level mean we will be buying fewer books, DVDs, and CDs, may mean other cuts in services and maybe even cuts in hours. We need your help, and we need it now. This is just one small way you can help your local public library.

Thank you!!!

Presidential Campaigns in Schuylkill County

2010-06-30T11:31:00.002-04:00

How many presidential campaigns have made their way through Schuylkill County?

John F. Kennedy spoke in Garfield Square in Pottsville on October 28, 1960, gathering a crowd estimated at 12,000 people. His visit was followed almost immediately by the GOP Truth Squad, notable for flying in the first large-size commercial airliner ever to land at Joe Zerbey airport. Most people know about this visit, but other candidates have stumped in the county as well.

President Harry S. Truman was in Pottsville on October 21, 1952, traveling via an 18-car train and speaking at Veterans’ Memorial Stadium to a crowd of 8,000 shivering listeners. An editorial in the next day’s Pottsville Republican newspaper stated, “Schuylkill county people feel honored by the visit of President Truman last night even though a majority here cannot agree with him politically.” This was the first (and only) visit of a sitting President of the United States to Pottsville and Schuylkill County.

Richard Nixon visited Schuylkill County on October 24, 1968 to campaign. That same day, Edmund Muskie, vice presidential candidate on the ticket with Hubert Humphrey, also spoke to local voters.

Vice Presidents have also made the trip to the anthracite region.

Vice presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson visited Ashland, Frackville, St. Clair, and Pottsville on October 18, 1960 for the Democrats, while v. p. candidate Henry Cabot Lodge was in Pottsville and Shenandoah on November 4, 1960, campaigning for the Republican Nixon/Lodge ticket.

Vice President Dick Cheney spoke to 2,000 ticket holders at a Republican rally in Martz Hall in Pottsville on August 25, 2004. His visit was marked as much by the protests as by what he said to his supporters.

And don’t forget the former presidents campaigning for their parties.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt visited Schuylkill County twice, October 26 and 28, 1914. On the 26^th he “toured the county, stopping at the leading towns for five minute addresses and leaving his train in Pottsville for one hour to make an address in the Hippodrome.” His visit to Pottsville on the 28^th was only a 10 minute speech given at the railroad station.

Then there was William “Bill” Clinton’s visit to the Girardville St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 29, 2008. An estimated 30,000 people were in town that day for the parade and his appearance, and it took him 2 ¼ hours to walk through the borough. He was campaigning for Hillary Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Read more about these visits from newspaper clippings in the library’s Vertical File collection.

Online Resources from the Pottsville Library

2010-06-01T13:57:00.003-04:00

Have you clicked on the "Online Resources" link on our homepage lately? Here you can find the link to the library's catalog, the POWER Library, the statewide reference service, authoritative health information, and an Internet subject guide created just for Schuylkill County users.

Salem Health and POWER Library are trust-worthy resources that you can use just by typing in your Pottsville Library card number.

Salem Health is an online database that covers two resources, Magill's Medical Guide and Salem Health: Cancer. Both of these reference books are in the Pottsville Library's Reference Department, and the online version is identical to the print. So if you have a late night medical question and want a reliable source to turn to, give the Salem Health site a try.

The POWER Library continues to provide online tools to users around the state. It includes Auto Repair Reference Center, which has repair information for car models going back to 1945; AP Images, which provides photographs and other graphics from today all the way back to the Gettysburg Address in 1863; Contemporary Authors, which provides information about writers and their books; and Readers' Guide Select, which covers 200 general interest magazines.

AskHere PA is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week reference service that allows you to ask a reference librarian a question any time you need to. This service is provided by the state of Pennsylvania in cooperation with public and college libraries around the state.

The Subject Guide to the Internet was created by Pottsville Library reference librarians, based on questions we have received over the years for web sites for specific kinds of questions. Check out the "Consumer Information" section for great sites on evaluating charities, getting a (really) free copy of your credit report, or to find out if what the politicians are saying is really the truth. The "Government" section can help you find a specific federal or state agency, while local governments and tourism guides can be found in the "Regional Information" section.

Try these resources out, and as always, let us know if you have any questions!

THE INDIANHEAD ROCK

2010-04-26T19:46:00.005-04:00

Between Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven, on Route 61 between the Mount Carbon exit and Cressona Mall, there is a large painted red and white object, which has been a landmark since well before Pottsville was planned. It’s easily visible up on the steep hillside. It’s on private land and it is not recommended that anyone attempt to actually go up there.

In his book Black Rock: Mining Folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch, (call number 398 K844) the author George Korson vaguely attempts to link the Indianhead Rock with a series of settler murders in the 1780s, committed according to legend by local indigenous residents.

What we know for certain about the rock is that in 1923 the Pottsville Chapter of the Afternoon Delphian Society, at that time under the leadership of Mrs. H. O. Bechtel, adopted the rock as a significant local landmark. The bushes surrounding the rock were cleared and a sign was erected on what was at that time Route 122 pointing out the existence of the rock high above the road. When the road was expanded the sign was removed, but the bushes mysteriously continued to be trimmed.

The rock has always been red, but it has been painted even redder over the years and the portion of the rock which might represent the feathered bonnet surrounding the face was painted white. There is no mention anywhere as to when the flag was erected just above the rock.

In addition to the book, there was an article written by Walter S. Farquhar in his regular column Editorial Musings, on April 9, 1956 in the Pottsville Republican. The article is titled “The Old Indian Profile.” He makes a big deal pointing out that there is no historical significance to the rock, except for its original booster, Mrs. Bechtel, and a series of intrepid painters are named. This article can be found in the Vertical File collection.

Follow this link for a picture of the rock formation:

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WME2N

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-08T15:49:00.002-04:00

Even libraries have to clean things up sometimes. Right now we're trying to clean up our website! While we have updated the information on the pages, the site itself is looking a bit dated. So we're trying to clean things up, spruce them up, and generally make our site more usable for our library patrons. If there's something you'd like to see on our site, please send us an email at potref@pottsvillelibrary.org and let us know!

April at the Pottsville Library

2010-03-29T20:12:00.003-04:00

April means art month at the Pottsville Free Public Library! All this month, members of the Schuylkill County Allied Artists will be displaying their works around the library. Most of the artwork will be available to purchase, so here's your chance to add some original art from local artists to your collection.

Don't forget to join us for National Library Week, which is observed April 11th - 17th.

And later this month, we will be part of the 4th Annual Block of Art, which takes place in downtown Pottsville from April 23rd - 25th. Stores and galleries will be open to show local artists and celebrate the best Schuylkill County has to offer.

Need some help getting started on your own creative projects? Check out our collection of magazines and books for projects from wood to wool, cotton to cameras, or printing to painting, and get inspired to create your own art.

Happy art month to all!

netLibrary Book of the Month - Update and Apology

2010-03-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

In the past we have pointed out the book-of-the-month in netLibrary (part of the POWER Library). A recent question had us trying to go back to a title from a previous month, and we discovered we could no longer access that title. Whoops! We didn't realize access was limited to just that month.

So we have deleted the previous netLibrary book-of-the-month posts from our blog. This doesn't mean that this feature is no longer available from netLibrary. If a title is really juicy we'll still blog about it. Just be aware that you may not be able to use that title after the end of the current month (so read quickly and take notes!).

There are still lots of titles in netLibrary that are available all year long, so we encourage you to visit it anyway. Just go to our website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org, click on the POWER Library icon, and enter your Pottsville library card number. Select netLibrary, and away you go!

Changes to POWER Library Line-up

2010-03-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

The state budget crunch meant changes had to be made to the databases available through the POWER Library. These resources are available to anyone with a library card for their local Pennsylvania public library. If you have a Pottsville Library card, you can access these materials through our website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org. Just click on "POWER Library", enter your library card number, and then select the resource you want to use.

Some things haven't changed: the Auto Repair Reference Center, AP Images, Biography Reference Bank, Contemporary Authors, NoveList, SIRS Discoverer, netLibrary, and Consumer Health Complete are still available to Pennsylvania residents. (Some will go away in July, but we'll talk about those later.)

Gone are most of the EBSCO databases, such as MasterFILE Premier, MAS Online Plus, and a variety of other related magazine indexes. Also gone are the Oxford titles, such as the Grove Art and Grove Music resources, and the huge collection of Oxford Reference materials. The Poem Finder (and speech, short story, and other literature finder) was another budget victim.

To replace some of these lost treasures, residents now have access to several new titles. If you have any questions about using any of these resources, please contact the Pottsville Reference Department at potref@pottsvillelibrary.org or call us at 570-622-8880.

ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry -- articles about companies, executives, products, trends, and related topics. Most articles are full-text, so you can read them right from your computer.

InfoTrac Newsstand -- articles from over 1000 newspapers, including the Harrisburg Patriot-News, the Reading Eagle, and the Pottsville Republican-Herald. Full-text will vary with each title in the database.

OmniFile Mega -- articles from over 2500 magazines and journals, and citations and abstracts from 4000 journals. Appropriate for high school students and adults.

OmniFile Select -- all articles are full-text, from a wide variety of magazines and journals. Appropriate for high school students and adults.

Readers' Guide Select -- abstracts and full text articles from 200 magazines, appropriate for middle-school students and older.

Science Full Text Select -- full text articles from 360 science journals, appropriate for high school students and adults.

The Library is now on Facebook!

2010-02-25T14:56:00.002-05:00

Yes, we've taken that next step in Library 2.0 and set up our Facebook page. Become a fan and find out what's happening at the library. Eventually we'll be adding photos, events, and maybe even videos, and we'll also post weather-related closures if they happen. Just search for "Pottsville Library" next time you're in Facebook and join us!

Upgrades and Updates

2010-02-20T10:01:00.002-05:00

Every computer system needs periodic updates and upgrades, and library systems are no different. The Pottsville Free Public Library is in the process of upgrading both our circulation system (how books get checked out) and our catalog system (how you know what books we have). Please have patience with us and our systems during this transition period. Thank you!

Sometimes It's Good to be Wrong

2010-01-26T17:29:00.002-05:00

For years, genealogy researchers have asked us if there are any existing Sanborn fire insurance maps for communities in Schuylkill County. After doing a great deal of hunting and calling, we had to answer "not that we know of." I'm happy to say that we were wrong, and a chance alert has made it possible for us to pass on the information to you.

The Library of Congress Geography and Map Reading Room has a collection of Sanborn fire insurance maps for the entire country including parts of Schuylkill County. Some of these maps are available online, but it looks like most are only in print and must be used by researchers at the Library of Congress. Still, you can check the site to find out what years are available for which communities. Follow this link to view the list of Pennsylvania cities. It may be worth taking a trip to Washington, DC to use them!

Keep in mind that smaller communities were sometimes included in maps for larger communities; for instance, in 1891 a fire insurance map of Pottsville also included the communities of Minersville, Port Carbon, St. Clair, Orwigsburg, and Cressona.

You can get complete contact information on the contact page, including their Ask-A-Librarian feature.

If you know of any other reliable sources for Sanborn fire insurance maps, please let us know and we will spread the word!

READING OUTSIDE THE MAIN

2010-01-13T15:21:00.001-05:00

The Pottsville Free Public Library subscribes to over 200 magazines, covering a wide range of topics and age levels. Today we’d like to point out some titles you may know, and others that you may want to know, and they can all be found in our collection.

Magazines for Libraries calls National Review “the most important American conservative magazine”. Published every two weeks, this magazine provides articles focusing on politics, policy and economics, both in the United States and around the world. It also features a section called “Books, Arts & Manners”. In the Dec. 31, 2009 issue, this section included an article about Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, “The Eternal Detective”.

If conservative isn’t your style, take a peek at The Nation, which is definitely more left-wing. Articles might cover political and cultural activism, climate change, world events, or many other topics. Like its conservative counterpart, there is also a “Books & the Arts” section.

If alternative press is more your thing, we carry Utne Reader. Calling itself “The Best of the Alternative Press,” this title carries reprinted articles from a wide variety of other publications, usually grouped around one or more themes in each issue. Stories in the Jan./Feb. 2010 issue come from such sources as The New Republic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Science News, and Journal of Music.

One of our newest titles has an irresistable subtitle: Mental Floss: Feel Smart Again. This magazine features short articles on such enticing topics as “Famous People with Famously Bad Tempers”, “Crazy Smart: 11 Acts of Genius, Ripped from the Tabloids”, or “The End of Disease” (all about the use of bugs to cure what ails you).

So feel smart, feel educated, feel informed, … all at the library!

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-04T17:13:00.007-05:00

For many people, January 1 starts the same way every year: a resolution to lose weight, find a new job, quit smoking, spend more time with family or friends, or one of many other popular changes. Whatever you resolved to do in 2010, the Pottsville Free Public Library can help you achieve it!

Check out MayoClinic's Healthy Living section for tips on healthy weight loss, ways to quit smoking, or how to manage your stress. MedlinePlus has an entire section just on weight control, which is about more than just eating less food. You can also borrow books from the Pottsville Library about specific diets, recipes for a wide variety of health issues, and strategies for other life changes.

Spend more time with your family by picking out books to read together, or movies to watch together, from the variety offered at the Pottsville Library. The Children's Room often has Family Nights with programs the whole family can attend.

Use the library's Internet computers to locate a new job in your area of interest, or create a new resume using the Microsoft Word software and laser printer here at the library. Know someone who doesn't know an email from a Facebook page? We offer basic computer classes for free, covering such topics as how to use a mouse, how to save a file, and how to search the Internet.

Above all, let the library help you spend less money! Books, DVDs, CDs, and magazines can all be borrowed for free with a valid library card: you can't find a better bargain than that!

Happy New Year to all!

Holiday Favorites

2009-12-04T10:07:00.013-05:00

How do you spend the month of December? Does your family celebrate Christmas? Hanukkah? Kwanzaa? Winter Solstice? Do you bake special cookies or cakes that have been passed down from one generation to the next?

Here at the Pottsville Free Public Library, we have resources to help you enjoy and make the most of this most festive of months. Whether it's movies on DVD to relax with the family, cookbooks for the celebratory meals, or novels to help you escape from the rush, visit us for some holiday helpers. The titles listed below are just to give you a start!

Great books:
Christmas with Paula Deen (641.5686 D36)

Mrs. Fields Cookie Book: 100 recipes from the kitchen of Mrs. Debbie Fields (641.8654 F46m)

It's a Gingerbread House: bake it, build it, eat it! (j 641.86 W)

Celebrating Holidays Scrapbook-Style (745.593 C392)

Christmas Crafts from Around the World (j 745.59 S)

How to Spell Chanukah: 18 writers celebrate 8 nights of lights (296.435 H83)

The Stone Lamp: 8 stories of Hanukkah through history (j 811.54 H)

Seven Spools of Thread: a Kwanzaa story (jE M)

The Complete Kwanzaa: celebrating our cultural harvest (394.261 R451)

CDs:
Songs of Joy and Peace (CD R MA SJP S42) -- Christmas songs plus music for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa

Wintertime: the United States Air Force Band (CD H United W U01) -- Seasonal samplings include English carols, Hanukkah songs, and Gregorian chants

DVDs:
The Night Before Christmas... and more Christmas stories (j DVD-118)

White Christmas (DVD-550)

The Little Drummer Boy... and 4 more holiday stories (j DVD-245)

Great New Encyclopedias

2009-11-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

When you think of reference books, you probably think of things like a basic dictionary and the Encyclopaedia Britannica, right? But the Reference Department has thousands of titles, so we’d like to introduce you to some of them. Here are 10 of the newest or oddest encyclopedias in our collection!

The Anime Encyclopedia: A guide to Japanese animation since 1977 (2006), Ref 791.43 C591

The Atlantis Encyclopedia (2005), Ref 001.94 J774

The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The definitive guide to the characters of the DC universe (2008), Ref 741.5 D339

The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine (2008), Ref 973.7 Sc76

The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation (2008), Ref 363.25 En19

The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, handguns, and ham sandwiches (2008), Ref 782.42 Si47

The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool: A celebration of the grooviest people, events, and artifacts of the 1960’s (2007), Ref 920.02 St872

Encyclopedia of Stress (1999), Ref 155.9 M179

The New Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies: The definitive practical guide to all flower remedies, their making and uses (2007), Ref 615.321 H262

Science in the Ancient World: An encyclopedia (2004), Ref 509.303 L446

Come in to take a peek at these great titles, or check the library’s catalog to find out if we have any other encyclopedias you might be like.

Updated Pottsville Republican Obituary Index!

2009-10-08T15:48:00.003-04:00

For all you genealogy buffs out there, this one is for you! We have placed an updated obituary index on our genealogy page for the Pottsville Republican newspaper. How is it bigger and better than what we had before?

Corrections to entries from previous index;
More years covered;
Over 100,000 names on the list!

Yes, that's right, we've gone over the 100,000 mark. In plain text format, that translates to over 1850 pages if you were to print it out.

Go to the Pottsville Library website at www.pottsvillelibrary.org and click on the link for "Genealogy and Local History Materials". There you will see a link for the Newspapers section and can view this wondrous list for yourself.

We do accept entries from genealogy researchers, so if you'd like to add to our list just let us know. We prefer to have the entries reflect the dates and pages the obituaries appeared, rather than the date of death, and we can use information for the three newspapers in our collection (Pottsville Republican, Shenandoah Evening Herald, and the Ashland Daily News).

Ways To Save At The Library!

2009-10-02T09:54:00.002-04:00

Experts may say the recession is ending but we are all still feeling the pinch. Let the library help you! Take a look at these books and magazines for ideas to help you save your money in these difficult times.

Books:
The 21st Century Economy: A beginner’s guide, with 101 easy-to-learn tools for thriving in the new global marketplace – 330.9 Ep74

Home Energy Diet: How to save money by making your house energy-smart – 644 Sch21

Yankee Magazine’s Living Well On A Shoestring: 1,501 ingenious ways to spend less for what you need and have more for what you want – 640.41 Y169

Magazines:
Budget Travel – “Vacations for Real People” – How to find everything from great trips for less to where you can find the best food along the way.

Consumer Reports – Not just about car ratings, this old standby often has articles on topics like easy ways to cut your energy bills, which (cheaper) store brands are better than name brands, and other ways to save your hard-earned cash.

Mother Earth News – “The Original Guide to Living Wisely” – Offers tips from living simply to ways to make your home powered by alternative energy. This magazine is not just for farmers and hippies!

Workbench – Ever watch “Trading Spaces” or HGTV and wish you had someone to show you how to do those quick and easy projects? Start with this magazine, which includes lots of inexpensive craft and organization solutions, tool guides, and larger projects like furniture.

Approaching Flu Season

2009-09-24T18:29:00.003-04:00

The H1N1 (swine) flu is in the news, and as we get closer to regular flu season things become a little more complicated. Where can you get the information you need from a source you can trust?

There are lots of web sites out there, and we’ve identified some of the best. Start with the web sites below to find out what you need to know.

Flu.gov – An official US government website, this resource gives you useful tips like how to keep your kids flu free, what vaccines are out there, and what to do if you get flu-like symptoms.

Influenza: Evidence-Based Information Portal -- This site from a respected online and reference publisher provides reliable facts for health professionals and patients. Resources are for both H1N1 flu and seasonal flu.

More local information and guidelines can be found at the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health and Schuylkill County Preparedness sites.

Popular health sites like WebMD and Mayo Clinic have excellent sections for hot topics, and flu is no exception.

Of course, there are some things that everyone should do to help prevent the spread of the flu: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. And get vaccinated for both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu.

Writing A Blog About A Writing Blog

2009-09-21T18:07:00.007-04:00

Yes, that title is correct: today our blog post is about a blog. Not just any blog, but a blog all about writing.

Jodi Webb brought our attention to The Muffin: Fresh News Daily from the bakers of Wow-WomenOnWriting.com. (Click here to visit the blog.) The blog has a number of contributors, and is one of the communication forums for the WOW! website.

The post for Sep. 21 features an interview with a woman who is launching her blog tour for her newest book, "The Sky Begins at Your Feet: A Memoir on Cancer, Community, and Coming Home to the Body". Author/poet Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg answers a variety of questions about her book and her writing.

Interviews aren't just with women writers, however, so men shouldn't be scared off! Comments about interviews are encouraged; in fact, they have contests for copies of the books just for those who submit a comment.

You can also find links for the WOW! eZine, contests, workshops, and classes.

So head on over to The Muffin for perspectives, news, and encouragement in the world of writing!

To Tweet or Not To Tweet, that is the question!

2009-09-02T17:17:00.003-04:00

The Pottsville Free Public Library recently started a Twitter account. If you already tweet you can find us by searching for PottsvilleRef (capital letters are important).

Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/): It’s been called the most significant major innovation for rapid brief communications to ever come along, the newest killer app.

Here is how Twitter works: you compose your message in 140 characters or less, so it keeps you focused. You can direct this message to one specific individual or broadcast it more widely to target specific subject interest groups, but they must be already enlisted in Twitter. You can report on your breakfast, break news stories, promote your event, blow the whistle on social injustice, report your new discoveries, find your lost dog or a home for the dog that found you, respond and participate in radio and television talk shows …

Is Twitter the new anarchy that’s rapidly destroying the English language and all of civilization with it? Or do you think it’s a new kind of poetry?

If you use Twitter, please let us know: What do you tweet about? What do you want to hear from us?

Budget Struggles Continue

2009-08-25T14:38:00.003-04:00

You've seen it on the news: local, county and state agencies face money problems if the legislators don't pass a budget soon.

So what can you do about it? Call, write, or email your representatives. Ask them to put pressure on the budget committee to come up with a fair budget and to do it soon. Urge them to support level funding for public libraries, because more people than ever need the resources only a public library can provide.

And don't forget to thank your representative for supporting public libraries in the past!

Names and addresses are below if you need them, or contact the Reference Department at potref@iu29.org and we can help you identify the right person to contact.

Public Libraries Still Need Your Help!

2009-08-13T08:31:00.003-04:00

The budget isn't done yet, so we still need you and your voice! A small committee is in the process of deciding the budget, and we need to get our message to that group.

Please write, call, or email your senator and representative. Thank them for supporting public libraries in the past and urge them to contact the budget negotiators. Ask them to urge the budget negotiators to make libraries a priority for level funding in the final budget deal.

Any cuts in library funding will result in libraries cutting down on hours, laying off staff, and reducing services you have come to depend on.

Please help us get the word to Harrisburg that we need level funding for public libraries to preserve services for those who need them the most.

Your voice is crucial to public libraries right now and can make a difference!

29th State Senatorial District -- The Honorable David Argall
Senate Box 203029
168 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3029
Phone: (717) 787-2637
Web: www.senatorargall.com/

123rd State House District -- The Honorable Neal P. Goodman
House of Representatives
G-07 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg
PO Box 202123
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2123
Phone: (717) 787-2798
Web: www.pahouse.com/goodman/

125th State House District -- The Honorable Tim Seip
Rm 115-B East Wing
PO Box 202125
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2125
Phone: (717) 772-5771
Web: www.pahouse.com/seip/

What Kind of Computer Classes Should the Library Offer?

2009-08-07T11:37:00.004-04:00

The computer classes at the Pottsville Free Public Library are very popular and usually have a waiting list. But we want to know: What kind of computer class would you like to see us offer?

We will continue to offer the basic course (which covers how to use a computer mouse and how to start a program), as well as the basic course about the Internet. But are there other areas you want to learn about?

Some ideas we had were how to use Facebook, how to share photos online, and other topics like that.

Have an opinion? Let us know! We just need your name, your telephone number (if we offer the class you suggest, we'll call you to let you know), and the kind of computer class you would like to take here at the library. All computer classes are free, but you do need to have a valid Pottsville Library card in order to attend.

We can't promise to offer everything that is suggested, but we can't offer the classes if we don't know you want them!

Call the library at 622-8880 or email us at potref@iu29.org to give us your opinion.

The Daily Republican, Schuylkill Roots, and the Molly Maguires

2009-07-30T19:07:00.003-04:00

Here at the Pottsville Free Public Library we have a unique collection of local history and genealogy materials. Local newspapers, census records, city directories and annual mining reports are on microfilm, while family and county histories are on our Local History shelves.

Looking for Schuylkill County obituaries? We have the Pottsville Republican newspaper from October1884 to the present time, and we are creating an index for it. You can view what we have already accomplished by clicking right here or by going to our “Genealogy and Local History Materials” page and click on the link for 'Newspapers'. We also have some microfilm of the Shenandoah Evening Herald (May 1891 - 1980 with some gaps) and the Ashland Daily News (1926 - 1950).

Our collection of graveyard, church, and funeral home records compiled by Schuylkill Roots is probably the most used part of the collection. An inventory of what we have is found on our Schuylkill County genealogy and local history page. These books are published by Jean Dellock and Philip Rice. Jean is now with the Historical Society of Schuylkill County; you can visit the Society at their website.

We have a number of materials pertaining to the Molly Maguires, ranging from a VHS copy of the film staring Sean Connery to a scrapbook on microfilm, and an ample collection of fiction and non-fiction books.

Have any questions? Give us a call or send us an email to find out more.

The Library is Rearranging!

2009-07-23T17:27:00.003-04:00

Have you visited the Pottsville Library recently? We've been rearranging several collections, all to serve you better.

Current magazines have been moved from the front area of Reference into the side room that also contains our microfilm machines and collections. If you need help finding it, just ask at the Reference Desk and we'll help you out.

The shelves that used to hold the magazines now hold the entire VHS tape collection. We hope this will help people find the video tapes they are looking for, compared to before the shift when they were in three different places in the library.

The spinners that held the VHS tapes are being moved around some, and will hold more of the music CDs and the DVDs.

Upstairs on the second floor, the science fiction, paperback, large print, and books on audio tape collections are being shifted around. Hopefully, with all this shifting, there will be more room for the books on CD collection which continues to grow.

Of course, anytime you have problems finding something, please ask one of the library staff for help!

State Budget Cuts Will Hurt Public Libraries

2009-05-14T13:11:00.011-04:00

We need your help!

The Pennsylvania Senate has proposed a state budget for 2009-2010. Their budget cuts the state funding for public libraries by 50%. In Schuylkill County, that kind of cut would be devastating: many local libraries will have to cut their hours, all will have to reduce purchases of new books and other materials, and some libraries may even be forced to close. The funding for the POWER Library would be cut completely, meaning our students will not have access to vital homework tools. Other cuts would reduce our ability to borrow materials from other libraries in the state. All of these at a time when many families need to spend less and are depending on their local public libraries more!

The Governor’s proposed budget for 2009-2010 has smaller cuts, but any cuts right now will hurt Schuylkill County libraries. The House has presented their proposed budget, and it is similar to the Governor’s.

If all this isn’t bad enough, there is more: if the funding for public libraries is drastically cut at the state level as the Senate budget proposes, it will cost Pennsylvania millions of dollars in lost federal funds. It’s like a double whammy.

Please write to your state representative, your state senator, and Governor Rendell using the mailing or web addresses below and tell them about the importance of public libraries in your life. Tell them public libraries are needed by state residents already hurt by the layoffs and financial crises. Most importantly, ask them to support level funding for library services next year.

Your voice is crucial to public libraries right now and can make a difference!

The Honorable Edward Rendell
Governor of Pennsylvania
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Web: www.governor.state.pa.us

29th State Senatorial District --
The Honorable David Argall
Senate Box 203029
168 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3029
Web: www.senatorargall.com/

123rd State House District --
The Honorable Neal P. Goodman
House of Representatives
G-07 K. Leroy Irvis Office Bldg
PO Box 202123
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2123
Web: www.pahouse.com/goodman/

125th State House District --
The Honorable Tim Seip
Rm 115-B East Wing
PO Box 202125
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2125
Web: www.pahouse.com/seip/

Wind Energy: Clean & Endlessly Renewable? Part One

2009-05-07T13:47:00.007-04:00

The first windmill used in the United States for generating electricity was patented in 1888 by George F. Brush in Cleveland, Ohio. There was a boom in small-scale electrical generation using the wind from 1890 until the 1930s, when the Rural Electrification Administration developed large power grids and huge power generators, and put an end to small farm or home-sized power generation.

Today there ae two kinds of wind turbines: vertical axis (shaped like egg beaters) and horizontal axis (shaped like pinwheels). The vertical axis type can handle wind coming from any direction, while the pinwheel model needs to be adjusted for wind variations.

Most of us have seen the huge turbines on hills and think, "Great! Cheap, non-polluting, renewable energy!" But there are a number of problems surrounding the wind energy issue. Some of these include variations in the wind speed and direction, the noise of the turbines, the amount of land needed, and the turbines' affect on bird and bat populations.

Find out more about the history, issues, and ongoing research in wind energy by using some of the books at the Pottsville Free Public Library. Here are some of the most current:

Alternative Energy: Volume 3 (2006) - Ref 333.794 Al794

Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound (2007) - 333.9 W676

Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy (2001) - Ref 621.042 M228

U.S. National Debate Topic, 2008-2009: Alternative Energy (2008) - 333.794 U17

Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business (2004) - 621.45 G44

Check back soon for Part Two and more resources on this topic!

Everyone Outside!

2009-04-27T13:50:00.002-04:00

The weather is finally warm, and the great outdoors is calling! But make one more indoor stop first: come in to the library to find out about all the great things you can do outside in Schuylkill County. The Reference Desk has a copy of the “Schuylkill County Outdoor Discovery” map which shows you where you can find hiking paths, golf courses, birding areas (Hawk Mountain isn’t the only place to go to see winged wildlife!), fishing spots,… The list is long.

You can also find outdoor activities on the Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau website.

So why come in to the library when some of the information is available to you online?

Location, location, location. Looking at the map can help you find activities close together. The map will show there are picnicking, hiking, and swimming opportunities in the Minersville area; covered bridges and fishing near Rock; or environmental education and golfing around Valley View.

Either way, it's time to get outside and enjoy all that Schuylkill County has to offer!

New Code Books at the Library

2009-04-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

This just in: the 2009 International Code Council books are at the Pottsville Library! Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not. But if you are planning on building a home, renovating a downtown structure, looking for energy conservation guidelines, or just want to know the latest in fire codes, you need to look at the ICC code books. New buildings, existing buildings, plumbing, property maintenance, they are all here in the Reference Department.

Remember that if you are doing renovations to your home, you need to check with the Zoning & Code Enforcement Office for fees and permits. Click on the links to view the Pottsville City Code online and find contact information for the Pottsville Zoning & Code Office.

POW! Pottsville Open Writers group

2009-04-16T09:50:00.001-04:00

The next meeting of POW! will be at the Pottsville Library on Saturday, May 9th, 2009, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Group members were assigned to write about "With my magic glasses I can see...". Visit the group's web page at www.pottsvillelibrary.org/POW.htm for more information.