Pirate Sightings South of the River!

Westover Hills Children's Services Associate Kim Smith reports:

Shirley Tellefson (in white) loves to teach
 children about her birds.

The Westover Hills Library turned up the heat with a Caribbean theme at its annual Winterfest celebration on Saturday, January 19.  Cap’n Clay Dishon, assisted by first mates Ellen Wolf, Pat Jones, and Kim Smith and an able crew of volunteers, presided over the morning’s festivities.  Neighborhood resident Shirley Tellefsen delighted patrons big and small with her beautiful exotic birds, including cockatoos, cockatiels, and parrots.  Shirley educated her audience in the care of exotic birds and gave patrons the opportunity to hold and be photographed with them.  Younger library visitors also enjoyed creating pirate-themed crafts and watching “Muppet Treasure Island.” The Caribbean flavor extended to the snacks as well, featuring pineapple upside-down cake, goldfish crackers, and fruit “kabobs.”

First Mate Kim Smith

The staff at Westover Hills would like to thank the wonderful members of the Westover Hills Library Advisory Group who made Winterfest possible: "Arrr, me hearty! Fine gentlemen o' fortune be ye!"  **

Learn to speak Pirate on the RPL website.

** That's Pirate for "Great, my friends. You are fine pirates!"  Pirate is one of the many languages taught by Mango Languages, available from the RichmondPublicLibrary.org website on the Online Library page.

Downloadable eBooks and Audiobooks Now Available

Have you heard about our new downloadable eBook and audiobook service? Through our website, you can now download audiobooks and eBooks for your computer, cell phone, iPod, or eReader for FREE using your library card.

 

 

First, visit http://richmondpubliclibrary.lib.overdrive.com/, where you can browse and search available books in various formats. Once you’ve found an item you want to check out, add the selection to your “cart.” You'll then be prompted to enter your library card number. If an item is checked out by someone else, you can place a hold on it, and you’ll receive an e-mail when the title is available.

 

Click on “Download” to enjoy your selected book. Once downloaded, you can read or listen to your book using a variety of devices, including Kindle, iPad, Nook, and others. At the end of the lending period (2 weeks), your books will automatically expire and disappear from your device—no late fees!

 

You may have to download Overdrive software in order to enjoy this eBook service. To listen to audiobooks, you’ll need the Overdrive Media Console, and for EPUB and PDF eBooks, you’ll need Adobe Digital Editions. This software is all available for free through the Richmond Public Library Overdrive site. There are also Overdrive apps available for many devices, like Android phones and iPods, which help make finding books and managing checkouts even easier.

 

Take a few minutes to visit our Overdrive site. You're sure to find some interesting books to download. If you need assistance using the service, visit the Overdrive help page or call your library branch. Enjoy!

Let's Mango!

Richmond Public Library card holders have access to some awesome online databases and learning tools. One of our favorites is Mango Languages, a language-learning system that you can use from any computer with Internet access. In the library or from the comfort of home, you can learn French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Urdu, Turkish, Russian, Chinese… and the list goes on!

Each language course is organized into multiple lessons so you can work at your own pace. Mango will remember what lessons you've completed and will pick up where you last left off when you sign into your account. The program even includes voice recognition and can let you know if you’re correctly pronouncing words as you learn them. All of the Mango language courses include “Basic” lessons for common, polite conversation, but many also have lessons on in-depth and comprehensive skills.

Mango includes courses in English as a second language for native speakers of many different languages, making it an incredibly valuable all-in-one resource.

Unlike traditional language learning tools, Mango Languages is totally interactive. Users follow along and actively participate in the lessons. All you need is a library card to get started. So whether you’re brushing up on the language you studied long ago or starting out in a brand new language, check it out!

To access all of the databses we offer our patrons, see the Online Library area of our website.

New August RPL Materials!

 Let's forget that it's nearing the end of August and pretend that we have weeks and weeks of beach vacations and lazy days ahead of us. With this mindset, you should have plenty of time to check out our newest, fantastic  book selections! My personal pick is David Mitchell's newest novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. It will ensnare you within the first few pages and does not let you go, which is pretty much the best feeling you can get as a reader.

However, if you're a bit tired of picking your next new read, don't worry. We have over 50 new DVD selections for your viewing pleasure with this update! From classics like The Wizard of Oz to sitcoms like 30 Rock you can't go wrong with checking out the selections at your local library.


Simply click in the link below the view all new materials. Specific instructions regarding searching for particular titles can be found here. Otherwise, simply click the categories within the Table of Contents to go directly to your chosen genre. Here's to never-ending summer!

Click here to view all new RPL materials!

Black History Month - Richmond in History

The Richmond Public Library is proud to offer a new African American Biography database through our Find it Virginia online database. This new Biography database allows you to access and search quality biographical information about notable African Americans.

To use this service, simply go to to the home page of the RPL website, click on the "Find Information" button and select the "Online Library" button that drops down. Or, you can click here to go directly to the Online Library section. The African American Biography database will be shown in the list of databases available, and you can access the database by entering your library card number.

You can search the database in a myriad of ways which include, (in addition to names), profession, gender, or birthdate. The database will then display several sources of material, including narrative biographies, magazine articles and websites. This new site is a great research tool.

Source

This new feature from the library got me thinking about the primary sources of African American history we have available here in Richmond for free - a few are listed below, but there are many more in Richmond and the surrounding areas.

The Richmond Slave trail is a walking trail in downtown Richmond that traces the historic path of slaves who arrived in Richmond from Africa to be bought and sold. The trail begins at Manchester Docks and follows a route through the slave markets of Richmond and includes several historic landmarks, including Lumpkin's Slave Jail and First African Baptist Church.

Cost: Free
Length: 1.3 miles
Contact: (804) 646-8911 - Group tours can be arranged by calling this number. Visit the Richmond Parks and Recreation site here for further information.
Details: The trail is both child and pet friendly

Source

Richmond, as I'm sure many of you know, is also home to Maggie L. Walker - the first African American woman to found and run a bank. She was also known for her work with the Civil Rights movement with her colleagues Booker T. Washington and Mary Church Terrell.

The Maggie L. Walker House is a National Historic Site that is located in the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond. Visit the National Park Service website for further details on the Maggie L. Walker House and to view photos and learn more about Mrs. Walker's life and accomplishments.

Cost: Free
Location: 600 N 2nd Street, Richmond VA (Visitor's Center)
Contact: (804) 771-2017 ext. 24
Note: The House is currently operating under Winter Hours:
Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Additionally, Virginia.org, the state tourism website, has done a good job of compiling various locations to honor Black History Month in Virginia. Events range from the "From Africa to Virginia" theme month at historic Jamestown to the African American Film Festival at the Virginia War Museum in Newport News.

View the entire release here, which also includes events in Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Northern Virginia.

Employment Bulletin - Flying Squirrels

Baseball is back in Richmond, as we all well know, but the newly minted Richmond Flying Squirrels AA baseball team is also having a job fair this week for their 2010 season game day staff.

The job fair will consist of two separate sessions with the first being conducted this Wednesday, January 20th from 5 PM - 8 PM, and the second this Saturday, January 23rd from 10 AM - 1 PM.

A comprehensive list of available positions can be found here. Jobs range from ushers and security personnel to stadium operations and press box assistants.

Candidates interested in gaining a position with the Flying Squirrels should come to The Diamond, where members of the Flying Squirrels' front office will be conducting on-site interviews for all positions available.

If you are interested in attending, you do not need to contact the team prior to the job fair. Resumes will be accepted, but are not required for employment. Candidates will be asked to fill out an application upon their arrival at the job fair.

The team will also hold tryouts for the role of team mascot immediately following Saturday's job fair session, beginning at 1 PM. I think this tryout may be well worth sticking around for, as apparently the tryout includes challenges such the following - "Obstacle Course, Dance Auditions, Agility and Gymnastic Ability Testing."

If you're looking to further your employment research beyond the sports world, the RPL is here to help. Visit any one of our branches, where AmeriCorps volunteers are available to provide one-on-one assistance with job applications and online job search resources. Be sure to contact your local branch for schedules.

Additionally, the RPL has compiled a list of area employers and job search resources here on our website, and I'll be following up later this week with a comprehensive list of additional local employers that are currently hiring, so stay tuned!

New automotive repair help @ your library!

Libraries have always offered automotive repair help with books that can be checked out. We still have those books but we now also have an online service that patrons can access from their home comptuers. The Auto Repair Reference Center offers a wealth of information, diagrams, instructions, and troubleshooting diagnostics at your fingertips. To explore, go to the library's home page at:http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
. . . click on Online Databases
. . . click on Auto Repair Reference Center
. . . type in library card ID number
The first screen lists years going back to 1945. Click on a year of the automobile you'd like to research.


. . . click on the manufacturer
. . . click on the model.
. . . click on the button for the specific automobile to be researched




The next screen lists the Repair Topics available and this is where the exploring can begin.


Repair Topics:
Repair Procedures
Service Bulletins and Recalls
Wiring Diagrams
Labor
Specifications
Maintenance Intervals

Under Wiring Diagrams for a 1991 Chevrolet Caprice, the following are listed:
Door Locks
Horns
Power Windows
Sound Systems
Starting/Charging
Wiper/Washer
Below is an example of the wiring diagram for power windows.


If we go back to Repair Topics and select Service Bulletins and Recalls, we get the following list:
Topic : Technical Service Bulletins and Recalls

Automatic Trans, Coolers, Torque Converter(58)
Aux Equip, Phone, Jacks, Trailer Hitches, Towing(6)
Brakes, Power Brakes, Traction Control(14)
Chassis Electrical, Wiring, Fuses & Breakers, Wipers, Motors(16)
Chemicals, Antifreeze, Additives(29)
Cooling, Water Pump, Drive Belts, Pulleys(9)
Diesel Engines(13)
Drive Axles, Shafts, U-Joints, CV-Joints(12)
Electronic Devices, Computers, PROMS, Sensors(37)
Emission Controls, Vacuum Hoses(14)
Entertainment: Stereo, Radio, Cassettes(14)
Finishes, Body Structure, Frame, Bumpers(49)
Fuel Sys, Driveability, Filters (Air & Fuel)(35)
Gasoline Engines(24)
Glass, Doors, Hood, Decklid, Tailgate, Liftgate, Locks(31)
Heating, A/C, Ventilation, Defogger(31)
Identification, Models, Labels, Etc.(8)
Ignition, Electronic Ignition(5)
Instruments, Dash Cluster, Warning Lights, Mirrors(23)
Labor Times, Manuals, Warranty, Aids(208)
Lighting, Horns, Turn Signals, Steering Column(6)
Manual Trans, Clutches, Linkage, MTX(11)
Seals, Gaskets, Sealants(9)
Seats, Belts, Interior Trim, Carpets, Air Bags(36)
Starting, Charging, Battery(19)
Steering, Suspension(19)
Tools, Equipment(39)
Wheels, Tires, Wheel Bearings, Seals, Hubs(52)

Click on Maintenance Intervals and print out a checklist of the recommended routine maintenance tasks.


Continue to explore by checking on the tabs at the top right of the screen. Troubleshooting will help to diagnose the strange utterings and sputterings that cars will spew.

RPL Database Classes

Researching school papers? Need information on car repair? Want to practice the GED, SAT, ASVAB, or PRAXIS exams? Learn what a library card can do for you!

East End Branch
Wednesday, September 19
Wednesday, September 26
3:30pm

SCHOOL'S IN!

School's back in session and RPL has resources that will help students with answers to their questions. Take a look at the two of our databases available to Richmond citizens with updated library cards.


Use Find It Virginia for over 6,000 magazines, newspaper articles (including the Richmond Times Dispatch), transcripts, encyclopedias and other reference works, company and investment reports, health and wellness information and much more.

http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
click Online Databases
click Find It Virginia
select Richmond Public Library
type in library card number

---

LearningExpressLibrary is an innovative instructional and test preparation website available to Richmond Public Library patrons. This is an online database offering more than 300 practice tests and online courses. You can log in anytime (24/7/365) and then save tests not completed for a later time. To see all that is available, go to the library home page at:

http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
click Online Databases
click Learning Express ...
click New User
type in library card number for user
create password & re-type password

Some of the topics offered are:
ADVANCED PLACEMENT AP Biology Practice Exams, AP Calculus AB Practice Exams, AP Chemistry Practice Exams, AP English Language and Composition Practice Exams, ...
CIVIL SERVICE Border Patrol Practice Tests, California Highway Patrol Practice Tests, Civil Service Practice Test, Corrections Officer Practice Tests, EMT-Basic Practice Tests, ...
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS ACT Practice Tests, ACT Preparation Course Series, CUNY Practice Tests, SAT Practice Tests, SAT Preparation Course Series, THEA Practice Tests
COSMETOLOGY Cosmetology Practice Tests
E-BOOKS E-books
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 4th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, 4th Grade Math Practice Exercises, 4th Grade Math Practice Tests, ...
FIREFIGHTER Firefighter Practice Tests
GED GED Language Arts, Reading Course Series, GED Mathematics Course Series, GED Practice Tests, GED Science Course Series, GED Social Studies Course Series, ...
GRADUATE SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMS GMAT Practice Tests, GRE Practice Tests,
LSAT Practice Test, MCAT Practice Tests
HEALTH CAREERS Health Careers Practice Entrance Tests, Nursing School Practice Entrance Tests
HIGH SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 9th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, 9th Grade Reading Diagnostic Tests, Algebra Course Series, Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, ...
LAW ENFORCEMENT Border Patrol Practice Tests, California Highway Patrol Practice Tests, Corrections Officer Practice Tests, Court Officer Practice Tests, ...
MATH SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Algebra Diagnostic Test, Algebra Practice Exercises, Algebra Skills Success Course Series, Data Analysis & Probability Diagnostic Test, ...
MIDDLE SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 6th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, Reading Comprehension, 6th Grade Reading Diagnostic Tests, 7th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, ...
MILITARY ASVAB Practice Tests (Military Entrance)
NURSING Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide, Nursing School Practice Entrance Tests
READING SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Reading Comprehension Course Series, Reading Comprehension Diagnostic Tests, Reading Comprehension Practice Exercises, ...
REAL ESTATE Real Estate Broker Practice Tests, Real Estate Salesperson Practice Tests
SKILLS IMPROVEMENT COURSES Algebra Skills Success Course Series, Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, Grammar for Writing Course Series, Practical Math Course Series, ...
SKILLS IMPROVEMENT WITH SPANISH INSTRUCTIONS Grammar Skills Course Series, Math Skills Course Series, Quantitative Comparison Practice Exercises, ...
TECHNICAL AND CAREER COLLEGE SKILLS Math, Reading, Writing
TOEFL TOEFL Exam Practice, TOEFL iBT Preparation Courses
U.S. CITIZENSHIP History and Civics Review
WRITING SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, Grammar Practice Exercises, Grammar Skills for Writing Course Series

Notice the link for E-Books. These are books that can be downloaded to your computer and printed out. Click on the link that says E-Books to see all of the titles offered.

Reference USA

Find out more about companies, health care, and residential information of interest to you. Use the online database called Reference USA available to you simply by typing in your library card. Go to:

library home page at:http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
click on Online Databases
click on Reference USA
type in library card number

Sample searches:
click the SEARCH link next to U.S. Businesses
click the START SEARCH NOW button
company name: honeywell
city: richmond
state: va
click the SEARCH NOW button

Click on the link for honeywell and information about the Richmond office such as the number of employees, estimated annual sales, and business description is given.

Back to HOME and click the SEARCH button next to Health Care.
click the START SEARCH NOW button
Type in names if you have them or just city and state, for instance, Ashland, VA. Large cities will, of course, result in long lists of names.

Click the HOME button again and try the SEARCH button next to U.S. Residential.
click the START SEARCH NOW button
Type in your own name and city. Is the information accurate?

Biography Resource Center

For biography research, use our online databases available free to Richmond Public Library patrons. The Biography Resource Center has full-text articles and images from hundreds of periodicals and reference works. It contains biographies of 320,000 people from around the world and throughout history. To use this research tool, go to the library home page at:

http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
click on Online Databases
click on Findit VA
click on the drop down arrow and select Richmond Public Library (not Richmond County Library)
type in library card number found on back of library card
scroll down and click Biography Resource Center

To read about the first black woman to receive a medical degee in the United States:
search crumpler
click on Crumpler, Rebecca Lee

Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first black woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She spent her lifetime working to improve the health of
the black community, and described her lifelong sense of vocation in the following words: "I early conceived a liking for and sought every opportunity to relieve the suffering of others."

Rebecca Lee was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1833. She was raised in Pennsylvania by an aunt who spent much of her time attending to the health needs of the local black population. This woman became her first inspiration and prompted her to work as a nurse. ... With recommendations from her employers, Crumpler was accepted into the New England Female Medical College in Boston, Massachusetts. ... After the end of the Civil War, she recognized the need for health care services among former slaves in the South. This prompted her to relocate her medical practice to Richmond, Virginia. Her excellent reputation and hard work soon resulted in her serving many patients. After many years of working with the black community in Richmond, Crumpler decided to move back to where her career began in Boston.

SOURCE CITATION
"Rebecca Lee Crumpler." Notable Black American Scientists. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007.

LearningExpressLibrary

LearningExpressLibrary is an innovative instructional and test preparation website available to Richmond Public Library patrons. This is an online database offering more than 300 practice tests and online courses. You can log in anytime (24/7/365) and then save tests not completed for a later time. To see all that is available, go to the library home page at:
http://www.richmondpubliclibrary.org/
click ONLINE DATABASES
click Learning Express Learn a Test

To create an account, click on NEW USER.
Enter library ID number found on back of library card.
Create a password.
Re-type password.

Some of the topics offered are:
ADVANCED PLACEMENT AP Biology Practice Exams, AP Calculus AB Practice Exams, AP Chemistry Practice Exams, AP English Language and Composition Practice Exams, ...
CIVIL SERVICE Border Patrol Practice Tests, California Highway Patrol Practice Tests, Civil Service Practice Test, Corrections Officer Practice Tests, EMT-Basic Practice Tests, ...
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS ACT Practice Tests, ACT Preparation Course Series, CUNY Practice Tests, SAT Practice Tests, SAT Preparation Course Series, THEA Practice Tests
COSMETOLOGY Cosmetology Practice Tests
E-BOOKS E-books
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 4th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, 4th Grade Math Practice Exercises, 4th Grade Math Practice Tests, ...
FIREFIGHTER Firefighter Practice Tests
GED GED Language Arts, Reading Course Series, GED Mathematics Course Series, GED Practice Tests, GED Science Course Series, GED Social Studies Course Series, ...
GRADUATE SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAMS GMAT Practice Tests, GRE Practice Tests,
LSAT Practice Test, MCAT Practice Tests
HEALTH CAREERS Health Careers Practice Entrance Tests, Nursing School Practice Entrance Tests
HIGH SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 9th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, 9th Grade Reading Diagnostic Tests, Algebra Course Series, Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, ...
LAW ENFORCEMENT Border Patrol Practice Tests, California Highway Patrol Practice Tests, Corrections Officer Practice Tests, Court Officer Practice Tests, ...
MATH SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Algebra Diagnostic Test, Algebra Practice Exercises, Algebra Skills Success Course Series, Data Analysis & Probability Diagnostic Test, ...
MIDDLE SCHOOL SKILLS IMPROVEMENT 6th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, Reading Comprehension, 6th Grade Reading Diagnostic Tests, 7th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests, ...
MILITARY ASVAB Practice Tests (Military Entrance)
NURSING Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide, Nursing School Practice Entrance Tests
READING SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Reading Comprehension Course Series, Reading Comprehension Diagnostic Tests, Reading Comprehension Practice Exercises, ...
REAL ESTATE Real Estate Broker Practice Tests, Real Estate Salesperson Practice Tests
SKILLS IMPROVEMENT COURSES Algebra Skills Success Course Series, Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, Grammar for Writing Course Series, Practical Math Course Series, ...
SKILLS IMPROVEMENT WITH SPANISH INSTRUCTIONS Grammar Skills Course Series, Math Skills Course Series, Quantitative Comparison Practice Exercises, ...
TECHNICAL AND CAREER COLLEGE SKILLS Math, Reading, Writing
TOEFL TOEFL Exam Practice, TOEFL iBT Preparation Courses
U.S. CITIZENSHIP History and Civics Review
WRITING SKILLS IMPROVEMENT Fundamentals of Writing Course Series, Grammar Practice Exercises, Grammar Skills for Writing Course Series

Notice the link for E-Books. These are books that can be downloaded to your computer and printed out. Click on the link that says E-Books to see all of the titles offered.