Make your own website for free (or really cheap)!

"But how?  I didn't go to one of your fancy internet schools!  I don't know my elbow from my html!"  
Fear not, blog reader--that is why there's WordPress.com! (And other similar dotcoms but for the sake of space I'll just talk about WordPress.)

Read about it here or come to my class!

DIY Websites with WordPress at the Ginter Park Branch Library

Wednesday, December 18th @ 5:30

Can't make it today but wish you could?

Give us a call and I'll try to schedule another class in the future: 646-1236.

Creating your own website to promote a small brick-and-mortar business or a web store in an online marketplace, or to share your art, music, or words with the world is well within your reach.  You don't need to know any code or shell out a ton of money to have a professional, attractive, functional website that can grow with your needs, skill level, and your business.  WordPress, simply put, is a blog (sort of like the one you are reading now).  Blogs are basically just websites designed to display the most recent content first in the form of "posts". Static "pages" can be added and set as the homepage, moving the blog off the the side.  Pages can even be nested creating sub-menus if your template allows it. Go to any website you can think of and navigate the menus.  You can do that on your own site.  Here is an  example of a well done WordPress.com website for a small business:

The Pink Rose Bakery

These blogazines (I may have just made that word up) definitely weren't free but are worth showing here as an example of what is possible:

The Holborn

Flavorwire

So, how to get started?  Go to Wordpress.com.  Click "get started".  Do this:

Create your account log-in, and don't worry about the blog address because you can change it later. You're almost there! Once you're in you can pick out a theme.  There are 120 free themes to choose from. The theme is the pretty part; it determines the look and feel of your site. Consider your audience and your content.  If you feature a lot of photos and very little text, look for a theme that emphasizes photos like this one.

If you are promoting an auto repair shop you will probably want a static homepage that prominently displays your phone number, a list of services, and a map of your location. Think about what information your customer is looking for and make it easy to find. The above theme might confuse someone in search of a reliable mechanic.

So, what's next? Get to know your dashboard. That's the control room for your whole website. There you'll be able to create pages, add content, change your theme, write and edit blog posts (basically just do all of the things) there. I set up a "sandbox" to demo changes for the purposes of the class so it will look different all the time: http://nataliedlibrarian.wordpress.com/

The theme I have chosen is pretty well suited to my content, what little of it there is, but I'm not wild about the background color so I think I'll change it.  It's nice to know that the theme can be changed easily at any time without sacrificing my content.

When creating a page or a post you may notice a tab labeled "visual" and next to it a tab labeled "text".
The text tab is where you can edit (some of) the HTML--that's the language that tells a browser how to display content.  The great thing about WordPress?  You don't have to know it at all. You can learn just a little and make some changes in there if you like or you can leave it alone and trust WP's code.

WordPress can be ALL free, "pretty cheap", or "reasonably priced" depending on how much space you need and how much control you want. You can purchase upgrades à la carte or as part of a plan. 60$/year gets you video—the free version does not support video. 99$/year gets you a custom domain, more space for photos and video (about 13 GB), and more control over site appearance. Even more money will get you even more, if you can imagine that.  Want a custom theme?  It'll cost you but it's an option.

Want even more control? Teach yourself a new language! The folks at codeacademy.com and W3Schools.com have just about all you need to learn code like CSS or HTML in your spare time. It might even be fun.

Final advice: Put a cat on it. (People love cats.) (The internet has lots of funny cats.)

Glamping this summer? Let RPL and Mango help!

Just sitting there at your computer, wishing this winter would stop already, endlessly scrolling through dream vacations you can’t afford to take? Or are you just staring at cat pictures on Buzzfeed?  It’s ok.  RPL wants to help.  I’m going to let you in on a couple of secrets that just might save Spring, Summer, and your sanity. Ready?

Glamping:  A word combining “glamour” and “camping” is apparently a thing that people do according to this article in the New York Times.  Reportedly a more luxurious way of “roughing it”, it can range from a $10/night stay in a VW minibus in Charlottesville, to a $1726/night stay at the “Four Seasons Tented Camp at Golden Triangle” in Thailand and, as you may have guessed, there are plenty of websites to get you on your way.  Fear not, I’m going to stay closer to the $10 side of things for this post. This all started when I stumbled upon the glamping wishlist on Airbnb.com and with some further Googling discovered some really affordable places to stay all over Europe.  I found a $27 a night Tipi in Huetor de Santillan, Spain, a $20 a night stay on a campsite farmhouse in Perugia, Italy, and my own personal favorite, A “Summer Home for Hobbits” just outside of Helsinki, Finland, for $54 a night.  In addition to brushing up on my Russian and learning a little Korean, I may have to add Finnish to the list so that I can chat over fresh donuts with Maija, the allegedly quirky owner of the little café about a 10km walk through the woods from the Hobbit house.  

Armed with little more than some pluck, a sense of adventure, and your library card to access Mango, you could go anywhere and feel right at home under the stars or in slightly more plush digs.  Just visit Richmondpubliclibrary.org and under the Find Information menu, click “online library” and scroll down to Mango Langues.  You can learn a whole bunch of languages, fast, fun and completely free!

Not in the mood to glamp but feel like charging a bunch of globetrotting strangers 15 bucks to sleep in your backyard this summer?  Check out Backyard Structures and How to Build Them by Monte Burch or How to Build Treehouses, Huts & Forts by David Stiles, both freshly shelved at Ginter Park!

Just want to travel through the pages of a book?  These are a few that have transported me: Earlier this year Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk took me to Istanbul in the 70s (I could learn Turkish too!); Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt is one of my all-time favorite reads; A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson took me on the Appalachian Trail (without actually having to go there and for that I am grateful); West of Here by Jonathan Evison looks promising so I’ll add it to my wishlist (I’ve been meaning to get back out West).  

Fútbol at your library

Whew. The 2010 World Cup has been underway for over a week now, and if you're a soccer fan like me, the U.S vs. Slovenia game this morning was one of the most uplifting, disappointing, thrilling, aggravating games so far. Welcome to the world of soccer.

For those who are, at best, ambivalent about soccer, I offer a few selections from the RPL catalog that might provide a bit more of a background about this world-renowned sport. If anything, there are a few great reads here that might just stoke your interest in the World Cup or soccer in general just a bit more. Go U.S.A!

The Game of Their Lives
Geoffrey Douglas

This is the thrilling true story of the 1950 U.S. World Cup soccer team that played a preliminary round game against a dominant British team in Belo Horizonte, a small Brazilian mining town. Soccer was much more of a peripheral American sport than it is today, and the result of the game was considered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. A great read that not only provides a baseline history of the U.S. role in world soccer, but also traces the origins of the amazing 11 players who were mostly the children of immigrants from large city ghettos.

 Futebol: Soccer: The Brazilian Way
 Alex Bellos

 Brazil is a hotbed of soccer phenoms, and Alex Bellos does an excellent job of  exploring the intertwining of soccer and the Brazilian identity. The game symbolizes racial harmony, flamboyance, youth, innovation, and skill, and yet it is also a microcosm of the country itself, containing all of its contradictions.

 Traveling extensively from Uruguay to the northeastern backlands, and from the coastal cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to the Amazon jungle, Alex Bellos shows how Brazil changed soccer and how soccer shaped Brazil. He tells the stories behind the great players, like Pele and Garrincha, the great teams, and the great matches, as well as extraordinary stories from people and pitches all over this vast country.

The Girls of Summer
Jere Longman

July 10, 1999. The U.S. Women's Soccer team wins a battle against China by way of a penalty shoot-out, and the fate of women's soccer in America forever changes. This book provides an in-depth look at this final games, as well as an inside look at the culture of women's soccer in the United States. An intelligent foray into the world of women's sports, including issues such as equal pay for equal play, becoming role models, the media's sexualization of players and the battle to create an enduring legacy of female participation in soccer in the U.S.

Other recommendations not currently in the RPL catalog:

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
Franklin Foer

"Soccer is much more than a game, or even a way of life. It is a perfect window into the cross–currents of today's world, with all its joys and its sorrows. In this remarkably insightful, wide–ranging work of reportage, Franklin Foer takes us on a surprising tour through the world of soccer, shining a spotlight on the clash of civilizations, the international economy, and just about everything in between."

Soccernomics: Why England loses, why Germany and Brazil win, and why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey - And Even Iraq - Are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport
Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski

Despite the long title, this great read takes a precise analytical eye of an economist and couples it with a sports writer's skill to answer intriguing questions in regards to common thoughts such as why can't the U.S. dominate the sport of soccer? Why does it seem that the people who run soccer teams make very dumb decisions? Kuper and Szymanski turn data on its head in this interesting and irreverent look at the world of soccer.

Library Improvements and what they mean for you

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We've had several updates on library closures and temporary locations both on the Richmond Public Library website and this blog (view information regarding the Westover Hills and Hull Street temporary locations here), but the real details about these renovation closures and what they will bring to our community haven't really been featured.

Note - Westover Hills materials may show as "available" in the online catalog, but no materials are available from the branch as all materials are in storage until the branch re-opens this fall. We apologize for any confusion.

These renovations and upgrades are part of a city-wide Capitol Projects plan, all of which can be read on the Richmond Government website.  Specifically, these renovations are meant to improve internet and communication services at every branch of the library, which means patrons will have upgraded internet service to access our many online databases and to use for their own personal projects.

Additionally, physical renovations to branches will provide improved layouts of the libraries, and will range from new roofs and energy-efficient windows to new furniture and shelving. You can read the library-specific parts of the plan here, in the 2008-2012 Improvement Plan, on Page 192.

We're extremely excited to share these improvements with you, and look forward to enjoying the results in a few short months! We thank you for your patience and ask that you direct any questions you may have toward us at any time.

RPL Community Survey

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Your Richmond Public Library is currently conducting a survey to help identify your specific needs as a community, as well as identify areas of our library service that are both highly useful to the public and areas that might need a little bit of work in the future. The more information we have, the more certain we can be of your idea of what the Richmond Public Library should be.

The survey is a brief, 4 question endeavor that takes less that 5 minutes and will help us get a good idea of how you use the library, what services you use or don't use, what you think of our services, and any other comments you may wish to add.

The survey is available in paper form at any library branch, and is available from May 3 - 15th online via a link to an independent survey site. Click here to be taken to the online version of the survey.

Thanks so much in advance for taking the time to tell us what you think. We're excited to see the results!

April is a Month for Poets

There have been many things going on at the RPL this month - branch renovations, our semi-annual book sale, and more. But April is also National Poetry month, and we won't let April give way to May before talking about and recommending poetry from our catalog!

 For those interested in keeping up-to-date with the latest publications, events and news in the poetry world, www.poets.org is a great resource. You can search for poems or poets, check out upcoming publications and even sign up to receive a poem a day. Additionally, they have pages for each state, and you can check out Virginia poets to your hearts content.

Speaking of Virginia poets. current Virginia poet laureate Claudia Emerson is the winner of the 2006 Pulizter Prize for her collection entitled Late Wife, which is available at the RPL. Emerson's poems explore one woman's disappearance from one world and arrival into another as she addresses her former husband, herself and her new husband in this series.

Looking for a great way to introduce children to poetry? Lee Bennett Hopkins received the 2009 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, and his book, City I Love, holds eighteen poems that take the reader on an international adventure through cities around the world.

Virginia also has a fantastic roster of poets who grew up and/or chose Virginia as home. Henri Cole is a William and Mary graduate who has received multiple accolades for his work, including the 2004 Kingsley Tufts Poetry award for his book, Middle Earth.

If you're interested in local, Richmond poetry, there are several venues that hold regular open mike readings where you can listen to local poets or read yourself:

Art 6 Gallery - Second and Fourth Sundays of each month

2-4 p.m.

Barnes and Noble at Virginia Center Commons - Second Saturday of each month

7-9 p.m.

Barnes and Noble at Short Pump - Second Thursday of each month

7:30 p.m.

Most Challenged Books of 2009

Just in time for National Library Week: The American Library Association (ALA) has released their list of "Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009," and two new titles have made the list this year - Twilight (series) by Stephanie Meyer and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. You can view the whole release on the ALA's website here.

Challenged books have been tracked by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom for close to twenty years. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint to a library or school because of content or appropriateness. However, the ALA does estimate that the majority of challenges go undocumented, and that the following list most likely represents only about 20 to 25 percent of challenges that actually occur. 

So with these numbers in mind, what does this list really mean? Everything and nothing it seems, depending on who you ask. The important thing is that this list represents your individual right to free access of library materials, and the community discussion that these materials can help foster. That being said, you can find any of these books at your local Richmond Public Library branch.

Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2009

1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle

2. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

5. Twilight (series) by Stephanie Meyer

6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

7. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

8. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

10.The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

National Library week - April 11- 17th

This week is all about celebrating your local library and the community connections that it can help foster. This year's theme is "Communities thrive @ your library," which we certainly agree with here at the RPL. We'll be celebrating this week with events at your local branch, so be sure to stop by and see what we have in store!

There is also a national schedule for this week, which includes:

Tuesday, April 13th  - National Library Worker's Day

Wednesday, April 14th - First annual Bookmobile Day

Wednesday, April 14th - ALA releases "Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2009."

Thursday, April 15th -  Support Teen Literature Day

This year's Honorary Chair of National Library Week is none other than Neil Gailman, winner of this year's Newbery Medal for The Graveyard Book.  Gailman is scheduled to speak via live web broadcast about his lifelong love of libraries from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12th. You can join in on this broadcast live or RSVP for the Tuesday broadcast by clicking here. If you miss out, don't worry - the talk will be archived on the this ALA website after the event.

The American Library Assosciation first sponsored this week 1958, when research in the mid-1950's showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned with this apparent trend, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit organization called the National Book Committee in 1954, which concerned itself with promoting reading, developing a strong family life and improving incomes and health. It seemed natural that these sentiments would eventually culminate in a National Library week, as a library encapsulates all of these things. From 1959 on, this week has been observed in libraries across the nation.

How can you participate in National Library week? Stop by and see us! Use a service that you haven't tried before - try out our online language software through your account, attend a free seminar, join one of our book clubs, bring your kids to story hour at your local branch. Tell us how the library has impacted your community and what you might like to see in the future.

New Materials at the RPL

It's that time again! Click the link below to browse all of the new materials available through your RPL. For more information on this new feature, click here to view the introductory post.

Highlights from this update include a slew of new travel books, including Rick Steves' London, Paris, Italy and more. We also have new Adult Fiction such as the New York Times bestsellers The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline, as well as several new volumes of Young Adult poetry, such as African Acrostics: a word in edgeways by Avis Harley.

View all new RPL materials here 

Quick note - if you are searching for a specific title and don't feel like scrolling or clicking through the document, you can search by using "Crtl + F" to bring up a "Find" search within the page.

As always, you can view materials available at each branch, request an interlibrary transfer, or place a hold on your new materials through your online account, or simply call your local branch for further information on reserving new materials. Happy borrowing!

Book Buzz with Nancy Pearl

This past week, the Public Library Association held its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon. The highlight for many attendees was a talk given by the infamous Nancy Pearl titled, "Book Buzz with Nancy Pearl." 

If you're not already familiar with Nancy Pearl, she is a well-known librarian, author and book critic who formerly was the Executive Director of the Washington Center of the Book for the Seattle Public Library.

In short, she loves to read. And recommend. 

Hence, she has a blog that details her current reads, is a regular contributor to on NPR and...has an action figure.  When she gives a talk about new books she is excited about, people tend to listen. Here are a few of the upcoming releases that she highlighted at the conference:

Kelly O’Connor McNees’s The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott (Amy Einhorn: Putnam, April 1, 2010)

This is the debut of Kelly O'Conner McNees, and it is sufficient to say that it is thought to be a great one. Her website details her first work:

"Kelly O’Connor McNees deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted  neighbor and kindred spirit."

Justin Cronin’s, The Passage 

(Ballantine, June 2010)

This apocalyptic tome, (and it is a tome, at over 600 pages), is apparently "so big" that the unpublished manuscript caused a studio bidding war a few years back - of which Fox 2000 and director Ridley Scott were the winners.

The story is a enthralling mix of fantasy, sci-fi and thriller that weaves the story of government experiments gone awry. From the official website:

"First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse."

Guy Gavriel Kay, Under Heaven

(Penguin Group Canada, Late April 2010)

This new work from the best-selling author fuses history and fantasy that was inspired by the Tang Dynasty of China in the eighth century. 

"Under Heaven is a novel on the grandest narrative scale, encompassing the intimate details of individual lives in an unforgettable time and place."

You can read parts of the first chapter and learn more about the book on the official website.

You can also get a taste of this author by reading some of Mr. Kay's previous works. Check them out at your local branch - two of his most recent titles that we have in the catalog are:

Ysabel
Guy Gavriel Kay

ISBN: 0451461290

The Last Light of the Sun
Guy Gavriel Kay

ISBN: 0451459652

Nathaniel Philbrick's The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the LittleBig Horn

(Viking Adult, May 2010)

 From the author of the National Book Award-winning Mayflower, this historical work sheds new light on one of the most iconic stories of the American West known as Custer's last stand. Philbrick follows the stories of two legendary figures: George Armstrong Custer, the infamous Union cavalry officer and Sitting Bull, savvy leader of the Plains Indians.

Previous Nathaniel Philbrick works to check out:

Mayflower

Nathaniel Philbrick

ISBN: 9780143111979

From the catalog:

"In Mayflower, Philbrick casts his spell once again, giving us a fresh and extraordinarily vivid account of our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflowerand the settlement of Plymouth Colony. From the Mayflower’s arduous Atlantic crossing to the eruption of King Philip’s War between colonists and natives decades later, Philbrick reveals in this electrifying history of the Pilgrims a fifty-five-year epic, at once tragic and heroic, that still resonates with us today."

Charles Todd's An Impartial Witness

(Harper Collins, August 2010)

The second in the series featuring Bess Crawford, a British nurse during World War I. 

You can find the first Bess Crawford novel by this mother-son writing duo at your RPL:

A Duty to the Dead

Charles Todd

ISBN: 9780061791765

From the catalog:

"The winning first in a new WWI series introduces Bess Crawford, a resourceful British army nurse who's injured when her ship is sunk in 1916. While convalescing in England, Bess is tormented because she's put off delivering a message from Arthur Graham, a dying soldier under her care for whom she'd developed strong feelings, to his family. Her own brush with death prompts her to travel to Kent and transmit Arthur's cryptic last words to one of his three brothers. Bess becomes further enmeshed in the family's affairs after she learns the obscure message may relate to Graham's half-brother, Peregrine, who was committed to a local asylum for a girl's murder years before."

Of course, this is only a sampling of new releases from publishers, so you can check out the PLA's website for more titles that people are anticipating.

We'll also keep you updated about the books that the Richmond Public Library will have available upon the release of these upcoming titles, so don't forget to check out our upcoming "New Materials" posts!

The Richmond Public Library is now on Facebook!

The Richmond Public Library is happy to announce that you can follow the latest events, connect with other RPL patrons, view pictures and more with our new Facebook page:

 You can become a fan of the RPL by following this link, and we're excited about this opportunity to connect with our library community!

What does the 2010 Census mean for you?

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You're probably tired of hearing about the 2010 Census, how important it is for you to participate, what it means for federal aid in our area, etc. Or, maybe you haven't really thought about it at all, and tomorrow a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau will be sitting in your mailbox for you to open or throw away. Either way, it's never a bad idea to be informed - so we've compiled a brief set of facts for you to consider about this 2010 Census.

Facts You Might Already Know

• The Census, among many other things, will be used to allocate billions of dollars of Federal Aid over the next ten years - and this aid is based on the demographics of each area of the country. 

From Richmond.gov, "Federal funding is distributed to the City of Richmond based on our population...Help our city provide quality schools, quality healthcare, quality transportation.."

• The Census is used to help draw Congressional Districts and administer Electoral College votes to the each state = correct total of people located in a district = correct number of representatives elected in your area = correct government representation for your community.

• The Census questionnaire is one of the shortest in history and contains only 10 questions (Click here to view an interactive preview of the form) = this civic will duty take an average of 10 minutes of your time - much less than serving on a jury or filing taxes!

• The Census is confidential by law, and information released to the Census Bureau may not be released to any other federal organization or law enforcement.

Facts You Might Not Know - But Can Now Tell Your Friends

• Richmond's mail participation rate in the 2000 Census (65%) was below the national average (72%) in 2000. Doubt my information-gathering skills? Click here to find out for yourself, and compare Richmond to other areas of the county.

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau study, Federal Aid to States for Fiscal Aid 2008, Virginia ranked 49th out of 50 states in Federal Aid to State and Local Governments per Capita. Click here to view the entire report for yourself. Federal grants included Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Agriculture, and other services.

• From the AP: "In 2000, the Census Bureau noted for the first time an overcount of 1.3 million people, mostly from duplicate counts of more affluent whites with multiple homes. About 4.5 million people were ultimately missed, mostly blacks and Hispanics."

Of course, there is much more information regarding the upcoming Census than we've listed here. If you are interested in learning more about the 2010 Census in general, or jobs with the Census Bureau, be sure to visit their website for more information.

You can also visit the Richmond Public Library to view past Census data, including a Census Atlas that combines Census data from 1790 through 2000:

Census Atlas of the United States: Census 2000 Special Reports
United States Bureau of Census

If you wish to take a look at the type of data and data patterns the census will produce, look no further than this Census Atlas. From the catalog:

"This is the first comprehensive atlas published by the US Census Bureau since the early 20th century. It is divided into topical themes and chapters with simple and clean yet colorful maps, charts, and graphs that visually display demographic data from 1790 to 2000. The demographic data are arranged in such a way that readers can get a historical snapshot of the changes and fluctuations that have occurred over time."

Thoughts on the Future of Libraries

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Earlier this week, Richmond Public Library volunteer and current Library Science graduate student Mary Catherine forwarded an interesting post by Dave Lankes of the Syracuse University Library and Information Science program. Among several other good points about the future of libraries and their function, he noted,

"If we all have free access to stuff, all we need is guidance."

This point got me thinking about the (legal) free access to stuff we have even beyond the scope of what is physically behind the walls at the Richmond Public Library. We have thousands upon thousands of books, scores, reference material, special collections, CDs and DVDs at the library - but there is one thing for which we do not yet have a system in place -  the emerging media known as an eBook. However, we can guide you toward to best current sources to access this information, as well as keep you well-informed about the future of this new media at your local branch. Until then, enjoy the sites below, and let us know your thoughts about this new way to read and share literature.

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eBooks can be downloaded and viewed in a multitude of ways - on your personal computer or on a mobile reader such as your phone, Kindle, Reader, etc. These sites give you immediate access to thousands of books and scholarly articles, and many feature reviews and the ability to subscribe to their book feed, which will keep you up to date with the most current available books.

Free eBook sites:

Project Gutenberg

AudioBooksForFree

Google Books

ManyBooks

Memoware

Online Books Page

Oxford Text Archive

Youth Arts Month at the RPL

This March, the Richmond Public Library is celebrating Youth Arts Month, and we're pleased to have the opportunity to take part in our vibrant local arts community.

Our regular First Friday Exhibition on March 5th will showcase original artwork from students of Richmond Public Schools, as well as artwork from students of the IQRA Academy of Richmond. The special First Friday will also feature musical performances from Richmond Public School students.

Artwork by Sebastian Wimbush / George Wythe

In addition to the usual Main First Friday exhibition, many local branches will also feature Richmond student artwork for the entire month of March, and are holding Youth Art Receptions to celebrate the young student artists. Belmont, Broad Rock, Hull Street and West End branches are all hosting receptions this Thursday, March 4th from 4-6pm.

If you're curious about art, interested in taking a class, or just wish to learn more about art to impress your friends, Richmond is the place to be. For instance, the Richmond Public Schools have a multitude of available art classes and opportunities for their students, which can be viewed here, on their website.

Additionally, Richmond has many other venues where youth art classes are available, including but not limited to:

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond Youth Classes,

Art Works holds a Children's Art Program on the first and second Saturdays of each month,

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts holds several art classes for teens - click here to find out more about the program.


And of course, the RPL has materials for furthering your own art interests. The following are a few selections leaning toward modern art that may help you get started.


Art 21: Art in the 21st Century
Thelma Golden

The companion volume to the PBS television series introduces 21 American artists, established and emerging, working in a variety of media. The series is noted as "looking forward to the future rather than back to the past," and features profiles and discussions with the artists regarding how they work and why and is structured around 4 themes: place, spirituality, identity and consumption.


If you missed the televisions series, it is available in its entirety, (season one through four), for free on the PBS website, along with an accompanying blog, slideshows of artwork and biographies of all featured artists.


I sold Andy Warhol. (too soon)
Richard Polsky

For those of us who have no idea how current art market functions or what really determines value, this "highly enjoyable insider's guide" follows Mr. Polsky's path (as an art dealer) after he sells Andy Warhol's "Fright Wig" self portrait at auction for $320,00. If he had waited a few more years, it would have captured millions. This memoir exposes the absurdities and hypocrises of the art dealer's world, and helps the reader understand economic evolution of art, and the subsequent cultural impact.




Henry Moore, sculpting the 20th century
Dorothy M. Kosinski

From the catalog:
"Edited by Dallas Museum of Art curator Dorothy Kosinski, and serving as the catalogue for an exhibition currently touring the U.S., the book covers the artist's entire career, from his early primitivism to his 1930s surrealism to his post-war public art. Photos of over 120 of Moore's suggestively abstract plasters, carvings, bronzes and drawings grace the pages of the book, along with scholarly essays from Moore proponents."

Tax Help in Several Mediums

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Writing this post was the first, (and probably will be the last), time that I was excited about taxes. The reason? Hopefully the following information will lessen your own potential tax anticipation dread, and may even provide you with an increased refund as well as free assistance with the preparation and filing of your taxes.

The "potential free tax preparation" aspect of this paragraph is brought to you by the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This is a federal tax credit for low-to-middle income working individuals and families. To qualify, you must file an income tax return - even if the IRS doesn't require filing income taxes for your income level. A great benefit from qualifying for and claiming this credit is that not only may it increase your refund, but that you can receive free assistance with your return.

Here is a general breakdown of those who will most likely qualify for the EITC from the Virginia Department of Social Services, who has great detail about this tax credit on their website.

If you worked in 2009 and had an earned income of less than:

• $13,440 ($18,440 if married filing jointly) if there is no qualifying child you may be eligible for a credit of up to $457.

• $35,463 ($40,463 if married filing jointly) if there is one qualifying child you may be eligible for a credit of up to $3,043.

• $40,295 ($45,295 if married filing jointly) if there are two qualifying children you may be eligible for a credit of up to $5,028.

• $43,279 ($48,279 if married filing jointly) if there are three or more qualifying children you may be eligible for a credit of up to $5,657.

Unsure of your exact income numbers as stated above? The IRS has an EITC "Eligibility Screening" website in both English and Spanish to help you determine if you qualify - click here to be taken directly to the site, and choose the 2009 tax year version, then click on "Start Here: Am I an Eligible Individual?"

It should only take about 15-20 minutes, and you should have your 2009 W-2 handy to complete the screening.

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Once you determine if you are qualified for the EITC, there are numerous free tax preparation organizations in Richmond and the surrounding areas. The Greater Richmond Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition (GREITCC) is a great organization to call ((804) 755-6432) to find your closest tax preparation station.

The GREITCC is currently running two sites in Henrico County - you can also visit Henrico County's website to learn more:

• Human Services Building, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive
• Feb. 2 to April 14
  
• 4-8 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday

• Fairfield Area Library, 1001 N. Laburnum Ave.
• Feb. 13 to March 13
  
• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each Saturday

There are additional EITC tax preparation sites in Richmond, including many local social service offices, including the Richmond City Department of Social Services. Call to find the details and hours they have available for EITC tax preparation:

Marshall Plaza Building
900 E. Marshall St.
Richmond, VA 23240
(804) 646-7212

Click here for their website, which includes the addresses and hours for the Southside and East Richmond Community Service Centers.

For those who might not qualify for the ETIC, there are a few other sources of help with your taxes at the Richmond Public Library. While we can't promise free tax preparation, we can offer you the tools to help you do it yourself!


Stand Up to the IRS
(2009)
Frederick W. Daily

This book is not quite as combative as the title might suggest - it actually is a good resource for explaining procedures of the IRS and how to use this knowledge to your advantage. Topics range from how to file for a late tax return to how to get a Taxpayer Assistance Order.




Deduct It! Lower your small business taxes
(2009)
Fishman

For any small business owners out there, this guide provides an in-depth look at how small businesses are taxed and how to maximize all of your potential deductions that the IRS considers legitimate.





J.K Lasser's Online Taxes
(2002)
Barbara Weltman

A complete guide to using the internet to prepare and submit your taxes. This guide is a few years old, but still contains tax strategies and valuable advice about comparing tax preparation programs, how to use them and what might work best for you.

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.

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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

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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.

Black History Month - Exhibits and Lectures

February is Black History Month, and we have a wealth of exhibits, lectures and events in our fair city of Richmond. We are surrounded by this history daily, but February is an ideal time to take in several new exhibits in Richmond and the surrounding area.

This will be the first in a series of posts related to Black History month, as there are many events in the local area. We'll focus first on new museum exhibits and lectures in or around Richmond, and add posts regarding library materials, activities, and more as the month goes on. If you have suggestions for further posts, be sure to leave your suggestion in the comments!

Richmond Public Library

Hull Street Branch: Pathways to Change
Thursday, February 11th
2:30 pm

Presentations featuring Edward Hudson, former Negro League Baseball Player and Harry H. Bradley, Historian and Community Activist.

Main Branch: Kusun Ensemble
Thursday, February 11th
10 am

The Kusun Ensemble is an extraordinary group of musicians and dancers based in Ghana, West Africa. Come join us and bring the children to this exciting event showcasing Ghana's most powerful music and dance ensemble fusing innovative rhythms with jazz and traditional Ghanaian instruments. Don't miss this electrifying performance sponsored by the Historic Jackson Ward Association and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia Exhibit
Take Our Stand: the African American Military Experience in the Age of Jim Crow
February 5 - May 29, 2010

The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia will have a new exhibit produced in partnership with the American Civil War Center. The exhibit chronicles the black military experience from the Spanish-American War through the desegregation of the U.S. military and features rare historic images, lesson plans for students, and feedback panels where visitors can record their impressions of the exhibit.

The exhibit opens this Friday, February 5th from 6 - 8:30 p.m. with a keynote address from Dr. Kimberly L. Phillips, Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the College of William and Mary. You can also RSVP on to the opening event on their Facebook page here.

Virginia Historical Society Exhibit

The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory
October 10, 2009 - April 11, 2010

From the Historical Society's website regarding the exhibit:

"As a major part of the national acknowledgement of the 150th anniversary of John Brown's raid on the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society presents The Portent: John Brown's Raid in American Memory. This exhibition is the first-ever critical analysis by a southern institution of an episode that, on the eve of the Civil War, broke open sectionalist fissures. Brown demanded that his contemporaries take a moral stance on slavery, and to this day a mention of his attack spurs debate about issues of justice, terrorism, liberation, and vigilantism. The story of Brown's early life, his fervent religious beliefs, his turn to violence as an abolitionist in Kansas, and his Virginia raid and its aftermath will be told in the exhibition. Contemporary reactions to the raid and to the trial and execution of John Brown will also be discussed, and visitors will see a display of objects and books related to John Brown's raid."

The Historical Society leads gallery walks through its exhibits - and the next upcoming walk is lead by Lauranett Lee, Curator of African American History on Wednesday, February 10 at 12pm.

Listen to the lecture regarding the exhibit by curator William M.S. Rasmussen online here.
You can read a review of the exhibit by the New York Times here.

Virginia Union University

Sit-In | Stand Out
A Project Recognizing the 50th Anniversary
Of the Thalhimers Lunch Counter Sit-In
February 17-22, 2010

Virgina Union University has many events scheduled for this week-long commemorative event recognizing their student's important role in the Civil Rights movement in Richmond. View their calendar of events for this week here.

Monday, February 22nd marks the culmination of this celebration and includes events such as an Education Forum moderated by Sheila Johnson with representatives of “Richmond 34”, students from partner schools and the Thalhimer family Richmond CenterStage Carpenter Theatre as well as a Commemoration of Historic Marker at Richmond CenterStage.

Learn more about the "Richmond 34" here.

Image: Virginia Union University students wait to be served at the Woolworth's department tore lunch counter in downtown Richmond, February 20, 1960.
Courtesy of The Valentine Richmond History Center.

VCU Libraries Black History Month Lecture - Fifty years after the student-led sit-ins: where are we now?
Tuesday, February 9th 7:30 - 9pm Singleton Performing Arts Center
Free and open to the public
(all ages)

A panel discussion exploring the legacy of student protests, including the state of Black America and race relations 50 years after the sit-ins.

View more about the event, including the panelists and moderator, here on the VCU Libraries website.

University of Richmond
Black History Month Events

The University of Richmond have several upcoming discussions and lectures this month on their website here. For more information, call (804) 289-8032

Events include:

Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Weinstein Hall, Brown-Alley Room, “How the Sit-ins Changed America: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective,” Andy Lewis, former Richmond faculty member and author of “Shadows of Youth – The Remarkable Journey of the Civil Rights Generations.”

Feb. 19, 12:30 p.m., Weinstein Hall, Brown-Alley Room, Brown Bag discussion, “The Mortgage Crisis, Communities of Color and the Ways Forward,” with a panel of community leaders.

Feb. 21, 2 p.m., Tyler Haynes Commons, Alice Haynes Room, “Fact or Fiction: The Active Involvement of Blacks in the Civil War,” with Harold Jones, curator of the Black Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C.