Area codes and zip codes--you often need them and rarely have them. Although you can't mail anything without a zip code, people often exclude it when they hastily jot down or leave their street address. If you live in a state with overlaying area codes, call another state, or need to call information in another state, you must dial those three extra numbers. Where can you find the zip code for Acmar, Alabama or the area code for Idman, Idaho? Try the following sites.

United States Postal Service
Where better to get a zip code than the United States Postal Service? They deliver the mail, after all. You can type in a residential or business address, and USPS will give you the zip code. Although you can search for zip codes by city, searching by street address is more efficient because many cities have more than one zip code. If you need the name of a city or cities within a certain zip code, you can "find all cities in a zip code." The results will list not only the official name of the cities and towns within the zip code, but also other acceptable and unacceptable names for that area. This is handy if you can't read someone's handwriting or if a friend abbreviated the name of his or her town.

Zip-Codes.com
This site is fun. You can search zip codes, area codes, states, counties, or towns/cities. The information on this site is organized by zip code, so you will notice that the zip code in the results of other searches is a link. Once you click on the link, you will find demographic information, the area code, longitude and latitude, elevation, a local street map, and other facts for that zip code location. You can also search for the distance between two zip codes or the zip codes within a certain radius of the one you enter.

ZipInfo.com
If you Google "zip codes" you will find this site. However, the information in the free zip code lookup is incomplete because it is a sample of the company's zip code database, which is available for purchase. If you find your way to this site and try to look up the zip code for Nashua, you will not find it.

NANPA
NANPA, the North American Numbering Plan Administration, is the organization that assigns area codes. This site offers information about NANPA and the numbering system, as well as a searchable database of area codes in the United States. NANPA allows you to find an area code by clicking on a map, or you can choose "tools" from the dropdown menu on the side of the screen to do an area code search or a city/town search. The area code search gives you information about a particular area code, such as its geographic location, whether it is an overlay code, and its time zone. The city/town search allows you to either enter the name of the city/town to find its area code, or the area code to find the list of cities and towns it covers.

All Area Codes
All Area Codes offers two ways to match locations and area codes in the United States and Canada. By clicking on a state name, you will find its area codes and the cities located within the area codes. The site also offers a numeric listing of area codes. If you have a phone number with an unfamiliar area code, this will tell you in which state the area code is located.

WhitePages.com
In addition to searches for addresses and phone numbers (which include area codes and zip codes), the WhitePages.com site has a search specifically for area codes and zip codes. Click on the "area and zip code" tab to search for an area code or zip code by entering a city and state, or do a reverse search by entering an area code or zip code that you already have. The tab also includes a link to a US area code map and a list of international codes.

It's the birthday of the late, great Isaac Asimov. One of the giants of science fiction, Asimov is well-known for works such as the Foundation series. (Movie buffs will remember the 2004 Will Smith film, "I, Robot," based Asimov's ideas on robotics.) But his writing ranged far beyond sci-fi. A search in the library catalog for this author brings up an astounding 190 hits. He wrote detective stories, published in collections such as "The Return of the Black Widowers." He also wrote on a wide variety of nonfiction topics, ranging from history to literature to science.

Asimov backed his science fiction with a strong knowledge of science fact, and many of his nonfiction works cover science topics, such as:

• Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery. (REF 509 A; non-circulating)
• Asimov's New Guide to Science. (Adult Nonfiction 500 A)
• Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space (Adult Nonfiction 520 A)

Among his other books were works on number theory (Asimov on Numbers), history (Rome, Egypt , the Middle East, France, and North America, and others); the human brain (The Human Brain: Its Capacities and Functions), and even a guide to Shakespeare.

Asimov's books for children include several on the planets; an environmental series covering topics such as acid rain, litter, and rainforests; a biography of Christopher Columbus; and many more.

For information about this remarkable and prolific author, try one of Asimov's autobiographies:

• It's Been a Good Life (BIOG As422)
• In Joy Still Felt : the Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1954-1978 (BIOG As422)
• In Memory Yet Green : the Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920-1954 (BIOG As422)

Or, search for "Asimov" in the Biography Resource Center database to read what others had to say about Asimov. For more about Asimov's writings, try searching for articles in the Literature Resource Center. Literature Resource Center provides literary criticism of authors' works, lists any pseudonyms they used, shows who their contemporaries were, and may provide links to related web sites.

Explore!

More couples become engaged between Christmas & Valentine’s Day than at any other time of the year. Wedding planning starts immediately thereafter for the happily ever-after!

If you need a book which will provide lists of things that need to be done and the order in which they should be done, Wedding Planning for Dummies would be a good choice. It's especially helpful for anyone who is a complete novice (I almost said clueless) at wedding planning and needs help with everything. DK Publishing, the travel guide people, also have a series called "Keep It Simple" or K-I-S-S. Their wedding planning guide is called the K-i-s-s guide to planning a wedding and also provides a detailed breakdown of what needs to be done and when. If you want a wedding guide combined with lots of pictures, and examples of real weddings of some rich and famous people, browse through In Style Weddings.

The Music, Art and Media department has a DVD set called Martha's complete weddings. Martha is Martha Stewart, of course, and her four DVD set covers flowers, cake, gowns and how to have those little touches that make your wedding special.

Here is a short list of books covering other areas that can cause nail biting and heated discussions. This should be a fun time, and with a little help it can be.

Special circumstances
Wedding Etiquette for Divorced Families
The everything elopement book

Wedding crafts
Weddings for all seasons
Michaels book of wedding crafts

Music and words
Words for the wedding
I will be here : 25 of today's best wedding & love songs

I get asked this question all the time by friends of mine that have no idea what it means to be a librarian. I'm pretty sure that a few of them think I get paid to sit and read all day. I wish I could fit pleasure reading into my daily work schedule. I think the world would be a better place if that was the case.

Anyways, I started brainstorming what exactly it is that I do every day so I know how to answer the question the next time I'm asked. Here's a few tasks I thought of that the reference librarians at NPL are responsible for on a daily basis...

purchasing books, audiobooks, video games, electronic resources (databases for example)

teaching/scheduling/designing computer classes

creating displays for materials

design programs for library customers

weeding the collection (withdraw materials that are outdated, don't circulate, physically worn)

answer reference questions in person, on the phone, through email

develop webpages for the library website

write blog entries about current events/library happenings/information of interest to the community

help customers with library technologies including using our public computers and the library catalog

keep up to date on the latest trends in library services

borrow books from other libraries for our customers, lend books from our collection

preserving local historical materials

If this sounds like fun to you then perhaps you'd like to investigate what it takes to be a librarian. There are programs of study for library and information studies nationwide. Here are a few programs that your Nashua Public Library reference librarians attended...

Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Rutgers University School of Communication Information and Library Studies

University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies

Syracuse University School of Information Studies

Oh, and don't forget to check out the career information on the American Library Association's site.

You probably know where the New Arrivals area is for nonfiction and fiction books. But do you know where the new arrivals for business, careers and computer books are displayed? The answer is in the Business Area just behind the business computers. Let me describe it another way. If you are standing at the reference desk on the top floor and begin walking towards the business computer area, try looking in the first row of bookshelves that face the computers. Just ask for help at the reference desk, if you aren't sure.

Any new computer, business or career related book will be shelved there for 6 months, after which they will be shelved in the regular location for books of its category. Some of the new books on display right now are:

Business books
Our Iceberg is Melting/ John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber
Your attention, please : how to appeal to today's distracted, disinterested, disengaged, disenchanted, and busy consumer / Paul B. Brown and Alison Davis.

Computer Books
Drupal : creating blogs, forums, portals, and community websites / David Mercer.
Fixing Access annoyances : how to fix the most annoying things about your favorite database / Phil Mitchell and Evan Callahan.

Career Books
Adams Cover Letters Almanac
Vault guide to international careers / Sally Christie and the staff of Vault.

The U.S. federal individual income tax was enacted in 1913 following the passage of the 16th Amendment. Today, most states and a small number of local and municipal governments also collect income taxes. Income taxes currently provide the largest single source of federal revenues, some $1 trillion in 2006.

The Nashua Public Library again this year is distributing income tax forms. We have most major U.S. forms and instructions and Massachusetts non-resident (and resident) forms. If we do not have a form you need, please feel free to ask a Reference Desk librarian to download it on the computer for you. Or you can download U.S. forms and instructions yourself from the Internal Revenue Service Forms and Instructions. And you can download tax documents for New Hampshire from the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration.

Do you need assistance with your taxes? There is an old joke:

We also have several books that you may wish to take a look at, including:
Taxes 2007 for dummies
Every landlord's tax deduction guide
The Ernst & Young tax guide
Helping working families: the earned income tax credit
H & R Block just plain smart tax planning advisor : a year-round approach to lowering your taxes this year, next year, and beyond.

What does it mean when you see a "q" in front of a call number, as in the record for The U.S.A. : a chronicle in pictures, with the call number q973 W? All books labeled "q" are oversized books. After the last call number in each hundred section, you will find the "q," or oversized, books. For example, after the call number 698.9 R you will notice that the height of the shelves changes, and the next call number is q600 B. When you search the catalog, you will find the records for oversized books integrated with the regular books; however, many patrons who simply browse the shelves for books on a particular subject often miss the books in the oversized section. Next time you are in the library, take a look at our "q" books, which are often neglected. Many of them have fantastic photographs and useful information.

They say that talking about the weather is the last resort of people making small talk. But I've always thought it was an interesting subject. Take the weather we've been having this winter--people are wearing shorts in New Hampshire in January! On the other hand, Denver is getting socked with blizzards and avalanches. How do we make sense of it all?

For the weather information purist, the National Weather Service is the source to beat. Their web site, www.weather.gov, is a treasure trove of weather information. (Note: be sure to type .gov, not .com--we'll talk about the .com site shortly.) The National Weather Service site provides weather forecasts, but also gives climate information, tracks fire, flood, and storm risks, gives historical weather information, air quality data, and much more.

Television's Weather Channel also has a web site, www.weather.com. One of their specialties is a focus on how the weather will impact your activities. Here you can find the forecast for upcoming events like NFL playoff games. Planning a wedding? You can track the weather forecast for the big day, see what time the sun will set, get tips for an outdoor wedding, and even see what flowers will be in season. Going out of town? Find out what the interstate travel conditions will be like. There's even a section on keeping your pet comfortable. (Oh, and they also have weather forecasts.)

Think this weather has been strange? Check out "Freaks of the storm : from flying cows to stealing thunder, the world's strangest true weather stories" by Randy Cerveny.

Interested in how the weather affects us all? Two recent titles show that it has a bigger impact than you might think:

• The winds of change : climate, weather, and the destruction of civilizations, by Eugene Linden
• Blame it on the rain : how the weather has changed history, by Laura Lee

• Weather : a visual guide, by Bruce Buckley, Edward J. Hopkins, and Richard Whitaker
• Cambridge guide to the weather, by Ross Reynolds.

Or, stop by the reference area for a look at the Encyclopedia of climate and weather, edited by Stephen H. Schneider.

Let it snow!

Some time around the middle of February, which is only a little over a month away, Red Sox players will begin to appear in Fort Meyers, FL. The reporting date has not yet been set according to Spring Training online, but a lot of folks can't wait! If you are having trouble filling the void in your life left since last October 1, there are a couple of websites which just may interest you.

The Detroit Public Library is home to the Ernie Harwell Collection of Baseball History. This collection was started in the 1920's by Ernie Harwell and donated to the Detroit Public Library in 1965. Ernie Harwell was a sports broadcaster and the voice of the Detroit Tigers for many years. His collection, which he has continued to add to through the years, now includes thousands of items, and is considered second only to the collection at Cooperstown in size and scope. While the collection itself is on display at the Detroit Public Library by appointment only, portions of the collection can be accessed online. A biography of Ernie Harwell is included in the online display. The navigation bars at the bottom of the page will guide you through the collection. On the left-hand side of each section is a brief description of what is available on line in that section. There is also a link to a website in each section, which will provide more information about that item. For instance, on the page that starts the online collection of baseball cards, there is a link to The Baseball Page.

If that isn't enough to keep you involved until Spring Training, there is an online database called SABR which is maintained by the Society for American Baseball Research . Although the site does offer paid memberships, a wealth of information exists which is free to the general public. There are SABR links to research done by members of the Society. Here you will find everything baseball! One link even gives the burial locations of past Hall of Famers and connects you to a picture of the gravesite! There are discussions of international baseball, fantasy baseball, baseball-related books and baseball statistics. One member maintains a Sports Wiki which goes beyond baseball and features other sports as well. None of the sites which I found required that someone be a SABR member to view them, but to add information or participate in a blog, you would probably have to be a member.

This should keep you busy until spring training, but if all else fails, you could always watch the Patriots.

If you're a New England Patriots fan, like many of us here at the library, then you're probably feeling pretty good after Sunday's win over the NY Jets.

If you're curious about the men behind the magic, we have numerous books on the New England Patriots including its coach and players.

Here's a few you might be interested in taking a look at....
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick
Tom Brady
Drew Bledsoe (ex. player)

Another good source to surf is our Biography Resource database. All you have to do is put in the name of the coach or player you're interested in, make a click of a button, and you've got your information.

Don't forget to watch this Sunday at 4:30pm as the Pats cream the Chargers. Everyone's wearing the same clothes and sitting in the same seat as they did during the last game right? (not that I'm superstitious or anything)

Did you know that dozens of organizations use the library as a meeting place throughout the year. In fact, because so many organizations want to do so, we ask that they first contact Carol Eyman to check for room availability. (Carol's phone number is 603-589-4610.) One group that holds regular meetings at the library, and has always interested me, is the Nashua-Hudson Toastmasters Club. Their mission is to "provide a supportive learning environment in which to develop communication and leadership skills," and couldn't we all benefit from making improvements in those areas of our lives.

So, if you are ever interested in attending a Nashua-Hudson Toastmasters Club meeting, here is what you need to know. Meetings take place at the library on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 6:30-8:30pm, and visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Don at 883-9757 or Ted at 289-5693, or visit http://www.n-htm.org. Also, try exploring the Toastmasters official website, toastmasters.org.

Downloadable Audiobook on Public Speaking*:
101 secrets of highly effective speakers : controlling fear, commanding attention / Caryl Rae Krannich, Beth McDonald.

* For more information about the library's downloadable audiobook service, visit this web page.

Recently Orderd Books on Public Speaking:
Elements of Great Public Speaking by J. Lyman Macinnis
Present like a pro : the field guide to mastering the art of business, professional, and public speaking by Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O'Connor

Do librarians ever confuse you with such words such as "pin" or "non-circulating "? Following is the first section of our Library Lingo. This week we deal with some of our library deparmental areas and general resources.

NPL – Nashua Public Library

Circulation Desk (Checkout Desk) - counter where library materials are checked out and returned, fines are paid, and new and replacement library cards issued. We have two Circulation Desks at NPL, one near the entrance on the top floor and one on the middle level in the MAM (Music, Art and Media) Department

MAM (Music, Art and Media) Department - Music/Art/Media is located on the middle level of the library. It offers a large collection of books, periodical and reference sources on the fine arts, architecture, music, dance, film, television, radio and photography.

Reference Desk - service area or information desk in the library where customers can get help from library staff in using the library, locating library materials, searching library databases, using library computers and their software, and answering general questions.

Reference Librarian - specialist in the field of information retrieval, and often in other subject areas as well. Reference Librarians have a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. Reference Librarians staff the Reference Desk.

Holdings - books, periodicals, CDs and other materials owned by a Library

Stacks – area of the library where most of the books are shelved.

Non-circulating - any library material that cannot be checked out. Such materials are often labeled Nashua Public Library-for Reference-Do NOT Remove from the Area. (Reference books are non-circulating. )

Reserve - placing your name on the list of people waiting for a book that is currently checked out.

Hold - service provided by the Library when an item that was reserved for a customer is held at the checkout desk for pickup.

PIN - password consisting of a 4 digit number, most often the last four digits of the telephone number you provided, allowing access to library account information such as books checked out, fines, due dates, and the ability to renew or hold an item.

Online Catalog - A computerized listing of materials (books, periodicals, CDs, etc.) owned by a particular library. The listing will display the call number and location of the material as well as such information as the author, subject and publication date. The NPL Catalog is available electronically at special computers in the library as well as from any computer by accessing our home website and selecting Books & More.

Stay tuned for next week's Library Lingo offering additional terms related to searching for materials and more.....

Today we honor the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The civil rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Time magazine's 1963 "Man of the Year" worked for justice and equality throughout his short life. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on a motel balcony in Memphis. Four days after King's death, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) proposed the establishment of a holiday in honor of King. The King Center, which was founded in 1968 by the late Coretta Scott King, organized a commemoration on January 15 1969, and for several years, various groups and individuals petitioned Congress to declare a holiday in memory of King. In 1973, Illinois became the first state to pass a King Holiday bill. The federal holiday was not signed into law until 1983, and was first observed in 1986. At that time, 17 states had been celebrating the King Holiday, and by 1989, 44 states had declared the holiday. In 1994, the mission of the day was expanded to include community service, interracial cooperation, and youth anti-violence initiatives. In 1999, New Hampshire became the last state to adopt the holiday.*

Ordained as a minister at 19 and educated at Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was influenced by the Social Gospel, which applies biblical teachings to social problems, and Gandhi, who advocated and practiced nonviolence.** While working as Pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, he was elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In 1956 he and others were indicted "on the charge of being party to a conspiracy to hinder and prevent the operation of business without 'just or legal cause.'" That was only one of thirty arrests for his efforts on behalf of civil rights.***

King is probably most famous for the often cited "I Have a Dream" speech, which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; however, his work extends far beyond the August 28, 1963, March on Washington. To learn more about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., take a look at The King Center website. You will find a biography and chronology of King's life, as well as links, information about the holiday, and information about the work of the center. Another good site is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. This site is especially helpful to educators, as it includes lesson plans and classroom resources, as well as quotations, a King encyclopedia, information about lectures and programs, a bibliography, and the opportunity to purchase publications. A few of King's speeches are available free on this site.

Here at the library, we have numerous books about Dr. King. The most recent, At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years 1965-1968, by Taylor Branch, was named one of Amazon.com's Top 50 Editor's Picks of 2006; a top 10 history book by editors and customers at Amazon.com; and one of New York Times’ 100 Notable Books for 2006. The book is the third in a trilogy. The first, Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63, received the Pulitzer Prize. We also have Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-65. These books combine for over two thousand pages of information about Martin Luther King, Jr. You can find other (and shorter) books, by doing a subject browse for King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968. To read about the Civil Rights Movement in general, you can do a subject browse for Civil Rights Movements -- United States -- History -- 20th Century.

If you are particularly interested in King's speeches, visit the Music, Arts, and Media Department, where you will find The Speeches of Martin Luther King. We also have a documentary titled In Remembrance of Martin, which includes comments from family, friends, classmates, advisors, and public figures, as well as archival footage of King. You can also visit the American Rhetoric website, on which the "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most requested speeches.

*"The King Holiday: A Chronology," The King Center, http://www.thekingcenter.org/holiday/chronology.pdf.
**Hendrick, George and Willene Hendrick, Why Not Every Man?: African Americans and CIivil Disobedience in the Quest for the Dream (Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2005), 187-204.
***"Chronology of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," The King Center, http://www.thekingcenter.org/mlk/chronology.html; "Biographical Outline of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," The King Center, http://www.thekingcenter.org/mlk/bio.html.

In honor of Appreciate a Dragon Day (yes, really--it's January 16), Tuesday's storytime in the Children's Department will feature stories about dragons. Not the prosaic Kimodo kind, but the fantastical, magical dragons of legend. If you can't make it to storytime, never fear. We have the next best thing: downloadable audiobooks. Almost as good as a live storyteller--you can listen to a recording of a good dragon tale! The New Hampshire Downloadable Audio Books collection allows you to check out books to your computer or MP3 player with your library card. Read more about the library's downloadable audiobook service here. Among the titles for children and teens available from the collection are:

• Dealing with Dragons (the Enchanted Forest series, book 1), by Patricia C. Wrede. Princess Cimerone has adventures with the dragon Kazul. Written for children.
• Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke. A children's book featuring the exploits of the dragon Firedrake and the human boy, Ben.
• Eragon , by Christopher Paolini. Though often found in teen collections, this title and its sequel, Eldest, have been widely enjoyed by adults as well. Take a look at Jenn's blog entry about the recent movie based on these books.

There's also a great selection of dragon books for young and old here at the library. Currently in the New Arrivals is The Last Battle, the third installment of Chris Bunch's Dragonmaster trilogy. The series, with a strong military component, begins with Dragonmaster, followed by Knighthood of the Dragon.

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkein (author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) will tell you that The Hobbit pits hobbitt Bilbo Baggins against the villainous dragon Smaug, scourge of villagers.

And no list of dragon books would be complete without mention of Anne McCaffrey's classic series, The Dragonriders of Pern. Start with Dragonflight, the first in the series. The Harper Hall series is set in the same world as the Dragonriders, but can be read separately. Many of these titles are available in audiobook format, too.

Of course, there are many others. Leave us a comment to tell us your favorites!

Parents always have questions. Where do you turn for information? The Nashua Public Library has collected books with great information to answer many of the questions that parents have. If you are looking for quick suggestions and hints for fun or long term strategies in child rearing, the parenting shelf is the place to go.

Where is the parenting shelf? It is on the left-hand side in the back of the children's room located next to the magazines . If that doesn't help you find it, ask at the desk in the children's room. They will be glad to show you where it is. Some really great new books have recently been added to the parenting shelf collection. Some of the newest include Favorite family meals, and still on the subject of food, FamilyFun super snacks. Ever wanted to know what a baby is thinking? This new book, Baby sign language basics would be a fun choice for you.

Books on the parenting shelf will provide insight into evey stage of child development. Ages and stages will help you to understand your child's developmental progress and realize that after each stage comes another, even more interesting, stage. If you have ever wished you had the benefit of advice from Supernanny, the parenting shelf has a copy of Ask supernanny. If Supernanny should suggest charts and reinforcing rewards, the parenting shelf can help you with this book called Rewards for kids!

There are so many very helpful books on the parenting shelves that I don't have enough space to discuss them all! Take a trip into the children's room if you haven't already. Whether you are the parent of an infant, a toddler, a tween or a teen, or any combination of the above, the parenting shelf will have books of interest for you.

In light of recent events, icestorm '07, I thought it might be a good idea to talk about where to go for information in case of an emergency. I use the term "emergency" broadly. It could be you want to find out about street parking during a snow storm or if school is cancelled. Perhaps you need to report a power outage and/or find temporary shelter from the elements. Maybe you heard there was an outbreak of Meningitis in NH and you aren't sure what to do.

Hopefully some of the agencies and websites below will help you feel more prepared for the next local emergency. If you know of any that would help complete this list, please feel free to leave a comment.

WMUR New Hampshire News 9
Local newstation where you can find school/agency closings, road closures, weather updates, temporary shelters.

Public Serivce of New Hampshire (PSNH)
Report a power outage or read updates on current power related emergencies.

City of Nashua
Find important news announcements from the city, instructions for parking bans and snow removal, public health announcements.

Red Cross of Nashua
Locate temporary housing shelters and other diseaster relief services.

Nashua School District
View Nashua school district closings.

NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Find health related issues such as disease outbreaks or food warnings.

Nashua Emergency Assistance Program
Temporary assistance for families needing help with housing, heat, and utilities.

Saint Joseph Hospital
603-882-3000 (main operator)

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center
603-577-2000 (main operator)

Ever wanted to create a catalog of all the books in your home? Well, believe it or not, there is a free online service named LibraryThing that makes it easy to do. Not only can you easily catalog your books, but you can also access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone. And because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth. Best of all, LibraryThing is a free service for libraries of up to 200 books, and for $10 a year of $25 for a lifetime, your catalog can have literally thousands of titles.

If you want it, LibraryThing is also an amazing social space, often described as "MySpace for books" or "Facebook for books." You can check out other people's libraries, see who has the most similar library to yours, swap reading suggestions and so forth. LibraryThing also makes book recommendations based on the collective intelligence of the other libraries.

For anyone who is a bibliophile, you've got to try LibraryThing.

Our second installment of Library Lingo - - This week we deal with terms related to searching for material in the library stacks (should you already be bewildered, "stacks" definition is in Library Lingo Part 1), material in databases and some miscellaneous terms.

Catalog - list of library materials contained in a collection. Most library catalogs are online as is ours.

Catalog Record – entry in the library's catalog containing information on any given library item, including a description of the item, author, title, subject headings, notes, and the call number. See Freakonomics for an example of how a catalogued record appears in our online catalog.

Call Number – a number and letter assigned to a book to determine its subject and shelving location. Our call numbers are in Dewey Decimal format. Example: 956.7044 I is the call number for The Iraq Study Group Report.

Dewey Decimal System - a system used by libraries to classify nonfiction publications into subject categories. The subject is indicated by a three-digit numeral and further specification is given by numerals following a decimal point. For more information you may wish to visit Duke University's HOW THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM WORKS.

Cataloguing - the technical process of describing a work bibliographically and assigning a call number. It includes determining the main entry, describing the item, and assigning subject and additional entries. Our Technical Services Department performs NPL's cataloguing.

Subject Heading - term or phrase describing the subject content of a work. Searching by a subject heading is more precise than a keyword search.

Keyword – word that best describes what you’re searching for. A keyword can be as general or as specific as you may need. For example, “beagle” could be a keyword. The word “dog”, however, will give you many more search results. A keyword search will retrieve those items that have the keyword in the title, subject, author, or content notes.

Boolean Operators - words such as AND, OR, and NOT that are used to combine search terms to broaden or narrow a search of an electronic database, index, or catalog. Examples are “dogs and training” or “Clinton NOT Hillary". Are you curious to find out more? Try A Primer in Boolean Logic.

Database – a collection of data or file of information in a form accessible by computer. In a sense, a database is a computerized library in which individual records can be retrieved. Databases can contain a collection of such items as magazine and newspaper articles, encyclopedias, genealogical information, health information (to name but a few). See NPL's Ibrowse Database web pages for adults, teens or kids.

Full Text – the complete text of an item available in electronic format, such as an article from a magazine, book or encyclopedia. Full text is usually in PDF or HTML format. NPL's EBSCO database gives you the option of searching for full-text articles only or including Abstracts - summaries that gives the essential points.

Citation - information identifying a publication. A citation to a book includes the name of the author(s), book title, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication. A citation to a periodical article includes the name of the author(s), article title, periodical title, volume/issue number, date, and page number(s).

And some miscellaneous terms:
Cybrarian – an automated, self-service computer reservation and printing system used by NPL. It ensures fair access to all users.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) - service that allows patrons to request books and articles from other libraries if the material is not available at NPL.

Microform - printed material that has been photographed and reduced to a film format to help preserve the material and decrease the space needed for storage, typically used for newspapers. Standard formats are microfilm and microfiche. NPL has the special equipment needed to read microform.

Electronic book – an electronic version of a printed book. EBooks can be viewed online from any computer connected to the Internet. See Audiobooks on NPL’s home page.

Are there other buzzwords that you have come across? Please let us know.

You've read the reviews in the paper and seen the authors interviewed on the morning shows. Your friends are raving about them, and the book groups are discussing them. They are the most popular books--the bestsellers.

The Nashua Public Library makes it easy for you to find bestsellers. From the NPL home page, click on "Books and More." In the red bar, you will find a link to "Bestsellers." Clicking here brings you to three lists: The Best Books of 2006...According to Kirkus Reviews; New York Times Bestsellers--Hardcover Fiction; and New York Times Bestsellers--Hardcover Nonfiction. These lists will show you the award winners or bestsellers that we have in our collection, where they are located, and whether they are available.

Another interesting list is the "Nashua Public Library Most Requested Titles." Click on "Top 50" in the red bar to find the month's list of the top 50 requested titles, which includes both books and movies. To reach the bibliographic record for a title that interests you, simply click on the title.

Because these books are so popular, they are often checked out. If you want to read a book that is checked out, you can reserve it. The reference librarians will gladly assist you, but you can also request books from home. Each record includes a box that reads "request item." After clicking on the box, you will be asked to log in with the last 5 digits of the barcode on the back of your library card and your pin number, which is usually the last 4 digits of your phone number. (If you had already logged in, you will not be prompted to do so again.) Once you are logged in, you will see a request confirmation, which will tell you not only the title and author of the book you requested, but also your position in the queue and how the library will contact you (phone, e-mail) when the book is available. Be sure to click on the request button at the bottom of the box to complete the process.

Happy Reading!

An intriguing story from the Associated Press last Friday, January 19 stated:

"For the 58th straight year, a mysterious visitor left birthday cognac and roses at Edgar Allan Poe's grave Friday."

According to the article ("Mystery visitor appears at Poe's grave," by Kasey Jones, available at Boston.com or through the library's Newsbank database), an anonymous fan honors Edgar Allen Poe this way each year on January 19, the writer's birthday. The tradition stretches back to 1949, the 100th anniversary of Poe's death, and has reportedly been passed along to a second generation.

Known for his creepy poems and horror stories, Poe lived only to the age of 40. He is sometimes credited with creating the detective story with his publication of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and other tales, such as "The Gold Bug," that followed.

Get inspired and read some Poe! We have a wide selection here at the library:

• In the Children's Department, you can find "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Gold Bug," and others in Six tales : including The fall of the House of Usher, The murders in the Rue Morgue [and] The pit and the pendulum.
• For the classic poem "The Raven", check out The works of Edgar Allan Poe.
• If you'd like to try some of his lesser-known works or revisit old favorites, take a look at The Unabridged Edgar Allen Poe.