The latest issue of the ValueLine Investment Survey arrived today. For those of you who are not familiar with ValueLine, it is one of the largest independent research staffs of investment analysts and statisticians in the world. They collect data and analyze performance of approximately 8,000 stocks, 13,000 mutual funds, 80,000 options and other securities.

Their best known product is The Value Line Investment Survey. The Value Line Investment Survey is a comprehensive source of information and advice on approximately 1,700 stocks, more than 90 industries, the stock market, and the economy.

It has three parts. The Ratings & Reports section contains one-page reports about approximately 1,700 companies and more than 90 industries. The Summary & Index contains an index of all stocks in the publication as well as many up-to-date statistics to keep investors informed about the latest company results. Lastly, the Selection & Opinion section contains Value Line's latest economic and stock market forecasts, one-page write-ups about interesting and attractive stocks, model portfolios, and financial and stock market statistics.

For those who would prefer browsing the electronic editions of these publications, the library has online access to the these publications for one customer at a time. Unfortunately, you have to be at the library to login. To access the online edition here at the library, just speak with a librarian at the reference desk.

Finally, to learn more about ValueLine, visit their website at http://www.valueline.com.

Did you know that library customers can use some of the library's computers to take an online test or exam? Depending on the time of day you'd like to take your test, reference librarians may be able to arrange for you to get extended time on a computer sufficient to complete your test. If you would like to do this, be sure to contact a librarian at the reference desk well in advance. Also, be sure to test out our computers ahead of time to see if you'll need us to install any additional software. Give us a call if you have any questions, 603-589-4611.

November can be deadly when it comes to homework. All those project deadlines and midsemester exams are fast approaching.

Did you snooze through last week's Geometry class and now you're paying the price?

Never fear, Live Homework Help is here!

If you're in grades 4-12 get connected and chat with a live tutor and they'll get you through this crisis. All you need is a library card and the Internet.

Hours: Sunday-Friday 4-11pm
Saturday 2-9pm
Ayuda Para Tareas en Vivo en Espanol: 4-10pm

To learn more about this service check out our website.

Interested in finding out how much a nearby house sold for? Want to know about upcoming foreclosures and auctions? Look it up in Registry Review, New Hampshire's statewide real estate and financial newspaper, which is kept at the reference desk. Each week, Registry Review reports information abstracted from the ten New Hampshire county Registries of Deeds and many other sources.

Features within the publication include:

• Real estate sales for consideration and associated mortgages.
• Liens and Attachments
• New Plans and Subdivisions
• New Bankruptcy filings in New Hampshire
• New Corporation and Trade name filings
• Schedule of upcoming foreclosures and other lien auctions
• Statewide listing of requests for Bids and Proposals

Where to Find It In the Library: Editions from the six most recent months are kept at the reference desk, and back issues are shelved in the Sterns Room (where other business periodicals are kept.)

Recomended library books on real estate:
Risk & grow rich : how to make millions in real estate by Kendra Todd
Mortgages 101 : quick answers to over 250 critical questions about your home loan by David Reed.

If you use the library computers to print in the reference area, teen room, or Winer room, you'll want to read this...

The printing process has changed throughout the library. The cost remains the same ($.10 for black and white, $.25 for color), however now you must prepay to a printing account instead of the old way of printing and then paying at the service desk. Each time you print a page your account will be debited accordingly.

You can add money to your "printing account" at the reference desk, circulation desk, or the music arts and media desk. The first time you add money to your account you must add a minimum balance of $1.00.

This new printing process was implemented as a way to keep the printing costs as affordable as possible for you the customer. We hope that you find this a more convenient process as you no longer have to wait to pay when you pick up your printouts.

Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have, and remember, we always like to receive customer feedback. In fact, feel free to leave a comment on this blog!

If you aren't familiar with free computer classes at the library, then you're missing out on a great bargain. Class sizes are small, (a maximum of eight students per workshop,) and each student has their own computer to use for hands-on exercises.

As you will see further down in this entry, the library offers courses in three primary tracks, but for anyone who is new to computers, we recommend starting with the Computer Basics class. After that, customers are free to choose a track and work their way down the list. They can also move between tracks.

For Beginners
Computer Basics

Internet Track
1. Internet
2. Yahoo Email
3. Web Design

Microsoft Office Track
1. Microsoft Word
2. Microsoft PowerPoint
3. Microsoft Excel
4. Microsoft Access

Research Using Databases
1. EBSCO Magazine and Journal Database
2. Genealogy Research with Heritage Quest and Ancestry Library Edition

For more detailed information about each of the classes visit our Computer Classes web page.

When are Classes Offered?
Computer classes are generally offered Monday through Thursday either at 10:30am or 2:30pm, and they run for either an hour and a half or two hours. To find out which classes are offered for a particular month, go to this page on the library website. Also, if you would like to receive the monthly computer class schedule by email, just give us a call, 589-4611, and let us know your email address.

How Do I Sign Up for a Class?
Finally, to register for a class, just give us a call, and we'll sign you up. Some classes do fill up quickly, so it's a good idea to call a week or two in advance.

Would you like to receive a monthly email informing you about newly acquired computer books at the library? How about a newsletter alerting you about newly acquired business books? If so, we've got just the solution for you. Simply visit the library's Book Newsletters webpage, click on the Signup link next to the newsletter you'd like to receive, and then enter your email address. You'll start receiving the newsletter on the 15th of each month.

Extra Credit: If you are familiar with RSS feeds, , and Feed Aggregators, you can also subscribe to the feed of most of our new book newsletters! Just copy the RSS link for that newsletter and paste it into your feed reader. (I hope to have an RSS feed up and running for the new computer books newsletter soon!)

Some of the books featured in the most recent Computer Books newsletter include:

	Object-Oriented PHP: Concepts, Techniques, and Code by Peter Lavin Published 2006 by No Starch Press Paperback, English. ISBN: 1593270771
	Drupal: Creating Blogs, Forums, Portals, and Community Websites by David Mercer Published 2006 by Packt Publishing Paperback, English. ISBN: 1904811809
	Oracle Database 10g Insider Solutions by Arun Kumar Published 2006 by Sams Paperback, English. ISBN: 0672327910

Did you know that you can place a reserve on new fiction books even before they are published? Books that have been ordered for the collection, but that have not physically arrived at the library, are listed in the catalog as "On order See librarian". A hold request can be placed on a book as soon as the title appears in the catalog. This can be done by speaking with someone at the reference desk, either in person or by phone, or by using the My Account feature available through the library's catalog. You will then be notified by email or by phone when the book becomes available for you.

New fiction books, especially those by popular authors, are often ordered two months or more in advance of their publication date. A number of popular authors have books which will be published in February or March. These books are already listed in the library's catalog. Barbara Delinsky's newest book Family Tree will be a February publication. Janet Evanovich will be introducing Plum Love : a Stephanie Plum novel in January. The author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier, has a new book titled Burning Bright which will be published in March.

Other authors with books to look forward to in the next few months include Maeve Binchy, James Patterson, Robert B. Parker and Danielle Steel. New books are added to the catalog all the time. If you don't find the book that you are looking for, check the catalog again in a few days, or, better yet, call the reference desk and request that book! Then either ask the reference librarian to put a hold on the book for you, or check the catalog to be sure that the book is listed there, go to My Account and put a hold on the book yourself. Happy reading!

Tis the season for top picks of the year. We're no different here at NPL and we've created a display of our staff's top reading picks of 2006. Starting today you can find a special display of staff picks for '06 in the new arrivals area on the main level next to the elevator. While the books may have been published prior to 2006, they were read by staff during this year and made quite an impression.

Just to give you a quick taste of what we have selected, the Director recommends, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susan Clarke. If you'd like to find out more about this title, he recently reviewed it in his Director's Blog.

I'll close with my own personal top reads of 2006...My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher. FYI, I was not the only person that thought My Sister's Keeper was an awesome book, as it was also voted the runner up for the first ever The Flume: NH Teen Reader's Choice Award.

Amazon also has a few lists compiled that you might be interested in checking out at Best Books of 2006.

Be sure to stop by the display the next time you're in the library to pick out which book you'll be reading next. Oh, and if you'd like to let others know what your top pick of '06 is be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of this entry.

Happy reading!

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.

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.....

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!

I'll tell you what, it's time to talk about it! Carol Eyman, the library's Outreach and Community Services Coordinator, will be leading a book discussion to talk about some of the interesting themes, the history, the style of writing, clarifications of the plot, the author, or anything else you may want to address.

The neat part is, this is no ordinary book discussion. It will take place virtually (yes, that means online) in her new book discussion blog. If you feel a little unsure about participating, don't be nervous, Carol will start the ball rolling with a post (otherwise known as a discussion point). All you need to do to contribute to the conversation is click where it says comment at the lower right side of the post. You will be brought to a form where you enter your name and your comments. Yes, it's that simple! Clicking on the comments link will also allow you to respond to other participants discussion points. And that's how its done folks, a virtual book discussion.

In addition to the previously mentioned book discussion the library will be hosting other events and programs related to Nashua Reads Zorro that you may also find interesting including a live fencing demonstration and trip back in time to Zorro's Spain. For a complete list of events visit the library's events calendar.

By popular demand, the library now has a discount pass to the New England Aquarium for cardholders to borrow. Present the pass at the Aquarium to receive the discounted rate of $7 per person for up to four people. (The regular fees are $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for children, and $15.95 for seniors.) The pass was generously donated to the library by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library.

To reserve a pass, call the Music, Art, and Media Department at 589-4603. Passes can also be reserved online through the Nashua Public Library web site. The New England Aquarium pass is the latest addition to our Museum Pass collection, which also includes the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, and others. Visit our Museum Pass web page for the complete list of available passes.

If you are a student, whether secondary, homeschool, or an adult learner, then you need to read this....

The Nashua Public Library Reference Department offers free proctoring services to our local community. You are not required to have a Nashua Public Library card and it won't cost you a thing. We can help you with both online and print examinations.

Want to get a piece of the action? Here's what you need to do...

*Find out the proctoring policies of the institution you are affiliated with.

*Stop by or call the reference desk at 589-4611 and ask to speak with a librarian about proctoring an exam. Any reference librarian can provide this service for you. You will probably need to gather the name, phone number, and email address of the librarian that will proctor your exam as well as the library's mailing address for your institution.
Nashua Public Library
2 Court Street
Nashua, NH 03060

*Schedule a time to take the exam.

*The institution distributing the exam will usually send or email the exam directly to the librarian with directions to administer it. If the exam is in print, you need to ask for a self addressed envelope to be included with the exam. We will then pop it in the mail when it is completed.

*Often times students are required to show id before they take an exam so be sure to come prepared!

*Exams can be administered during our hours of operation:
Monday-Friday 9am-9pm
Saturday 9am-5:30pm
Sunday 1-5pm

Don't worry about it! If you're a slow reader like me and you have trouble finishing books within the allotted 3 week library lending period you need to pay attention.

There's something for everyone at the library and for people like you and me who occasionally want to have a book for as long as it takes to finish, there is the book sale. This book sale is sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library. You may have heard of or even visited the bi-annual blowout booksale in the spring and fall, but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about the on going book sale located on shelves just to the left of the library exit doors. Books are always being added to the sale so if you don't find something to fit your taste the first time, be sure to check back.

Check out some of the deals your apt to find...
Hardcovers for $2.00
Trade Paperbacks for $1.00
Mass Market Paperbacks for $.50
Children's books for $.25 or 5 for $1.00
Audiocassettes for $1.00
Media (dvd, cd, lp, vhs) for $.50-3.00 or as marked

So grab a cup of coffee from our coffee cart located in the library lobby and find your next reading treasure!

can I use my Nashua Public Library card at another New Hampshire library if I'm willing to drive there?

The quick answer is no. Unfortunately, we are not part of a consortium which means your npl card is only valid at our library.

Now, that being said we can borrow materials from other libraries both in state and out of state on your behalf, through our interlibrary loan service. The best part is we do all the hard work for you. All you have to do is place a request, wait for notification the material has arrived, and come to the library to pick it up.

Your next question may be, "how do I place a request?" You can choose from 1 of 3 options. First, you can stop by the reference desk, say hello, and complete a request in person. Second, you can give the reference desk a call at 589-4611 to place the request. Third, the latest and greatest method is to submit a request online through our website. The information will be emailed to a reference librarian who will then process the request and notify you when the material is here for you to pick up.

For other important interlibrary loan information such as, what kinds of materials you can request, how long it takes, if there is a fee involved, check the Reference Services section of the Nashua Public Library's website.

Would you like to receive a friendly email or telephone call notifying you that the item you have been wanting to read is waiting for you at the library? For example, you could place a hold on a New York Times bestseller such as Stephen King's new romance, Lisey's Story, Charles Frazier's new historical novel, Thirteen Moons, John Grisham's first nonfiction title, The Innocent Man, or, in anticipation of guests, Amy Sedaris' I Like You (Hospitality Under the Influence).

Select the Books & More block on our home page and then select the gray tab towards the top that says “My Account”. On the next tab enter the last five digits of the barcode on your library card and your Library PIN. Your PIN is usually the last four digits of your telephone number.

Find the item in the catalog (use the Search tab at the top of the window, find the item you would like to reserve, then place a hold by following these instructions:
1. Click on the "Request Item" button.
2. Review the information on the next window (position on the reserve list (queue) for this item and the notification method when the item has arrived). You can even add a comment if you wish, such as a period of time when you will be unable to pick up the item.
3. Click the “Request” button or if you have changed your mind, click the “Cancel” button (or “Cancel and Logout”).

You will be contacted by email (if the library has your email address on your library account) or by telephone. The item will be held for you for three business days after the date of the email or telephone call, until it is reshelved or given to the next waiting customer.

If you have an email address on your library account, you are allowed up to 20 outstanding requests at any given time. You will be allowed a maximum of two outstanding requests, however, if your account does not contain an email address.

As a snow lover, I'll admit to being disappointed in the weak winter we've had. Perhaps that's why I've recently been fantasizing about fun things to do when the weather starts to improve. So many great choices here in New England. Hiking, museum visits, seafood by the ocean, ice cream warding off the heat.... Of course, I'll get some help from the library to make it all happen.

For starters, I'll be signing up for a museum pass to the Peabody Essex Museum. The library's pass allows free access to everything but the Yin Yu Tang house. The Yin Yu Tang house was brought to America from China and reassembled in Salem; tickets are an additional $4 per person. It's an inexpensive but fascinating day trip. When the weather gets warmer, it'll be time to head to the New England Aquarium, where library museum passes give you a discounted rate of $7 per adult. Check out our full line of museum passes at http://www.nashualibrary.org/mpIntro.htm. You can reserve online or by calling the Music, Art, and Media Department at (603) 589-4603.

On the more rustic side, I'll be planning a hiking trip. I'll check out one of the trail guides found in the nonfiction section at 917.4204, such as the Appalachian Mountain Club's "Southern New Hampshire trail guide : hiking trails in southern New Hampshire" or Michael Lanza's "Foghorn outdoors: New Hampshire hiking." I'll also have a look at "The best in tent camping, New England : a guide for car campers who hate RVs, concrete slabs, and loud portable stereos" by Lafe Low to find a good camping area.

A trip up the coast of Maine would also be fun. I'll have a look in "Nature walks along the seacoast : Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine" by Julia Older and Steve Sherman for some more outdoors ideas. Then the old standby of travel guides, "Fodor's Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire," can help me find a restaurant to stop at along the way. (Gotta satisfy that seafood craving.)

If we're not going to have a good snowy winter, let the summer come!

Many of you may be familiar with the library's Summer Reading Programs for children and teens. This summer, however, we will also be running a Summer Reading Program for adults. While the detailed plans are still being discussed, I can tell you that there will be prizes available, thanks to the Friends of the Library, for a number of participants. So, if you are looking for an excuse to pick up a good book and enjoy reading it, the upcoming Adult Summer Reading Program will be here soon!

Did you know that in January the library started offering a free bilingual storytime? Once a month on Saturday mornings parents and their young ones are invited to come and experience a storytime in both english and spanish. Your family and friends will learn basic spanish language skills and the spanish culture from listening to read-a-louds and participating in literacy activities.

This event began as a request from a bilingual parent (who is also a friend of the library) that was looking for ways to help raise her children to speak both english and spanish as well.

There are many foreign language and bilingual books available for check out in the children's room. Here are 3 suggestions for locating these materials.

First, if you are looking for stories entirely in a foreign language head directly to the foreign language alcove. Books have a number code on the spine to represent different languages. Spanish for instance will always have the number 10 on the spine.

Second, if you are looking for foreign language instruction books you'll want to head to the non-fiction stacks in the 468 call number area.

Finally, if you would like to find fiction books that are written both bilingual and entirely in a foreign language try searching the children's room catalog with the keywords "spanish fiction" (subsitute other languages for the keyword "spanish" if you desire).

Come join us where every storytime is a fiesta!

Saturdays...
March 10 @ 11:00am
April 14 @ 1:00pm
May 12 @ 11:00am
June 9 @ 11:00am

Remember that Seinfeld episode when Kramer's new phone number was so close to the film information line (555-FILM) that he kept getting inquiries about movie showtimes that he created his own "moviefone" line?

Well here at NPL we have our own "moviefone" line with our own Kramer (aka: Bruce, the Media Services Coordinator) letting you know what times our film series will be showing. Unlike Kramer's on the fly reporting, our info line is up-to-date and accurate.

To find out what's playing in one or all of our film series** here at the library give the film information line a buzz at 589-4646. If you're not going to be near a phone, there are two other ways to find out the title and showtime of a movie. One, the next time you're at the library pick up a spring calendar of events which has a complete listing of events for all ages at the library. Two, you can subscribe to our weekly events newsletter and have it emailed directly to you.

**Library Film Series: (sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library)
Cinema Cabaret for Adults Weekly: Fridays at 7pm
World Cinema Monthly: 3rd Tuesday at 7pm
TeenScene Monthly: 4th Tuesday at 4pm
Family Films Weekly: Saturdays at 2pm

During the tax season, the reference desk gets a lot of tax-related questions. In addition to questions about which tax forms to use, we occasionally get asked to look up historic stock price information. As some of you may know, there are a number of websites that make some historical stock price information available for free. Two that are particularly popular are Yahoo Finance and BigCharts.com.

But sometimes when a company has been acquired by another company or merged with another computer, it can be particularly difficult to find out historical price information for the company prior to those events. Fortunately, the library can help in some of these cases. One print resource that we turn to is the Directory of Obsolete Securities. Its call number is REF 332.67 D, and we would be glad to point it out to you if you would like to look through it.

When the Directory of Obsolete Securities isn't sufficient, we sometimes are able to locate other sources of information online. For example, tonight, I helped a customer look up historical price information about the company Unocal prior to its merger with Chevron. By searching for "historic stock prices for unocal" on Google, I found a page in the Chevron Corporation investor relations website that included a downloadable Excel file with historical price information from 1980-2005. I must say it was a satisfying experience to hunt down this information and provide it to the customer right at the reference desk!

So if you are ever in need of historical stock price information, be sure to keep us in mind!!

As you probably know, each month our library sponsors several computer workshops. These classes are taught by our reference librarians and cover a wide range of topics from the elementary Computer Basics all the way through to Web Design. Most classes are presented during the day although we recently added a class on Tuesday evenings. There is a maximum of eight students per class since our Training Room houses eight computers.

This month we are offering a new class geared towards “senior citizens”. This Government Resources for Seniors workshop presents a variety of websites designed for or containing information of special interest to seniors. It covers such topics as finance, travel, consumer help, health and government benefits. For a sneak preview of the class, you may wish to take a look at the class handout. The only requirement for the workshop is a basic knowledge of Internet searching. This month the workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 18th from 2:30 to 4:00.

If you wish to reserve a spot in this class (or in any of our other classes), please stop by the Reference Desk or the MAM (Music, Art and Media) Desk, or call us at 589-4611. And please let us know should you have a suggestion for a new class.

Until recently, our Live Homework Help service bringing library customers free tutors for students in grades 4 through introductory college has only been compatible with PCs. Well, Mac users, you made this inequality heard loud and clear. Besides, here at the Nashua Public Library we don't believe in discriminating on the basis of your computer platform preferences. We believe in equal access for all, so we are proud to share this press release with you....

"Tutor.com is happy to announce that Live Homework Help, the leading after-school service that connects a student with a professional tutor for live, online homework help is now available to Mac users. Students using Safari of Firefox (2.0 or higher) browsers on Mac OS X can now connect to an expert tutor seven days a week for the help they need."

"Students using Macs connect to tutors the same way PC users do and the experience in the online classroom is identical."

Now that there's tutors available to everyone, looks like you might have to resort back to the old faithful "the dog ate my homework" excuse if you don't get your homework done.

Hours of tutor availability:
Sunday through Friday: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Ayuda con tareas en Espanol
Sunday through Thursday: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Don't forget to download a brochure to put by your computer or to share with a friend.

When I was in graduate school, one of my professors used the "How Do You Manage" series of articles in Library Journal as a teaching tool. The author presents a scenario that may occur in a library, and two librarians offer their solutions to the problem. The case study presented in last September's issue of Library Journal was titled "Cell Hell." (You can find this article and the responses in the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts under Academic Journal Resources in the EBSCO database. See below for the article citations.) In the vignette, a patron answers two calls while being helped at the desk. Later, the librarian receives a call from someone who is actually in the library. My favorite line from this story is, "Can you believe he called information first to get the library number rather than walk the 100 feet over here."* While the second scenario is over the top, I have encountered the first on more than one occasion.

Websites that cover cell phone etiquette, such as InfoWorld and the Microsoft Small Business Center, note that you should not prioritize your cell phone call over the people in your company. They advise you to be careful about your ring tone choice and volume. Imagine sitting in a library and hearing someone's favorite song/ring tone over and over again. This has happened at NPL, much to the dismay of the people at the business computers. You should also be aware of the volume your voice and avoid using your phone at funerals, weddings, churches, theaters, museums, libraries, and anywhere you would not want to hear a screaming child.

Is chatting on your phone in the library really a big deal? Although the library isn't the silent place it once was, many people still come to the library to study, concentrate, and escape external distractions. Ringing cell phones and lengthy conversations are bothersome, especially when numerous people use their phones at the same time. To solve this problem, some libraries ban cell phones, and the Huntington Beach Public Library fines its patrons $100 for using cell phones inside the building. While the Nashua Public Library does not prohibit cell phone use, we do have signs posted by the non-fiction stacks that read, "Quiet Study Area: As a courtesy to others, please turn off your cell phone & other electronic devices." We realize that some people need to keep their phones on for business or family reasons, but we ask that you respect both fellow library users and staff by switching your phones to vibrate and conducting your conversations in the lobby. This will help create a comfortable atmosphere for all.

*Rogers, Michael. "Cell Hell." Library Journal 131, no. 14 (September 1, 2006): 48. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed April 27, 2007).

See also:
Cowart, Eve M."Take It Outside." Library Journal 131, no. 14 (September 1, 2006): 50. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed April 27, 2007).

Duncan, Melanie C. "Courtesy is Key." Library Journal 131, no. 14 (September 1, 2006): 50. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed April 27, 2007).

Ever get frustrated trying to search for books from the library's home page? The library's web site team has recently made some changes that we hope will make things a little easier. For starters, you can now search the catalog directly from the home page, www.nashualibrary.org. Look down at the bottom of the page, underneath the list of Upcoming Events @ Your Library, and you'll see a search box for the catalog. This allows you to do a general keyword search right from the main page. For a more advanced search, or to browse by title, author, or subject, you can still click the button labeled "Books & More" and then go to the Search tab.

The search box at the bottom of the page originally allowed users to search the library's web site in general (not the catalog) or search the internet using Google. You can still do that. Just go to the "Search" dropdown menu in the library banner, and select "Library web site" to search the site or click "World Wide Web (via Google)" if you want to search the internet.

There's also a new addition to the Search dropdown menu: a link to the statewide library catalog, "NHU-PAC." NHU-PAC is a collective catalog showing the holdings of most public and academic libraries in New Hampshire. If NPL doesn't own a book that you need, you can search NHU-PAC to find out whether other New Hampshire libraries have it. If the book is at least six months old, we can borrow it for you from another library. See Jenn's blog entry on interlibrary loan for more details.

Finally, the web team has added a list of popular databases to the Databases dropdown menu in the library banner. This provides more direct access to some of the most commonly used databases that the library subscribes to. Under "Most Popular," you'll find the EBSCO magazine collection, Newsbank newspapers, Obituaries, Novelist, and other databases. For access to the complete database collection, you can still use the "iBrowse Databases" button on the home page.

We hope that you'll find these changes helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions for us, feel free to contact the Reference Desk at (603) 589-4611.

The Nashua Public Library has taken Web 2.0 by storm. If you're reading this entry then you already know about the blogging we've been doing. We've also done a little experimenting with wikis and soon you'll be able to chat with reference staff live!

Other areas in the library are now following suit and bringing services to you via Web 2.0 as well. This week children's services introduced a new technology to its customers, flickr.

Flickr allows you to share photos via the web. Here at the library, children's services is using this technology to show you examples of programs they host, performers, views of the children's room, and lots of other goodies. Be sure to check it out!

FYI:

To serve you better, the Nashua Public Library will upgrade its computer system next week.

Starting next Monday, June 25th and continuing for several days, library customers and staff will be unable to do the following:
*reserve materials
*renew materials
*view library accounts
*use NH Downloadable Audiobooks

Customers will, however, be able to check out and return materials.

Live Homework Help and the library's online research databases will only be available on library computers.

The library sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience.

Earlier this week, I vacationed with friends and new acquaintances on a delightful island along the Maine coast. One night, I became involved in a conversation with one of my new acquaintances, Margaret, and our discussion traversed a wide range of topics including macrobiotics, personal growth and mediumship! When I asked Margaret to recommend a few books about mediumship, she gave me a couple of titles and one author in particular, Carole Lynne. As it turns out, I know Carole Lynne personally but never knew she was involved in mediumship. It was one of those strange moments when you realize how small the world is, and how powerful social networks can be if we know how to utilize them.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd share with you a few books about social networks and and few more about mediumship. (Unfortunately, our library does not own a copy of Carole Lynne's book, but we can get for you through interlibrary loan.)

Social Networks and Social Networking
Make your contacts count : networking know-how for business and career success / Anne Baber, Lynne Waymon.
Monster careers : Networking : make the connections that make your career / by Jeff Taylor with Doug Hardy.

Mediumship
Don't kiss them good-bye / Allison DuBois.
Heaven and Earth : making the psychic connection / James Van Praagh.
Reaching to heaven : a spiritual journey through life and death / James Van Praagh.
How to get a good reading from a psychic medium : get the most out of your contact with the other side / Carole Lynne [Available through interlibrary loan].

Act I

Librarian 1: Hi, how can I help you?

History Buff: I'm looking for books about World War II. Do you have anything?

Librarian 1: Yes, we have a lot of books about World War II. Is there a particular aspect of the war that interests you?

History Buff: My father fought in the Pacific, so I'm interested in that. I like reading about the soldiers' experiences, too.

Librarian 1: Ok, let's take a look. Here's one you might like. It's a new book, so it will be up front in the new arrivals area. The title is Tales From a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. It's an oral history, so you'll get the soldiers' experiences.

History Buff: Yeah, that's right up my alley. Thanks.

Librarian 1: You're welcome.

Mom: Can I place these here for a minute?

Librarian 2: Sure. That's quite a pile of books you have.

Six-Year-Old Child: Those are mine.

Librarian 2: Wow. They'll keep you busy for a while.

Mom: That's the plan. Do you have the book Nineteen Minutes?

Librarian 2: We own Nineteen Minutes, but it's very popular, so it's probably checked out right now. Wow--we have a whopping 54 requests on that one!

Mother: 54!

Librarian 2: Yes, but we have multiple copies, and it looks like someone just returned a Hot Copy. If you think you can read it in a week, I can grab it for you. Just keep in mind that you won't be able to renew it. Also, the overdue fine is $.50 per day.

Mom: I'm a fast reader, so that will work. I also want to pick up some summer reading books for my oldest.

Librarian 2: Summer reading for grades 5-8 and 9-12 are on the wall in front of the teen room. You'll see it once you turn around. The list is hanging on the wall, and the books are on the shelves. You can take a look at that while I get the Hot Copy from the shelf by the front entrance. I'll meet you by the summer reading.

Mom: Thanks. You know, if I had to buy all of the books that I check out of this library, I would be broke.

Librarian 1: Hi.

Voracious Reader: Hi. I have been looking all over for a book, and I can't find it. It's on the older side. I didn't see it in your online catalog. Can you help me?

Librarian 1: I hope so. Maybe we can get it through interlibrary loan.

Voracious Reader: How does that work?

Librarian 1: I'll check the state catalog. If another library in New Hampshire has it, we can borrow the book for you. It usually takes about a week or so to get it.

Voracious Reader: How much does that cost?

Librarian 1: It's free if we borrow the book from a library in-state. If the book is not available in a New Hampshire library, we can check out-of-state. In that case, you would pay a postage charge and possibly a lending fee. The postage charge is determined by the size of the book; it's usually between $2.00 and $3.50.

Voracious Reader: So, even if you don't have a book here, you can find a library that does have it and get it for me?

Librarian 1: If a library has a circulating copy, and the book is more than six months old, we can request it.

Voracious Reader: That's great!

Librarian 1: It's been a busy morning.

Librarian 2: Yes, it has been. Someone requested a book while you were finishing up that interlibrary loan. I'll send an e-mail to you with the information so you can decide if you want to purchase it. People still want library books.

Librarian 1: They certainly do.

End of Act I

Stay tuned for Act II, which will be presented next Monday.

Act II

Job Searcher: Hi. I need your help. I have to update my resume, but my printer is down. Do you have any computers that print?

Librarian 1: Yes, you can use the computers in our business section.

Job Searcher: How much does it cost, and how can I sign up?

Librarian 1: Do you have a library card?

Job Searcher: No.

Librarian 1: If you live, work, or go to school in Nashua, you are eligible for a library card; otherwise you can get a computer card. You can get either at the circulation desk up front. Then, you can just walk up to a computer and log on with the last 5 digits of the bar code on the back of your card. The pin is the last four digits of your phone number. You can use the computer for one hour each day, and if no one is waiting for a computer, the system will automatically extend your time. Once you log off after working for an hour or more, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to log on again. Using the computer is free, but you do have to pay to print.

Job Searcher: And that costs...

Librarian 1: Ten cents for black and white; twenty-five for color. You can set up a print account once you get your card.

Job Searcher: A print account--how does that work?

Librarian 1: I'll need the last five digits of your card. You have to give us at least a dollar each time you add money to your account. Your printing will be deducted from that dollar, and whatever you don't use will be available for next time. The balance is not refundable.

John Searcher: It's like a debit card. I'll be right back.

Mother of a Soon-To-Be College Student: Hi. This is a little embarrassing. My daughter is going away to college, and she wants to be able to e-mail me, but I don't know anything about computers. They scare me. A lot.

Librarian 2: We offer free computer classes. They're one-time classes, but you're welcome to take them more than once.

Mother: That would be great. Do you have anything really simple?

Librarian 2: You can start with Computer Basics. It's designed for people who have no experience using computers. We go over the different parts of the computer, what you will see when you turn it on, and how to use the mouse. Once you take that class, you can move on to the Internet, and then our Yahoo E-Mail class.

Mother: That would be great. When are they offered?

Librarian 2: Here's our schedule and a brochure about the classes. Generally, we teach classes Monday through Thursday at either 10:30 or 2:30. The classes typically run between 1 1/2 and 2 hours.

Job Searcher: Excuse me, did I just hear you say that you offer free computer classes?

Librarian 2: Yes. Here's the brochure and schedule.

Job Searcher: I wonder...The last time I looked for a job, you found everything in the paper. Now, with the Internet, it's so hard to know exactly what to do. I feel like I'm missing something if I just check the Sunday papers. I'm familiar with the Internet and E-mail, but I'm a little intimidated by all of the job resources out there. I just don't know how to approach them.

Librarian 2: You're in luck. Our newest class is all about Online Job Searching.

Job Searcher: Wow. That's great. Sign me up!

Librarian 1: Hi. How are you?

High School Student: Ok, but I have to write a paper and I don't have my own computer. My friend said that you have computers here specifically for homework.

Librarian 1: The computers in the alcoves are reserved as Teen Homework computers from 3-9 Monday through Friday, and all day on weekends during the school year. When you come in, you have to sign up at the "Q" right here next to the reference desk. Once the "Q" assigns you to a computer, you can log in at that computer.

High School Student: Thanks. I didn't know how I was going to get this paper done.

Librarian 1: You're welcome. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Adult Computer User: Hi. I need to get onto a computer, but they're all full.

Librarian 2: I can put you on the waiting list. I know some people here have been on for at least an hour, so a computer should be free within the next 15 minutes.

Librarian 1: They're all full?

Librarian 2: They are. It has been busy all day. A lot of people have been using the wireless access as well.

Librarian 1: I don't know what all of these people would do if we didn't have public computers.

End of Act II

Don't miss out on the conclusion of Why Libraries Are Still Relevant next Monday.

Perhaps you are one of our blog's regular readers and you diligently check the blog on a daily basis. Perhaps you would like to be a regular reader of the blog, but are a little intimidated by RSS feeds. In either case, we now have a new service to offer you. You can now subscribe to our blog and receive updates via email. Just type in your email address in the form on the right-hand side of the home page and follow the instructions to verify your subscription. Soon thereafter you'll receive a daily email including any new entries in the previous day. It's pretty cool, and it's handy if you prefer email over RSS feeds. Give us a call at the reference desk, 589-4611, if you have any questions.

Act III

Librarian 1: Did you hear that a Cub Scout group is coming in for a tour of the library today?

Librarian 2: Yes, I think they're going to look at the materials in the Hunt Room and possibly the microfilm.

Librarian 1: I hope they enjoy seeing some of the old materials that we have here in the library.

Librarian 2: I've seen some great digitizations, but there's something special about actual, physical documents that are 100 years old.

Librarian 1: I agree.

Out-of-State Visitor: Hello. I'm up here visiting some family, and I thought I would do some genealogical research. I'm trying to find out where my grandparents lived, and how long they were in Nashua. I think they came here from Canada in the late 1800s, but I don't know exactly when.

Librarian 1: We have the old city directories in the Hunt Room. That's probably the best place to start.

Out-of-State Visitor: That sounds helpful. Where's the Hunt Room?

Librarian 1: I'll show you. We keep the room locked because many of the books are fragile and/or irreplaceable. Before we head over there, I have to sign you in. Can I hold your license or keys?

Out-of-State Visitor: I've been to a lot of libraries that do that. I had to fill out a registration card at one place.

Librarian 1: We only need your name and phone number. The door will lock behind you, so if you leave, please come back to the desk. We don't allow food or drink in the Hunt Room, and you have to use pencil to take notes.

Out-of-State Visitor: That's pretty standard.

Librarian 1: Here we are. You can leave the books on the table when you're done.

Student: Hi. Can you help me?

Librarian 2: I hope so.

Student: Ok. I'm doing a paper for school, and I've looked on the Internet, and I can't find anything good.

Librarian 2: We can check some of our databases, and we might have a few books on your topic. Has your teacher given you any guidelines about sources?

Student: She said we have to use at least five sources. We can't use Wikipedia as a source, either, and that is the only place I could find information.

Librarian 2: Let's start with the library catalog. Hmm...it looks like we have a couple of books on the subject. Here are the call numbers. We also have databases, which include articles. You can get to them from the library's home page. You can either click on the iBrowse Databases box or on the word "databases" in the gray bar. EBSCO has a selection of resources. MasterFile Premier includes popular magazines, and Academic Search Premier has scholarly articles. If it says HTML full text or PDF, you'll be able to read the entire article. It looks like a bunch came up. Do any of these look helpful?

Student: The first and third one look good. Why couldn't I find these on Google?

Librarian 2: Search engines can't find the articles within the database. So, there's a whole lot out there that you won't be able to access when you do a Google search. You can search the databases from the computers in the library or from home. You'll need to enter your library card number to log in from home. Oh, it looks like the third article isn't full text. When is your paper due?

Student: It's due in a month.

Librarian 2: We might be able to get that one through interlibrary loan. It usually takes about a week, so I think you have enough time.

Student: Ok. Why isn't that one full text?

Librarian 2: Not all articles are available full text, and each database includes a different selection of materials. Even when databases carry the full text of journals, they don't always include the entire run of the periodical. I've noticed that many go back to the mid-90s.

Frustrated Researcher: I need to get some old newspaper articles, but when I go to the Telegraph and Globe websites, I can't get anything more than a few days old. That won't help me.

Librarian 1: We have a couple of ways to access older newspaper articles. The Newsbank database includes both the Nashua Telegraph and Boston Globe back to 1998, but you'll need to use the microfilm for anything earlier.

Frustrated Researcher: I need articles from 1987, so, I can't get what I need online?

Librarian 1: Unfortunately not. You'll have to get them the old fashioned way.

Frustrated Researcher: So much for this Internet stuff.

Librarian 1: Contrary to popular belief, you can't get everything online. As useful and helpful as the Internet is, it doesn't have everything. There are a lot of valuable sources--books, journals, archival materials--available in libraries all over the country.

The End

For those of you with that "can do" attitude there's a trend in library world I'd like to introduce you to, self check out stations. They operate similar to the way the self check out systems at the grocery stores work, without the fruit and vegetable search. No more waiting in long lines just to borrow that one magazine you ran in to get. Just grab it and go.

This isn't a new concept for libraries in general, but the adoption of this practice in New Hampshire is a current trend gaining strength. The Portsmouth Public Library is one place that has adopted this method and considers it a successful venture, utilized by all ages.

Self check out is something the Nashua Public Library is also exploring. I for one am in favor of adding a few of these machines to our services. What about you? Tell me what you think by leaving a comment below.

For some additional reading on this topic, take a peak at the article below made available through the EBSCO, one of the library's magazine databases.

SELF-CHECK SUCCESS. By: Zeiher, Lynne. Library Journal, 12/1/2006 Supplement, Vol. 131, p6-8, 3p, 1 chart, 2c.

Backed by popular demand, the reference department will soon be offering a computer class on advanced Excel. In order to take the class, customers will need to have taken our basic Excel class and also used Excel on their own on numerous occasions.

So what will the class cover? Here's a preview of some of the topics I'm considering:

• PivotTables and Pivot Charts
• Conditional Formatting
• Logic-based functions
• Cell footnotes
• Subtotaling data
• Linking Excel data to charts in Mircosoft Word documents

Look for the class to start in October, but I can't make any promises!

Would you like to be able to search the library's catalog from anywhere on the Internet? Well now you can. All you need to do is install a free search box (or plugin) into your browser, either Firefox or Internet Explorer 7. The instructions on how to do this can be found on the library's home page, down at the very bottom, or simply click here. To add the search box to Firefox is as simple as clicking on one link. To add the search box to IE7 requires one or two short steps, but it's real easy.

So have fun searching the NPL catalog using this new feature! We would love it if you would leave us a comment if you are able to install the search box on your computer.

At a quick glance you may think the Nashua Public Library's web site is pretty self explanatory, a few buttons, a rotating web ad. Why do you need someone to explain how to search for a book when there is a button right on the homepage that says, "books & more"?

Maybe you don't.

But, did you know that you can also join online book clubs, reserve museum passes, submit an interlibrary loan request, learn about all library events without ever stepping foot into our building?

Next week Carol, Outreach and Community Services Coordinator, will let you in on the secrets of our library's web site. In an intimate group setting, at your own individual computer, you will discover information sometimes overlooked by even the most savvy web surfers.

Space is limited so be sure to call 589-4610 and register soon.

If you like the description of this program and want to learn more about how to use computers check out our free computer classes.

America's Best Colleges 2008 edition has arrived on the library shelves. For the uninitiated, US News gathers information about colleges from multiple sources. This information is then entered into their formula which reduces each college to a ranking number. The higher the number, the better the college. Each year high school seniors and their parents anxiously wait for this book. It is regarded in some circles as the definitive resource for college selection. In other circles, not so much.

On it's website, US News provides an explanation of the ranking process, breaking it down into three steps. The first step defines the different ranking categories. These ranking categories are based on Carnegie Classifications which have been updated this year, resulting in some schools changing from one classification to another. The second step involves accumulating information on 15 areas of academic quality from each school. Lastly, this information is converted to a weighted score, and the schools are ranked.

This year, a number of colleges have come out in opposition of this process. An Associated Press story published in USA Today sums the whole situation up very well. "It irks educators everywhere to see colleges ranked like basketball teams. But it irks educators at the top-ranked colleges a lot less." There is a campaign being conducted against this ranking process by Lloyd Thacker, a former college admissions counselor. He has enlisted over sixty colleges in this effort. Although most colleges may agree with his views, and would like to see an alternative to the rankings system, that will not happen any time soon.

The most important message in all of this? Find out more about a college than just its rank. Choosing a school because it has a high rank may not guarantee a good "fit" for you. The library has any number of college selection guides, The College Handbook published by CollegeBoard, Barron's Profiles of American colleges and Fiske guide to colleges to name a few. Read these from cover to cover and find out all you can about the colleges that you are interested in. Then turn to two new books that the library has purchased, College unranked : ending the college admissions frenzy and Harvard schmarvard : getting beyond the ivy league to the college that is best for you and use them to help you discover what you really should be looking for in a school for you.

NPL realizes that students thinking about applying to college, and their parents, need as much help as they can possibly get. Help will arrive on Wednesday, October 10, at 6:30 in the NPL Theater. A College Planning Workshop will be presented that night by the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation. This workshop will help you to understand what colleges are looking for from you, what you should be looking for on a college tour, how to write that all important application essay, and where to turn for help in paying for it all.

Tired of overdue fines? Wouldn't it be nice to get those email notifications prior to being late for a change? Library Elf has come to the rescue, a free web-based service based in Vancouver BC, designed for library users who easily lose track of materials. It's especially useful for parents who manage library cards for children, but it's a nifty tool for any borrower.

Elf reminds you of outstanding material exactly when you want it to. This can be x number of days before your items are due (between 1 and 7), on the due date itself, or on a certain day every week (say every Tuesday) before the due date. Advance reminders are what this service is best known for.

You'll continue to receive overdue notices too (if necessary -- hopefully you won't need them anymore!), but again, you decide when: one day after the due date, or every day after the due date until the items are returned. Likewise, Elf lets you know when your holds (requested items) are ready to be picked up at the front desk. You can even choose to receive text messages instead of emails for your holds, though be aware that your cell-phone carrier will probably charge you for this.

So don't wait another minute. Create an Elf account (all you need is your email address, library card number and PIN), follow the steps as they appear, and you'll soon be on the road to a happier, fine-free library experience.

(For more details see the Library Elf FAQs.)

The Children’s Room staff loves all things fall. Colored leaves, bright, cool days, great pumpkin and harvest stories and puppet shows, and neat, natural crafts to make. Every year in September we receive a beautiful painted pumpkin from Dr. Anne Todd, the well-known orthodontist in Hudson and that gets everything started. This year, as in the past, we are asking our kid customers to bring in a decorated pumpkin (not carved) for our annual “Read-O-Lantern” contest. The idea is to decorate your pumpkin to look like a book character of your choice. Madeline, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Skippyjon Jones, and the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz are just a few of the amazing orbs we have had on display in the past. The pumpkins are set out on top of the book stacks in the Children's Room until a few days before October 31st for all of our young customers to enjoy and vote for their favorite one. Prizes are awarded to one and all. Hope to see your creation soon!! And finally, get a little extra mileage out of all those super costumes you are preparing for the big celebration at the end of October and come to the Children’s Room Costume Party on Tuesday, October 30th at 4:00pm. It is good old-fashioned fun with spooky stories, a couple of cool puppet shows, a piñata, a creepy craft and goodies for everyone ages 3 and up. Moms and Dads are invited to dress up, too!! So don’t miss out on the fun, just come!! Any questions?? Feel free call us in the Children’s Room at 589-4631.

“A library’s goal is to provide service and access to patrons. Public service… is the objective but the origin of the service lies within technical services. Without the work performed by this unit, the library would find it impossible to provide any real service.”
- G. Edward Evans, Introduction to Technical Services

The Technical Services Department is located off the Media Gallery on your way to the Music Art and Media Department.. You might well be confused as to just what technical services are going on behind our doors. It is not an area open to the public. And as such, it may carry a smidgeon of mystery. The technical services actually include ordering and receiving materials, cataloging them and adding stamps, pockets and covers. Access to the collection for customers and other librarians is achieved through the catalog, no longer a catalog of cards but of electronic records. We call the database or iPAC (Internet Public Access Catalog). It is our duty in Tech Services to make sure the database is clear and accurate. To this end, we search for hours to identify and import records into the database to go with our materials. Other records, called item records, attach to these records and produce the holdings statements you see in our on-line catalog. It’s as simple and as arduous as that.
Some librarians have deliberated over the naming of this department in their libraries and for good reason. Professor Janet Swan Hill at the University of Colorado Libraries claims she has had calls to her Dept. of Technical Services from people asking for help with their computers, with software, with courseware, with telephones, and anything else that might be considered "technical". She says that TS Units long ago (50 years or more) started moving away from calling themselves "Processing" because it sounded clerical. Other names that libraries have used instead of Tech Services include: Access Services, Collections, Resources, and Bibliographic Services. These can be confused with access to the building, fines, fundraising and book services. The Brandeis Libraries use the name “Resource Management and Access”. They want to emphasize that they don’t have to own the documents they have access to. This is true for us as well.
The database has records for downloadable audiobooks we share with a state consortia and government documents that are free on the web. In future we will probably have downloadable movies. The database will need a bibliographic record, or bib record, to make access possible. Someone in Tech Services will search for and download them and attach item records to them.
For those of you who would like to read more about technical services in libraries, there is a very interesting website, Texas Regional Group of Catalogers and Classifiers: Cataloging Stories.

Customer service is the lifeblood of any good business, and certainly ours at the library. We're here for the customers; we want them to come back. If they don't, there's not much point in us being here. And we're always looking for ways to improve ourselves by taking cues from companies whose service records are impeccable.

One such company is Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Zingerman's is renowned for serving up "service" as good as the food, and stands as a lesson to us all. Co-founder Ari Weinzweig outlines the key to the deli's success in Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service: Treating Your Customers Like Royalty, found in the Business section of the library. Weinzweig covers a lot of ground, but let's focus on one topic for now: the need for breaking rules:

"Policies adhered to for the sake of rule-following frequently punish innocent customers who weren't up to speed on our systems. So while we certainly want our staff to adhere to our 'rules', we also want them to think for themselves... and to understand and act on the reality that sometimes we have to break the rules or ignore the systems in the interest of taking care of our customers." (Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, p 83)

This is important but difficult wisdom. Some employees dislike ambiguity and take great security in rules. But while rules are important as general guidelines, they can also be stumbling blocks to "doing the right thing" for a troubled customer.

We try to be flexible here at the library, though I doubt we're as successful as Zingerman's in "just saying yes!" to customers (p 84). Some things are non-negotiable (if you don't live, work, own property, or attend school in Nashua, for example, you won't get a free library card). And if you exploit our flexibility too often (such as with overdue fines), chances are this will catch up to you. But we're not here to enforce rules just for rules' sake. We accommodate people when possible. And if you think a rule punishes you unreasonably or doesn't make sense, we'd like to hear why.

Zingerman's code of service stands opposite that of the legendary Soup Nazi (the Manhattan cook who rigorously enforced rules, yelled at customers who couldn't keep up with them -- sometimes even threw them out -- and inspired the famous Seinfeld episode). Come to think of it, one of my junior high school librarians was a lot like the Soup Nazi. But libraries don't need a militant stewardship. We're here to serve, not antagonize. We may not be as good as Zingerman's, but theirs is a commendable ideal to strive for.

The short of it is that while we don't break rules on a whim, we are reasonable and willing to work with customers for the sake of good will. That is, after all, what public service is about.

It has been along time coming, but a new program for Nashua parents and their babies has finally taken it's first tentative steps!! Reaching out to parents of newborns at our two Nashua hospitals is something I have wanted to do for many years. I made attempts to get funding from area service clubs over the years but never achieved much success. This fall I achieved success when the Friends of the Nashua Public Library granted me $1000. to buy two board book titles! "Books 2 Babies" was finally born and I feel like a giddy new parent!! Working with my colleagues, we put together a really sweet tri-fold flyer that includes a coupon to be redeemed at the library for a free board book as well as info on books we have for parents, good reads for babies, times when we offer our "Babies and Books" storytimes, etc.. I delivered the flyers to the Family Coordinators at both hospitals one week ago today. The flyers will be distributed to new parents in the take home packets that each hospital provides. For now we are waiting expectantly for the first parent to walk through the door with the coupon for the free board book!! I am beaming from ear to ear!!

Some fun happenings in the Children's Room over the next couple of weeks for everyone to be aware of. Today and next Tuesday, 12/11, at 4:00 pm we are making Winter Wonderland tree ornaments. It looks a little like a hanging snow globe with a little winter scene inside. This project is geared for children ages 5-12. On Thursday, 12/6 and 12/13, we will be making reindeer antlers with the 4-6 year old set at 1:00pm. Fun and totally cute. Of course puppet shows and stories will be thoroughly sprinkled throughout all of our events. And finally, on Thursday evening, 12/6 at 7pm and Monday morning, 12/10 at 10am, Mrs. Claus will be here at our storytimes to greet the kids and take Christmas lists and ideas back to Santa at the North Pole. The big guy has a lot to do these days so it's good that the missus has a little free time!! Bring your cameras because the pics will be memorable. Any questions about the holiday round-up for kids, please call 589-4631. Ho Ho Ho!!!

Did you know that your library is open 72 ½ hours each week? That’s 4,350 minutes when you can: read a book, watch a movie, enjoy Storytime, surf the Internet, attend a program, or borrow a wide variety of materials. When the library is not open, you can use this website to download an audiobook, find great information in an iBrowse database, search the Books & More online catalog, or read this blog.

Library hours during the school year are: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm; and Sundays until May 18th, 2008 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Beginning in summer 2008, the library will be open on Saturdays in July and August.

Very rarely, the library closes due to a severe weather emergency. If the weather is truly horrific, and you’re wondering if the library is open, please call us at 589-4600. You can also check the weather closings at http://www.wmur.com.

Christmas is one week from today. My list of things to do seems to grow as each minute ticks away. I keep telling myself to relax and that everything will be ready because it always is and if everything I want to do does not get done...oh well, there is always next year!! But, while I do look forward to the holidays and love to get together with family and friends at Christmas, my very favorite day of the year will actually be here in eight days...December 26th!! I have relished this day since my three kids were just tiny. To me this is perhaps the most relaxing day of the entire year. A day to stay in bathrobes and pj's, eat leftover Christmas goodies, and play with all the new toys (or in some cases, to put the new toys together and then play!!) My children are all teenagers now and today the toys are primarily of the electronic nature or the green stuff that they will spend merrily at the mall but I still love December 26th for the freedom it allows and the expectation that next year I am going to have everything done far in advance of December 25th...

Here at the library we are swamped with books being returned and finding limited space on our tightly packed shelves for all these returned items. Teachers and families seem to like the idea of clearing the decks before the avalanche of Christmas rolls through our homes. When January comes around folks will be back to carry out stacks of new books to read, but just before Christmas they have far more important things to do and very little time to enjoy the leisure of reading. When things do pick up again in the new year, we hope families will want to register their children for the many fun programs we have scheduled to begin in January. Crafts, storytimes, knitting, miniatures, movies and much more will all be here for free when the hub bub settles down and the new year begins. Just call 589-4631 and we will be happy to give you all the details. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and Happy December 26th to all...

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Do you use instant messaging (IM) for communicating with people online? Trends show that IM is increasingly replacing email as the preferred means for communicating online. With this in mind, the library's general adult and business reference staff have updated their portion of the website to include a Meebo "widget" that enables customers to instant message staff directly from the reference home page, http://www.nashualibrary.org/reference.htm. The widget is piece of software developed by a company named Meebo and is very easy to use.

I've included a similar IM widget here in this entry. Why not try sending us a message! Type your message in the bottom portion of the widget where it says "Type here..." and then hit the Enter key on your keyboard. If one of the reference librarians is logged in at the time, he or she will send you a reply which will appear in the top half of the widget. Continue to send messages back and forth until you your question has been answered.

To learn more about this "widget", visit http://blog.meebo.com/products. And if you have any difficulty using the widget, give the reference desk a call at 589-4611!

Last weekend, my husband and I forayed into the world of baby furniture shopping. I have to admit, it was overwhelming. We walked into a store and saw before our eyes a plethora of cribs, dressers, cradles, and changing tables. Where do we begin? What do we really need? Fortunately for first-time parents, you can get help right here at the library.

The seventh edition of Baby bargains : secrets to saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, equipment, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much, much more! by Denise & Alan Fields is on order for the parenting shelf in the back of the children's room. This book offers advice and reviews on various products for not only the baby, but also for the mother-to-be. The authors, who are consumer advocates, rely on their own experiences as well as those of thousands of other parents. They point you in the direction of high quality products at reasonable (relatively speaking) prices. Because Baby Bargains is already listed in the online catalog, you can place a request for this book from the comfort of your own home. Once you are on the library's home page, click on the red box that reads "My Account."

Enter the last five digits of your library card and your pin, which is usually the last four digits of your phone number. Click on the "login button." This will bring you to your record. On the top of the screen, click on the "search" tab to search for your book. Once you see the entry, click on the "request item" button. The library will notify you once the book is available.

If you don't want to wait for the newer edition, take a look at the sixth edition, which was published in 2005. As of today, it is checked out and due on January 24. I promise to return it on time! In the meantime, you might want to peruse the Baby Bargains website, which includes bonus materials, news, and updates that you will not find in the book.

We also own The girlfriends' guide to baby gear : what to buy, what to borrow, and what to blow off! by Vicki Iovine with Peg Rosen. This book is also checked out, so you will have to put a request on it as well. Of course, you can always take a look at Consumer Reports. We keep the circulating copies in the Stearns Room, and we recently moved the reference copies behind the reference desk. If you can't find the issue or topic of choice, try searching the EBSCO databases. Consumer Reports is indexed in MasterFILE Premier (under General Magazine Resources) from to 1985 to present and available full text from 1991 to present with a three-month delay. These resources should at least help you narrow down your options.

Now, if we could only settle on names...

This winter the Nashua Public Library adopted a new process for programs that require registration. We've gone paperless!

In the past you would either call or stop by the children's room or the reference desk to add your name to a paper sign up sheet to register for a program. This could sometimes be chaotic the first day registration opened to the public. So to alleviate any headaches we've streamlined the process. Now, all you have to do is...

*Visit our website (which you can do anywhere you have Internet access)

*Click on the red bar that says "Up Coming Events @ Your Library"

*Locate the program you are interested in and click on the register button (if the event you are trying to register for is full, you will see a waitlist button instead of a register button.

*This will prompt you to fill out a registration form with your name and contact information. At this point you can also add a password to your registration form (it can be anything you want, but why not make it easy and use the last 5 digits of your library barcode number).

*if you include a password with your registration you will be able to log in at a later date and view all of the events you've registered for. To do this you will again visit our website, click on "Up Coming Events @ Your Library", this time look for the "My Classes" link at the top left of the events listings. This will prompt to enter your email address and the password you created. From there you'll see a list of all programs you are registered for. You can also delete your registration from this screen as well.

This process is still relatively new, so we welcome any feedback you'd like to provide related to your experiences registering for our library programs online.

One wonderful thing about public libraries is all the free programs and cultural events that are available to the public on any given day, year round. From our website homepage one simply has to go to Upcoming Events @ Your Library to find a huge variety of free programs for the entire family.

For over thirty years families have been able to enjoy a quality family film every Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm in the comfort of the NPL Theater. Not too long ago the Nashua Public Library Theater was the only movie theater in town following the demise of the Brandt Cinema on Main St. and the Nashua Mall theater complex. And even though Chunky's Cinema Pub has put down roots on Coliseum Avenue, the public library theater still manages to draw a crowd.

During February, theatergoers will be able to see four fine films based on children's books. How to Eat Fried Worms, Tuck Everlasting, Hoot, and Because of Winn Dixie are the books to film that will be shown in the NPL Theater on February 2nd, 9th, 16th , and 23rd. And although the smell of popcorn doresn't permeate the air, your wallet will not be depleted when you leave the theater. A stop on the way home for hot chocolate and a donut is just a block away.

This past weekend I joined my young niece and nephew for a day of skiing at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area. Keep in mind that my niece and nephew are 6 and 3 years old respectively, so I wasn't going to be doing any double black diamond trails. Rather, I knew I'd be spending most of the time on the so-called "bunny" slope.

As you might guess, most of my day was spent helping my youngsters learn how to ski and have a good time. Fortunately, the day went really well and not too many tears were shed. Even my nephew learned how to get onto a real ski lift, (as opposed to the "magic carpet" that you use to get up the bunny slope.)

The day left me wondering, is there any other way to learn skiing than by getting on the slopes and working it out? While I do feel there is no better way than to throw on the skis and get some hands-on experience, I do think certain ski concepts could be learned from reading a book, watching a video, or just talking with someone who knows what they are doing. With that in mind, I looked through the library's collections and found these tasty morsels that you might like to check out if you are new or not so new to skiing.

Books on Ski Instruction
Ski the whole mountain : how to ski any condition at any time / by Eric and Rob Deslauriers
Breakthrough on the new skis : say goodbye to the intermediate blues / Lito Tejada-Flores.
The new guide to skiing / Marty Heckelman.
Skiing for dummies / Allen St. John ; foreword by Jonny Moseley.
Allen & Mike's really cool backcountry ski book : traveling and camping skills for a winter environment / Allen O'Bannon with illustrations by Mike Clelland.

Skiing and other Winter Sport Travel Guides
Ski North America : the ultimate travel guide / David Holyoak.
Ski magazine's guide to New England and Quebec / by the editors of Ski magazine.
Skiing and snowboarding in North America / written and researched by Tam Leach...
Snowshoe routes New England / by Diane Bair and Pamela Wright.
Winter trails. Vermont & New Hampshire : the best cross country ski & snowshoe trails / by Marty Basch.

Ski Magazines
Skiing - The library has a print subscription going back to 2004. However, you can access the issues going back to 2001 using the EBSCO database. Articles from the January 2008 issue of Skiing include "Edge Your Way into a Turn", (which presents instructions on how to ride on the edges of skis during a turn,) and "Ski Mountaineering 101". And for all the woman out there who ski, don't miss the December 2007 Supplement Issue just on women's skiing.

Ski - This magazine is available only through the EBSCO database and is available in full text back to January 2001.

Does waiting in line make you grumpy? The Nashua Public Library Children’s Room and main floor Circulation Desk now offer Self Checkout, to keep you smiling.

It’s simple:

* Scan your library card and enter your PIN using the mouse.

* An information screen identifies you by name, displays how many items are currently checked out, and whether you have Holds available for pickup or owe any fines. Rarely, this screen indicates that you cannot use self checkout and that you must go to the Circulation Desk.

* Next, scan the barcode for each item. If your item has a pocket, put a card in it.

* Click on the Finish button and your receipt will print. On-screen and voice prompts assist you through each step.

Everything is available for self checkout except DVDs and CDs, which staff must remove from security cases prior to checkout. So visit the library and check it out yourself!

With the release of Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system, you might be wondering if the library plans to install Vista on any of its public computers. While I have not yet used Vista myself, I have had a few interesting conversations with colleagues who have used Vista, and I have also read some insightful blog entries about this issue. So, while I reserve the right to update this entry at a future date, hear are some of my observations.

When it comes to upgrading computer operating systems throughout an organization, organizations tend to be conservative. In our library's case, many of our public workstations use Windows XP, and for the most part, XP has been stable. We like stability, so before we'd consider upgrading to Vista, we will want to be sure that Vista is widely regarded as stable.

Perhaps we will follow the suggestion of a public librarian in Texas who has blogged on this topic who recommends that libraries wait until the first Vista service pack comes out. Microsoft service packs usually include fixes to bugs in an application that Microsoft itself hadn't caught during the development phase.

Another issue we are considering is what will be the learning curve for our customers if we upgrade to a new operating system. From what I am told, Vista only runs Microsoft Office 2007 applications, and in many cases, the user interface for the 2007 apps has dramatically changed from Office 2003 apps. This poses a serious problem to many of customers who may still be learning the ins and outs of Office 2002 and 2003 applications.

While these issues are important, we do recognize that we can't turn our back on Vista for ever. Since most new Windows PC's are now being shipped out with Vista and not XP, we know that many of our customers will soon be coming to the library expecting to be able to edit their Vista-compatible documents.

So, those are some of my thoughts. Now it is your turn to join the conversation. What are your thoughts on the issue? Please leave me a comment. It would make my day!

It is not uncommon to have the opportunity to meet book authors in our community. The public library and two big-chain bookstores in town and the very active Toadstool Bookstore in Milford, NH often host "meet the author" events throughout the year. But imagine being able to meet a real, live book character!!! How cool would that be?? Well, children and their families will have the opportunity to do just that on Thursday, February 28th at 2pm in the Children's Room of the Nashua Public Library. Emily Elizabeth, Clifford the Big Red Dog's owner will be here reading a story, signing autographs and posing for pictures. Clifford the Big Red Dog is the creation of author/illustrator, Norman Bridwell , and the little girl character in all of the Clifford books was based on his own daughter, Emily Elizabeth.The first 100 children to attend will receive a free "Clifford and the Big Storm" children's book. Woo-hoo!! This event is being presented courtesy of Collins Dentistry for Children in Pelham, NH and the Lowell Spinners. So come on down and join us as we welcome Emily Elizabeth to Nashua and send along a big hello and thank you to her dad for creating one of the most beloved dogs ever in the children's book world.

It was in the 1970’s when my grandmother started sprouting. Despite all I knew from reading Adele Davis and being a somewhat “crunchy granola” myself, I had never sprouted at the time. I was going to Grammy’s house for lunch four days a week. I only had a half hour but she would have lunch ready for me, usually piping hot. I used to say she should go to the senior center to meet people and get together with friends and she would say, “We never went out when your grandfather was alive, why should I start going out now?” I would argue that it wouldn’t be painting the town red, just to see people now and then like when she was working. She was working at Miller’s in alterations till she was almost 70 I think. She seemed to be slightly depressed. Also, I noticed she was fearful of the outside world. This I surmised stemmed from her addiction to talk radio. She would hear people from all parts of the country talking about violence in the streets and in particular what happened to some older ladies who ventured out on their own. She started listening at night when she had insomnia. Larry Glick was her favorite at the time. Then it was David Brudnoy who she called David Breadnose. We kept telling her it was Brudnoy. She used to call sideburns sideboards. This was one of few clues that her first language was not English. She had no foreign accent. There was a cord attached to her bedside radio that led to a speaker under her pillow. This helped her to take her mind off thoughts that might keep her awake so she could drift off back to sleep. Since then, my mom who is married to a snorer and I who have had bouts of insomnia when my cats wake me up for a snack have used the same method to get back to sleep. I always use my Discman and audiobooks from the library’s collection. If you turn the sound down so you can just barely hear it, you may hear only a few lines before you are asleep. Maybe it was the talk radio station that informed her about the sprouts or the newspaper. I don’t know how many large mayonnaise jars were hiding under her sink with seeds and water in them and a square of cheese cloth fastened around the top with a rubber band, but I saw at least two.

Sprouts the Miracle Food was a book request that we got back in September. In January, it still had not come in. It was backordered so we had to cancel and get it somewhere else. I found that it was our only book that covered the topic of sprouting. It was a good thing for the collection that someone asked us to buy it.

When you see a book you want but the library doesn’t have it, don’t buy it yourself unless you want to or have to have it this minute. Ask us to buy it. You can call us at 598-4600 or e-mail us by going to the "contact us" drop down menu. You’ll see purchase request is the second choice. More than nine times out of ten, we will. We like to see that it has a good review. But we are also committed to representing all points of view and serving our customers’ informational needs.

Recently someone noticed we lacked books on leather crafting. They mentioned it to someone at the circulation desk and she told me because I order craft books. I looked for leather crafts books and found few that were new. However, I was able to order some that were older and even out of print. Now we have at least 11 titles on the subject under "leather work" and not only that… We put them on request for the person who asked about it.

Sometimes you see a book in our on-line catalog and it is not yet cataloged. It has been received but it is in Tech Services. The item information says it’s in cataloging. There is often a shelf or 2 of non-fiction books that are waiting to be processed. If you ask a librarian they will call us in Technical Services and we can bring you the book. I think it’s called extreme cataloging . The idea didn’t start with us. It’s a fairly new practice and I can probably count the times we’ve done it. The book has been received so it already has a barcode attached to it. It can be checked out to anyone who has a library card. But it will not have its call number, spine label, dust cover, plastic cover or pocket and stamps. So, someone who is very anxious to get a book can have it but it must come back and be processed before it can be on display upstairs. I am assuming that this book is not on reserve for someone else. This probably would not work with a new best seller. But sometimes you hear about something and you want to find out all about it right now. You don’t want to wait.

FAQ: I requested something online yesterday and the computer said it was checked in. Why isn’t it waiting for me at the Main Desk today?

Answer: Either we couldn’t find it or we haven’t had a chance to look for it yet.

We try to search for requested items daily but this isn’t always possible, especially on weekends when we’re short staffed. If another borrower finds the item you asked for before we do, they get to borrow it first. And if the material you want was used recently, it may not be where it belongs.

We will notify you when the material you requested is ready for pickup.

FAQ: You told me I could pick up my requested material through today, so why did the ‘Hold’ message already disappear from my account?

Answer: Our software deletes the hold message 4 days after it created it— an estimate based on 1 day to notify you plus the 3 days we promise to hold your material. Sometimes the estimate is wrong—if it took more than 1 day to notify you or we were closed due to bad weather, for example.

If you aren’t sure if your hold has expired yet, please call. We’ll be glad to check.

FAQ: Sometimes when I try to request something through the web site, the computer won’t let me. Why’s that?

Answer: Either you’ve exceeded the maximum number of requests you’re allowed to have at one time, or you’ve requested something that can’t be requested.

Maximum number of requests: 20 if you’ve given us a valid email address for hold notification, 2 if not.

Things that can’t be requested: Reference materials don’t leave the library, so they can’t be requested. Hot copies of the newest books can’t be requested, but New Arrivals copies of these titles can be requested. Also, the very newest movies can’t be requested for the first 60 days.

FAQ: I requested something a while ago and never heard anything. Now you tell me that my hold has expired. What happened?

Answer: Sometimes it’s impossible to know why our message didn’t reach you. We urge you to tell us about the problem and ask for the material again.

Please help us to notify you when your material is available: Tell us whenever your email address, address, or phone number changes; make sure that your spam filter accepts messages from nashualibrary.org and nashua.lib.nh.us; and check your messages frequently.

If you want to know about lectures, concerts, classes, and other programs the library sponsors, but don't often have time to visit our Web site, let us bring the information to you.

The library publishes a number of email newsletters. This Week @ your library arrives in your inbox on Fridays with a list of events in the coming week, as well as brief notices of other library news.

Our quarterly calendar/newsletter comes out at the beginning of March, July, September, and December. This is a PDF file you can print yourself, or you can pick one up at the library. (Members of the Friends of the Library get it mailed to them--membership has its benefits!)

We also publish special interest newsletters. Topics include fishing, book discussions, history, politics/current events, craft classes, computer classes, and concerts. These come out just a few times a year, when programs on the pertinent topic are coming up.

The TeenStuff newsletter comes out monthly.

Click here if you prefer to subscribe to our newsletters through an RSS feed. Then click the small orange icon next to the newsletters you choose.

If you're a procrastinator, you might be busy the next 2 days. Tuesday, April 15 is tax day. That means you need to get your taxes done by the end of the day tomorrow. As long as your package is postmarked by April 15, your taxes are considered filed on time. The library still has a number of tax forms available. If you need a form that we don't have, we can print it for you for $.10 per page, or you can go to the IRS website and print the forms yourself. If you're uncomfortable doing your taxes on your own, AARP volunteers will offer assistance at the library today from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Help is on a first-come first-serve basis, so be sure to get here early. Good luck!

Well, it is almost upon us. It creeps up every year so quietly and unassumingly as to almost go unnoticed and then WHAM...April School Vacation Week is here!! We can be so preoccupied with all things spring that vacation week seems far off in the future but for Nashua and the surrounding area towns, vacation week is April 28-May 2 this year. If it is a beautiful week weatherwise, families and children will be happy to enjoy the warm, fresh air and the library will be one of the last places on their minds as a place to go. BUT, if the weather turns cloudy and fierce and rain is the order of the day then the library as a destination will be for certain. Click on this link http://www.nashualibrary.org/documents/spring08vac.pdf for a look at some of the fun things planned here at NPL for kids, rain or shine. And then visit us anyway because what better way to spend a beautiful spring day than with a book.

Recently, librarians have been talking a lot about "roving reference." Reference librarians all over the country are roving! But why?

Simply put, roving reference involves reference librarians--you guessed it--roving around the reference department. We've recently started doing this at NPL. This allows us to check on patrons to see whether they need any assistance finding a book, getting information, or dealing with the computer.

We'll still be staffing the reference desk, so if you prefer to come see us there, you'll usually find one of us there to assist you. But you'll also find reference librarians up and about, making themselves available in more locations.

The idea is to break away from the model of the librarian sitting behind a desk, waiting for patrons to come ask for help. Now, as a patron, I like to browse by myself. But as a librarian, many's the time that I've gotten up from the reference desk to help someone, and picked up more questions from other patrons while I was in their area.

Are you a shy browser, or do you like the idea of having librarians get out from behind the desk to come check on how your search is going? Leave us a comment!

Amazing...time passes so quickly. On the one hand, I feel like I am going to be freezing and shoveling snow forever and then "bam" I am hearing on the radio that it will be 90 degrees outside by the weekend. The seasons storm on by, ready or not. Right now the Children's Department is preparing for the start of one of our busiest times of year...the Summer Reading Program. This year's theme is called "G'Day for Reading" which pays homage to our mates across the world. Our program begins the very day that school lets out for the summer on June 19th. Both readers and non-readers are welcome to pick-up a reading log to keep track of their summer reading favorites. And the beauty of summer reading is that readers may read anything their hearts desire...perfect! But if anyone is scratching their head trying to think of a good title, we have "Suggested Summer Reading Lists" compiled by the Nashua School District librarians, hooray!! We also have some totally cool events throughout the summer for kids so be sure to check out our Summer 2008 Kidstuff flyer http://www.nashualibrary.org/documents/kidstuff.pdf. So come on down "under" and join us for a summer full of fun.

"The more I observed, the more I began to formulate the notion that flexibility is the key to pleasing customers. Retail outlets that adhere strictly to store policy tend to antagonize people. We all like to think that we have unique needs, preferences, and desires. I concluded that good stores -- and libraries -- focus on people, not policies. [But] the biggest skeptics were always the circulation clerks." (Will Manley, "Rule-Benders Rule", American Libraries 9/08, p 80)

"Great service is hard to find because, quite simply, it isn't fair." (Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, p 33)

Circulation departments can be nesting places for inflexible attitudes towards customers, and usually in the name of "fairness". Many of us have this notion that life should be fair, and that we should never back down when customers are in the wrong. But that isn't the way customer service works. As Weinzweig tells his employees, "'Fair' is another planet. If you need things to be fair, then it's time to think about a different place to work." (ibid, p 34) Library stewardship isn't jurisprudence, and circulation clerks aren't magistrates. It's often the case that unpleasant patrons get more attention (and better service) by complaining about what upsets them.

As I emphasized before, this doesn't mean that rules go out the window (nor that we become doormats, especially to those who frequently exploit our flexibility), only that policies are forever subject to people, not vice-versa. As Manley implies in the American Libraries article, there's a higher law in customer service, one riddled with ambiguity and subjectivity. It's the law of flexibility and good public relations, and we follow it at the Nashua Public Library. Or at least we try.

Faced with the current economic drama, some of us are looking for an escape from the bad news. Others prefer to face the problem, dive in and take control of their finances. (And some do both.) For either approach, the library is the place to go.

For those who'd like to escape the news and lose themselves in a good book or movie, we have a wide selection of bestsellers, classics, and hot DVDs available for checkout--for free! We also offer a variety of programs including our film series, also free. Check out our calendar of events for details.

Those who want to take a hard look at their budgets and cut back on their spending can borrow one of our many titles on frugal living. (Suggestion 1: Borrow it from the library, don't spend money on your own copy.) You'll find many books on this topic in our Business collection, particularly at the 332.024 call number. Here are some frugal living titles to get you started:

The ultimate cheapskate's road map to true riches : a practical (and fun) guide to enjoying life more by spending less / by Jeff Yeager. Found at BUS 332.024 Y.

Live your life for half the price : without sacrificing the life you love / Mary Hunt. Found at BUS 332.024 H.

How to pinch a penny till it screams / by Rochelle Lamotte McDonald. Found at BUS 332.024 M.

America's cheapest family gets you right on the money : Your guide to living better, spending less, and cashing in on your dreams / Steve and Annette Economides. Found at BUS 332.024 E.

And for those who are just getting started and facing a mountain of student loans, you might be interested in Suze Orman's "The money book for the young, fabulous & broke". Found at BUS 332.024 O.

For additional titles on this and related topics, try a subject search for "Finance, Personal", "Consumer Education", or "Home Economics". And be sure to stop by the reference desk if you have any questions!

Do you have a favorite tip for living economically? Leave us a comment!

In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem for his daughters that has become a holiday classic. According to Martin Gardner, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" has been printed in more newspapers, periodicals, and books, and has been illustrated more than any other poem by an American. It first appeared in print in the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823 with the title "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas." The author remained unknown to the public until 1837.* If you watch television during the holiday season, you are bound to see a commercial that plays off of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." But, it has not only been reincarnated to sell products during the holidays.

The Annotated Night Before Christmas by Martin Gardner is a collection of sequels, parodies, and imitations of the poem.

In the spirit of this blog and holiday season, I wrote my own:

*Gardner, Martin, The Annotated Night Before Christmas (New York: Summit Books, 1991), 19, 22-3.

If you enter the word "*blog*" in our Internet Public Access Catalog or iPAC you find 66 titles that match "*blog*". I added an asterisk before and after the word because I wanted to search words starting with "blog" like "blogs" and "blogging" and words ending with "blog" like "weblog". If I had typed "blog" alone, I wouldn't have retrieved any subjects containing the word becasue the subject is "Blogs" or "Weblogs". I would have had exactly 27 hits or results amongst them Road Side Crosses, a new novel with a summary that mentions 'a troubled teenager whose role in a fatal car accident has inspired vicious attacks against him on a popular blog.' Thirty books come up under a title keyword search. Many of these books like iMuslums:rewiring the house of Islam by Gary R. Hunt will be captured because of a contents note that reads "The Islamic Blogosphere" or in the case of The way we will be 50 years from today, edited by Mike Wallace, an article entitled "Blogging from the future" by Wanda Jones is listed in it's contents note. You may want to take a look at this if you are interested in the future of blogging. A children's book, Danny's blog or El blog de Daniel is a part of a series called Let's read in Spanish and English. Even in the 200s or religious section we have, Jesus in an age of terror: scholarly projects for a new American century with an appendix titled, "Selected unedited excerpts from the now defunct Dr. Cathey's blog for purposes of reference". This all goes to show how pervasive the practice of blogging is and how many variants of the word blog there are.

When you search the initial screen of our database or iPAC for a word you are doing a general keyword search and checking all the major fields in the bibliographic record. I like to put in 2 words for instance 'blog*' and 'future' but without the 'and' which is unecessary in this case. I did that and found 7 books, 4 of which seem to speak to the future of blogging.

Choosing a title keyword search from the search tab screen, you tap into the title fields and contents notes fields sometimes including summaries. "Blog:" retrieved 12 titles and "*blog*", thirty-two. Most of the 12 had the word blog in the title but 2 were only in the notes. The nice thing is you can see the word you typed highlighted. That helps you to narrow down the list of books you are interested in more quickly.

In order to see books with the subject "blog" you would do a subject keyword search from the same page. This would lead you to books that focus on the topic of blogs and blogging, the history and future of it and DIY. The thing to remember when doing this type of search is that the library uses Library of Congress Subject headings so you won't find "blog." But you will find subjects that include "blogs" or "weblogs". Here are all the subjects that will come up and the number of results:

Weblogs. (6), Blogger -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. (1), Weblogs -- Computer programs -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. (1), Weblogs -- Fiction (4), Lawyers -- Blogs -- Fiction (14), Blogs (10),
Riverbend -- Blogs. (1), Iraq War, 2003- -- Blogs. (1), Blogs -- Fiction -- Sound recordings (1), Blogs -- Fiction -- Audiocassettes (10), Blogs -- Design. (2), Blogs -- Mamagement (2), Blogs -- Comic books, strips, etc. (1), Books and reading -- Blogs.(1), Book industries and trade -- Blogs. (1), Muslims -- Blogs. (1), Blogs -- Social aspects. (1), Weblogs -- Social aspects. (1).

Advancing to Advanced keyword opens up a whole new world of searching. You can search just contents notes. This would alow you to find songs with your search words in them because we have song titles in a contents note. Performers and directors notes can be searched. If you have the ISBN or International Standard Book Number of your book you can search by that. And you can limit your seach to one format such as DVDs, Video, Music CDs, Audiobooks, Large Print books, New Arrivals, Paperbacks, Ficiton, Non-Fiction or Biography. Computer books, Parent Shelf Books, Non-English books, Teen materials, Children's Room materials, Music Art and Media media or magazine. Limiting your search to just one of these can be helpful with broad topics or to find a specific material.

My initial search for blog books brought me these books that were on the shelf:

Blog on : The essential guide to building dynamic weblogs by Stauffer.
Who let the blogs out by Biz Stone
Blog : understanding the information reformation by Hewitt
Publishing a blog with blogger by Castro.
Bagdad burning II ; more girl blog from Iraq by Riverbend
Blogging in a snap by Meloni
No one cares what you had for lunch by Mason

We librarians have been blogging since 2006. And all the blogs are still available to view from links on this page. To paraphrase Major Mud, "I'll be blogging you!"

On the first day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
a new Nashua History.

On the second day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
two travel guides
and a new Nashua History.

On the third day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
three magazines,
two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the fourth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
four storytimes,
three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the fifth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
five Stephen Kings,
four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the sixth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
six art exhibits,
five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the seventh day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
seven classic novels,
six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the eighth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
eight feature movies,
seven classic novels, six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the ninth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
nine resume books,
eight feature movies, seven classic novels, six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the tenth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
ten audio books,
nine resume books, eight feature movies, seven classic novels, six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
eleven databases,
ten audio books, nine resume books, eight feature movies, seven classic novels, six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my librarian gave to me
twelve computer classes,
eleven databases, ten audio books, nine resume books, eight feature movies, seven classic novels, six art exhibits, five Stephen Kings, four storytimes, three magazines, two travel guides and a new Nashua History.

The phrase certain as death and taxes was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1789 and has been repeated ever since, the government's recurring need for revenue probably assuring its continued popularity. January once again kicks off the tax season, and April 15, the deadline for individuals and businesses to send in their year-end tax forms is, as always, approaching more rapidly than we care to think. Here at the library we have tax forms, books about taxes and even tax assistance to help you respond to the challenge.

On our library's top floor in front of the reference desk, you will find a display containing the library's supply of tax forms. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you may need. If you require a form that is not in this display you can download tax forms for free from www.irs.gov or you can stop at the reference desk and ask us to print it for you. The library does charge $.10 per page to print.

AARP volunteers will once again provide tax assistance here at the library in the Music/ART/Media wing beginning February 1. They will be here on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10AM to 7PM and on Fridays from 10AM to 2PM. It will be first-come, first-serve; one cannot make an appointment. Another option is to call the local IRS office at (603) 594-8370 or stop by at 410 Amherst Street.

The website About.com: Tax Planning: U.S. contains information about changes for the tax year 2009. In addition you can find a good deal of information on tax planning, how to lower your taxes and how to file your taxes. About.com is part of The New York Times Company.

Some of the tax books at NPL you may wish to take a look at are:

J.K. Lasser's your income tax.

J.K. Lasser's new tax law simplified 2010: tax relief from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and more by Barbara Weltman.

J.K. Lasser's 1001 deductions and tax breaks: your complete guide to everything deductible by Barbara Weltman.

J.K. Lasser's new rules for estate and tax planning by Stewart H. Welch, Harold Apolinsky, Craig Stephens.

Lower your taxes-big time!: wealth-building, tax reduction secrets from an IRS insider by Sandy Botkin.

Stand up to the IRS by Frederick W. Daily.

Every landlord's tax deduction guide by Stephen Fishman.

As Herman Wouk once said, The only imaginative fiction being written today is income tax returns.

Why does the library want your email address? If you let us use email for your overdue and reserve notices, we save money (your tax dollars!) on postage. It also save lots of staff time, since our computer system sends the emails automatically and no one has to stuff envelopes.

What's in it for you? You'll get your overdue notices sooner than you would by mail, saving you money on fines. If you give us permission, we'll also send you our weekly events newsletter so you'll know what films, lectures, computer classes, kids' crafts, and other programs are going on at the library.

What we won't do is share your email address with anyone outside the library.

Please take a look at your profile today and make sure we have your current email address. Or call the circulation office at 589-4634.