Fun with Databases Part I

School is back in full swing and everyone has tons of homework.  Guess what?  The library can help you with that.  Not only does the library have books, computers, wireless Internet, and (gasp) librarians (including a teen librarian) – we also have databases.  Say it with me- databases.  GPL has TexShare databases that can help with research papers, history, current events, and English and literature homework among other things.

Databases are different from a general Google or Wikipedia search.

• Databases are better because the resources provided include newspapers, encyclopedias, magazines, biographies, radio/TV transcripts, and primary sources all in one place.

• Not all information on the web is free.  Some of the best information is located in the invisible or deep web inside databases that cost lots of money.  Luckily, GPL and the state of Texas are paying for access to this information for you.

• I know it’s hard to believe, but not everything on the web is reliable.  A website can be made by anyone claiming to be an expert.  It takes time and judgment to look at a website, determine if it’s content is good, it’s sources knowledgeable, and it’s links and references updated and working.  With our databases all that is taken care of for you.

• Finally, many of the databases contain full text – which means you’ll find whole articles there. You’ll also be able to read them online, copy to a USB drive, print, or email them.  And many databases have the citation included and ready to use.

All of which is a fancy way of saying your teachers will be more impressed and will give you a better grade than if you used just Wikipedia and Google.  Wikipedia and Google are good starting points but it are not the end all of web searching.

So, how do you find all this wonderful stuff and start searching?  Go to the library website.  In the green bar along the top, click on Catalog & Online Services.  Then click on TexShare.  Call the library and ask for the user name and password you will need.  Or, go to the library catalog and click on the TexShare Databases picture at the bottom and use your library card and phone number to log in.  Easy.  And did I mention free.  Contact Bethni King for more information or help using the databases.

Fun with Databases Part II will talk about other things the GPL databases can help you with.

Fun With Databases Part II

Ok, we know that TexShare databases can help with school work.  There is one more thing you should know about TexShare databases.  That thing is NetLibrary.  NetLibrary contains digital or ebooks.  That is full text books that you access/read online instead of in the print format.  Ebooks contain the same information- in fact they are page by page reproductions of the text version.  There are many different titles and subjects to choose from including study guides for math, college entrance exams, and cliff notes.  The books are available 24 hours a day as long as you have an internet connection.  And it’s all free.

Don’t worry, deep breath, we are coming to the end (at least for now).  The final database to have fun searching and using is the Testing & Education Reference Center. This database goes beyond homework and deals with life after high school.  The Testing & Education Reference Center can help you find a college, a graduate program, or a vocational school or career college.  This database can also help you find that career or job that is right for you with a career assessment tool.  The Virtual Career Library contains information on finding internships, finding jobs, writing resumes and cover letters,  and tips on how to interview.  Finally, there is a test preparation area with study guides for the TAKS, college and graduate entrance exams, nursing exams, Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and military entrance and career placement.  Again, this is all free.

So, how do you find all this wonderful stuff and start searching?  For NetLibrary go to the library website.  In the green bar along the top, click on Catalog & Online Services.  Then click on TexShare.  Call the library and ask for the user name and password you will need.  Or go to the library catalog and click on the TexShare Databases picture at the bottom and use your library card and phone number to log in.  For the Testing & Education Reference Center go to the library catalog and click on the Testing & Education Reference Center picture at the bottom and use your library card and phone number to log in.  Easy.  Contact Bethni King for more information or help using the databases.

A little reminder that the monthly Teen Open Game Night will happen this Friday, October 24th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Hewlett Room at GPL. Teens ages 13-18 are welcome. Play Nintendo Wii and PS2.   We have 2 projectors for bigger than life action and two tv’s.  Show off your moves with DDR and Guitar Hero. Challenge someone to a board game or card game. Bring your own games and your friends. We’ll have drinks and munchies on hand.  Teen Open Game Night is sponsored by TAB (Teen Advisory Board) at GPL.

+ Anima

by Natsumi Mukai

The manga + Anima is a riveting and enchanting tale that never ceases to amaze.   The species known as + Anima have animal-like qualities and since they are different they are shunned by their fellow man.  Cooro (crow-like boy), Husky (fish-like boy), Senri (bear-like boy), and Nana (bat-like girl) set out on an adventure to find more + Anima.  Cooro, Husky, Senri, and Nana are brought to life with their brilliantly detailed emotions and actions.  It’s like you are in their world.  Read the series to find out what danger lurks around the corner.

If you like this series try: Kingdom Hearts, Naruto, Yotsuba &!, Dragon Drive

Review by Jay

[openbook booknumber="0374309892"]

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Book publishers are sneaky people. They contrive the cleverest ways to get people to pick up their books. Such is the case with ‘Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You,’ by Peter Cameron. Namely, it’s the book cover. At first glance, it appears innocent enough. Only after I had opened the book and read two chapters did I realize I had been manipulated. But I’ll get to that part later.

First, the premise. James Sveck is a teenager living in New York, and, like most teenagers, is struggling to come to terms with life and where he fits into it. Having just graduated from high school, James is poised to begin his journey through college. Only, James is not certain he wants to attend college. In fact, he would rather not. He dreads the idea. He does not like to be around kids his own age. His experience is that they are generally all the same: immature and shallow. James – like many people his age- is still exploring issues of identity. Torn by many internal conflicts, James sifts through each one in order to discover himself and the life spread out before him. And he does so with wit, unflagging intelligence, and irresistible humor.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You’ is a surprisingly good novel. The characters are real. They crackle with life. The dialogue is superlative, and reading James’s many barbed observations is sheer pleasure. It’s a book to celebrate–as good as any coming-of-age story. And at its heart it’s a striking reflection on the 9/11 horror. I haven’t read a novel with such strong, compelling characters in a good while.

But how does the book cover ensnare the reader? What’s the secret recipe? It’s a combination of a snappy title and a unique cover design. The title is quirky and helps to set the tone of the story. It’s a phrase we all grow up listening to from our own parents, so we immediately relate. There’s a connection from the beginning. The cover design also draws in the reader. It’s merely an image of a teenager with his left hand clapped over his face. But subconsciously we as reader-ever inquisitive-want to know what is hidden beneath the hand-what that person looks like, to get an idea of who he really is, so we open the book and begin reading. In the end I’m glad I was hoodwinked. Otherwise I’d never have met James, or traveled down the same winding path with him, to experience the world in his own unforgettable perspective.

Review by Billy Cryer

Library Assistant

Georgetown Public Library