eBook download instructions for Kindle Fire

1.       From home screen menu bar touch Web. Navigate to http://live-brary.com.

2.       Touch eBooks on side menu bar.

3.       On top bar you can change “all formats” to Kindle only. Type in title or genre you are looking for.  

4.       Touch add to cart, proceed to checkout, select library, enter bar code on back of library card, touch go select 7 or 14 day checkout, touch confirm check out, and touch get for Kindle.

5.       You will automatically be navigated to Amazon website. Touch “get library book”. (You will notice deliver to: icon below “get library book”. If you have multiple devices - Kindles or even iPad2 – you have to register with Amazon) you can select which device you want eBook delivered to. For this example select your Kindle Fire if it is not the default already. Now touch “get library book icon”.

6.       You will now receive a thank you message that your eBook was delivered to your Kindle Fire wirelessly. 

7.       Touch the home icon button in lower left hand corner.

Note: your eBook will NOT be downloaded onto to your Kindle Fire until you touch upper right hand menu bar. You can touch the wireless bars or battery icon to bring up additional choices. You want to touch the “Sync” icon. Your eBook will now be downloaded. You will notice eBook has a little download arrow on bottom right hand of book. Touch arrow and eBook will now be loaded into your book shelf.

eBook download instructions for iPad2

1.       Download the Overdrive Media Console (OMC) app. You will notice while browsing at www.live-brary.com at bottom of screen you can select “OMC” app by tapping “get the app”.

2.       Select browse icon at top. You can select browse all Kindle books, Adobe EPUB, Open EPUB, Overdrive MP3 Audio books, and Public domain titles.

3.       If you select Kindle eBook title you have to download the Kindle app first. App is free. Select browse all Kindle Book titles, select title, add to my cart, proceed to checkout, select library, enter barcode from library card, select 7 or 14 day lending period, select confirm check out, and select get for Kindle icon. You will automatically be navigated to Amazon website. You have to sign in with your Amazon account credentials then select get library book icon. If you want eBook delivered to iPad2 you have to select deliver to: iPad2. However, you first have to register your iPad2 with Amazon. Start Kindle app and eBook title you selected will be downloaded.

4.       Next choice is Adobe EPUB eBook title. Make sure OMC app is loaded onto iPad2. Select title, add to my cart, proceed to checkout, confirm checkout, select download, OMC app will automatically startup on iPad2 and download eBook.

5.       Next choice is Open EPUB eBook title. Select title, add to my cart, proceed to checkout, confirm checkout, download, select open in iBooks, your title will automatically download into iBook on iPad2. If you have a problem downloading into iBooks it might be because Apple does not support PDF file format. Select “open in” and select OMC app. 

6.       Next choice is OverDrive MP3 audio book titles. Select title, add to my cart, proceed to checkout, confirm check out, download, OMC app will automatically open up and download MP3 title. Note: MP3 audio book titles will be downloaded in parts. Parts can be 30MB in size. MP3 book can consume a lot of space of you eReader device.

7.       Finally, public domain titles. Select public domain titles, you can browse by subject or featured eBooks. Select title then download. You will receive the option to open in iBooks or “open in…”. Select open in iBooks. The title you selected will automatically be downloaded.

Over 36,000 Free eBooks!

Project Gutenberg offers over 36,000 free ebooks to download to your PC, Kindle, Android, iOS or other portable device. Choose between ePub, Kindle, HTML and simple text formats.

Copyright for most of these books has expired in the United States. (They may still be copyrighted in other countries). So anybody may make verbatim or non-verbatim copies of those works.
Follow this link to access over 36,000 free ebooks http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page. Additional information regarding eBooks can be found at the Brentwood Public Library Adult Reference website. https://sites.google.com/site/adultreferenceservices/e-books

IMMIGRATION LAW

IMMIGRATION LAW - Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Class is scheduled 6:30PM to 8:30PM
Learn your rights about the new immigration laws. Time
will be set aside for questions.
Conozca sus derechos y aprenda de nuevas leyes de
immigracion. Despues de la presentacion va a haber
tiempo para contestar sus preguntas.

Hispanic Heritage Month Organization Fair

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday, September 26, 2011 through Friday, September 30, from 2:30PM to 5:30PM., the Brentwood Public Library will be providing patrons the opportunity to meet with representatives from many local organization. 

Marketing Basics

Marketing Basics - Thursday, September 15th, 2011 9:30AM to 11:30AM
Marketing doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Find out how to
effectively market your small business. BWC026
Follow this link to register Program Calendar

Hurricane Irene - Important Information

Some important numbers to have in advance of Irene:

1.       American Red Cross of Suffolk County: 631-924-67002.

2.        Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management: 631-852-49003.

3.       Long Island Power Authority: 1-800-490-0075 (to report downed power lines or electrical emergency)

4.        National Grid: 1-800-490-0045 (emergency gas safety service)

Town of Islip Natural Disaster Resident Brochure

SO, YOU THINK YOU WANT TO START A BUSINESS

Thursday, September 8, 2011 9:30AM to 11:30AM
Do you have what it takes? Come learn the basics before
starting your own business.  Come to Brentwood Public
Library to register or go online. Follow link below.
Program Registration

Blood Drive at Brentwood Public Library

Donate blood and receive a Brentwood Public Library tote bag!
August 9, 2011 1:45PM - 9:00PM

Summer of the Green OUTDOOR CONCERTS

Phil Costa's - Something Specail Big Band
Friday, August 5, 2011 7:00PM-8:30PM
Something special, with its Count Basie style, is considered to
be one of the finest swing/jazz bands in the metropolitan area.
The band has been featured at many of the major music and
jazz festivals throughout New York. The performance will
include the music of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James,
Artie Shaw, and other greats. Please bring a chair or blanket.
This concert is made possible through the support of the Islip
Arts council.

Emma Lazaeus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience

Special Exhibition: Friday, July 8 - August 19, 2011. Emma Lazarus wrote the immortal words that grace a bronze plaque in the Statue of Liberty Museum. Her poem, "The New Colossus," speaks to all immigrants who seek a new life in America. Learn about this courageous woman, a poet, critic, advocate for the poor, early feminist, and champion of immigrants and refugees, by visiting the Brentwood Public Library for a guided tour of this special exhibition during regular library hours from Friday, July 8 through August 19, 2011.

The Voice of Conscience Unveiling Ceremony will be Friday, July 8, 2:00-5:00PM.

A Very Senior Prom featuring The Moonlight Serenaders Swing Band

MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS A VERY SENIOR PROM featuring THE MOONLIGHT SERENADERS SWING BAND – Friday, June 10, 2011 7:00PM-8:30PM in the Brentwood Public Library Auditorium.  

The library would like you to recreate that magical evening from our teen years with a prom for our seniors. Bring your spouse, friends, or come stag. There will be music from the Moonlight Sereenaders Swing Band for dancing. The four musicians and vocalist will perform songs from the ‘30’s, ‘40’s, and ‘50’s. Enjoy a wonderful evening of music and dancing!

Emma Lazarus

Emma Lazarus (July 22, 1849 – November 19, 1887) was an American Jewish poet born in New York City. She is best known for "The New Colossus", a sonnet written in 1883; its lines appear on a bronze plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in 1912. The sonnet was solicited by William Maxwell Evarts as a donation to an auction, conducted by the "Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty" to raise funds to build the pedestal.
She was honored by the Office of the Manhattan Borough President in March of 2008 and was included in a map of historical sites related or dedicated to important women.

Literary career
Her most famous work is "The New Colossus", which is inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883

 Click on link below to follow literary works:

• "Epistle" of Joshua Ibn Vives of Allorqui, An
• 1492
• Acceptance (from Epochs)

·   Youth And Death
http://www.readbookonline.net/books/Lazarus/159/

Composting for your garden!

Compost - is plant matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At its most essential, the process of composting requires simply piling up waste outdoors and waiting a year or more. Modern, methodical composting is a multi-step, closely monitored process with measured inputs of water, air and carbon- and nitrogen-rich materials. The decomposition process is aided by shredding the plant matter, adding water and ensuring proper aeration by regularly turning the mixture. Worms and fungi further break up the material. Aerobic bacteria manage the chemical process by converting the inputs into heat, carbon dioxide and ammonium. The ammonium is further converted by bacteria into plant-nourishing nitrites and nitrates through the process of nitrification.
         Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humic acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. In ecosystems, compost is useful for erosion control, land and stream reclamation, wetland construction, and as landfill cover.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost

Some useful links to get you started in building your own compost pile bin:http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/services/home/environ/waste/recycle/compost/compostbins.htm
http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?ContentID=2030
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/Organics/44295054.pdf

Books to check out at the Brentwood Public Library for composting:
Composting-an easy household guide:  BW-AD Non-Fiction 631.875 SCOTT
Backyard composting:                            BW-AD Non-Fiction 631.875 BAC
Let it rot:                                                 BW-AD Non-Fiction 631.975 CAMPBEL
Secrets to great soil:                               BW-AD Non-Fiction 635.0489 STELL

Some useful links on what to add to you newly created compost bin:http://www.plantea.com/compost-materials.htm http://www.howtocompost.org/
http://www.composting101.com/
http://www.wikihow.com/Compost
http://www.gardenguides.com/2143-guide-composting.html

For additional resources for your composting project please visit the Brentwood Public Library and browse our garden section.  Below are call numbers where books are located.

The nonstop garden:                    BW-AD Non-Fiction 712.6 COHEN
Understanding garden design:     BW-AD Non-Fiction 712.2 NAGEL
Nature's garden:                           BW-AD Non-Fiction 641.303 THAYER
The garden organic guide:           BW-AD Non-Fiction 631.875 PEARS OS
The family kitchen garden:          BW-AD Non-Fiction 635 LIEBREI
The wild garden:                          BW-AD Non-Fiction 635.9676 ROBINSO
The new low maint garden:         BW-AD Non-Fiction 635 EASTON

Victory Garden

Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens become a part of daily life on the home front.

Victory gardens were planted in backyards and on apartment-building rooftops, with the occasional vacant lot "commandeered for the war effort!" and put to use as a cornfield or a squash patch. During World War II, sections of lawn were publicly plowed for plots in Hyde Park, London to publicize the movement. In New York City, the lawns around vacant "Riverside" were devoted to victory gardens, as were portions of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

One of the most popular garden vegetable's to grow is tomatoes. There are lots of different varieties of tomatoes to select from. Some of the most popular are sweet Grape tomatoes, better boy, beefmaster or beefsteak, yellow, red fluted, small striped, black, brandywine pink, san marzano, wild everglades, and triangle.

Fruits and Vegetables to consider for planting are arugula, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, figs, garlic, grapes, okra, Onion, peppers, and romaine lettuce.

To have a fully rounded garden you should include herbs. Some of the most common herbs are basil, chamomile, cilantro, Cuban oregano, lemon balm, lobelia, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.

Now that you have worked hard in designing and planting your Victory Garden you have to protect the vegetables from the little critters with empty stomachs. You have to build a perimeter barrier with predator attracting plants to lessen damage to actual garden crop. Some plants to consider are borage, cosmos, marigolds, morning glory, nasturtium, petunias, and zinnia.

To get started on your victory garden come to the Brentwood Public Library and visit our garden section to get started.

Some titles to get you started:

The Victory Garden Companion:                    BW-AD Non-Fiction 635 WEISHAN
The Victory Garden Alphabet Book:             BW-J Non-Fiction J635 PAL 
Success with Small Space Gardening:          BW-NEW 635.967 CLARKE
Community Gardening:                                     BW-AD Non-Fiction 635.0917 COMMUNITY
Basic Gardening Skills:                                       BW-AD Non-Fiction 635 Hunter
Gardening with Good Bugs:                             BW-AD Non-Fiction 595.7163 HODGSON
Vegetable Gardening:                                        BW-AD Non-Fiction 635 Bradley

The Fast Track to Getting Hired!

Job & Career Accelerator

LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator integrates everything patrons need to conduct a successful job serch, all in one easy-to-use application. It takes the guess work out of the job search by providing step-by-step guidance, expert advice, and interactive tools that allow patrons to:

1.      Access and explore careers - Identify occupations that match work-related interests and explore over 1,000 detailed occupation profiles.

2.      Find jobs and internships - Search job opportunities from over 5 million up-to-date listings, covering all major online job boards and even local websites.

3.      Create professional resumes and cover letters - Create documents that stand out using powerful resume and cover letter builders featuring over 120 model resumes, step-by-step personalized guidance, expert advice, and more.

4.      Master interviewing skills - Get ready for the interview and make a great impression with detailed interview guidance, sample questions, expert tips, and more.

5.      Track job search progress - Create and manage tasks, set alerts and reminders, and monitor progress, all from the My Accelerator dashboard.

Power Resume Builder

Features over 120 model resumes, step-by-step personal guidance, full-formatting functionality and style templates that make creating a professional resume easier than ever.

Occupation Matcher

Matches occupations based on work-related interests and current education and experience levels.

Occupation Profiles

Provides a wealth of information including a general overview, average salaries and projected growth, typical tasks and activities, and more.

Job & Intern Searches

Searches available job and internship opportunities from a database of over 5 million jobs covering all major job boards, online classified ads, corporate and recruitment sites and more.

At Brentwood Public Library all you need is your library card to access the resources to help you with your job search.

QR Codes are here to stay!

QR Codes are now becoming mainstream!

First a definition of QR codes, a QR code is a specific matric barcode (two dimensional code) readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera/smart phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.

You may have noticed these black-and-white squares showing up in subway ads or in pages of magazines, coffee cups, on buildings in NYC, posters, storefront window displays, TV advertisements, business cards, websites, and yes even libraries. Thanks to our growing addiction to our smartphones, you'll likely be seeing more of them. When accessed with your smart phone, a QR code takes you to a landing page where you usually find special promotional content.

Here's how the QR codes work:

First, you must download a QR scanning application for your smartphone. If you have an Android based OS smart phone you can follow this link Android QR Code App. If you have a smart phone with a different OS you can follow this link for the top supported mobile phones QR Codes for other mobile phones. Another popular site is RedLaser  which are available for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Symbian phones. When you see a QR code on a poster or billboard, open the scanning app and use the phone's camera to focus the code on your screen. The application will recognize the code and automatically open up the link, video or image in your phone's browser. You just need an internet connection to access the content.

Generating your own QR code:

There are a lot of sites that are available for generating your own QR codes. Some of the more popular sites are ZXing, KAYWA, and QR-Stuff. You can get started generating QR codes relatively cheap for under  eighty dollars. You can purchase QR labels and printers fairly cheap at Newegg. Once at Newegg website, in the search box just type in “QR codes”.

Brands and companies are increasingly taking advantage of this relatively low-cost marketing tool. A recent issue of Wired magazine included an ad by watchmaker Tag Heuer that contained a QR code that led users to images of its latest collection of timepieces. Magazine ads have used QR codes to promote everything from hair-care products to sheepskin boots to diamonds.

Measuring success

Like internet ads, QR codes can help companies measure how many people are using the code and at what time. By having easily traceable analytics, marketing firms can view results and know if their QR code campaign is successful. While some consumers know how to use their phone cameras to scan, many do not. Libraries are gearing up to offer 1on1 training for QR codes as they provide computer training for their patrons. I feel QR codes are here to stay and will revolutionize the way companies and libraries market their services.

Tax time again and no forms are being mailed from IRS

Its tax time again and currently about 70% of Americans file their taxes electronically. The IRS is no longer mailing out tax forms unless specifically requested by households. However, if you follow this link to the Brentwood Adult Reference Website you will be able to download all federal and NYS tax forms https://sites.google.com/site/adultreferenceservices/brentwood-community-resources.

In addition, hundreds of the most popular federal tax forms and publications are available for download from http://www.irs.gov/ for sight impaired individuals. These products range from talking tax forms to Braille formats, and is accessible using screen reading software, refreshable Braille displays and voice recognition software. Click on the links below to download these forms and publications:

Download Accessible Tax Forms (Braille and Text Formats)
Download Accessible Tax Publications (Braille and Text Formats)
Download Accessible Talking Tax Forms
Download Tax Instructions (Large Print Format)
Download Tax Publications (Large Print Format)

The IRS also offers customer service assistance for persons who are deaf or who have hearing disabilities. People with TTY equipment can call 800-829-4059, which is a toll-free number, for assistance.
People who are unable to complete their tax return because of a physical disability may get assistance from an IRS office, or through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) sponsored by the IRS. Taxpayers can find a nearby location by calling 1-800-906-9887 or checking the partial list on the IRS’s website.

Is there a Hardware Key Logger in your Public Library?

I came across an interesting article at Sophos. Key logger's have been found in public libraries in Manchester, England. This innocent looking USB key captures all keyboard activity. This means any email, banking account, social networking, or any other passwords entered at keyboard will be logged into this USB key. At an opportune time the perpetrator will sit down at the workstation and unsuspectingly remove the USB into his/her pocket. Know your computer hardware and prevent identity theft.

Amazing Libraries from Around the World

Salt Lake City Public Library – Salt Lake City (UT), USA
With music playing on every floor, an art gallery, a firm “no censorship” policy on their computers with Internet access, and a cafe serving coffee and sandwiches, this is not the library I grew up getting shushed at.
Photo: Pedro Szekely

Strahov Theological Hall – Prague, Czech Republic
The ornately decorated library in the Strahov Monastery contains 18,000 religious texts, including many editions of the Bible in numerous languages.
Photo: Rafael Ferreira

Biblioteca España – Medellin, Colombia
Built on a hilltop in Santo Domingo — an area that was heavily affected by violence and drug trafficking in the 1980s and 1990s — Biblioteca España was built as part of an initiative to enhance urban development and to provide more opportunity to the city’s poorest residents.
Photo: danjeffayelles

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library – New Haven (CT), USA
A gift from the Beinecke family to Yale University in 1963, this windowless building has walls made of translucent marble, specifically designed to preserve the rare books and manuscripts inside, including one of the 48 remaining Gutenberg Bibles.
Photo: KAALpurush

National Library of Belarus – Minsk, Belarus
The newly designed National Library of Belarus houses over 8 million items and has the only public observation deck in Minsk.
Photo: Giancarlo Rosso

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library – Toronto (ON), Canada
The University of Toronto’s Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library has the largest collection of rare books and manuscripts available to the public in Canada, including an extensive collection of Lewis Carroll first editions, biographical material, and photography.
Photo: Andrew Louis

Seattle Central Library 
The Seattle Central Library was built in 2004 to be an inviting and functional public space. Its “Book Spiral” displays the library’s entire non-fiction collection in one continuously winding run, enabling library-goers to peruse the 4-level section without being interrupted by stairs.
Photo: Stephen J. Friedman, MD

Danish Royal Library – Copenhagen Denmark

TU Delft Library – Delft, The Netherlands
The Delft University of Technology library was designed by architectural firm Mecanoo to be a “triangle of grass and glass.” The building is topped off by a large metal cone, which houses four reading rooms accessible by spiral staircase.
Photo: Stephanie Braconnier

Halmstad Library – Halmstad, Sweden
The design of the Halmstad Library was inspired by the surrounding trees and features wall-to-wall windows with views of parkland visible from virtually anywhere in the building.
Photo: ET Photo

Vasconcelos Library – Mexico City, Mexico
Also known as the Megabiblioteca, the  Vasconcelos Library had to be closed for almost two years in 2007 due to major architectural defects. Now open again to the public, the library houses 500,000 volumes, a music room, a 500+ seat auditorium, and a botanical garden.
Photo: Omar

Vancouver Public Library – Vancouver Canada
The central branch of the Vancouver Public Library System is a nine-story glass building surrounded by a glass-covered walkway and Coliseum-esque colonnade complete with social space, reading areas, and study rooms.
Photo: Darren Stone

British Library – London, England
One of the largest libraries in the world, the British Library holds over 150 million items from countries all over the world — 100 million of which are also available digitally. Notable works include the Magna Carta, Captain Cook’s journal, and the only surviving medieval manuscript of Beowulf.
Photo: Steve Cadman

Photos courtesy of:
http://matadornetwork.com/trips/photo-essay-amazing-libraries-around-the-world