Random Acts of Libraryness by James Laitinen at Salmon Arm Branch

As the great Austin Powers once said, “Allow myself to introduce myself”.  I am the new Branch

James & Roswitha at Roswitha's
Retirement Party

Head Librarian at the Salmon Arm Library.   Having grown up in Salmon Arm, it’s great to be back.  Thanks again to Roswitha Klawitter for her 18 exuberant years as Branch Head, and we wish her all the best in her new adventures.  We also bid a fond farewell to Colleen Smith, who worked 16 years at the Circulation Desk.

Random Acts of Libraryness

Maybe I’m being lazy with my first column, but I thought I would start off by highlighting some of the many services offered at the library:
• We’re more than just books (although we have a lot of those).  We have movies, TV series on DVD, audiobooks on CD, free Wi-Fi, workstations with internet access and Microsoft Office.  And people to help answer your questions (because Google and Siri just haven’t mastered the personal touch).
• Looking for something to read, but the library is closed?  You can download hundreds of magazines for free from our Zinio magazine collection.  Just a small sample of available titles:  Car and Driver, Rolling Stone, Knitters Magazine, Harvard Business Review, The Walrus, Shape, Us Weekly, Wood Magazine and many, many more.  Click on the ‘Zinio for Libraries’ icon on our homepage (www.orl.bc.ca), and start your own personal collection.
• If you’re having problems downloading eBooks or audiobooks to your eReader or tablet, you can make an appointment with myself or Alice, and we can show you the process from start to finish.  Just phone the library at 250-832-6161 or email us at salmonarm@orl.bc.ca
• Many of you audiobook-philes have probably discovered our collection of OverDrive downloadable audiobooks, but don’t forget our OneClick collection, which includes a number of Canadian titles
• Are you looking after kids yet in August, but have run out of reading ideas for them?  If you’re looking for advice, just head to the ‘Custom Booklist’ link on our website.  One of our librarians will create a booklist of 5 children or young adult titles
• Do you need to scan and email a document?  Our photocopier can scan and email a PDF copy of any document you need to send
• Did you know that we have books in other languages?  Our collection includes books in French, Chinese, Dutch, German, Japanese, Punjabi and Spanish.  We just got a brand new batch of books in Spanish.

Roots and Blues

If you’re going to Roots and Blues, and want to preview some of the performers, dig into our deep CD collection.  We have a wide range of titles, from headliners such as The Sheepdogs and Ian Tyson to emerging talents like Shad and MonkeyJunk.

Staff Picks

Ardie, our Youth Services Librarian, recommends Glimpse: The Dean Curse Chronicles by Steven Whibley, a Canadian author whose style is reminiscent of Gordon Korman and Sigmund Brouwer.    This is a thriller for ages 9-12 about, as the author describes “24 hours to save a life”.

And In Other Library News

• Saturday Afternoon Book Club:  Join Alice on Saturday, August 23 to discuss The Golden Spruce:  A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed by John Vaillant, which won the 2005 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction.  Check out our branch webpage for upcoming book club titles (http://www.orl.bc.ca/branches/salmon-arm)
• We will be launching a new version of our catalogue and website in early October.  If you have been using the Enhanced Catalogue, the new catalogue will be quite similar in look and feel. 

Column by James Laitinen, new Head Librarian for the Salmon Arm Branch
This column was first published in the FRIDAY AM Paper

Beware of Summer Brain Drain!

Assistant Community Librarian Raphael Desjarlais.

     Raphael not only works at the Westbank and Mission branches of the Okanagan Regional Library, but she is also the School Librarian at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School in West Kelowna; consequently, Raphael is a great person to ask about book recommendations for school-age kids!
     Raphael and her family have lived in the Lakeview area of West Kelowna for the past 17 years.

Beware, Summer Brain Drain!
     A disturbing but well documented fact is that children’s academic performance declines by approximately one month during the summer. This loss, called Summer Slide, or Summer Learning Loss, or Brain Drain, is cumulative over time. Children who do not read during the summer can have their reading skills slip entire grade levels during the course of their elementary years.
     Children often stop learning in the summer and instead focus on indoor activities that are sedentary and involve electronic devices like video games, television and social media sites. Research shows that if they participate in summer reading programs they can actually make academic gains over the summer. In order to stem academic decline children need to be exposed to high-quality summer learning opportunities. The catch is, where to find these opportunities?
     One easy, free method is to simply visit the library. We offer a variety of programs, materials and electronic resources that expose children to learning and cultural experiences. The Westbank Library‘s Summer Reading Club offers weekly reading activities and cultural programs including a magic show, clown, drawing class, puppet show and balloon art. There are also weekly contests with prizes.
     Every study recommends taking children to the library to stem reading loss, so please visit the Westbank branch either in person or online this summer!

Series Recommendations for Summer Reading:

Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko
This series is an early chapter book for children who have just become independent readers. Low vocabulary but high interest content with illustrations on every page.

Bad Kitty by Nick Burel
Again a high interest, low vocabulary book with lots of illustrations. Appealing to both boys and girls this book is for emergent readers that can decode information from illustrations and contextual clues.

Nancy Clancy by Jane O’Connor
Transitioning from picture books to chapter books, the Fancy Nancy character with her excellent vocabulary now includes educational themes in her story lines.

Land of Stories Series by Chris Colfer
Aimed at pre-teens and written by “Glee” actor Chris Colfer this series is an entertaining and imaginative story of kids in a fairy tale world. Even though some of the books reviews have been critical of Colfer’s writing, I have not found a child who did not enjoy the book.

Did You Know?
The Okanagan Regional Library’s website features educational databases as well as an online catalogue where children can browse for library material. One recommended database is TumbleBook Library for Kids. TumbleBooks is an online, multilingual tool that allows children to read electronically. The site offers story books, chapter books, math stories, puzzles, educational games and a library of animated books that is an excellent tool for emergent or beginner readers. Access this database free with your Library card!


Elena Dobel is the Branch Head for the Westbank Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. Her columns run monthly in the Westside Weekly newspaper.

Auto and Small Engine Repair at the Library: Great DIY Resources!

It’s the perfect season to do auto repairs and other tune-ups in preparation for the summer season and the ORL offers two great online resources for customers to explore: Auto Repair Reference Center & Small Engine Repair Reference Center.

Auto Repair Reference Center 

In the Auto Repair Reference Center, you can find coverage of more than 37,000 vehicles from 1954 to 2010. There are thousands of drawings, photographs, and wiring diagrams to guide you.

To find vehicle repair information, you can look by year, name of vehicle manufacturer and model of your vehicle. You can find such information as service bulletins and recalls, repair procedures and diagrams, specifications and more.

You can also find general car care tips, “Auto IQ” videos, and troubleshooting walkthroughs to help you learn about your car. These additional features are found in boxes lined along the bottom of the Center’s page.

Small Engine Repair Reference Center

The Small Engine Repair Reference Center provides detailed repair guides for both routine engine maintenance and for more extensive repairs for such things as motorcycles, lawnmowers and boat motors.

The repair information comes from hundreds of reference books and manuals, and many include photos and illustrations for step-by-step help.

You can easily explore the Center by category, where you can choose the type of engine you need information for, and select the brand, engine type and model numbers.

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You can visit each of these Centers through the “View all Digital Resources” button found on the ORL homepage, www.orl.bc.ca . They can both be found under the ‘Automotive’ heading and can used at home or in the library, just sign in with your library card and PIN!

At the Library - Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

At the Library

Welcome to this new monthly column featuring reviews, news and book recommendations from the friendly staff at the Westbank Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. Our first guest columnist is Sondra Scott-Neeson.

Sondra moved to Peachland nine years ago from Calgary where she worked for the Calgary Public Library for 14 years. She joined the Okanagan Regional Library eight years ago, taking a permanent position at the Westbank Branch in 2009.

 

In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, I’d like to talk about some of my favourite Irish authors.

I’m from a large Irish/Scottish family all in Eastern Canada. St. Patrick’s Day has always been a month-long celebration for our family culminating with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal. I can’t begin to count the number of Irish coffees consumed!

I have always enjoyed reading novels set in Ireland, especially those by author Maeve Binchy. Maeve’s stories about everyday Irish life and people really transport you to that country. I’d particularly recommend Circle of Friends which takes place in the village of Knockglen. It tells of the sins and secrets behind the lace curtains of every villager who lives on Tara Road. The saga continues with other books that feature a cast of recurring characters. Maeve Binchy passed away in 2012 and her final book, A Week in Winter was published a month later. Maeve will be sadly missed by all her fans.

Another Irish author I recently discovered is Patrick Taylor. His Irish Country series is a great hit with readers all over the world. Patrick Taylor was born in 1941 in Northern Ireland and received his medical education there. He won many awards for research into infertility. Patrick Taylor immigrated to Canada in the 90s.  He was encouraged to write stories by his long-time friend, Kelowna writer Jack Whyte. Patrick Taylor now lives on Salt Spring Island.

If you like Maeve Binchy and Patrick Taylor I would also recommend the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr, the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton, and the Judge Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone and happy reading!

Sondra’s Irish Coffee Recipe

• Fresh brewed coffee
• 1-2 jiggers of Jameson Irish Whisky
• sugar – optional
• can of real whipped cream

Wet the rim of Irish coffee cup, dip in bowl of sugar to coat rim, add Jameson, coffee, and top with whipped cream.  Enjoy while singing When Irish Eyes are Smiling!

Did you know that the Library also subscribes to some excellent digital resources? For a traditional Irish stew recipe, check out Global Road Warrior. This database, accessed from the Okanagan Regional Library website, is a great way for travelers to learn about other countries. To visit Ireland on this database go to our website at www.orl.bc.ca. Click on “Web Resources” and then “View all eResources from A to Z” and select “Global Road Warrior.” You will be asked to enter your library card number and 4 digit PIN. Search for Ireland and access the Country Overview, Photo Gallery, Recipes, Travel Essentials and more!

 

Career Cruising at the ORL!

The Okanagan Regional Library is happy to offer Career Cruising to its library patrons.

Career Cruising is an online, interactive career guidance tool, where you can explore hundreds of career profiles and take interest and skill assessments that will help you decide what your career interests may be. 

Career Cruising also features the My Plan portfolio, this online portfolio is where you can save your interest and skills assessment results, information about careers and schools of interest, or work. Just a quick registration is needed with the site in order to save your assessments and use the My Plan portfolio.

Every patron at the ORL can use Career Cruising for free, either at home or in your library branch.
Try out Career Cruising! From the ORL homepage, www.orl.bc.ca, click on the “View All Digital Resources” button. Then, click on the Career Cruising link and enter your library card barcode number (if prompted).

Career Cruising is pretty fun and interesting, you can easily plan the steps you need to take on the path toward your dream job!

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 Each month, the ORL features one of its eResources. Library membership gives ORL patrons access to a wide range of eResources that can be accessed from home and in the library. These eResources can be used for reading and enjoyment, to help you with your research needs, or to learn new things.

 Bring the library to your home today!

 

Digital Books and More to Enjoy over the Holidays!

The library may be closed over the holidays, but you can always visit our online collections!

Stay cozy and warm inside while delighting in free music, magazines, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and more – all available through your library website with your library membership.

There are hundreds of popular fiction and non-fiction downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks available from the ORL eBooks collection.

Hungering for more eAudiobooks? Check out OneClickdigital, our newest collection featuring thousands of popular eAudiobooks.  It is a great way to find books to listen to while you are travelling to see family.

Catch up with the latest in politics, business, entertainment and wit your favourite hobbies by checking out the digital magazines available from Zinio for Libraries.

These collections may require the creation of an account to use the service or an initial software set-up. Learn how to get started with these collections on the eResources Help page of the ORL website.

But that is not all! There is more!

If you would like to enjoy books with your kids, check out the TumbleBook collections. There are no waitlists and the books play right in the browser of your computer. TumbleBookCloud is great for tweens and teens. There are even quite a few books for high school Language Arts curriculums -- just in case you have a teen who wants get a head-start on their school work over the break. The TumbleBook Library for Kids features animated, talking picture books as well as puzzles and games, based on books in the collection. The TumbleBook Library for Kids collection can even be enjoyed on tablets and mobile devices. 

Ready to explore the online collections? You can find quick links to access some of these collections right on the ORL homepage. You can also discover these and all the other online collections the ORL has to offer by clicking on the “View all Digital Resources” button on the library homepage, www.orl.bc.ca .

Enjoy your holidays – we can’t wait to see you when the library system re-opens on January 2nd!

The Gift That Keeps on Giving! Tablets and eReaders for Christmas this Year

The Gift That Keeps on Giving!

With Christmas approaching, are you thinking about giving the gift of gadgets?  eReaders (such as the Kobo Touch or Sony WiFi) and tablets (such as Apple or Android tablets) were popular gifts last year, and that trend will probably continue this year. Whether you are thinking about your retired mom, your jet-setting brother or a hard-to-buy-for teen, a gadget that allows access to all the treasures the library has to offer is sure to please!

The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) offers thousands of eBooks for loan on various devices.  Here are some eBook tips from Reference staff at the Kelowna branch:

• If you are shopping for a device, check that it is compatible with library eBooks.  Visit http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/ for a list of compatible devices  
• Make sure your library card is up to date.   Please visit or phone your local branch to check the status of your card.   Branch location information is available on the ORL website (www.orl.bc.ca )
• For instructions on how to download eBooks to a particular device, email us at info@orl.bc.ca or visit our ‘eResources Help’ page (http://www.orl.bc.ca/online-resources/help) on the ORL website

Choosing which eReader or tablet is best for you is a personal decision.  Library staff cannot make specific model recommendations, but they can suggest where to look for consumer/purchasing information.  Contact your local branch for help finding consumer reviews and advice.

When it comes to deciding between an eReader and a tablet, here are some points to consider. 

You may want an eReader if:

• You will only be reading books (and not magazines or newspapers)
• You want something lightweight
• You plan to do a lot of reading in the sun
• eReaders have less glare than tablets
• You want longer battery life
• eReader batteries can last from two weeks to a month, much longer than tablet batteries (which may last only up to a week)
• You want to save money! ($100-$150 for an eReader versus $200-500 for tablets)

A tablet may be the way to go if:

• You want to access a variety of applications
• Digital magazines (the Zinio magazine collection, available via the ORL website)

• Email
• Video
• Games
• Apps (including different eBook apps)
• You want a larger screen size

Most electronics stores will have different eReader/tablet models you can test drive.   Some things to look for: 

• Which device is easiest to navigate?  Which device has the easiest on-screen keyboard to use?  Is one device’s touch screen more responsive than another? 
• Which device gives you the best options to change the print/font size?
• Which display screen looks the best?  Do you get too much glare from one screen?  Is another screen too dark?  What options are available to change the screen display?

Any questions?  Email us at info@orl.bc.ca, contact your local branch, or call our Kelowna Reference Department at 250-762-2800, Ext. 1416.  

 

by James Laitinen, Reference Supervisor, Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Regional Library

 

 

October is Small Business Month in BC and at the Library!

It's Small Business Month and you won't believe all the resources we have available at the library to help your small business succeed!

Let's start with books! Our reference staff have put together the following booklists:

Entrepreneurship
Human Resources
Business Communication
Branding

As a part of Small Business Month, we are featuring some of the ORL’s online resources that can entrepreneurs may find useful. 

All resources discussed below can be accessed by ORL patrons through the “View all Digital Resources” button found on the ORL homepage, www.orl.bc.ca .

Looking to get your business off the ground and need some guidance on how to write a business plan to seek out funding? Check out the Business Plans Handbook; it offers a wide collection of sample business plans and business plan templates from everything from bakeries, to specialty clothing stores, to photography studios.

To find a sample business plans,

·         Search through all volumes of this series using the search box underneath the cover image of the handbook, or, 
·         Click on one of the listed volumes to browse through its contents.

You can find full-text articles on business news and management from the following magazines in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs index: 

·         Canadian Business 
·         Report on Business Magazine
·         The Canadian Manager

For a refresher on how to search through CBCA by publication, check out last month’s blog post.

Do you want to read your magazines in full colour print-like layout? You can find these magazines, which focus on how Canadian issues affect businesses and entrepreneurs, in the ORL’s Zinio for Libraries collection: 

·         BCBusiness Magazine
·         Profit

If you are new to Zinio for Libraries, check out this helppage on the ORL website on how to get started.

Finally, here are some helpful links: 

Small Business Accelerator

Small Business BC

We hope you have a successful Small Business Month!