It's a wrap!
I've felt a little bit like a detective the last few months, with all my sleuthing in the databases offered at the South Dakota State Library website. I've read pertinent information about the upkeep of my vehicle on Chilton; perused family records on AncestryLibrary; viewed fine art on CAMIO; skimmed a book about bulletin boards on EbscoHost; discovered new literary themes about my one of the favorite books on Gale Virtual Library; and tested my foreign language fluency on Mango. I feel as if my library toolbox has been refreshed! Not only have I tested out all these (and many more) wonderful databases, but I've also started using them more in my library jobs. I have consulted WorldCat a number of times for any cataloging questions I've had recently. In addition, I've referred teachers and students to World Book Online for research questions. I have also done research on some of my teen book club picks.
One of the Challenge's aspects I'm most excited about is beginning the blog. Blogging is something I've been meaning to try for a long time. The Challenge made me sit down and begin my blog -- no hemming and hawing about a potential blog name and theme. Just pick something and begin. Now that I've established Mrs. G's Library Nook, I plan to continue on. (You are all witnesses ...)
Thanks to the South Dakota State Library for a great challenge!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Who on earth am I?
I've always been interested in family history. I am a lover of stories, so I'm intrigued with the past, and how unknown members of my family tree figure into history. A few years ago, my mom traced some of our family roots back to the Mayflower. Subsequently, we took a vacation out to Plymouth, Massachusetts to experience in a tiny way what they did all those years ago. So when my assignment was to explore AncestryLibrary, I was just a little bit excited.
When I began searching for my own information, I was interested to see what popped up. It is just a tiny bit disconcerting to see all of your data before you on the computer screen -- a bit like looking into the mirror and seeing what others see for the first time. So when I found my own records, imagine my surprise when I discovered my birth date was not correct. The month and year were correct, but the date is one week off. Hmmm. I kept clicking and checking. Addresses correct? Check. Even addresses I forgot were listed. But my birth date? Still showing up incorrect. Anyone else have this issue?
Then I plugged in my great-grandmother's name. I clicked into the census records, and was able to actually view the handwritten census records from 1930 and 1940. There she was along with my great-grandpa, my grandma, and my great-uncle. Cool. When I searched for South Dakota pictures, I discovered many different items. Most interesting to me were the picture postcards. I found postcards from many of the buildings I mention when giving tours at the museum, including the Old Courthouse Museum itself. The postcard actually had a handwritten message, which was intriguing as well. It began, "I cannot do what you ask as I have not got the money." Hmmm. I wonder what that sister had asked that brother to do originally. There's a story there.
Then, on to HeritageQuest, which took a little bit of time to figure out. But once I started getting the hang of it, I found several relevant items: my grandpa's name in the 1940 census (handwritten, again -- cool!), and information on the school that was located near the farm where I grew up. All very interesting and definitely something I'd like to go back to when I have more time to research my family tree.
I've actually had some experience with the Sanborn Maps in my job at the museum. I had to do some research on a hotel no longer standing last year. I checked the different years available, then I took a look at how things changed over the years. One interesting thing I found was how fire damage was indicated on the maps. For this search I also took a look at Sioux Falls, as my hometown and my current town of residence are not listed in the database. I searched for the Court House on 6th and Main. It can be challenging to locate the exact address you are searching for, although, once I got into the swing of it, I was fine.
These different databases are invaluable for library patrons who may be searching for the roots of their family tree.
I've always been interested in family history. I am a lover of stories, so I'm intrigued with the past, and how unknown members of my family tree figure into history. A few years ago, my mom traced some of our family roots back to the Mayflower. Subsequently, we took a vacation out to Plymouth, Massachusetts to experience in a tiny way what they did all those years ago. So when my assignment was to explore AncestryLibrary, I was just a little bit excited.
When I began searching for my own information, I was interested to see what popped up. It is just a tiny bit disconcerting to see all of your data before you on the computer screen -- a bit like looking into the mirror and seeing what others see for the first time. So when I found my own records, imagine my surprise when I discovered my birth date was not correct. The month and year were correct, but the date is one week off. Hmmm. I kept clicking and checking. Addresses correct? Check. Even addresses I forgot were listed. But my birth date? Still showing up incorrect. Anyone else have this issue?
Then I plugged in my great-grandmother's name. I clicked into the census records, and was able to actually view the handwritten census records from 1930 and 1940. There she was along with my great-grandpa, my grandma, and my great-uncle. Cool. When I searched for South Dakota pictures, I discovered many different items. Most interesting to me were the picture postcards. I found postcards from many of the buildings I mention when giving tours at the museum, including the Old Courthouse Museum itself. The postcard actually had a handwritten message, which was intriguing as well. It began, "I cannot do what you ask as I have not got the money." Hmmm. I wonder what that sister had asked that brother to do originally. There's a story there.
Then, on to HeritageQuest, which took a little bit of time to figure out. But once I started getting the hang of it, I found several relevant items: my grandpa's name in the 1940 census (handwritten, again -- cool!), and information on the school that was located near the farm where I grew up. All very interesting and definitely something I'd like to go back to when I have more time to research my family tree.
I've actually had some experience with the Sanborn Maps in my job at the museum. I had to do some research on a hotel no longer standing last year. I checked the different years available, then I took a look at how things changed over the years. One interesting thing I found was how fire damage was indicated on the maps. For this search I also took a look at Sioux Falls, as my hometown and my current town of residence are not listed in the database. I searched for the Court House on 6th and Main. It can be challenging to locate the exact address you are searching for, although, once I got into the swing of it, I was fine.
These different databases are invaluable for library patrons who may be searching for the roots of their family tree.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Looking for WorldCat
I must admit, WorldCat is amazing. I do a limited amount of work on WorldCat here at the library -- mostly searching for inter-library loans for our patrons when we do not have what they need. So, while I am familiar with WorldCat, I am by no means proficient. What a great opportunity to play around and familiarize myself with features on WorldCat!
Looking for Alaska by John Green is on my mind (my personal book group meets in a week and a half and -- yikes -- I haven't started reading it yet!). I discovered 2,675 copies of this book worldwide on the first entry. And of course, the number one library on the list, is Siouxland Libraries. But the next library on the list is Augustana. A number of libraries in the state own this book. No big surprise there, as John Green books are hot right now. Class descriptors include LC: PZ7.G8233; PS3607.R4344; and Dewey: Fic; 813.6.
Now, OAIster is a database I've never even heard of, much less used. (My mind keeps picturing an open oyster -- or a bowl of steaming oyster stew!) I discovered it is a "Union catalog of digital resources". When I commenced my search of South Dakota, I found numerous entries of annual reports. Since I am a mother of school-age children, I decided to check out "Facts on Kids in South Dakota"; the report I zeroed in on was "Child Poverty in South Dakota, Part 2". The statistics, broken down into various categories and mapped out by county, were alarming. I wasn't as alarmed by my current county of residence, but more by my home county. Poverty rates for children 18 and under in 2008 were at 45 percent. I can see that OAIster is a great tool in locating statistics for a variety of needs.
I was introduced to CAMIO at Library Boot Camp last summer. What an amazing resource! When I typed in "Sioux", 63 items were available to view. The objects range from George Catlin paintings found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum to a pipe bowl housed at the Detroit Institute of Arts. A few of the other owning museums listed include the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Having worked as a museum interpreter for many years, I was particularly interested in viewing the various artifacts. Our museum was home to an exhibit of George Catlin paintings a few years ago. One of the neat features of CAMIO is the ability to view artifacts in high resolution -- which I did with several of Catlin's paintings. The detail really is quite astounding. I can see that CAMIO would be invaluable to a great many people, including -- but not limited to -- scholars, historians, teachers and artists. When adding the paintings to my favorites, I could then put them into a slide show, which would be beneficial in many ways.
I must admit, WorldCat is amazing. I do a limited amount of work on WorldCat here at the library -- mostly searching for inter-library loans for our patrons when we do not have what they need. So, while I am familiar with WorldCat, I am by no means proficient. What a great opportunity to play around and familiarize myself with features on WorldCat!
Looking for Alaska by John Green is on my mind (my personal book group meets in a week and a half and -- yikes -- I haven't started reading it yet!). I discovered 2,675 copies of this book worldwide on the first entry. And of course, the number one library on the list, is Siouxland Libraries. But the next library on the list is Augustana. A number of libraries in the state own this book. No big surprise there, as John Green books are hot right now. Class descriptors include LC: PZ7.G8233; PS3607.R4344; and Dewey: Fic; 813.6.
Now, OAIster is a database I've never even heard of, much less used. (My mind keeps picturing an open oyster -- or a bowl of steaming oyster stew!) I discovered it is a "Union catalog of digital resources". When I commenced my search of South Dakota, I found numerous entries of annual reports. Since I am a mother of school-age children, I decided to check out "Facts on Kids in South Dakota"; the report I zeroed in on was "Child Poverty in South Dakota, Part 2". The statistics, broken down into various categories and mapped out by county, were alarming. I wasn't as alarmed by my current county of residence, but more by my home county. Poverty rates for children 18 and under in 2008 were at 45 percent. I can see that OAIster is a great tool in locating statistics for a variety of needs.
I was introduced to CAMIO at Library Boot Camp last summer. What an amazing resource! When I typed in "Sioux", 63 items were available to view. The objects range from George Catlin paintings found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum to a pipe bowl housed at the Detroit Institute of Arts. A few of the other owning museums listed include the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Having worked as a museum interpreter for many years, I was particularly interested in viewing the various artifacts. Our museum was home to an exhibit of George Catlin paintings a few years ago. One of the neat features of CAMIO is the ability to view artifacts in high resolution -- which I did with several of Catlin's paintings. The detail really is quite astounding. I can see that CAMIO would be invaluable to a great many people, including -- but not limited to -- scholars, historians, teachers and artists. When adding the paintings to my favorites, I could then put them into a slide show, which would be beneficial in many ways.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
"Blizzard of Books!"
As winter seems particularly long this year, I decided to type in a search term of blizzard when exploring EBooks on EbscoHost. I was looking for history. But what I found was better. I work as a part-time librarian at my kids' school. My expertise is in books, not bulletin boards. So I'm always on the lookout for fun ideas on Pinterest for the library's bulletin board. Little did I know I'd find a valuable resource where I was least expecting it! When I typed in blizzard, one of the first searches I found was a "Blizzard of Books" bulletin board idea. The book I discovered was Bulletin Board Power: Bridges to Lifelong Learning. As I continued to peruse the pages of the book, I found multiple ideas to use in the future. This is one EBook I will be returning to.
The next item on the list was to check for books related to Constitution Day. I'll admit, I had a little bit of trouble with this one. The search turned up many books, but not necessarily titles that would benefit younger students. The one title I found to be appropriate for school-age kids was Colonies and Revolution. The book is labeled as juvenile non-fiction. Some other titles that may work in this situation are The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Presidents, The Civil Rights Movement, and The Constitution of the United States of America.
Finally, I did an advanced search, selected the publisher field, and typed in "Nebraska". The search resulted in 58 titles published by the University of Nebraska Press. I did variations on the advanced search, including searching for Nebraska as a subject. It brought up 4 titles, including Willa Cather's O Pioneers! (one of my favorite authors!).
As winter seems particularly long this year, I decided to type in a search term of blizzard when exploring EBooks on EbscoHost. I was looking for history. But what I found was better. I work as a part-time librarian at my kids' school. My expertise is in books, not bulletin boards. So I'm always on the lookout for fun ideas on Pinterest for the library's bulletin board. Little did I know I'd find a valuable resource where I was least expecting it! When I typed in blizzard, one of the first searches I found was a "Blizzard of Books" bulletin board idea. The book I discovered was Bulletin Board Power: Bridges to Lifelong Learning. As I continued to peruse the pages of the book, I found multiple ideas to use in the future. This is one EBook I will be returning to.
The next item on the list was to check for books related to Constitution Day. I'll admit, I had a little bit of trouble with this one. The search turned up many books, but not necessarily titles that would benefit younger students. The one title I found to be appropriate for school-age kids was Colonies and Revolution. The book is labeled as juvenile non-fiction. Some other titles that may work in this situation are The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Presidents, The Civil Rights Movement, and The Constitution of the United States of America.
Finally, I did an advanced search, selected the publisher field, and typed in "Nebraska". The search resulted in 58 titles published by the University of Nebraska Press. I did variations on the advanced search, including searching for Nebraska as a subject. It brought up 4 titles, including Willa Cather's O Pioneers! (one of my favorite authors!).
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Living the Dream!
I'm a prairie girl at heart. Need to know a tidbit about Laura Ingalls Wilder? I'm the go-to person among my co-workers and friends. So when I checked out the the Gale Virtual Reference Library recently, I naturally went to Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream and found a piece devoted to Little House on the Prairie. Well, that certainly made my day!
In perusing the piece, I discovered a factoid I was not aware of: because of anti-Native American attitudes depicted in the book, Little House on the Prairie has been banned in some libraries and classrooms. What?!? While I did experience a small amount of stress that my beloved Little House may have been banned, I did find myself relating this information on to anyone interested enough to listen.
As I investigated further in the volume, I found an essay on Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall". After visiting Frost's home (and woods!) in Franconia, NH, a couple of years ago, I am particularly interested in his poetry. One little tidbit I picked up was that the proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors" was not invented by him.
Oh, if only I would have had these resources available to me when I was writing all those English papers in college! But now I know how to direct others toward these fabulous resources.
As I sit here -- on the first day of March -- I'm watching yet more snowflakes float down from the sky. Winter has indeed dragged on long enough. And while I feel as if many of us may be starting to rise from winter's slumber, I got curious about Vitamin D deficiency. So I did a search in the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Yes -- just what I thought -- lack of sunshine can cause a Vitamin D deficiency in some people. But I also found out that a lack of certain foods and milk may also cause the deficiency. If left untreated in kids, rickets can occur. In adults, it is called osteomalacia. Both of these terms basically mean there are defects in the bones. It's a good thing spring isn't too far away. I did also take the opportunity to test out the listening feature on this article. I feel listening would be especially helpful when reading an article with unfamiliar terms.
I'm a prairie girl at heart. Need to know a tidbit about Laura Ingalls Wilder? I'm the go-to person among my co-workers and friends. So when I checked out the the Gale Virtual Reference Library recently, I naturally went to Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream and found a piece devoted to Little House on the Prairie. Well, that certainly made my day!
In perusing the piece, I discovered a factoid I was not aware of: because of anti-Native American attitudes depicted in the book, Little House on the Prairie has been banned in some libraries and classrooms. What?!? While I did experience a small amount of stress that my beloved Little House may have been banned, I did find myself relating this information on to anyone interested enough to listen.
As I investigated further in the volume, I found an essay on Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall". After visiting Frost's home (and woods!) in Franconia, NH, a couple of years ago, I am particularly interested in his poetry. One little tidbit I picked up was that the proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors" was not invented by him.
Oh, if only I would have had these resources available to me when I was writing all those English papers in college! But now I know how to direct others toward these fabulous resources.
As I sit here -- on the first day of March -- I'm watching yet more snowflakes float down from the sky. Winter has indeed dragged on long enough. And while I feel as if many of us may be starting to rise from winter's slumber, I got curious about Vitamin D deficiency. So I did a search in the Gale Virtual Reference Library. Yes -- just what I thought -- lack of sunshine can cause a Vitamin D deficiency in some people. But I also found out that a lack of certain foods and milk may also cause the deficiency. If left untreated in kids, rickets can occur. In adults, it is called osteomalacia. Both of these terms basically mean there are defects in the bones. It's a good thing spring isn't too far away. I did also take the opportunity to test out the listening feature on this article. I feel listening would be especially helpful when reading an article with unfamiliar terms.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
We recently started a teen book group here at the library. Guess who's in charge? You guessed it -- me! So when it comes time for the monthly meeting, I'm anxious to get some more info on our current selection. This month's pick is Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (not to be confused with the other gray book). So, in preparation for the meeting, I went ahead and searched ProQuest for any articles/reviews I could find on the book. I found plenty of great reviews and other information about the book. (By the way, I highly recommend this AMAZING story of a young Lithuanian girl's deportation in 1941 during Stalin's reign of terror.)
Now that I know what my audience is in the book group, I'll be able to utilize ProQuest more extensively. I looked at numerous book reviews in other publications -- such as Horn Book and School Library Journal -- to get some ideas of what to pick in upcoming months.
Now, check in with some of our other great South Dakota Library Challenge bloggers for comments!
Now that I know what my audience is in the book group, I'll be able to utilize ProQuest more extensively. I looked at numerous book reviews in other publications -- such as Horn Book and School Library Journal -- to get some ideas of what to pick in upcoming months.
Now, check in with some of our other great South Dakota Library Challenge bloggers for comments!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
My daughter is nuts for red pandas. When browsing on SIRS Discoverer on the South Dakota State Library database recently, I found fascinating info on the fluffy creature. First of all, the red panda and the panda are not related. However, they share many characteristics, including subsisting on a diet of bamboo. A map showed the red panda's living range to be near the Himalayas. I found several articles, graphics, and a website devoted to information. Articles varied in reading levels. I even found an article suitable for my 4-year-old son, which included a fun learning activity comparing the red panda with a panda.
I recently read the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. I was able to peruse several maps of India. I was able to link up to an article describing the monsoon season in India, which is talked about in the book.
One of the categories in the "Database Features" is the Winter Olympics. Clicking on the link brought up various articles on all aspects of the the Olympics in Sochi. Most interesting to me were the articles on the unseasonably warm weather -- which is causing problems for some of the events -- and Shaun White's failure to score a medal. All the articles are rated by reading levels and show a Lexile score. Another great feature is the ability to translate articles into several different languages. I flipped back to the maps feature, and was able to take a look at Russia and find where Sochi is located on the Black Sea.
There is no end to the amount of information I found on the SIRS Issues Researcher. I clicked on the hot topic of bullying. At the top of the page were links for "Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions"; a definition of bullying; and a link to stopbullying.gov. Other features include a wealth of articles on the subject. Also available are "Research Tools", which include -- among other things -- Topic Overview, a Note Organizer, and Statistics link. Common Core information is also available. And the list goes on ... Wow! If only I could have had some of these resources available to me when I was writing college papers back in the Dark Ages!
Finally, I explored the Curriculum Pathfinders. I chose Language Arts, and then clicked on Creative Writing. I discovered links to numerous websites devoted to the writing life. Of particular interest to me were the links to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (that would have been helpful when I did that independent study on Poe in college) and Judy Blume's website (which features lots of helpful hints for anyone interested in writing).
I recently read the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. I was able to peruse several maps of India. I was able to link up to an article describing the monsoon season in India, which is talked about in the book.
One of the categories in the "Database Features" is the Winter Olympics. Clicking on the link brought up various articles on all aspects of the the Olympics in Sochi. Most interesting to me were the articles on the unseasonably warm weather -- which is causing problems for some of the events -- and Shaun White's failure to score a medal. All the articles are rated by reading levels and show a Lexile score. Another great feature is the ability to translate articles into several different languages. I flipped back to the maps feature, and was able to take a look at Russia and find where Sochi is located on the Black Sea.
There is no end to the amount of information I found on the SIRS Issues Researcher. I clicked on the hot topic of bullying. At the top of the page were links for "Pro/Con Issues and Essential Questions"; a definition of bullying; and a link to stopbullying.gov. Other features include a wealth of articles on the subject. Also available are "Research Tools", which include -- among other things -- Topic Overview, a Note Organizer, and Statistics link. Common Core information is also available. And the list goes on ... Wow! If only I could have had some of these resources available to me when I was writing college papers back in the Dark Ages!
Finally, I explored the Curriculum Pathfinders. I chose Language Arts, and then clicked on Creative Writing. I discovered links to numerous websites devoted to the writing life. Of particular interest to me were the links to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum (that would have been helpful when I did that independent study on Poe in college) and Judy Blume's website (which features lots of helpful hints for anyone interested in writing).
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
I'm not going to lie. I was a little bit nervous about taking some of the practice tests in the Learning Express Library featured on the South Dakota State Library's database list. It's been a long time since I took a college test (I'm not telling how long, either). And I always get a little bit flustered about test taking. Fortunately, since I was just "trying out" the database for the South Dakota Library Challenge, I felt a little less anxious. Still I was a bit curious to see how I would do. Naturally, I chose the reading comprehension section. My practice test was in literary reading. I was relieved to see when I scored my partially-taken test that I answered all my questions right. Whew! On to the next step.
My next investigation was into the career center, where I discovered a plethora of helpful topics if I was interested in changing careers (I'm not!). I also checked out the course on writing cover letters. While attending college, I was fortunate enough to work for a resume business. My boss was an excellent resume and cover letter writer, and to this day, I still keep her advice in mind when going about my writing. The tips provided on the Learning Express Library looked to be spot-on.
Finally, I took a look at various resources available. I focused on writing skills -- which I must need. When I took a practice test on essay writing, my score wasn't so hot. Admittedly, I wrote only a few sentences, but my score sort of stung my pride. How does a computer judge a creative essay, anyway? Just sayin' ...
My next investigation was into the career center, where I discovered a plethora of helpful topics if I was interested in changing careers (I'm not!). I also checked out the course on writing cover letters. While attending college, I was fortunate enough to work for a resume business. My boss was an excellent resume and cover letter writer, and to this day, I still keep her advice in mind when going about my writing. The tips provided on the Learning Express Library looked to be spot-on.
Finally, I took a look at various resources available. I focused on writing skills -- which I must need. When I took a practice test on essay writing, my score wasn't so hot. Admittedly, I wrote only a few sentences, but my score sort of stung my pride. How does a computer judge a creative essay, anyway? Just sayin' ...
Saturday, February 1, 2014
A car person, I am not. That's why the ChiltonLibrary database on the South Dakota State Library's website is a wonderful thing. Here's what I discovered about the maintenance schedule on my car:
At 50,000 miles, I should service/inspect my cooling system hoses and clamps; service/inspect the exhaust system and heat shields; and inspect the fuel system. What? In my world, that's practically a foreign language. But I'll be sure to relay that pertinent information on to the proper individual (my husband). In addition, I need to replace my air cleaner filter. Got it.
In April 2013, a recall was issued for my car: Water Pump Shaft Seal Leaks. Hmmmm. I wonder if this is related to that yellow recall card I re-discovered the other day. Guess I need to call the dealership -- that recall is almost a year old!
I checked out the information on brakes in the repair section. An amazing amount of information was presented on brakes. None of which, of course, I understood. I guess I'll have the dealership check my brakes when I schedule my recall appointment. Come to think of it, those brakes have been a little bit noisy lately ...
Now, onto Mango Languages -- although foreign, perhaps more comprehensible to me than car-speak?
I chose to try out the language Spanish (Latin America), which is spoken by about 329 million people as their first language. It is spoken from Costa Rica to Chile to Buenos Aires (and everything in-between). While I have visited Machu Picchu in books, I'd love to actually see these mysterious ruins in person. The one thing holding me back (besides money!), is the language. I do not know Spanish. (I'm thinking it would have been more helpful to take Spanish in college instead of German!) Besides traveling, though, speaking the Spanish language right here -- where I live -- would be very beneficial. I attend a church that shares a building with a Spanish-speaking congregation. Some patrons at the library, where I work, speak Spanish as their first language. My sister-in-law is originally from Mexico. Really, the benefits of speaking Spanish are too numerous to mention.
So I was brave, and tried out the first lesson. While I was a bit confused about genders of certain words, I was amazed at what I learned about just a few basic phrases in the first lesson. Not only does Mango teach you how to speak the language, but it also teaches you informal/formal uses, genders, and so on. It was easy to understand, and I could listen and repeat each phrase as many times as I needed.
Next, I took a look at Little Pim, which is aimed at teaching languages to children ages 0-6. While I'm finding out that sometimes it's hard to teach an old dog (me) new tricks, I think I'll start my 4-year-old watching Little Pim. He's going to be able to learn much faster than me. And he'll remember it!
At 50,000 miles, I should service/inspect my cooling system hoses and clamps; service/inspect the exhaust system and heat shields; and inspect the fuel system. What? In my world, that's practically a foreign language. But I'll be sure to relay that pertinent information on to the proper individual (my husband). In addition, I need to replace my air cleaner filter. Got it.
In April 2013, a recall was issued for my car: Water Pump Shaft Seal Leaks. Hmmmm. I wonder if this is related to that yellow recall card I re-discovered the other day. Guess I need to call the dealership -- that recall is almost a year old!
I checked out the information on brakes in the repair section. An amazing amount of information was presented on brakes. None of which, of course, I understood. I guess I'll have the dealership check my brakes when I schedule my recall appointment. Come to think of it, those brakes have been a little bit noisy lately ...
Now, onto Mango Languages -- although foreign, perhaps more comprehensible to me than car-speak?
I chose to try out the language Spanish (Latin America), which is spoken by about 329 million people as their first language. It is spoken from Costa Rica to Chile to Buenos Aires (and everything in-between). While I have visited Machu Picchu in books, I'd love to actually see these mysterious ruins in person. The one thing holding me back (besides money!), is the language. I do not know Spanish. (I'm thinking it would have been more helpful to take Spanish in college instead of German!) Besides traveling, though, speaking the Spanish language right here -- where I live -- would be very beneficial. I attend a church that shares a building with a Spanish-speaking congregation. Some patrons at the library, where I work, speak Spanish as their first language. My sister-in-law is originally from Mexico. Really, the benefits of speaking Spanish are too numerous to mention.
So I was brave, and tried out the first lesson. While I was a bit confused about genders of certain words, I was amazed at what I learned about just a few basic phrases in the first lesson. Not only does Mango teach you how to speak the language, but it also teaches you informal/formal uses, genders, and so on. It was easy to understand, and I could listen and repeat each phrase as many times as I needed.
Next, I took a look at Little Pim, which is aimed at teaching languages to children ages 0-6. While I'm finding out that sometimes it's hard to teach an old dog (me) new tricks, I think I'll start my 4-year-old watching Little Pim. He's going to be able to learn much faster than me. And he'll remember it!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Welcome to the tundra!
Retrieved from
http://www.worldbookonline.com/pl/forkids/article?id=ar834065
What's not to love about polar bears? They're white, furry, and (appear to be!) lovable. My 4-year-old son is particularly interested in bears right now, so we've been checking out bear books.
I researched polar bears on the South Dakota State Library's World Book Online Public Library Edition. First, I browsed information available on the World Book Online for Kids (grades K-5). Then I checked out the same topic on World Book Online Info Finder (grades 5-9). The first version doesn't include as many details, and it is written in a way that is comprehensible to elementary-age children. The latter version goes into greater detail, and uses bigger words for upper grade students.
Next, I perused the World Book Online Reference Center, which is research tool for high-schoolers and adults. I was amazed at all the information I discovered here. I checked the interactive maps for the Arctic (especially interesting to me right now, as with the current temperatures I feel as if I live on the tundra), where I viewed numerous pictures showing life in the Arctic. But, really, there is no end to the amount of information available on the Reference Center. I discovered a dictionary, an e-books center (where there are hundreds of poems and books available to read and research), primary sources center (with documents such as the Declaration of Independence and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech), and a pathfinder to all sorts of information. The Center also has links to current events.
The possibilities are endless for those library patrons who are researching topics.
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