New & Noteworthy @ WHPLibrary

The sights and sounds of our "National Jukebox" are great fun, but how many websites also give you a behind the scenes look at the technology and talent that make it all possible? How did they take a huge pile of dusty old 78 rpm acoustical discs and transform them into a digitized collection of recordings, easily available to anyone with an internet connection?

When you go to www.loc.gov/jukebox, scroll down until you find the "How'd They Do That?" heading, under which you will see three clickable links. The first takes you to a fascinating, extensively captioned slide show. After starting the show, you can enlarge the photos by clicking on any one of them. This will make it necessary to scroll down for the captions, but will enable a closer, clearer image of the equipment. For a deeper understanding of "acoustical recordings" and "takes," return to the list for links to pages giving expanded explanations of these key terms.

What next? We'll be heading in a whole new direction. See you soon!

This is the 4th installment of a series of articles about the early sound recordings preserved and presented on the Library of Congress website. These reports were written by M.Cole, Reference Librarian

You can browse through the book, zoom in and out AND listen to the music!

Click on the image on the left to launch the interactive book.

Now you are ready to explore the book, read plot summaries, enjoy the wonderful period illustrations and listen to historic recordings. To make your musical selections, click on any of the little blue arrows that will appear next to the available pieces. The screen will change to one that provides complete recording information and the music will begin.

Have a great ride!

(This article was written by M.Cole)

Of the numerous tempting offerings on the Library of Congress's list of Digital Collections, a favorite of ours is "The National Jukebox" featured under the listing "Early Sound Recordings."

This ever expanding collection rests on its original foundation of 10,000 recordings made between 1901 and 1925. As you ready yourself for a journey back in time, be sure to turn up the volume on your computer! Sounds of the past are at your disposal as you make your selections from lists of music, comedy routines, historic speeches, dramatic scenes, monologues and more.

What a great way to imagine what it felt like to be alive in America 100 years ago! For example, you can hear the actual voice of William Howard Taft discussing the important political issues of his presidency. Waste no time. Go to www.loc.gov/jukebox/ and dive into history the fun way.

We'll be back next month with more on this subject.

(This article was written by M.Cole)

Long Island Talking Book Library (LITBL) is a free library service for individuals who cannot hold, handle or see well enough to use regular print books. LITBL is a subregional library of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the Library of Congress that produces books and magazines in braille and recorded media for people with visual or physical disabilities.

Downloading is the easiest and quickest way to obtain these National Library Service audio books. Using a blank digital cartridge or USB flash drive, LITBL patrons download books and play them on the digital talking book machine.

In the past, LITBL sent professionally recorded books and magazines as cassettes. Now the service has gone digital with a collection of digital books, which currently number about 25,000, including over 50 magazines. They are available for download via the BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) web site: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/.

The older cassette collection and the new digital cartridges can still be delivered by mail, but the new players support standard usb memory devices. Once a borrower has established service with LITBL, they may apply for a BARD account to begin downloading books that can be read from the special player lent to the eligible resident.

For information about talking books and magazines, Long Island residents should contact the Long Island Talking Book Library at the Suffolk Cooperative System.
627 North Sunrise Service Road, PO Box 9000, Bellport, NY 11713-9000; telephone: (631) 286-1600, toll-free: (866) 833-1122 (Nassau/Suffolk).
To find out more about braille materials they will be referred to the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library, 40 West 20 Street, NY, NY, 10011-4211.

Did you know that you can visit the Library of Congress online? And we're not just talking about searching the catalog. Since 1994, the library has been developing a collection of digitized photographs, manuscripts, maps, motion pictures, books and sound recordings! Yes, there is plenty to see and to read, but you can also listen to rare, historic recordings of music and the spoken word.

Explore this amazing resource by accessing the Library of Congress home page at www.loc.gov, then click on "DIGITAL COLLECTIONS" at the top of the page. Or watch this spot for future tidbits about this oasis that belongs to you, the people!

(This article was written by M.Cole)

        It's HERE!
OverDrive's app for iPhone® & Android™ allows you to download both EPUB eBooks and MP3 audiobooks directly to your phone. eBooks and audiobooks are combined into a single app that enables over-the-air downloads and streamlines your browse, checkout, and download experience using our library's Nassau Digital Doorway!

Get the mobile app today, then use your library card to download library books for free directly to your portable device! Got questions? Call your friendly librarian at 481-6591 or review these FAQ's.

Have you tried reading our downloadable books on your laptop or desktop computer? Are you thinking about getting an eReader for more readability and portability?

If so, check the Overdrive website to find out which devices currently allow you to use our library's free downloadable audiobooks and eBooks.

The West Hempstead Public Library is proud to be part of the Nassau Digital Doorway (NDD) service which provides online access to best-selling and classic audiobooks for your listening pleasure.
Download and listen to content from your home computer, transfer the digital media to your compatible MP3 player, or burn them onto a CD (when allowed by the publisher). Patrons may check out up to five titles at a time, and at the end of the seven day lending period, the audiobooks will expire from the PC and automatically be returned to the digital collection, so you never have to worry about late fees.

To access the West Hempstead Public Library digital audiobook collection you will need:
      1. A valid West Hempstead Public library card in good standing
      2. Access to the Internet (high-speed connection preferred)
      3. Free downloadable software that transfers audiobooks to your computer

Please note that digital downloads can be enjoyed at home, at work, or when you travel, but are generally not for use on the computers in your library.

Before you get started, be sure to read the Quickstart Guide and the Digital Help-FAQ found in the upper right corner of the Nassau Digital Doorway's homepage. If you have the time, and a high speed connection, view the Guided Tour for an easy introduction to this convenient new service!

Have you tried one yet? These little bundles of cuteness are MP3 pre-loaded audiobooks that can be reserved for you at the library or using the online catalog.

Every Playaway comes pre-loaded with one rechargeable AAA battery that will provide an average of 20 hours of playtime. The majority of titles will only require one battery to listen to the entire title. Do not throw away the rechargeable battery if drained. Just put it in the Playaway Case and return it with the rest of the items.

You'll need to use your own earphones, or purchase a pair from the Circulation Desk for $2.00. Click here to Check out our collection!

The West Hempstead Public Library can help.

We have dozens of travel guides that you may borrow, including books from Fodor’s, Frommer’s, Insiders’ Guide, Eyewitness Travel, Moon Handbooks, Lonely Planet and Rick Steves. Also available are travel DVDs and videotapes to get you inspired and help you plan.

While traveling, why not check out one, two or three of our audiobooks? Choose among our many fiction and non-fiction selections. They will keep you entertained and stimulated for hours. Musical CDs are another great choice for relaxation or fun while driving or jogging or passing the time. We have selections for both children and adults.

Whether you’re traveling to New Jersey or to France, don’t forget to visit the West Hempstead Public Library before you go. Have a great trip!