New & Noteworthy @ WHPLibrary

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE LIBRARY?
77 patrons answered our first survey of 2010. Multiple responses were allowed so some patrons voted for more than one service. Here are the results in rank order:

42 = Free DVD's, CD's, downloadable books
38 = Free Programs for all ages
34 = Free Internet access
28 = Free Museum passes
12 = Free On-Line Tutoring

Not surprisingly, our free media products (movies, music, recorded books) are most appreciated. Trailing by 4 votes are the free programs (trips, crafts, exercise, concerts) we offer to children, young adults, and adults. Another 4 points behind in popularity is the free Internet access we provide to young adults and adults in the main library and to children for homework assignments in the Children's Room.

A more selective group voted for the free Museum passes. Perhaps this is a service you have not checked out yet. Remember that we have Family Passes that you may borrow for a few days as well as the Museum Lottery we hold 5 times a year for tickets to the New York Hall of Science. Don't miss your chance for the next giveaway in February!

The least favorite service is the free on-line tutoring. We think we need to do a much better job of promoting this very valuable service. Not everyone will need to take advantage of it, but you should know that it's not just for kids. In addition to academic subjects for elementary through high school, the tutors help adults in the areas of Citizenship, Financial Literacy, GED, Helping Children with Homework, Job Openings, Job Resources, Resumes and Cover Letters. Be sure to check it out, on our library homepage.

Thanks for participating! Our February survey will be about social media.

In today's economy, what's the one place you can go to get help with a resume (Career Library and Learning Express), learn new job skills (Career Cruising and Learning Express), connect to employers on the Internet, or find quiet study areas to prep for certification tests - all for free?

You can do all of that and more @ the West Hempstead Public Library. Our Communities Thrive @ your library. Call us for more information, 481-6591 or email the Reference Librarians: westhempsteadpl@yahoo.com.

Even if you can't do-it-yourself, you can save yourself time and worry about your family's safety on the road and be prepared for your next trip to your auto mechanic.

Come to the library and check out our new auto maintenance database. ALLDATA Online contains an easy search tool for finding your car's make, model and engine type, with shortcuts to popular information to help both the novice owner and the shop technician.

Sections include:
- Maintenance
- Diagnostic Trouble Codes and Charts
- Technical Service Bulletins
- Specifications
- Diagrams and Diagnostic Aids
- Component Locations

This database is free for use only in the library, so come in and try it out!

Here are some important links to help you get your family through the flu season safely.

The Nassau County Health Department updates its website with local news on flu shot risks, priorities and locations. Check back frequently for changes, or call Seasonal Flu & H1N1 (Swine flu) Call Center, Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4 pm, 1-888-684-4271.

• Swine Flu Information


• Seasonal Flu Locator


• FLU SHOT HOTLINE 227-8967

Reference Librarian, Jean King, is our resident genealogy specialist. She has many years experience working on her own family tree and knows many of the intricacies and stumbling blocks you may face during the process of tracing your family history. In this workshop, she will use the big screen in the community room on the lower level to demonstrate our two library databases that consolidate a wealth of information to help you get started.

With HeritageQuest you can search the U.S. Census, Revolutionary War records, and local and family history books.

With Ancestry.com Library Edition (available only in the library) you can search the U.S. Census, military records, immigration records, directories, member lists, vital records and more!

Sign up at the Reference Desk, or call 481-6591 ext. 22, to register for the workshop on Thursday, April 23 from 10:30 am - Noon.

Teachers! Don't miss a great resource for teaching with visual humor.

Editorial Cartoons and Questions are a special feature of all the databases that are a part of the Facts On File News Services. To find these databases, which include

World News Digest,
Issues and Controversies,
Issues and Controversies in American History,
Today's Science

Click on Databases on our library's home page or bookmark the link at www.whplibrary.org/research.

The Editorial Cartoons and Questions are located in the Special Features section, which is found in the central lower panel of each database's home page.

Each cartoon comes with questions designed to elicit critical thinking about the meaning of the cartoon, the point of view behind it, or the method used by the artist to convey the message. The cartoons are linked to resources within each database that help answer the questions posed.

Got questions? Click through to our Live Librarian® service anytime, day or night, if you have basic reference questions and would like a private, one-on-one, CHAT session with a Reference Librarian.

The Live Librarian® Reference Librarians cannot provide legal, medical or tax advice, or computer technical support. What they will do is use a variety of online subscription products and the Internet to answer your questions and help you with your Internet searches.

When the question requires more in-depth research tools than are available online, the Live Librarian® may refer users to their home library. Find our Live Librarian® logo on the left side panel of our West Hempstead Public Library website, www.whplibrary.org/

If you missed our genealogy class in April, you may still get help with your genealogy questions using our Book-a-Librarian service.

Make an appointment with a Reference Librarian who can help you save time, money and effort using a very valuable resource for genealogical and historical research, and it's available only in the library!

Ancestry Library Edition centralizes records from the U.S. census, military records, court, land and probate records, vital and church records, directories, passenger lists, passport applications and more. The collections are constantly expanding with new content added almost every day.

Book-a-Librarian service is restricted to West Hempstead Library cardholders. Call to make an appointment (516) 481-6591 or email the Reference Desk.

Have you heard about our new Book-a-Librarian service?

Whether you need help tracking down consumer information, tracing your family roots, or exploring ideas on what to read next, we can help.

With our Book-a-Librarian service you may reserve a free 30-minute session with a professional reference librarian to help you navigate through the many informational resources available to you in the library, through our catalog, in our databases and on the internet.

Just fill out a Book-a-Librarian Request Form in the library or email or call the Reference Desk at 516-481-6591 to request the service. Each request will be given to a Reference Librarian who will schedule your personal appointment at a mutually convenient time

Book-a-Librarian appointments must be scheduled in advance and are restricted to West Hempstead Public Library cardholders.

Here is an excellent opportunity to get help researching your family history.

Our workshop on Wednesday, April 9 from 10-11:30 am, will focus on the valuable resources your library provides to help you dig through the myriad records that exist scattered in bits and pieces in various hard-to-access records. The Ancestry Library Edition provides a wealth of information in one convenient place and is available only in the library.

Bring your genealogy questions and our experienced reference librarian will help you find the answers to help you identify your kin.

If you can't make it to the workshop, you might consider using our new Book-a-Librarian Service, which allows West Hempstead patrons to reserve a free 30-minute session with a professional librarian to focus on your research interests.

Call the library 481-6591 or email us for more information.

Join with us on Friday, February 1, 2008, as WHPLibrary staff participates in National Wear Red Day—a day when Americans will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. Unfortunately, the "Heart Truth" is that women don't take their risk of heart disease seriously—or personally.

Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their own chance of developing heart disease. The "Heart Truth" is that one in four women dies of heart disease. Heart disease can also lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life.

What's a Red Dress got to do with it? It's a simple visual alert to get the message heard loud and clear: "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear—It's the #1 Killer of Women."

The Heart Truth campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For National Wear Red Day ideas and resources available in Spanish, go to the en español page.

For more information:
FAQ on Heart Disease: US Dept. of Health & Human Services
Heart Disease in Women: Medline
Online Heart Checkup: American Heart Association
Ten Questions to ask your Doctor: Laura Bush

Check out the visual cues included in our Online Catalog to help you make sense of the different types of materials you may find in our Library System or from our Online Library Resources.

When you do a title, author, keyword or any search that brings up a list of items, in the rightmost column you will see icons that indicate that we offer much more than just books. Take a look, and see!

Icon for books and magazines in the library

Icon for audiobooks - sound recordings in audiocassette or CD formats

Icon for electronic resources linking directly to full-text online books
HINT: Try a Keyword/Simple Boolean search on "Gale Virtual"

Icon for musical recordings - cassette or CD formats

Icon for videorecordings - movies or tv shows in videocassette or DVD formats

Icon for special combination kits, such as "Bookclub in a Bag" or children's multimedia packages

We offer a great resource that may help you find the career that is perfect just for you!

You can access the Career Cruising database at home or in the library to find jobs that match your unique interests, learn about different occupations, and find out how to get the best education to jumpstart your new career!

The Career Cruising database is updated frequently with new features and content to stay relevant. Here are just a few of the new occupational profiles recently added to the Explore Careers section.

The pressure is on to complete your Science Fair Project... We can help with our Virtual Science Reference Books! Check out the titles listed here!
Here's a tip:
Click on the book title, then click on the eTable of Contents, then click on each page to reach the content. A little bit of work, but well worth the time and effort to discover all this information ONLINE! 24/7! There are lots of illustrations, in full color, too.
You will need to enter your library barcode, so have it ready!
And have fun at the Fair!

Announcing the arrival of our newest database: Science Reference Center.

Science Reference Center is a comprehensive research database that provides easy access to 639 full-text science-specific titles. Designed to support the middle and high school curriculums, Science Reference Center encompasses all disciplines of science.

Biology, chemistry, earth, space, life, physical, and environmental sciences are covered as well as health and medicine, science in society, science as inquiry, history of science, technology, scientists, and wildlife. Sources include reference books, encyclopedias, periodicals, newspapers, biographies and images. (Source: EBSCO Support web site)

To access the Science Reference Center,

Go to: www.whplibrary.org/research
Click on E and then on EBSCOhost Web.
Enter your library barcode number.
Click on Science Reference Center.

Did you know that even without your library card, you can get access to high quality research, news and magazine articles? Just use your driver's license number to search for information 24/7 using New York State's online library. Go to the NOVELNY website to search for magazines and newspapers by title, or to browse the databases by subject area.

Students, educators, business people, health professionals, shoppers! We have something for everyone.

You may also access the contents of NovelNY using our research database page. Using your library card, you will find these resources listed separately by database name or grouped under the Gale Virtual Library and the EBSCO host links.

Questions? Ask a reference librarian, 481-6591

So...what do you want to be when you grow up??

Whether you are 13, or 35 (and looking for a change), we can offer inspiration and information.

Find career descriptions, search for colleges and universities that offer programs of interest and financial aid, use the career matchmaker to explore occupations that suit your interests and lifestyle demands.

You can even create a career portfolio with notes or questions to share with your college adviser and begin building a resume for your first job in your new career. Check out Career Cruising today! You will find it on our research database page under "C."

Are you looking for information about animals? Is the library closed?

Here are some reliable sources available online 24 hours a day, courtesy of the West Hempstead Public Library. To access all of these databases, go to: www.whplibrary.org/research/

and click on

K for Kidsearch

G for Groliers

E for Electric Library

Hint: Try searching the animal name both in singular and plural (e.g., cat or cats). Here are some more tips for using these research tools.

Here are some reliable resources for classroom assignments related to biomes.

Some are Reference Books (for use only in the library). Others are Non-Fiction Books you can check out (Use the Dewey numbers to find them). Database links may be used in the library or from home to access resources such as Groliers New Book of Popular Science.
We have also included a select list of web sites. (Point to the links with your mouse to open the websites.)

Questions? Need help using these research tools? Call the reference desk (481-6591), drop in, or ask a reference librarian.

Much as we love to see people in the library, here is another reason to stay at home. You can now browse the actual contents of over 327 reference books in our library's e-book collection right from the library's online catalog. These are some of the titles in our electronic book collection:

• Encyclopaedia Judaica;
  
• New Catholic Encyclopedia;
  
• Countries and Their Cultures;
  
• Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia;
  
• Middle Ages Reference Library;
  
• Encyclopedia of World Biography;
  
• Capital Punishment: Cruel and Unusual.
  

1. From our library website www.whplibrary.org click on SEARCH OUR ONLINE CATALOG or go directly to the library catalog at www.alisweb.org
   
2. Click on “Special Collections”.
   
3. Click on “Virtual Reference Library”.
   
4. In the alphabetically arranged results list, find and click on the title you want.
   
5. In the catalog description for that title, find and click on the link in the “Connect to” box that says "Available via Gale Virtual Reference Library..."
   
6. You now have access to the contents of e-book you've chosen. You can read pages online or download them.
   

Our databases are high quality and expensive resources that are replacing many of our printed reference books and encyclopedias. For students, these are more reliable resources than the information they often find when they search the world wide web. Unfortunately, most people find it easier to search the web than to search our databases. Our job is to try to make students, and the public in general, aware of our valuable resources, and to make the resources easier to access.

Check out our Research Online pages on our library website.

Give us your suggestions on how to make these web pages and our databases easier to use!