Albert Lea Public Library

Networking on the Internet: Professional vs. Personal

Networking on the Internet can be done just for fun or to help widen professional contacts. Many web-savvy people are aware of MySpace and may even have their own page. In recent articles and broadcasts, however, it has been expressed that employers may surf the net prior to interviewing or hiring and prospective employees and that the employers may steer clear of those who post on MySpace. So, if you're in the market for a job maybe now is the time to edit your MySpace page for appropriate content and to utilize a tool that will help.

A professional networking tool that has been getting a lot of coverage is Linked In. Linked In is a great tool to network professionally.  Using Linked In may help you to stand apart from the overwhelming variety that can be found on MySpace, the networking page that touts itself as the "place for friends." In the end, maybe a balance can be found between work and play. Linked In and MySpace both offer free registration.

Patrons are welcome to access the internet at the Albert Lea Public Library. Patrons may log on to a public access computer using their library card. Or, patrons who have their own laptop may use the free Wi-FI (wireless internet) service if their laptop is Wi-Fi compatable.

Travel Fun

Road trips are a great opportunity to explore new places, spend time with your family and leave the ordinary behind.  Make the miles speed by with some travel games.  Pick up one of these books and activities with fun ideas on how to pass the time.


Fun on the Run  j793.7 Col-  A collection of games and songs to enjoy while traveling.  Including word games, memory games, license plate and geography games.  Also, some funny jokes and riddles.


Rubber Neckers  j031.02 Rub-  This is a game to be played by all passengers in the car.  Everyone tries to spot the items listed on the card.  Each card has a value and the first person to 100 points wins!

Miles of Smiles-  When you hit the road this summer, be sure to take this along.  It includes top-10 travel tips plus games and quizzes.  A separate travel journal helps you capture memories of the fun you had, and a board game gives everyone something to do.

Read it again!

With so many great books to read, do you like to re-read the same books over and over? I think we all do.  Sometimes it seems as if the characters are like old friends and you want to visit them again.  Or other books can be very involved or complex and every time you read them you see something new or understand more.  If you read fast you can end up missing bits in a book, reading it again can be like reading it for the first time.  So, what books do you read or look at many times?  A certain series or author?  Let me know your favorites.  Email achance@selco.info

MEMORIAL DAY, MONDAY, MAY 28

This U.S. holiday stretches back to the end of World War I and commemorates the nation's thousands of combat veterans who fought and died in the service of their country. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5,1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic and was first observed on May 30,1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead. To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance Resolution" was passed on Dec. 2000 and requests that at 3 p.m. local time, all Americans "voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to "Taps".

TRAVEL MAGAZINES

Travel books are informational, travel videos are beautiful but don't forget travel magazines which are both.  The library has numerous magazines that can assist one in planning a vacation whether in Minnesota or another state, even internationally.  A few of them are:

Arizona Highways

Backpacker: the outdoors at your doorstep

Mpls St Paul

Midwest Living

National Geographic Adventure

National Geographic Traveler

National Parks

Sunset: living and traveling in the West

CLOSED ON MEMORIAL DAY

In observance of Memorial Day, the Albert Lea Public Library will be closed on Monday, May 28, 2007.  We will be open Saturday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 27 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Pirates of the Carribean Trivia Answer

At the conclusion of Dead Man's Chest Will, Elizabeth and company find refuge with Tia Dalma, who offers them the opportunity to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker.  She says they will need a captain, "who knows these waters" prompting the reappearance of someone from the first film.  Who is this person?
ANSWER:  Captain Barbossa

Tomorrow is National Missing Children Day

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25th to be National Missing Children's Day. According the the U. S. Department of Justice 797,500 children go missing annually - that's 2,185 being reported missing each day. Regarding children who are exploited, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be sexually victimized. For children ages ten through seventeen, 1 in 7 received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet.

In the Children's Room, adults can find What to Do If You Get Lost by Cynthia MacGregor (E-R 613.8 Mac) to help teach kids know what to do if they get lost. Also available is The Dark Side of the Internet: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Online Criminals by Paul Bocij (005.8 Boc) in the adult's library.

A to help girls develop self-esteem and deal with issues of survival and victimization are Respect: A Girl's Guide to Getting Respect and Dealing When Your Line is Crossed by Courtney Macavinta (j158.1 Mac),

For more information, visit The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Pirates of the Caribbean 3

At World's End is almost here! On May 25th, theaters will be showing the 3rd film in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.  In 2003 came The Curse of the Black Pearl followed by 2006 Dead Man's Chest. 
At the conclusion of the last movie Will, Elizabeth and company find refuge with Tia Dalma, who offers them the opportunity to rescue Captain Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker.  She says they will need a captain, "who knows these waters" prompting the reappearance of someone from the first film. 
TRIVIA:  Who is this person?   Watch for the answer on tomorrow's blog.

Just two more weeks

It seems to have taken forever to get here.  You are probably looking forward to getting out of school soon, right?  All these nice warm days and the long sunny evenings.
You are not the only ones looking forward to the end of the school year. We are too! Yes, the Children's Library is ready for summer because a library full of kids is a wonderful thing. 
We have so many great activities and programs planned. The Summer Reading Program kicks off June 11th and it is going to be great!  Here are some of the things to do @ YOUR library this summer.

For the younger ones- ages 2-6
Storytime- Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Kids K-5th grade
L.A.F. (Library Afternoon Fun)- Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.

All ages welcome
Special programs each Wednesday, some of which include;
a magician, decorate your hat, a spy party, talent show, and more!!

Check the website for exact dates and times. 
Due to the renovation, all activities will be held at the Civic Theatre- 147 North Broadway.  We'll see you there!

TRAVEL MINNESOTA THIS SUMMER

With gas prices escalating, think about spending your vacation in your home state of Minnesota.  The North Shore Drive, the Boundary Water Canoe Area, the beautiful bluffs of LaCrescent, our wonderful state parks, boating  at Lake Pepin, fishing on Lake of the Woods, the Minnesota Zoo, the cultural attractions in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the resort area, hiking, camping, the list is endless.  The Albert Lea Public Library has many Minnesota travel books:

Minnesota History Along the Highways by Sarah P. Rubinstein

Minnesota Curiosities by Russ Ringsak

Great Minnesota Walks by William McGrath

The Minnesota Guide by Anne Gillespie Lewis

Minnesota Family Weekends; 23 fun trips for you and the kids by Martin Hintz

Hiking Minnesota by John Pukite

Natural Wonders of Minnesota; parks, preserves and wild places by  Martin Hintz\

Minnesota State Parks by Anne Arthur

Great Minnesota Weekend Adventures by Beth Gauper

THE HISTORY OF THE POSTAGE STAMP

Monday, May 14, the price of a postage stamp became $.41. This summer the National Postal Museum celebrates the anniversary of a watershed event in America's postal history. One hundred and fifty years ago, on July 1, 1847, the first federal United States postage stamps were issued in New York City. Some significant dates in postal history are:

1775 - Benjamin Franklin appointed first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress
1847 - U. S. postage stamps issued
1855 - Prepayment of postage required
1860 - Pony Express began
1863 - Free city delivery began
1873 - U.S. Postal cards issued
1874 - General Postal Union (now Universal Postal Union) established
1893 - First commemorative stamps issued
1896 - Rural free delivery begins
1913 - Parcel Post® began
1918 - Scheduled airmail service began
1950 - Residential deliveries reduced to one a day
1957 - Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee established
1963 - ZIP Code inaugurated
1970 - Experimental Express Mail® service began
1971 - United States Postal Service® began operations
1971 - Labor contract negotiated through collective bargaining, a federal government "first"
1974 - Self-adhesive stamps introduced
1982 - Last year Postal Service accepted public service subsidy
1983 - ZIP+4® Code began
1993 - National Postal Museum opened
1997 - Postal Service™ launched public internet site
1998 - First U.S. semi-postal issued
2002 - President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service® established
 

Reading Statistics

According to statistics from to Jarrold Jenkins of the Jenkins Group, approximately one-third of adults never read another book to completion for the rest of their lives after graduation from high school.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2002, that within the last 12 months 19 percent of adults age 25 or older with less than a high school diploma reported that they had read literature, compared with 67 percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

When viewing these statistics we might ask ourselves, how has literacy and the act of reading enriched our lives and can we imagine being without it?

For statistics on library use nation-wide, you can visit the American Library Association.

I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage. Charles de Secondat (1689-1755)

CONSTRUCTION NEWS !!

Due to construction, the front entrance to the city center will be temporarily closed.  Library patrons are requested to enter from the Fountain Street  entrance located at the rear of the building. Patrons may access the Children's Room by the main stairs or elevator.  To access the Adult Library, patrons must enter the Children's Room and then use the staff stairs or elevator to reach the third floor.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Saving Our Environment

You've probably heard lately that the environment is in rough shape, and humans are responsible. Learning about the effects of climate change and global warming can be scary, but you don't have to wait until you are an adult to do something about it.  If we all make small changes to the way we live, we can make a BIG DIFFERENCE to the planet.

Here are some of the things that I do - what are you going to do to help?

• Use reusable cloth bags for shopping
• Use rechargeable batteries, instead of disposable ones
• Recycle paper products, aluminum, glass, plastic, batteries and everything else possible
• Ride your bike or walk to reduce pollution and conserve gas   
• Avoid buying disposable products or things that have lots of packaging
• Save electricity by turning off the lights, T.V., and other electrical items
• Use fluorescent bulbs- they will save money in the long run too
• Turn off the faucet and take shorter showers- (you could save an average of 8 gallons of water if you don't run the water while brushing your teeth)
• Plant a tree- trees soak up carbon dioxide (one of the greenhouse gases) from the air
  
  Remember, no matter how small it may seem, the best way to help out is to do something. So, let's get busy!