Albert Lea Public Library

November is National Novel Writing Month!

If you've ever wanted to jump into writing now is the time! NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) is an annual event and there is a fantastic website dedicated to helping you write your novel.

This website offers tools and forums to get you putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

For more help in writing your story, visit the library and peruse our nonfiction collection - we have several books on how to develop your plot and characters, writer's voice and more!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

If you're looking for a new series, why not try Dexter? Dark, gruesome and humorous, this series will hit the spot for mystery readers. This series is available from our eBook collection. Dexter doesn't sound like your cup of tea? With over 2,000 digital titles (over 900 of them eBooks) you'll be sure to find something.

Consumption by Kevin Patterson

Just one of the great titles available as an eBook from our digital collection:

Born in the 1950s, Victoria knows nothing but the nomadic life of the Inuit until, at age ten, she is sent to a sanitarium to recover from tuberculosis. Six years later, she returns to a radically different world, a stranger to her family and culture. She marries a non-Inuit, Robertson; as their children gravitate toward the pop culture of the mainland, and as her husband exploits the economic opportunities that the Arctic offers, Victoria is torn between her family and her ancestors, between the communal life of the North and the material life of the "South." Kevin Patterson, acclaimed author of The Water in Between and Country of Cold, exposes the consequences of cultural assimilation, and the toll that modernization takes on communities in this epic novel of the Arctic.

Insomnia and No Books?

The OverDrive collection of ebooks and audiobooks is a great thing! No matter the day of the week or time of the day, you can access and download new books to read or listen to on your computer and other devices. All you need is an Albert Lea Public Library card and internet connection. Visit the help section to learn more.

New content is added frequently - look for New York Best Sellers, old favorite, or that classic book you've been meaning to get around to reading. There's something for everyone.

When Did the Statue of Liberty Turn Green?: And 101 Other Questions About New York City

For years the New-York Historical Society has collected the questions put to them by curious New Yorkers and visitors. Who was the first woman to run for Mayor of New York? Why are beavers featured on the city's official seal? Is it true that a nineteenth-century New Yorker built a house out of spite? Questions involve people, places, buildings, monuments, rumors, and urban myths. They concern sports, food, transportation, the arts, Central Park, politics, nature, and tourism, among many other subjects, attesting to the infinite varieties of story hidden within the most intriguing metropolis in the world.With this book, the history of New York takes on a whole new, fascinating dimension. Choosing 102 of their most popular and compelling queries, the staff at the New-York Historical Library has assembled an endlessly entertaining collection of hard-to-find answers and unforgettable profiles, preserving a snapshot of New York's secret history for future generations to enjoy. Making use of their library's extensive collections, these librarians provide answers to the questions already listed above as well as many other inquiries. When was the first book printed in New York? Is it true that residents of ghetto housing once presented rats to government housing officials? Were premature babies displayed in Coney Island? Who were the Collyer brothers, and why were they famous? For readers who love trivia, urban history, strange tales, and, of course, New York, this book will delight with its rich, informative, and surprising stories.

Come follow us on Twitter!

You can now follow the Albert Lea Public Library on Twitter.   Hear about the latest events and upcoming programs.

ALPL...Now on Facebook!

If you love Facebook, why not become a Fan of the Albert Lea Public Library. You'll get news about upcoming events and programs at the library.

Every Day is Earth Day!

It's been 40 years since Earth Day was founded on April 22nd, 1970 as a way to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.  The Library is doing our part by reducing, reusing and recycling.  What things can you do to help save the environment?  These books will give you some great ideas.
The Green Book 333.72 Rog
Gorgeously Green 333.72 Uli
Becoming Green DVD/333.72 Bec
Green Guide: Complete Reference for Consuming Wisely 333.72 Gre
Hey, Mr. Green 640 Sch
Ecoholic 640 Vas 
There are also many websites with a lot of helpful information.  Go to www.wecansolveit.org, www.thegreenguide.com/, http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915 to help you get started.

Countdown to the Olympics-- 4 Days to Go

The 2010 Winter Games begin this Friday, February 12th. 
Here are a few websites to visit if you are a big fan or just want to learn more.
Vancouver2010-  Official schedule and live results for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Live Sport Schedules, Events and Results Coverage.
Olympic.org-   Official website of the Olympic Movement.
Sports-Reference.com-  A combination of sites providing statistics and resources for sports fans everywhere.
Team USA.org-  Find Official News & Updates on the US Team from the United States Olympic Committee.

Have You Tried the New Online Catalog?

Have you tried the new online catalog yet? If so, you'll notice that it is quite different and has some new functions. If you used to keep a list of books on the old list, you'll notice that you can't add any more. You'll need to make a new list in "My Discoveries." Some new functions we think you might enjoy:

• format searching (find the material you want - book, movie, cd)
• more pictures - see the cover of the book or movie
• My Discoveries

We hope you enjoy the new catalog - but if you have any questions please ask. We're always happy to help!

Let it Snow

Here are some websites with ideas to create your own snowflakes from paper or online and learn interesting scientific info about them.

Snow Crystals Collection
Make a Flake
Snow Days
3-D Paper Snowflakes
Snow Crystals
Snowflake Designer
Snowflake Factory

School Library Journal- January 2010 issue

Hear Classic Children's Stories on Classics On-the-Go

ALPL's podcast Classics On-the-Go features great children's stories, poems and fairy tales told by our gracious volunteers - your friends and neighbors. Don't miss out on Twas the Night Before Christmas, Peter Rabbit and more. You'll have so much fun imagining the story as you listen along.

Download these stories and they will also make quick work of road trips - the whole family can enjoy listening together.

Get Snowed In with a Book

It seems that winter weather is upon us. If you are stuck at home without a book to read, why not check out our catalog and browse for something to check out or request if it is currently out. To login, you will need your barcode number (with no spaces) and your PIN. Your PIN is just the last four numbers of your telephone number.

Homework Help

Getting the answers to tough questions is much easier thanks to the internet.  Remember the days when the dusty volumes of the encyclopedia was the best source of information?   Now if you are wondering what the square root of 1 trillion is, or how many miles it is from the earth to the moon you can get the answer with the click of your mouse.  It about more than just googling- there are tons of terrific, reliable and free websites to help you in your search.  Here are some to try if you have a paper to write or just need help with everyday questions.
www.BibMe.com  (All ages) This site prepares appropriate formatting to create a neat and detailed bibliography.  All you need to do is type in the title or author of the book, or the magazine or newspaper article and bibme does the rest.
www.bing.com  (All ages) A new search engine from Microsoft designed with students in mind.  Great if you need a photo or video. Also has interesting, informative tidbits that will start kids on a quest to know more.
www.cramster.com  (Teens) A social network built around math and math-based subjects aimed at students in high school and college.  They can post queries to Q&A boards and access study guides for solving problems.
www.evernote.com  (All ages) This is your organizational tool to store papers, ideas and web research.  You can scan, photograph or cut and paste everything you need to remember and store it right on the site.  It has a helpful search tool that you can pull up any document by typing in the keyword.
www.livemocha.com  (Teens) Sign up to learn one of 26 languages in a series of visual, fun multi-media classes.  Take lessons with other members, and have them corrected by a native speaker on this innovative social-network-meets-language class site.
www.MyCollegeCalendar.org  (Teens) Tell the wizard what grade you are in and what college you're considering and it will set up a calendar to adhere to.
www.scholar.google.com (All ages)  Skip unreliable sources when using google.  Instead of scouring the entire web for answers, it checks only scholarly works from academic publishers, societies and universities.
www.thefreedictionary.com  (All ages) Scan definitions, and hear correct pronunciations to words you are looking for.
www.WolframAlpha.com  (All ages) Get the answer to any math problem in addition to what happened on this date in history.
This information was taken from the Family Circle magazine's October 09 issue.

Free Internet Access - 1 Hour/Day

Library patrons can enjoy 1 hour per day of internet access/computer use. Just be sure to bring your library card as you'll need that and your PIN (last four numbers of your phone number) to log in. If you don't use your full hour and you log off, your remaining minutes will be saved for you. This is just one of the many great services available at your library.

• Adults may log in at the Information Library.
• Teens may use the computers located on the 3rd Floor in the Fiction Library.
• Children and parents who are accompanying children may use the computers located in the Children's Library.

If you are unfamiliar with computers, or know someone who would like to brush up on their skills, just stop by the circulation desk and inquire about upcoming basic computer classes for adults.