Thursday, January 31, 2008

Focus on Suspense

Cool Kids Site of the Week

Little Critter - Jokes, puzzles, songs, games and stories from children's author and illustrator, Mercer Mayer.

And be sure to check out the Mercer Mayer books we have in our collection.

Friday, January 25, 2008

♂ §ightings at the Bedford Publiç £ibrary ♀

***Äliens Ünite!!!***

Last weekend, the question "Aliens in America?" was answered with a resounding YES. At approximately 13:00 hours on January the 19th, a slew of extraterrestrial beings came to the first meeting of the making of the newest teen hot spot, Area 51. Area 51 is designed specifically for junior high and high school students who need a place to be themselves. It will be personalized with our own creative touch, a mix of our everyday lives and alien economy. The future Area 51 may include its own computers, bulletins to express what you enjoy and to let you know what's up, polls to vote on, book preferences, renovations, and favorites, as well as crop-circled carpets and "swishy doors."(always a plus!)

But with all the homework being done (*cough*), we all need a way to relax, so Area 51 will be hosting movies, competitions, mini-concerts, and parties throughout the year as a way to show our appreciation for your support. All of our alien visitors agreed that our many ideas were inspiring, but we also know that it will take a lot of effort to get it done. That's why we need your help. If there are any teens out there with ideas on how we could make Area 51 more enjoyable, then plan to attend our next meeting on Saturday, February 23rd at 3:00 pm in the library. Hope to see some new faces soon! AU!!!

- Area 51 Teens :)

Thursday, January 24, 2008

What type of fiction do you enjoy reading the most?

Do you love a mystery? Can't wait for that happily ever after ending? Or maybe you prefer stories about distant and future worlds. Whatever you like to read be sure to vote in our fiction poll then view the results so you can see what others are reading. The poll closes on February 7th.

Focus on Mystery

Cool Kids Site of the Week

SparkTop.org - this is a great activity-based site for kids. Paint pictures, write stories and poems, and talk to other kids with difficulties.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Don't limit yourself to Google - Try Texshare

Sure you can find a lot of stuff on Google but not everything. Try using the TexShare Databases - they contain full-text articles in encyclopedias, almanacs, magazines, newspapers, professional and scientific journals, and electronic books.

You’ll find valid information on health, business, biography and genealogy, literature, history, current events, art, economics, religion, psychology, science as well as homework help for students, and bibliographic information on books and articles.

These are subscription databases paid for by the Texas State Library for use by participating libraries. Access is free-of-charge to Bedford library cardholders and visitors to the Bedford Public Library. Please contact Bedford Public Library for the login and password.

New web resource - WorldCat Identities

Here's an interesting and helpful new resource called WorldCat Identities provided by WorldCat, the world's largest network of library content and services.

WorldCat Identities presents an "identity" or profile of a particular person or company based on information and associations stored in the WorldCat bibliographic database. Identities can include authors, musicians, actors, publilshers or film studios.

Try it out. Just type in your favorite author and get a page that lists a publication timeline, works by and about the chosen identity, related subject headings and genres, audience level, related identities, book jacket covers and more.

The site also features a ‘cloud tag’ of the top 100 identities.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Cool Kids Site of the Week

Kaboose Funschool - this site provides tons of interactive games and activities to keep preschoolers busy.

Great New Books!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Bedford Bookworms to discuss The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks


Join the Bedford Bookworms on Thursday, January 17th at lunch to discuss The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. The novel is based on the true experiences of a Civil War heroine who witnesses the bloodshed of the Battle of Franklin, falls in love with a wounded man, and dedicates her home as a burial site for fallen soldiers.

Bedford Bookworms meet the third Thursday of each month from 12:00 - 1:30 pm. No registration is required for this free library program, sponsored by the Friends of the Bedford Public Library. Copies of the selected titles are available for the discounted price of $5 at the library.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

It's tax time again!

We've got forms and instructions. And here are some links that might help you out - federal and state forms, tax tips, where to mail a form, tax help locations. You'd better start now - you've only got until April 15th.

Software upgrade

The library will be upgrading its software on Tuesday evening, January 15th. The library catalog will be unavailable from approximately 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The upgrade will allow us to further customize our catalog and staff functions as well as bring you some new features.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Everybody needs a Library ELF

Can't remember to return your books? Always have fines? Well, no more. Just start using Library ELF. Keep track of what's due, overdue and ready for pickup. Read more about it and sign up.

Cool Kids Site of the Week

StoryPlace - the Children's Digital Library has online stories, games and activities, reading lists and more. From the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County.

An Afternoon of Romance

Need a little romance? Make a date with the Friends of the Bedford Public Library for An Afternoon of Romance at the North Richland Hills Barnes & Noble. Meet successful romance authors and learn what it takes to get published.

There will be a reception and raffle for romantic prizes throughout the afternoon. Purchase a personalized Valentine's Day gift for the Romance Reader in your life.

The following authors will be present for autographs:

Candace Havens (Like A Charm)
Cindy Dees (The Medusa Seduction)
Judy Christenberry (A Randall Hero)
Karen Kelley (Cosmic Sex)

Present a Bedford Public Library voucher when you make your purchase on Saturday, February 2 and 10% of the sale will be donated to the Friends of the Bedford Public Library (IRS 501(c)3). Vouchers are available in the Library or click on Bookfair Voucher below.

Schedule of Events
1:00 - 2:00 pm Romance Author Panel Discussion & Reception
2:00 - 4:00 pm Book Signing & Raffles

Location: Barnes & Noble Booksellers - 8525 Airport Freeway - N. Richland Hills, TX 76180

Sponsored by Barnes & Noble and the Friends of the Bedford Public Library.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

World Book on the Web

Bedford Public Library now has an online subscription to World Book. The World Book Online Reference Center is the premier online reference source-containing every article from the 22-volume print set plus thousands more. Anyone with a library card can access this treasure trove of information from anywhere with Internet access.

• Atlas – over 750 world maps
• Back in Time - approximately 14,000 historic articles from past World Book Year Books
• Dictionary – over 250,000 entries
• E-books - thousands of full-text English-language electronic books (e-books) in the areas of fiction and non-fiction
• Educator’s Tools – resources for educators including topic enrichment resources, classroom activities, links to lesson plans, and professional development links
• Enciclopedia Estudiantil Hallazgos – an intermediate Spanish-language encyclopedia
• Encyclopedia Articles – over 26,000 articles suited for users from grades 4 through 12 and adults
• Explore Texas - a guide to resources that provide in-depth research on Texas for school assignments
• In the Headlines - provides current news headlines via RSS feeds from Reuters News
• Pictures and Illustrations - More than 10,000 pictures including photographs, animal illustrations, reproductions of great works of art, and much more
• Primary Sources - documents, letters, books, speeches, articles, records, interviews, and images
• Timelines - hundreds of timelines, which cover various time periods in history or span the life of historical public figures
• Today in History - showcases important persons or events associated with that date
• Videos, Animations & Sounds – video and sound clips that enhance learning
• World Book Kids - designed completely for primary school kids with easy-to-read articles, engaging images and illustrations, exciting activities and teacher resources

With state-of-the-art multimedia, maps, editor-reviewed Web sites, and more we know you will find the World Book Online Reference Center to be a valuable resource!