Bookish Websites:

Wiki Summaries
www.wikisummaries.org

WikiSummaries and its contributors have the goal of writing summaries for popular and classic books. Anyone can join and write summaries. Check out the 307 summaries available.

LibraryThing
www.librarything.com

Enter what you are reading, rate the book and write a review. Sign up for free books to review each month; your name goes into a drawing. Keep a list of what you have read and you can see what other people are reading. See what is hot this month and read reviews by other members. You can join a group, form your own group or talk about the books you have read.

Good Reads
www.goodreads.com

Get book recommendations, keep a record of what you've read and keep a list of what you'd like to read, and write book reviews. Online book clubs are available.

Crunch!

In honor of TV Turn Off Week, the library hosted the 2nd Annual TV Toss. Students in grades 4-6 were encouraged to write an essay, "Why Books are Better than TV," with the writer of the best essay winning a chance to ride up in the city bucket truck and throw out a TV filled with candy and prizes. This year's winner was Travis Balstad, a 5th grade student at Lincoln School.

The Literacy Action Center was also in attendence to give away free books. After the TV was destroyed and all prizes claimed, families were encouraged to come inside the library to play games and check out books.

New Movies at the Library!

Check out a DVD or Video Cassette today and keep them until Monday.
Current favorites:
· Marley & Me
· Twilight
· The Reader
· The Tale of Despereaux

If you liked the movie, you may want to read or listen to the books.

• Marley & Me by John Grogan Compact Disc 636.752 GROGA
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. First book in the Twilight Saga. Young Adult MEYER. Also available for download or j Compact Disc TWILIGHT
• The Reader by Bernard Schlink. Fiction SCHLI also available for download.
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo J Fiction DICAM or j Compact Disc TALE

Free Downloads and Services from PC World

PC World recently published an article on “101 Undiscovered freebies: The List.” www.pcworld.com/article/161674/101_undiscovered_freebies_the_list
A few sites worth taking a look at are listed below or check out the entire list!
www.5min.com
A list of 5 minute instructional videos and DIY projects.
www.openoffice.org
Open-source office software suitable for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.
www.evernote.com
Capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere.

Check out PC World magazine at Hibbing Public Library. Magazines check out for 2 weeks at a time.

Artists of the North Country 3rd Annual Art Exhibit

The Lake Superior Watercolor Society will be holding their 3rd annual art exhibit at the Hibbing Public Library, May 1st through June 1st. All works have been inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan. Art will be for sale and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library.

A reception for the participating artists will be held on Dylan’s birthday, Thursday, May 21st from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. Meet and talk with some of the artists and enjoy Dylan inspired refreshments.The Lake Superior Watercolor Society will be holding their 3rd annual art exhibit at the Hibbing Public Library, May 1st through June 1st. All works have been inspired by the life and lyrics of Bob Dylan. Art will be for sale and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Friends of the Hibbing Public Library.

A reception for the participating artists will be held on Dylan’s birthday, Thursday, May 21st from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. Meet and talk with some of the artists and enjoy Dylan inspired refreshments.

New in tween fiction: Talia Talk by Christine Hurley Deriso

SO YOU THINK your mom is embarrassing? You won’t after you meet mine. She’s the co-host of a morning television show and her host chat has covered everything I’ve done from puking on my piano teacher’s shoes to gluing antlers on my head.

But I’ve got the microphone now and I’m doing weekly commentaries on my school’s broadcast/podcast. Don’t get me wrong—mom’s awesome, and I’d never really want to freak her out. But if viewers get to hear about my private life, why can’t I dish about Mom’s new boyfriend, or how dorky she is as a school volunteer? Did I mention my friendships with my loud, bossy BFF and former BFFs are in total flux? And what is this thing called middle school? Definitely stay tuned.

From the Hardcover edition.

Social Networks: Twitter

If you haven’t tried a social network site yet, Twitter is a great place to start.
Stay in contact with family and friends or people with similar interests by stating what you are doing in 140 characters or less. You can follow people with similar hobbies and interests, news stations like BBC, CNN and Fox News. If your interest in golf – look for golfers on Twitter. Follow the Hibbing Public Library’s twitter account: hibbinglibrary. Sign up and tell people what you are doing or post a link and tell people what you are reading: www.twitter.com

Website of the Week: Nevada Barr, author

http://www.nevadabarr.com/
Nevada Barr is one of many authors who has a website to promote their books. Her main character, Anna Pigeon, Park Ranger, solves mysteries in each of the national parks where she is stationed.
In her latest book, Borderline, in the Anna Pigeon Series, Anna and her husband travel to Big Bend National Park for a rafting trip.
Part of the appeal of Nevada Barr’s books – beside the mystery – is that Anna is stationed in a different national park with each book: Isle Royale National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Yosemite National Park, to name a few.
Like most author websites, you can view her biography, her book lists with a link to purchase books, and her tour schedule. She also has a link to the National Park Website. You can even sign up for her mailing list.
On the Nevada Barr Blog, when asked how Nevada came up with the name “Pigeon” for Anna, this was her answer:
“When I lived in Minneapolis there was, across the river, in St. Paul, a fine children’s ‘touch and see’ museum. The woman running it was tall and beautiful and moved like a ghost. She had a square, strong face and shining brown hair to her waist. I was besotted. Her name was Anna Pidgeon. Years later, when I began the series, I thought of her and, would you believe it, misspelled her name.”

Attention Fans of the Betsy-Tacy Series

Fans of the beloved Minnesota author Maud Hart Lovelace and her somewhat-autobiographical books, the Betsy-Tacy series, plan to converge on Mankato, Minnesota for a convention taking place July 17-20, 2009 at the Alltel Center.

There will be a re-creation of Heinz's Ice Cream Parlor, a traditionnal Ray family breakfast, tours of Betsy's and Tacy's houses which have been preserved and restored, a Betsy-Tacy traditional picnic, games, storytellers, food, 5 k walk/run, walking tours, and much more.

Popular and prolific author Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries) will discuss her love of Betsy and Tacy as the keynote speaker of the convention. The Maud Hart Lovelace Society is also planning a post-convention Twin Cities Tour of Maud/Betsy sites.

For more information on this exciting event and registration forms go to the Betsy-Tacy Convention site.

Shmoop for Education

Try Shmoop, a new educational website for teachers and high school and college students. A bunch of Ph.D. and Masters students from Stanford and Berkeley have worked on this site for the past year-and-change. They recently posted the site for the public. Check out Shmoop: http://www.shmoop.com

They would welcome any feedback or suggestions for improvement.

Book Review:The Lost City of Z: a Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

British explorer Percy Harrison Fawcett disappears on his last search for the Lost City of Z which becomes the “Atlantis” of the Amazon region. David Grann, along with countless others in the last 80 years, goes on a quest to find out what happened to Colonel Fawcett, his son, Jack and friend Raleigh Rimell after their disappearance in the Amazon in 1925.
Fawcett, an intrepid explorer, had made countless trips to the Amazon under the funding of the Royal Geographical Society. He was the last of the great explorers and his exploits captured society’s imagination. While surviving hostile natives, insects, disease, and wild animals, Fawcett managed to map regions no white man had explored and he did it at such a rapid pace, he often left his fellow adventurers behind. He had little patience for physical ailments often suffered by others on his expeditions as he remained in remarkable health under the worst conditions.
David Grann interviewed Fawcett’s granddaughter and great-granddaughter and was allowed access to Fawcett’s diaries, letters and photographs. After extensive research, David Grann, with the help of guide Paolo Pinage, travelled into the area of the Amazon where Fawcett and companions were last seen and what he found was remarkable.
For more information about Percy Harrison Fawcett, see the extensive bibliography and one of many websites: www.colonelfawcett.net
For more information about David Grann, see: www.davidgrann.com

New Fiction at the Library

One Second After by William R. Forstchen
When an EMP or Electromagnetic pulse weapon is used to short circuit every electronic device in America, retired army colonel, John Matherson, is first puzzled then astounded when first the ceiling fan, the computer, the home security and then fire alarm system shut down. With a foreword by Newt Gingrich, the EMP weapon is all too technically possible.

A Knife Edge by David Rollins
Ex-Air Force special investigator Vin Cooper checks out the death of a scientist by white shark. Aboard a military research ship, Cooper soon realizes that this isn’t an accident but murder.

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley
First in a new series, Leonid McGill is a private investigator in Manhattan who after a life of working for mob bosses, decides to take a stab at redemption. He is a hardboiled detective stuck between the mob and a police lieutenant who is out to get him. Walter Mosley is best known for his Easy Rawlins series.

Smash it up!

Ever wanted to throw your TV out the window? Now is your chance!

April 20-24, 2009 is National TV Turn Off Week. During that week, the Hibbing Public Library wants you to switch off the TV and find other interesting things to do. Like come to the library! And read a book!

The library is having a big family event on Wednesday, April 22, from 3:30-7pm. We’ll be closing off 21st St. between 5th and 6th Avenues for a block party, complete with activities and concessions. But the best part is that someone will get the chance to ride up in the cherry picker and throw a TV out! How cool is that?

How do you get the chance to throw the TV? First, be a student in grades 4-6. Second, write a one-page essay on “Why Books are Better than TV” and bring to the Hibbing Public Library. We’ll pick the best essay and give the winner a call to let them know they won. At 4:30 on April 22nd, the winner goes up and throws the TV!

April 13-17 is National Library Week. The essays are due by 5pm, Thursday April 16 at the Hibbing Public Library, so don’t delay! Don’t miss your chance to brag to your friends that you got to smash a TV!

Not only will there be a TV sailing to its demise, but we plan plenty of other activities inside starting at 5pm and going till 7pm.

Local groups are encouraged to set up a booth outside from 3:30-5pm to promote their activities and maybe sell concessions to promote a picnic atmosphere.

Parents: Do you belong to an organization that wants to set up a booth, put on a demonstration or sell concessions at this event? Call Chuck at the Hibbing Public Library to sign up. He can be reached at 362-5959 or by e-mail, chuckbell@arrowhead.lib.mn.us

After 5pm, we’ll be moving inside the library for more fun! Puppet show, stories, games, crafts and more will be available for family fun! Groups are encouraged to participate inside as well. Call Chuck at 362-5959 to sign up!

The Hibbing Literacy Action Center will be giving away kid’s books as well. Get yours before they are gone!

Minnesota Author to Visit Ironworld

Minnesota Book Award winner William Kent Krueger will visit Ironworld
Saturday, April 18 and present "For Love or Money: Six Reasons to
Write." Krueger is the author of the acclaimed "Cork O'Connor"
mystery series set in northeastern Minnesota. His 2 p.m. presentation will
cover why he became a writer and the compelling reasons for writing
about this region. General admission applies; Ironworld members
admitted free. Call 800-372-6437 for details.