Windows 7

Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 7 is scheduled to be released in October. The question, especially with Vista users is, "Should I upgrade?"

Techies that have seen the new software in action seem to be excited about the new software. It has been reported that Windows 7 goes a long way to address and improve the security, usability, and compatibility issues of Vista. Most reviews state that Win 7 looks good AND runs good. Performance and security have been improved. It runs faster, with less RAM. The user interface not only looks good but you can actually get things done with new usability features.

For more details and just one techie's view see:

http://askbobrankin.com/upgrade_vista_to_windows_7.html

You know summer is over when...

...the Fall Children's Program guide becomes available. Which it is! Next time you visit the library, stop by the circulation desk or the kid's room to pick one up.

Book Review: The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

Fifth in the series, Chief Inspector Gamache is called back to Three Pines to solve a murder. The book starts with Olivier Brule and the victim sitting in a log cabin, in the Quebec wilderness in front of a fire. A myth is told about Chaos and the Furies searching for the thing that was stolen. The night becomes late and Olivier soon leaves and hurries back the safety and security of Three Pines. The next morning, the man from the cabin is found dead in the bistro run by Olivier and Gabriel.
Gamache, with Inspector Beauvoir and Agent Lacoste, interview friends and suspects in Three Pines with the knowledge that one of the townspeople knew and killed the man, but no one – including Olivier - admits to knowing the victim or where he lived. Why kill him and place his body in the bistro?
Chief Inspector Gamache digs into the secrets of Three Pines. The colony of artists and their friends living in a country village seems bucolic but Three Pines has had more than their share of murder in the recent past. A deceptively peaceful setting: readers will be shocked when the killer is revealed.
If you haven’t read any books by Louise Penny, start with the first book in the series: Still Life.
For more information about Louise Penny and her books, see:
http://www.louisepenny.com/

Website of the Week: CNET: www.cnet.com

Visit and sign up for a CNET Newsletter on: Tech specials, tip of the week, home theater, games and gear, MP3 insider, photo and video weekly, security center, and CNET at work are just a few of over 30 newsletters that can be sent to your email each week.

CNET: Who we are and what we do
Our mission is simple:
CNET shows you the exciting possibilities of how technology can enhance and enrich your life. We provide you with information, tools, and advice that help you decide what to buy and how to get the most out of your tech.
Each month, millions of people come to CNET to:
• Read the latest news and unbiased reviews
• Watch videos that demystify technology
• Listen to podcasts
• Download software, mobile applications, and games
• Post opinions about the technology and the consumer electronics they live with every day
• Learn from an objective source about the products and the technologies that are right for them

Travels with Children

Frommer’s 500 places to take your kids before they grow up
500 Places to Take Your Kids allows parents, grandparents, and kids to create a lifetime of shared memories while visiting destinations the whole family can enjoy. Here are cities, zoos, sports shrines, museums, castles, beaches, outdoor activities, and more—500 thoughtfully-chosen places that will enchant and beguile both the young and the young at heart. For more information:
http://www.frommers.com/store/0764595881.html

Blog: Travels with children
Blog Writer, Minnemom, says some things are better remembered, but others are more treasured when experienced with children. Read about many trips you can take with your children. You can even write about your own experiences travelling with children here:
http://minnemom.com/

Follow the DoD

The Department of Defense today launched a new home page designed to invite participation from the public and make military news and information more accessible.

The new Web site will provide quick access to those sites that are most sought by Web site visitors, including DoD social media sites, the Pentagon Channel and DoD news stories.
Prominent on the new home page is a new “We Want to Hear From You” feature that will give users the opportunity to ask questions of Defense Department leaders, vote on policy issues they want explained, and explore frequently asked questions and answers.

The new site, http://www.Defense.gov, replaces http://www.DefenseLink.mil as the department’s main Internet entry portal. DefenseLink will remain a news Web site and may be accessed from Defense.gov.

Visit online: http://www.defense.gov.

New in the Kid's Room

Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel

Things are not so stellar for Mike Stellar. He is stunned when his parents inform him that he has only eight hours to pack before they move to Mars. Despite the fact that he suspects his parents are involved in a major sabotage plot; that the only person who believes him is a girl who won’t shut up; and that his mother’s assistant seems to be spying on Mike’s every move, Mike is dealing with the same things that every eleven-year-old deals with: bad cafeteria food, a strict limitation on his electronic use, and a teacher who is so old-fashioned she must be from the year 2099.

With great humor and lots of action, K. A. Holt’s first novel is set to give fall reading an out-of-this-world blast of fun

Book Review: Identity Crisis by Debbie Mack

First Line: "I've never been a morning person, and if it's one thing I don't need before my first cup of coffee, it's a visit from the cops."
Sam McRae, defense lawyer, gets a courtesy call from the FBI and the local cops on one of her clients. Melanie Hays, accused of murdering her former boyfriend, appears to be missing. Sam, believing her client is innocent, finds herself looking for Melanie, running from the local mob, investigating murder among thieves and several cases of identity theft. A surprise twist keeps up the action with a great finish. Snappy dialogue and believable characters make the story action packed and hopefully the first book in the Sam McRae series.
www.debbimack.com

"Magic Tree House" series rolls on!

With the release of the 42nd book in the series, "A Good Night for Ghosts," author Mary Pope Osbourne talks about the process of writing, research and character development.

Free Job Search Training

The Hibbing WorkForce Center offers free training to help you locate and land a new job. Get tips for finding online postings and preparing resumes. Practice your interview techniques. Just go to www.mnwfc.org/hibbing for dates, times, and other events or call 218-362-5900.

Program at Gilbert Public Library

Craig R. Lang will be presenting the program UFO Abduction in Minnesota at the Gilbert Public Library on Saturday, August 15th AT 8:00 P.M.

Lang is the author of Cosmic Bridge, Close Encounters and Human Destiny. He is also a certified hypnotherapist, hypnotherapy instructor, and NLP practioner that lives in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

His presentation is free and open to the public.

What a fantastic summer!

By both numbers and smiling faces, we can tell that it was a great summer at the library. Check out how well the Summer Reading program went:

333 participants
178 finishers (more than half!)

Programs also attracted plenty of interest, with 915 attendees over the season. Wow!

The library would like to thank all those who made the Summer Reading program a success! Especially:

· The Hibbing High School Key Club
· The Friends of the Hibbing Library
· Arrowhead Library System
· Becca Sauer and family
· Hibbing Parks and Recreation
· The St. Louis County Fair
· L & M Radiator
· Wal-Mart
· Hibbing Co-op Credit Union
· American Assoc. of University Women
· Security State Bank Foundation
· American Bank
· Hibbing Kiwanis Club
· Sullivan Candy and Supply

Thanks to all and we'll see you in September!

Best of the Web

Discover the best of the Web with StumbleUpon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/

Sign up, put in your preferences and StumbleUpon members rate website quality. 500 topics are available to produce relevant content to your surfing experience. Through member participation, old or low-quality websites can be removed and obscure but interesting websites can be immediately shared by people with similar interests.

Louvre Launches First-Ever English Version of Online Collections Database

If you want to check out the Louvre but can't travel go to the new English version of the Musee du Lovre's online collection database. The English version was launched this summer.

It is interactive and allows visitors to access information on 22,000 artworks, view high-resolution images of masterpieces, and locate exhibited works and galleries.

The new database is accessible free-of-charge via the Louvre’s website, www.louvre.fr, which receives more than 10 millions visitors a year.

Here’s a Direct Link to the Atlas Database (in English)

Source: Artdaily.org

The Whatchamacallit by Danny Danziger and Mark McCrum

Read about objects that we all recognize but don’t always know the names for. Do you know what a dongle, deckle or dibble is?

A few whatchamacallits from the book complete with anecdotes:
The Desire Line is the path that people will take independent of any existing pavement or road. You can see the desire line, straight or slightly crooked, beaten across grassy or muddy areas avoiding the signed route authorities would prefer you use.
MacGuffin is the object, event or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion. Alfred Hitchcock came up with the name MacGuffin in a 1939 lecture he gave at Columbia University and in the film, North by Northwest, the MacGuffin was "government secrets."
A Waldo is a mechanical hand held device for manipulating objects by remote control. It is generally used in hazardous environments. The first remote designed to control a television was developed by Zenith in 1950 and was called the Lazy Bones and connected to the television by a wire. 5 years later, the Zenith wireless remote was developed and called the Flashmatic.

Careers in Energy

ISEEK is pleased to announce the launch of its Minnesota Energy Careers website (www.MnEnergyCareers.org). The site is for students, job seekers, and career explorers looking for successful pathways in energy.
You can research energy careers, learn about energy education options, and find Minnesota energy employers.

Features of Minnesota Energy Careers include:

● Energy careers and industry segments
● Energy training programs and certifications
● Green energy careers
● ‘Day in the Life’ interviews
● Salaries and in demand data for energy occupations
● Student testimonials
● Videos
● Polls and quizzes

The Minnesota Energy Careers website is a part of ISEEK (www.iseek.org), Minnesota's comprehensive career, education, and job resource.

80 Online Resources for Book Lovers.

Take a look at the link for 80 online Resources for Book Lovers. The categories are broken down into social networking, ebooks, online bookstores, find the best prices for books, audiobooks, study guides and summaries, library resources, bibliography and research, book exchanges/swapping, online documents and what to read.
http://www.kevinbondelli.com/2008/03/15/80-online-resources-for-book-lovers/

If you check out just one source, go to LibraryThing: join a book discussion, find new authors and keep a list of what you are reading.
http://www.librarything.com/

Shhh! It is a secret!

Well, not anymore.

For those of you who didn't finish your Summer Reading Program goal by July 31, don't panic! You still have until Friday, August 7 to finish and get your prize bag. Keep reading!