Construction Photos: Two

Groundbreaking! What a wonderful day. The weather could have been a little warmer, but it didn't rain and we had a great turnout for the event. Civic leaders, staff members, community volunteers, and several of our biggest donors were there to see the long anticipated moment when the construction would "formally" begin. Amongst the donors were nearly all of the John and Lorraine McAdams family. These generous and foresighted individuals combined their resources and donated $700,000 to the capitol campaign.

Thanks to all our many wonderful donors, we were finally able to do this:

Lorraine McAdams and members of her family break ground with a will. The family donated $700,000 to the capitol campaign in late 2010, allowing the construction to proceed this spring.

Members of the Library Board break ground on the long awaited expansion. Several members were unable to attend. Additionally, several past Board members who were instrumental to the project were also unable to participate.

Village Board members, library staff and village staff all move the earth to signal the start of construction.

Construction Photos: One

As the library settles into its temporary home at 1012 Main St., work is really started to ratchet up at the expansion and renovation site. Here are some pictures from late March, just as the construction project was starting to get under way:

The construction fencing is up, and the trees are starting to come down. The house on the corner is gone. Groundbreaking photos up next.

Can’t read the text of normal printed books?

If you (or someone you know) cannot read normal sized text in a printed book you should learn about the resources provided by the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library.

If you have a visual handicap, legal blindness, physical handicap, or reading disability you are eligible for the services of having borrowing materials sent to you free of charge. This service isn’t just for individuals, qualifying schools, hospital, or nursing homes can participate to enrich services and provide better resources.

You can get over 40,000 different titles of best sellers, romances, mysteries, classics, sports, travel, and more! These titles can come in Braille, recorded cassette, large print, digital book and they even have transcribed DVDs. Or ask about the special resources about Wisconsin and collection of works by Wisconsin authors.

In the last few years the services provided by the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library have been made even more convenient because you can search for and request materials right from your home computer! These aren’t just stale old titles either you can check out some newer James Patterson, Debbie Macomber books! So what are you waiting for check them out (or at least their resources).

If you want to know what the picture above says...check out the text to Braille converter website. :)

National Library Week

Wouldn’t it be neat if there was an entire week every year dedicated to libraries? A week where we could celebrate how awesome your library is?

Well lucky for us April 10th is the beginning of National Library Week! National Library Week came about in 1957 when research started indicating that people were spending less time reading and spending more time on entertainment like the radio and television. At that time the main purpose of National Library Week was to motivate people to read so they would support the library.

Libraries have changed a bit since then trying to entice you with other wonderful resources like movies, technology, learning, storytimes, and events. It is meant as a way to make a plethora of forms of educational and entertainment resources available for the community it serves. As we are here to serve you, come on down to the library and check out some of the excellent free resources, events, and programs we have to offer you (especially during NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK!!!!).

ADULT EVENTS:

Computer Classes:
Tuesday April 12th – Computer Basics from 1pm to 3pm
This is very simple computer operation skills.
Wednesday April 13th – Microsoft Excel Come and learn the basics of how to operate Microsoft
Excel a computer program used for bookkeeping and form creating!
Friday April15th – Computer Basics from 10 am to 12 pm

Crossword Contest
Pick up a crossword puzzle at the library reference desk. Turn it in at the reference reference desk by April 20th, for your chance to be entered in for a Elegant Farmer gift card!

Book Club
Page Turners Book Club meets Monday April 11th at 1 pm.


CHILDREN/YA EVENTS:

Family Film Night:
Monday April 11th starting at 6 pm. Bring your family for a free movie and popcorn at the library. Everyone is encourage to where their pajamas and bring blankets to cozy up while watching this movie. This one is about a magically long-haired Rapunzel who is discovered by a runaway thief!

An Evening with Mama Baer
Tuesday April 12th starting at 6:30pm. Come and enjoy wonderfully crafted and told storytime by local storyteller Mama Baer.

Paws to Read
Wednesday April 13th from 6pm to 7pm. Come read to lovable B.J. the Rottweiler. You can even pick the book!

Earth Day Contest:
We are having a contest for building a piece of artwork or sculpture out of recycled material to win a prize! You have until Saturday April 15th at 4 pm to drop off your amazing artwork!

Your Library Card Works at ALL WCFLS Libraries

A lot of our patrons may not realize that their Mukwonago Community Library card is actually good at all of Waukesha County Federated Library System (WCFLS) libraries. That has all sorts of benefits for you! 1. You can check items out from other Waukesha County libraries. 2. You can return your items to any of the WCFLS libraries and it will get checked in and returned to the library that owns it! So if you live in Mukwonago and are running errands in Waukesha..you can return the items at the Waukesha library. 3. You can participate in any programs hosted by other libraries. If computer classes or storytime events don't fit your schedule at our library check out our companion libraries to see if they have something that fits your needs. You can check the WCFLS events calendar here. 4. You have 24/7 access to research and job search databases. 5. Don't forget you can always call any of the libraries for questions or reference services! Maybe you can take a drive and check out some of our wonderful libraries.

Frank Lloyd Wright Exhbit at the MAM

For me the special or featured exhibits at the local museum are always an exciting opportunity to see something new and fresh right here in the area. It is also something I don’t do for every exhibit..because tickets can get pricy. The Milwaukee Art Museum’s (MAM) featured exhibit is on Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st Century from February 12th through May 15th 2011. I have wanted to go this exhibit since it first opened, and finally got the chance this weekend. (I even roped a few friends into going with me). So what did I think? I thought it was an awesome exhibit that may only be exciting for people 13 and up, unless they are interested in the subject. The majority of the display was colored architectural planning sketches for Mr. Wright’s buildings. There was a nice mixture of his office buildings, commissioned homes, and larger plans that never actually got built. There were also a couple of excellent models and examples of his future so close you could almost touch them. I particularly enjoyed the two short videos playing at the exhibit which focused on his private life and a tour of a home he was commissioned to build. NOTES FOR CHILDREN: If you are going to take your children I highly suggest pursuing the free teacher’s guide to the exhibit before you go. There are some excellent talking points on architecture versus environment and some recommendations for children books that will help get them in the frame of mind. The suggested books The Wright 3 and Frank Lloyd Wright and His New American Architecture are both available at the library for checkout.

Temporary Closing Q & A

The last day we were open at our 300 Washington Ave. location was Friday, March 18th. On that day we started moving our items over to our new temporary location at 1012 Main Street (the Old Gooden's building across from Amato Ford.) We reopened today, Wednesday, March 23rd.

Q: Where do I return my items?
A:-Return all items to our temporary location at 1012 Main Street
Hint: Remember you can return the items you check out from our library to any other Waukesha County library.

Q: What if I returned my items while you were closed, do I get fines for late materials?
A: While we were closed there were be NO FINES accuring on items. In anticipation most due dates for items were automatically set for the end of March.
Hint: This doesn't mean you can turn in a book that was due in February and expect your fines to be gone :).

Q: When will be reopening back at the Washington St. location?
A: Hopefully by the end of the year, it all depends on how the construction process goes. We are currently targeting late November or early December, but construction duration is nearly impossible to predict in advance.

Q: Will the online library catalog still be available?
A: Yes! Yes! Yes! You can also have access to your "my account" feature. Subscription databases will also be up and running.

Q: Will all programs still be happening?
A: The AARP tax help which runs every Monday morning until April 11th from 9 am to 1 pm will be moving over to the Village Hall. All other events will be happening at our new temporary Main St. location.

Thank you for your patience during our move and expansion.

Title Suggestions for Your Book Club

If you are a member of a book club that needs a few suggestions for 2011, boy are you in luck! Or maybe these title will inspire you to start a book club of your own. If that happens be sure to check out the library because we have space your club can meet in and we can help you order books for your next club...just make sure you give us some advance notice ;).

Here is a list of select titles from the American Library Association Notable Books List for Adults from 2010 and 2011. These title have enough copies of the books in the library system and audio books available. Enjoy and happy reading!

Fiction

A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan.
A '70s punk band becomes the touchstone for a motley crw who spin their interconnected stories over time and distance.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin and William Morrow
Two men - one black, one white - must confront the secrets surround their childhood friendship following the disappearance of two girls in rural Mississippi.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzenem
This incisive portrait of the fractured Berglund brood captures the zeitgeist of contemporary America.

The Surrendered by Chang Rae Leeem
The complex entangled lives of three people forever scarred by the Korean War are sympathetically portrayed in gorgeous prose.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantesem
An ambitious and idealistic American Marine faces the horror, heroism, futility, and pragmatism of war in this visceral portrayal of life in-country.

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soliem
The adrenaline high that danger offers infects photojournalist Helen Adams as she documents the war in Vietnam.

The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel by Brady Udallem
In this big-hearted novel, Golden Richards and his clan navigate their chaotic lives as each clamors to be noticed.

The Year of the Flood: A Novel by Margaret Atwoodem
In the near future, two women survive an apocalyptic event in a queasily enthralling work.

Await Your Reply: A Novel by Dan Chaonem
This chilling exploration of the modern meaning of the identity follows three people on the firnges of society.

Spooner by Pete Dexter
A boy struggles to navigate the vagaries of the world with lifelong guidance of his stepfather in this funny and heartbreaking tale.

Tinkers by Paul Harding
In this lyrical novel, the life of a dying man is examined through the smallest moments of time and memory.

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum McCann
Phillipe Petit’s high wire walk between the Twin Towers provides the backdrop for this rich portrait of the unlikely connections among a group of New Yorkers in the 1970s.

A Mercy: A Novel by Toni Morrison
Four women- white, mixed race, black and Native American – become a makeshift family under the care of a “good” man in colonial America.

Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
In this postmodern indictment of the biotech industry, a student’s unnerving happiness seems to hold the key to banishing despair from the genetic code.

Nonfiction

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
A landmark biography provides insights into the complexities of this founding father’s character, and brings him fully to life within the context of his times.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Chronicling the experiences of six people, this powerful account draws back the curtain on the brutality of life under totalitarian regime.


Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier
Stricken by Russia love, a writer sets out to experience all things Siberian and takes us along for the frolicking journey.


Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
This intoxicating history of the 18th amendment reveals the surprising relationship between Prohibition and other social movements, and explores its lasting impact on American life.


The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick
An epic encounter between two iconic individuals is vividly portrayed in fluid, evocative, and decidedly objective prose.


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A science writer uncovers the fascinating story of an African-American woman’s cancer cells harvested for medical research, thereby raising important questions of bioethics.


The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant
Russia’s ecological and cultural history serves as the backdrop for the riveting adventure of tale of man versus beast.


Columbine by Dave Cullen
The fine work of investigative journalism challenges the myths and misconceptions of the Columbing tragedy.


Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
This powerful account explores the devastation of post-Katrina New Orleans through the eyes of a Syrian-American who remained and endured the resulting chaos and confusion.


The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
An intrepid reporter sets out to uncover the mysterious fate the last f the great Victorian explorers in this thrilling adventure.


Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld & the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefre
Human trafficking and its subsequent effect on the American economy and social structures are document in this fast paced panoramic expose.


Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
One journalist’s quest to discover the secrets of the reclusive Tarahumara Indians leads to and exciting and dangerous endurance race.


Tears in the Darkness: The story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M

In-depth, brutal and moving this narrative prvides multiple perspectives into a tragic WWII epsidoe in the Phillippines.


The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War by Nicholas Thompson
The remarkable half-century friendship and rivalry between two influential strategists who helped shape American policy is brought to life in this insightful dual biography.

St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas

Will you be kissing the Blarney Stone this March 17th? If so we have whipped up a few party ideas for you. Enjoy!

Irish Jig Contest
Create a mixed CD that has Irish songs, such as, “Danny Boy” or “Whiskey in the Jar.” (Or use Pandora.com) Pair up in couples. Find three judges (someone who does not want to dance) to decide on the winners based on their unique dance moves. If everyone wants to show off their dance moves, the couple standing the longest wins.

Irish Trivia Websites
- This is a entire website o' Irish trivia.
- This is just a simple little quiz that may be fun.

Irish Music Ideas
Go to Pandora and sign up for a free account. You get 40 hours of free music a month. Create a “Irish” station to stream music for your party. (I use this for entertaining at home all the time! Huge hit because you can pretty much tailor the music to the occasion.)

Irish Jokes
An idea I had for a game for the jokes is you could print off your favorite jokes, and then fold them up and put them in a bowl. Each guest has to select a joke and tell it at some point during the party.

Irish Movies
Put an Irish movie on in the background. Rotten tomato suggests a few!

Printable Leprechaun Mask
These can be a little too much fun.

May the luck o' thee Irish be with ye.

Money Smart Week Webinar: Investing 101

Morning Star Investment Research Center is a subscription database that you can access here at the library to learn about stocks, trading, and use free portfolio tools. They are hosting an online seminar on Investing that you can attend for free onlie, on April 8th at 11 a.m. I will be attending, hopefully you will be there too! Check the post below for more information!

"The American Library Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago are recognizing April 2-9 as Money Smart Week at your library. This is a week for libraries to help promote financial literacy and hold programs designed to help consumers manage their personal finances.

Morningstar Library Services will be participating in Money Smart Week with a free webinar, Investing 101: Simple Strategies to Get Started in the World of Investing. The session will cover the basics of how to start investing, including why you should invest, determining your investment goals, and finding the right mix of stocks, bonds, and other investments for you using Morningstar research.

The session will be done via the web, so it should be accessible from any location with a computer. This is an event that you can hold as a large group at the library or promote to patrons to attend on their own. Also during Money Smart Week, we will have our regular database training session, which can be attended by anyone as well.

Morningstar Investment Research Center web training will be held April 7 at 11 a.m. Central time. Investing 101 will be held April 8 at 11 a.m. Central time. Patrons can register by e-mailing librarytraining@morningstar.com and mentioning the name of their library."

Explore Your Local History!

Have you ever looked around Mukwonago or Waukesha and thought about the way it used to be? Can you see horses pulling carriages through the streets or imagine when Native Americans were the main inhabitants. The opportunity to exercise your imagination is rich within Waukesha County and Mukwonago itself. With an abundance of museums and local library reference collections you can learn more about the place you live and work every day!

Museums

Red Brick Museum

"Located in the heart of downtown Mukwonago, Wisconsin, the Mukwonago Museum was first established in 1967, the the Red Brick House was purchased with funds left by Mr. Arthur Grutzmacher. Built in 1842 by original Mukwonago settler Sewall Andrews, the home has been restored to a lovely Victorian house, reminiscent of the post-Civil War period.
For 40 years, community volunteers have staffed the museum, updated rooms, and educated guests in Mukwonago's history.
Today, the museum's mission is still strong. Continually involved in renovation of the old house, the museum's primary goal is to impart a love for history to all who visit this unique Mukwonago attraction." Check out their featured exhibit The American Indian Collection with artifcacs like beads, pottery, and arrowheads!

Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum

Founded in 1906 and residing in a the old gorgeous Waukesha Courthouse building built in 1893. The actual space for the collection began in 1913 and started with one room and has expanded to the entire building. For over 100 years it has been an instrumental part of the community housing, educating people about Waukesha County, coordinating local events, and housing great exhibits. Check out their Memories of World War II exhibit with photos from Associated Press photographers.

Local Library Resources

The Waukesha County Federated Library System has a great local history collection. I wanted to highlight just a few of the gems here at the Mukwonago Community Library.

A Chronicle of Mukwonago History is a work compiled by D.E. Wright in 1990. It will introduce you to some of the important folks from Mukwonago and early settlers where you can get to know people like "Old Cal" Agnew and the Craig Family. Imagine yourself as a pioneer when you read a little about earlier days and reminiscients. Get to know about the historical significance of the inns, industries, and church history.

Place of the Bear is another worked compiled by D.E. Wright with a first print in 1994. This seems to be an extension of A Chronicle of Mukwonago History and touches more on local schools, early Indian settlers, and family ties.

From Mequanego to Mukwonago is a set of four walking tours through Mukwonago by Kathryn Bergmann with the first edition printed in 1998. The tours are intersting and not overly long with a little over (or under) a mile on each tour. The book provides descriptions about each building it highlights on the tour and even adds some earlier photos of select buildings. This is definetly a neat family outing or romantic evening with a picnic!

Hopefully I will see you poking around these great places!

What happens with library events after the move?

In case you haven't heard....as of March 19th, we are temporarily MOVING for the expansion! Woot-woot! You may be wondering what happens with library events at this time. All scheduled events will go on as planned, either at the new location or at the village hall. Most will happen at our temporary home, 1012 Main St.-- across from Amato Ford-- but some of the larger events will be in the lower level of village hall.

Check out our calendar of events or Facebook (Adult/Teen) pages for more information about each event.

Child Day Care Newsletter

The Waukesha County Child Day Care Certification Department offers more then just certification for child care facilities. They also offer a monthly newsletter that I think is a great resource for parents or child care providers. The March 2011 newsletter touches on safety recalls, St. Patrick's day crafts and recipes, information on a lending library, and new standards for cribs. They also have a helpful link page that has one or two resources that may be of interest. Definitely check out the newsletter!

Online Job Applications -- How to Make Them A Little Quicker

Applying for jobs can be stressful and time consuming. Most job postings are listed on the internet and most applications are accepted electronically. With a focus on applying for jobs electronically I will try to give some tips and tricks to reduce the time you sit in front of the computer.

LOOKING FOR THE JOBS

Interest Cards: Automatic E-mails from Companies

A lot of larger companies and government entities will allow you to sign up for “interest forms” where they will e-mail you anytime a job in your field open. An example of that is Waukesha County. Once you create a profile with them you can file out an “interest form” and then they will e-mail whenever a position opens up in your field.

Details: For an example check out Waukesha County’s website.

Metasearch Websites: Check out Indeed.com

There are a lot of options for search engines to look for jobs. For example there are company websites, city websites, county websites, organization websites, and for profit sites like CareerBuilder and Craigslist. All of these options can be overwhelming.

If you want one website that grabs a variety of these job posting from other all these types of websites try a metasearch website. The results won’t be as precise as if you searched a regular website, so be ready to wade through about 50% more jobs. Try my favorite metasearch site, indeed.com.

FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION:

Google Chrome: Auto Fill

Google Chrome is a web browser similar to Internet Explorer and Firefox that is offered for free by Google. This web browser offers the cleanest add on option called “auto fill” that I have used yet. Basically you can add your contact information (e-mail, name, address, phone number, etc) to your profile and it will save it. Then the next time you are filling out an application, with the press of one button, the entire contact portion of the application is filled out.

Details: Download Google Chrome here. Get more information on setting up your Auto Fill profile here.

Plain Text Resume: Use Copy and Paste

Though this isn’t as quick and easy as Auto Fill, it will still help your aching fingers type less. Have a thorough plain text copy of your resume filled out. This means a simple resume with no embellishments like bold, bullets, or any other features. (Tip, on my plain text resume I also have extended information about former employers, like supervisor, address, telephone number, etc. some applications do ask for that information.

When it comes time to fill out the “work experience” portion of a resume, utilize copying and pasting from the plain text resume to the application. I use shortcut keys for the copying and pasting. Always have this plain text available by saving it in a online document storage place, like Google Documents (it is free!).

Details: How to make a plain text resume information can be found here. How to copy and paste information can be found here. How to utilize short cut keys can be found here.

MAKE REALISTIC GOALS

Limit Your Time in Front of the Computer

Set goals as to how many applications you are going to fill out for the day or how long you are going to spend. Also make sure to make your goal attainable, if you start setting your goal over 10 applications in 1 day or spending more than 4 hours at a time at the computer, you may be over doing it. After a certain amount of time your productivity and attention to detail will start to decrease and you will not be as accurate or thoughtful in filling out your applications. You want to make the best first impression! Good luck!

Hopefully these couple of tips and tricks help you fill out your applications easier. If you want some help learning how to make a resume please stop on in at the Mukwonago Community Library for our Resume Workshop on Wednesday,March 2^nd,2011 at 2 pm. I would also advise you to bring a flash drive to save your documents on.

Web Surfing

My type of surfing doesn’t involve a wetsuit, but a mouse and keyboard. Follow along and I will guide you through some of the most popular websites of 2010!

Time Magazine publishes an annual list of what they consider to the best of the Web. I have highlighted three of my personal favorites from that list:

MIT OpenCourseWare: The prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has an initiative to allow partial access to undergraduate and graduate level courses for FREE to anyone. Access to these courses can be found on their website. I have used the Spanish course and dabbled a little in Astronomy. (I am not very good at Astronomy.) But MIT even has their own YouTube channel so you can watch lectures while looking at printouts from their website. Be prepared these are not all full courses, but there is enough pieces to find a very rich education experience...for FREE.

Pogo: Games, games, and more games....what more can I say? Some free games on the internet seem cheap and poorly planned. Pogo offers a variety of bright, and mostly child friendly entertaining games, from the mindless to the slightly educational. I do not recommend using this website at work!

Groupon: One big discount for your area once a day! This website is amazing for helping you find hidden gems in the community. Though there isn’t a Groupon location for Mukwonago, we are so close you can check out Milwaukee, Chicago, and Madison for ideas (triple bonus!). One of my favorite buys from this website was a three month fitness bootcamp in Milwaukee for $60, which saved me almost $200. Also if suggest friends to the website and they purchase something you get a $10 credit. Pretty cool!

Alexa is a Web Information Company that provides an update list of the top 500 internet sites on the web. The top three you can probably guess:. Google, Facebook, and then Youtube. I prefer using the Time List because their ratings are based on enterainment and quality, where Alexa is just amount of visitors. Popularity does not equal quality. Enjoy your surfing!

Wisconsin Unions

Disappearing senators, days of protesting in Madison, and a state full of concerned citizens boil down to one thing: heated debate. There is a lot of rhetoric and fast talking by newscasters and colleagues these days regarding their opinion of the situation. I am providing a few of the more substantial articles and information about the protest events. There is no intent to be biased in a general direction, I only mean to provide the resources and allow you to be the critic. Please read and if you have any resources you believe I overlooked or should be added please feel free to comment below.

For the most in-depth local coverage I have found check out Madison based Channel 3000’s website. It includes a long list of stories and video coverage about the events from the first mention of Governor Walker targeting state worker benefits in a speech on February 2^nd, to current day protests. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page linked above you will find a list of relevant article according to title and date, which is the cleanest type of timeline I have come across.

Keefe, Jeff. "Wisconsin Public Versus Private Employee Costs: Why Compare Apples to Oranges." 15 Feb. 2011. Policy Memorandum #173. N.p.: Economic Policy Institute, 2011. N. pag. PDF file

There has been discussion as to where Wisconsin public employees rank in pay compared next to the private sector. This memorandum put forth by the Economic Policy Institute using their finding and Bureau of Labor Statistics to state their findings say public employees make substantially less in income but have better benefits. All statistics and percentages are clearly labeled and easy to understand

Siegel, Fred. "How Public Unions Took Taxpayers Hostage. " Wall Street Journal 25 Jan. 2011, Eastern edition: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.

A lot of people are concerned that unions, especially those affiliated with the government could hold to much power. This article discusses some of the history of how unions have gained power and represented themselves. It is an opinioned piece against the power of unions, but it is historically accurate. The author Fred Siegel is also a reputable source having written many credible stories and having worked as not only a scholar but political advisor.

Carr, Julie and Kathy Barks Hoffman. "Republicans Challenging Unions in State Capitols." Associated Press 18 Feb. 2011: n. pag. NPR. Web, 21 Feb. 2011.

The Associated Press does a good job of representing the situation in Wisconsin and how it may most likely find similar effects in other states. It confirms the budget short fall, the number of public sector workers, and provides examples of other states that may have similar situations.

Please share your suggestions!

MLA, APA, Chicago, and AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Do citations and bibliography rules make you want to cry? Or perhaps you secretly love creating in text citations and want to make sure they are perfect every time. Whatever your opinion is on creating citations and bibliographies, they get easier when you use the library. You can copy and paste already created citations or utilize software that will build the citations from scratch for you. Let’s discuss your options.

Copy and Pasting Already Created Citations

EBSCOhost offers premade citations for all of its scholarly articles. You can check out EBSCOhosts different databases through our subscription database page. Once you login start searching for your articles. Once you select an article, on the right hand side of the page there will be a button that says “Cite”. Click on this button a pop up window will show you all of the different citations styles. From this point you can copy and paste to your heart’s content. A little warning from my experience, the citations offered by EBSCOhosts are not always perfect, so double check.

Building Your Citations From Scratch..(with a little help).

There are several free citations builders available on the web and today I will introduce you to EasyBib and NoodleBib.

EasyBib.com is a simple bibliographic management tool that creates citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. You choose what type of citation you are building and then fill in the blanks, from there EasyBib will create your citation for you. I especially liked this feature because you could create a list and then download it to a Microsoft Word or Google document file. This download feature minimizes a lot of the time and clumsiness involved in editing if you were simply to copy and paste citations. I recommend this citation builder for younger students who are just learning citations.

Though free and easy to use this program still comes with areas for improvement. The simplicity sometimes misses the finer details necessary for Chicago or Turabian citations. Also make sure you pay close attention to font size and margin spacing when you download citations to a Microsoft Word document. If a professor or teacher specifies a certain style of paper, EasyBib may not automatically create the style you are required to make.

NoodleBib.com is more complex free bibliographic management tool that also creates MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. This software also is a fill in the blank type citation builder, though you should expect a lot more blanks than EasyBib. This citation builder is a little more time consuming, but you can expect accurate and correct citations. Though you do not get the handy downloadable feature, you can expect better results for professional style citations. This citation builder is appropriate for high school age students and above.

If you are using the two citation builders for simple print journal articles you are likely to get similar results. There are minor differences if you are using it to build a bibliography of references used from an electronic database. Be careful about what information you add into the blanks and pay attention to any side notes or pop up information. Your citations are only as accurate at the information you put into it.

If you still want more information please check the library catalog for the writing style manuals. These are always the authoritative source of creating proper citations. Happy writing!

Extra Extra! We Are Temporarily Moving During Expansion!

We’ll be open thru March 18th, re-opening yet to be determined, but estimated on March 23rd.

Saturday, March 19th we’ll begin the process of moving everything out of our existing building. If you feel like volunteering to help with the move please sign up at the Circulation Desk at the library. Out new temporary home will be located at:

Goodden’s Sporting Goods location,
1012 S. Main St. (ES)
(Across from Amato Ford) see map below for directions.

When we reopen at the temporary location you can expect:
• Reopening with entire collection available
• All library services available
• Most programs will be held at the new location. Some larger programs, particularly

Summer Reading programming, may be held at the Village Hall
• Check the library’s website or the Mukwonago Chief for information on
re-opening dates.

Help us feel at home in our new temporary location and come and visit often!

The Value of Giving

The holidays are a great reminder to give back to your community. The possibility of giving can continue all year long through donating to local nonprofit agencies. There was a request to list some of the local nonprofits in our area as a sort of “giving guide”. This list is in no way comprehensive, so if you feel an organization has been overlooked or should be added, please leave a comment below and I will make sure they get included.

There are many ways to donate but the two most common are time and money. If you are looking to donate time I suggest checking out the United Way of Waukesha County. They have a volunteer database where you can lookup different volunteer opportunities available in the area. Otherwise the contact information for each of the nonprofit organizations available by checking out this list, please contact them for more information.

Of course, We would love to have you come down and volunteer at the library. Some of the bigger events we could use help for are our temporary relocation or the Summer Reading Program. Stop in for a teen or adult volunteer application today!

Project Gutenberg --> more eBooks than you can handle!

If you’re craving e-books and want to be able to download until the memory on your reading device is full, checkout Project Gutenberg.

Project Gutenberg as a nonprofit business entity was officially created in 2000, but the premise behind it has been developing since the creation of the first e-document in 1971. Michael Hart the founder and creator of that first document wanted to make eBooks accessible to as many people as possible. The project aims at providing free access of eBooks to over 33,000 titles of books whose copyright date has expired. These items can be downloaded to your Nook, Kindle, Android, or other mobile devices.

Three portions of the Project Gutenberg Library, basically can be described as: (from Project Gutenberg's website)

Light Literature; such as Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, Peter Pan, Aesop's Fables, etc.
Heavy Literature; such as the Bible or other religious documents, Shakespeare, Moby Dick, Paradise Lost, etc.
References; such as Roget's Thesaurus, almanacs, and a set of encyclopedia, dictionaries, etc.” (Project Gutenberg website).

Your first time downloading items directly from Project Gutenberg can be a little difficult, especially if you new to eBook devices. The best way to access a selection of these titles is through Overdrive. Recently they have added 15,000 titles selected from the Project Gutenberg Collection. When you checkout or download these items from Overdrive they won’t count towards the number of items you are allowed to checkout! To access Overdrive go to our subscription database page and log in. To find the Project Gutenberg eBooks search under the “Browse” page and look under the heading “Browse Public Domain eBook”. Here is a little sample from a neat cooking magazine I found from 1921!

I suggest checking out this neat neat collection, especially through Overdrive. If you have any questions please don't hestitate to contact us!

We're Moving!

But only temporarily. With construction ready to begin in late March or early April, the library will be vacating its current site in mid-March and moving to a temporary home for the 8-9 months it should take to build the new facility. Our new home will be 1012 S. Main St.-- the old Gooddens Sporting Goods store across the street from Amato Ford. If all goes well, we'll be moving back to our expanded, renovated home on Washington Avenue in late November or early December.

Some of you no doubt wonder why we're moving-- couldn't we just stay where we are during construction and wouldn't that be easier and also cost less? Good questions. The option to remain at the current site was available to us, but after discussions with our architect and construction manager it became apparent that moving out was preferable to staying, for a number of reasons.

Moving out during construction will be both safer and more pleasant for everyone-- library users and library staff alike. While our construction manager has an exemplary safety record, having large equipment and other construction activity close to an occupied building is always problematic. Especially when, as we typically do at the library, there are lots of small children around. And no matter how tightly and carefully you seal things, dust, dirt and noise are inevitable byproducts of construction. Staying would have been less fun and more dangerous than moving.

So, what about cost? We have determined, with the help of our architect and construction manager, where the approximate “break even” point is on the cost of moving out versus the cost of staying. We are moving because we can do so and stay below that "break even" point-- moving out temporarily should actually save us money on the project.

That might not make sense at first, but think about these "hidden" costs to remaining onsite during the construction process:

• Internal moves: Our construction manager estimates it will take at least four, maybe five or six, internal moves to allow the construction workers the necessary access to various parts of the building. These will be small moves, but each will be disruptive. With relocations, there are only two moves, albeit larger ones. The overall cost for the 4-6 internal moves would be at least as much as the two big moves.
• Extended construction time. If we remain onsite, the construction workers will have to work around us, and scheduling contractors will be much more difficult and constrained. This extends the length of time to complete the project. Current estimates are that remaining in the building will extend the length of construction by 1.5 to 3 months. Each extra month of construction costs approximately $50,000 in additional administrative costs.
• Contractor “repeat” work. With the library moving internally, there will be a need for contractors—electrical, drywallers, carpet layers, etc.—to do part of their job, then return later to finish the areas that were occupied earlier. This is much less efficient and leads to significantly higher costs.

Ultimately, moving out should be the same cost as, or somewhat less than, staying at the present site during construction.

So those are the reasons we're moving out. The space we're moving into is a good one, and we will maintain the level of service our patrons have come to expect. It will be an adventure-- so I hope you'll join us!

Student Loan Information

The estimated cost of tuition for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for one year is $8,284. Throw in the cost of supplies like textbooks and you are easily at $9,000, and that doesn’t include you're living expenses. It is quite possible that an undergraduate degree would cost at least $40,000 at a state college. What happens when you have to pay back those student loans?

Because of a slow economy the student loan repayment market has changed vastly in the last five years. When I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2007 you could still consolidate your loans through a private bank or financer for a low locked in rate of about 6%. Lenders like Sallie Mae, US Bank, and other large companies would consolidate your loan for you and set you up on a payment plan that you would pay until you had a zero balance. I know some people that have been making minimum payments and paying off their student loans for 30+ years.

Let’s fast forward to 2011. Student loans have become an unprofitable market for private lenders because of the lower interest rates and a large amount of people whose loans go into default. There are still some possibilities for private lenders, but in most situations it would be overly expensive and not worth your time. There are basically two options: simply pay them off or consolidate them through a federal government program.

Most students accrue multiple Stafford loans or “plus” loans for each semester they attend school. If you do not consolidate you will have to make minimum payments on each of these individual loans. After I graduated with a master’s degree I had eight individual loans totaling…$88,000 (deep breath). Great Lakes is the company in our area who handles tracking those student loans and receiving payments for them. They will send you statements the entire time you’re in college to let you know the total you owe. There are different payment options such as 10 year or 25 years repayment plans.

The other option is to consolidate loans through the federal government's Direct Consolidation Loans. Be forewarned that only certain types of loans like Stafford loans can be consolidated through this program. The benefits of this consolidation are the ability to make income contingent payments and sign up for other loan forgiveness options and only making one minimum payment. For example if you are a teacher in a designated high risk school, every year you teach there a certain percentage of loans is forgiven. If you work full time in a hospital, registered nonprofit, as a public service employee, or a part-time community college professor you can enroll in the Public Service Forgiveness Program. If you make 120 (10 years) worth of payments while employed full time at one of these positions after the 120^th payment they will forgive the remainder of your loans. This legislation was enacted in 2007, so I am not certain if this can be applied retroactively. The other helpful legislation is no matter what payment plan you have through consolidation after 25 years of payments the rest of your loans are forgiven.

For example if a full-time single public service employee whose income is estimated at $25,000 with $88,000 in debt could sign up for an income contingent payment options. This would be an estimated monthly payment of $247 for the next 10 years, which translates into a total repayment of about $30,000. If the person was not a public service employee they could still enroll in income contingent payments for the next 25 years which would be a total repayment of about $75,000. No matter what be aware of your options. When you do entrance and exit loan counseling for school pay attention to the small print, because it could cost you if you don’t.

Tips:

-Never borrow more then you need.

-Consult your financial aid department every year.

-Read the fine print involved in entrance and exit counseling for student loans, twice!

-Know your options and prepare yourself, imagine how you will pay off your loans before you graduate. Do not procrastinate.

-Look at every statement Great Lakes sends you.

-Make small payments while you are in school, even $30 per month will save you money in the long run. With an annual interest of 8.7%, that $30 worth of your loan compounds an additional $2.61 in just one year.

Pondering Pandora

With over 48 million users you might have heard of Pandora, the online music listening and selection website that caters to your individual music tastes. It is a part of the Music Genome project and it is centered on the user experience and tries to match music to your interests. For example if you type “Elvis Christmas Music”, Pandora will create a special music stations for you that steams music that is all similar to Elvis Christmas music. If you hear a song you don’t like press a thumbs down button and you will never hear it again. Neato burrito!

You can create a music station to fit all of your moods because Pandora lets you make up to 100 individual stations. It also lets you create a user profile and share all of your unique music stations and finds with your friends. The service is also compatible with up to 200 different internet accessible devices, so you can stream music from your Iphone, Nook, home computer, Playstation 3, Wii, X-Box 360, or any other device you can think of. In the car I stream Pandora through my cellphone and then hook it up to my car stereo (sort of like an Ipod).

Why do I love this service? As a librarian I want to give patrons access to the largest amount of information and experience possible for free. Pandora lets you sample new music, learn about the musicians, and even search for concert tickets in your area, and it has a FREE option. You can sign up for an account and listen to 40 free hours of music a month. (Don’t worry no tricks here, there is no credit card required for sign up, they don’t even ask for your address or telephone number.) If you want unlimited streaming music there are subscription services available.

I have over 35 stations and have never used my 40 hours of streaming music in a month. Now I have music to listen to when I clean the house, have a dinner party, or have people over for the holidays. I have discovered some neat new artists that I adore like Iron and Wine, Thievery Corporation, and a few other titles. Though those bands might not be your cup of tea, I bet you can find your own flavor!

Getting your taxes done with the Library!

It has been said that only two things are certain…death and taxes. It is that time of year when we find ourselves leveling up with Uncle Sam and facing that April 18th deadline for filing our taxes. Let the library help you deal with some of the stress from tax season.

Step 1: Stop by the library to get your tax forms.
We have print forms for the state of Wisconsin and federal taxes. (As of the January 11th we have the state of Wisconsin tax forms, but are still waiting on the federal tax forms.) If we don’t have the specific form you need we can help you find them on the internet, or you check these links for your state or federal forms.

Step 2: Use library resources to help get your taxes done.
For anyone over 55 years of age AARP will be having tax preparation help seminars at the library. They will be from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm, on February 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, March 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and April 4th, and 11th. This is a first come first serve seminar so please arrive early, and it is not guaranteed that everyone who shows up will receive help.

You can check titles like these to help you with your tax preparation:

Or you can look to the community for resources in helping you by dialing 211 or checking out Volunteer Assistance Programs.

La Casa de Esperanza´s VITA Program offers free tax help for low to moderate-income taxpayers who cannot prepare their own tax returns. It is a volunteer-based program. Volunteers are certified by IRS and receive free training (sponsored by various organizations) to prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country.

Call 262-547-0887 to make an appointment for tax preparation. One of their locations is Waukesha Technical College in Pewaukee.

Step 3: Know your options for filing your taxes.

Whether you are hiring a professional to file your taxes, or filing yourself, be educated on your filing options.

Filing yourself: You can always mail in your completed forms yourself, or if you want to file online, check out this IRS link to see if you qualify for these free filing options.

Hiring a professional: Hopefully by now you have a great accountant or reliable person to file your return. But if you don't you can check your reference by using our online subscription database, Reference USA. Login with your library card number and you can look up the business in the Yellowpages portion. If they are a listed business you can see information like any legal filings against them, large news stories, and competitors. Some businesses even have statics about size, amount of annual income, and credit standing.

Step 4: Celebrate you finished your taxes!

Good luck!

Gizmo, Gadgets, and Downloading…Oh My!

Did you find a Nook, Kindle, Ipod, Sony e-Reader, or other digital device under your tree this year? Are you wondering what type of free downloads the library can offer for your gadget? Welcome to the quick Q & A session that will hopefully leave you as technologically savvy as your new gizmo!

What services are available?

The library offers audio books, e-books, music, and videos. These resources are available through two different subscription databases: Overdrive and NetLibrary. Many titles in the Netlibrary collection are now available to be downloaded to an ebook device. There is a feature in advanced search where you can look for downloadable titles only.


Overdrive is a subscription database that can include Adobe PDF eBooks, audiobooks, MP3 audiobooks, Music, and Video. Unlike NetLibrary these resources can be downloaded so there are different file types and compatibility depending on devices. Check out time is usually 7 or 14 days.

NetLibrary is subscription database, which can include eBooks, eJournals, audiobooks, and reference resources. Patrons can search for and read full-text eContent (eBooks or eJournals) or listen to audiobooks. Now there are many titles that can be downloaded, there is a feature in advanced search where you can look just for those downloadable titles.

Do these services work with my device?

Each subscription database has different compatibility needs. In a nutshell the Barnes and Noble Nook works with both databases and at this time the Kindle does not work with either database. The details of other devices can be found on the NetLibrary and Overdrive wesbites. There is also a cheatsheet provided by Waukesha County Library System for Overdrive.

But Kindle users fear not, if you know other people with Kindles, you can borrow their e-books from them for up to two weeks through Amazon.

How can I get my device to work with these services?

OVERDRIVE

Because Overdrive has more devices that are compatible with it and options for downloading, learning how to use your device can be a little bit more difficult. The first thing you should do is check the link of devices that has some information on what you may need to download before using your device.

1. Have your current library card handy.


2. From a computer go to the library website, click on subscription databases, and select Overdrive.


3. Sign in, your library system is Waukesha County Federated Library. Then enter your library card. From there you have access to the entire system.


4. Remember some of your devices need specific software that you can download for free from their website. Check out their getting started guide.


5. Fill your cart with items you want, and check out. Check out days are either 7 or 14 days depending on the item. There will pictures that indicate what type of item you are checking out (e-book, audio book, etc).


6. After checking out you will be able to download these items to your computer. After downloading them, plug in your device to the computer.


7. Once your computer recognizes your device, you should be able to move files from the computer to the device. It will take awhile the first time you try, so don't get discouraged. I have to be honest the first time I tried out these items it took me 45 minutes to get everything going. Your device should have an informational website where people have posted answers to problems you might be having. A trick I use is typing the question in Google. For example "How do I make my Nook work with Overdrive.

NETLIBRARY
To access NetLibrary your device has to be able to access the internet and surf websites. Like the Nook. Here are the steps on how to use your device:

1. Sign up for an account in a Waukesha County Federated Library System library. You must be in the library to sign up for the account for the first time. Ask for library staff help at the reference desk. Once you have an account you can use your account from anywhere with internet access.


2. Go to NetLibrary.com from your device and sign in. Most devices have the option of adding webpages to your favorites list, and saving your sign in information. This is really handy, especially for devices that are a little difficult to navigate on the web. It saved me at least 4 minutes every time I logged in using the Nook.


3. Read away! There are two different types ways to access resources. The first is resources that cannot be checked out or downloaded, but viewed 15 minutes at a time. The second are resources that can be downloaded. There is a feature in the advanced search where you can look only for downloadble titles. Remember if you have any questions ask at the library! You can call us at (262) 363-6411 or stop in.
   

Update as of 01/13/2011 - For detailed download instructions for your Nook to your PC check this link.

Update as of 01/17/2011 - There are downloadable titles available for your device from Netlibrary. The blog was updated to explain.

Blogs Made to Order!

Do you have a topic that stumps or confuses you? Wish you had a professional who could write a brief topical summary or highlights on a topic of your choice for free? Or do you have a suggestion of a tidbit of information you think would benefit the rest of the library? Aren't you in luck-- the Mukwonago Community Library Blog is taking topic requests!

A few topics you might suggest: Retirement Resources, Why the Sky is Blue, How does the Stock Market Work, Family Orientated Video Game Suggestions, How to Start (or join-- there are already several going at the Library) a Book Group. Any suggestions are welcome, and if we don't use your topic we will let you know. Don't worry...we won't use your name unless you would like us to!

Suggest requests in person to Tristan Kelly, or via e-mail to tkelly@mukcom.lib.wi.us. Thank you!

Need a tax deduction? Donate to the library!

If you have an excess of gently used items that are 3 years old or less including books, videogames, DVDs, audiobooks, or other resources, consider donating them to the library. (No VHS, beta, or cassette items please). Those items will get put to good use by either being added to the collection or being sold at the Friends of Mukwonago Community Library book sale. Those donations are also tax deductible.

We also have drives for certain items at different times of the year. Currently the library is looking for gently used children's books to use as Reading Challenge prizes. Some of the prizes can already be seen on display in the library. A big thank you to all of you that have donated!

How does the donation process work?

Anytime the library is open bring in your donation items to the circulation desk. Upon request a receipt of the donated value of the goods will be distributed to the donor. If it is a larger donation the creation of an itemized list will be considered for special occasions.

It is the responsibility of the donor to assess value of items being donated. For more information on item assessment value please reference the IRS's Publication 561 (4/2007) that gives an explanation on how to assess the value of donated items. If you have more questions about itemized deductions please speak with your tax preparer.

An, of course, donations of cash or checks are always most welcome, especially now when we are getting very close to meeting our fundraising goal for the capital campaign. We will send you a thank you letter with the amount of your donation included. For those donations please stop in while the library is open or send them to Attn: Director Nick Weber, 300 Washington Ave, Mukwonago, WI 53149. Or if you have any questions please call Nick Weber at 262-363-6411.

Thank you and good luck with Uncle Sam!

HELP! Avoiding E-mail Scams and Phishing

In 2008 the state of Wisconsin reported over 13,000 complaints of fraud and over 3,000 cases of identity theft. These numbers are predicted to have risen by almost 11% in the last two years. With identity theft on the rise it is a good idea to be informed on how to avoid it. One way to improve your safety is to be mindful of how you share your personal information on the web.

E-mail scams and phishing websites try to steal your personal information for their benefit. This could mean trying to use your credit card numbers for fraudulent purchases or selling your personal information to companies. Some scams are easy to spot, like the Prince of Nigeria personally e-mailing you to let you know you have inherited 21 million USD, and this money is all yours for a processing fee of 15,000 USD). Others like a realistic looking e-mail from the IRS inviting you to take a customer satisfaction survey are a little harder to catch. So what can you do to protect your identity and personal information?

The US Department of Homeland Security offers these security tips:

• Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages from individuals asking about employees or other internal information. If an unknown individual claims to be from a legitimate organization, try to verify his or her identity directly with the company.


• Do not provide personal information or information about your organization, including its structure or networks, unless you are certain of a person's authority to have the information.


• Pay attention to the URL of a website. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net). (For example irs.gov is the correct website, irs.com is not.)


• If you are unsure whether an email request is legitimate, try to verify it by contacting the company directly. Do not use contact information provided on a website connected to the request; instead, check previous statements for contact information. Information about known phishing attacks is also available online from groups such as the Anti-Phishing Working Group (http://www.antiphishing.org/).


• Install and maintain anti-virus software, firewalls, and email filters to reduce some of this traffic.


• Take advantage of any anti-phishing features offered by your email client and web browser.
  

These are some tips that I have used:

• Have at least two e-mail accounts, one is your normal daily use e-mail; the other is your “junk e-mail” account. When you need to provide your e-mail address for something and you are uncertain of the source you can provide your junk e-mail address. This will reduce spam in your mailbox and help protect private information.


• Use a VISA or MasterCard gift card to make purchases online when you are leery of online vendors. The gift cards are available for a small fee and usually can be purchased through local vendors and are usually refillable. This way if your account information is stolen it isn’t an actual credit card, and the only amount that can be lost is what you currently have on the gift card.


• Another more advanced tip is to use a web browsing program with built in security features. For instance Google Chrome is a free downloadable web browsing software that has more built in security then most competitors. It also boasts an “incognito” browsing feature, which means it will not save any internet history and less of your personal information, and it erases automatically when you close the window.


• If get an e-mail from an unknown address and it isn’t something important, don’t open it or mark it as spam. If you do open the e-mail don’t click on any attachments or links located in the e-mail.


• Be careful when you play online games. Though the game may be fun and free, sometimes when you download the game to you computer it installs spyware that collects information from your computer. It is easiest to play “flash games” that you don’t have to download from the internet.
• Be wary of Facebook scams. These scams can be sent directly to your Facebook account making promising of free gadgets, gift cards, or cash (don't believe it!). Or in the case of Associated Content's article some scammers are going on Facebook and getting teens personal information. They are using this information to try to scam family members out of money, by pretending to be the teen and asking for money. Make sure to double check with other family members or call the number you have for that teen to double check. The safest bet is to have your child or teen set their Facebook account to private (which means people that aren't their friends cannot see their information).

The best tip of all you probably got from your parents: “IF IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS!”

What Celebrities Read

I found a neat little website that the Gardiner Public Library in Maine put together. Several years ago they contacted several celebrities to see what books the would recommend people read and if they had any memories of the library. Though the database is a little dated because they stopped collecting information in 2006 it is still great to checkout. See what Lucille Ball thought of libraries and what she would suggest to read!

Spotlight on Subscription Database: Mango Languages

I have been in numerous situations when knowing a second language would have been useful. For instance trying to help patrons at the library, directions for the new gadget I got for Christmas, going on vacation and when I accidentally turned my cell phone to Spanish (it was like that for at least a week). There have also been more serious situations, like when I got in a car accident on a Chicago freeway and other person involved didn’t speak English. Even without being fluent, knowing at least a few hundred words would have been really handy in those situations. In this blog I am going to talk introduce you to a cool subscription database that the library offers for language learning.

Mango Languages is a subscription database available from the library that you can use in the library on your home computer. You can participate in video courses to learn a plethora of languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Dari, Dutch, Farsi (Persian), French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesdian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Pashto, Portugese (Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin America), Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdo, and Vietnamese. (Whew!). What I loved about Mango Languages was the simplicity and pace of the lessons. In the past I have found a lot of learning software like Rosetta Stone to have a fast pace that can be discouraging. Mango Languages has a slower pace and prompts the user for a lot of interaction and practice. Most of the lessons operate in showing you slides with study material on it, sometimes the slides seem to take too long, but there is a forward button.

Mango Languages offers three types of courses, from Basic (which is a few hours), and two other more in depth lessons. I completed the Basic course for Latin American Spanish and was quite pleased with the results. In an evening I recalled basic greetings, simple conversation, and how to ask some important questions. My account even keeps statistics and lets me know how much time I have spent on lessons a practicing (four hours and counting). If I continue on to the other two courses there is about 100 individual lessons in all. There isn’t a lot of entertainment, so don’t expect pictures or graphics, but the coloring of the software is slick and bright.

I highly recommend that in the past if you have tried Rosetta Stone or a learn in your car type of resource and you got fed up or discouraged, check out Mango Languages! It is almost fun to learn… Adios!

Read Local Archived Papers

Are you looking for an article where you son or daughter was mentioned in the Mukwonago Chief or did you read a great article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel? You can find archived copies of those newspapers and 233 other Wisconsin newspapers ranging from issues dating back to 2005 through 60 days ago.

A selection of local newspapers that you might be interested in are:

Kettle Moraine Index
Lake Country Reporter
Sussex Sun
Oconomowoc Focus
Milwaukee Journal
Mukwonago Chief
Brookfield News
Elm Grove Elm Leaves
Menomonee Falls News
Muskego Sun
New Berlin Citizen
Oconomowoc Enterprise
Palmyra Enterprise
Waukesha Freeman



To access this database click on the link. You can search according to keywords, date, or newspaper title. If you have any questions call the Mukwonago Community Library reference desk. Have a great week!

Pizza Superhero Drawing and Writing Contest

Want a chance to win a slice of pan pizza? Then draw your best pizza superhero and write a description of their name and superpowers! Entry forms are available at the Mukwonago Community Library or you can print them out from the link listed below! The contest runs from December 20th to February 12th.

Good luck and happy drawing!

Pizza Superhero Drawing and Writing Contest Entry Form