Books & Authors – New Database

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authors, books, New Books

Earlier this year, the State Library of Iowa put out a call for bids on behalf of all public and academic libraries in Iowa for a package of databases to get us the best value for good, usable products, and to enhance vendor competition in our State. As of July 1, 2017, libraries in Iowa started offering the winning package of databases to our users and citizens of the state.

One of the many new products offered is called Books & Authors.

Books & Authors offers new ways to explore the endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics. Combining over 140,000 titles, 50,000 authors, and thousands of read-alike, award winner and librarian’s favorites lists, Books & Authors helps bring readers and literature together.

Through the use of expertly written and arranged content and a dynamic, cutting edge user interface, Books & Authors makes exploration of genre fiction and essential non-fiction fun! By leveraging their entire award-winning What Do I Read Next? collection, patrons and students alike can be sure that their next big read comes with a BIG recommendation.

If you’re a Kirkwood student or employee, you can get to this great new product by clicking on this Books & Authors link and if you use another Iowa library, check out their website to find the link.

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A quick guide to eBooks at Kirkwood

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books, Ebooks

An extraordinary thing happened here at Kirkwood last year, and with little fanfare. Very quietly, practically overnight, the number of books available to Kirkwood students, staff and faculty very nearly TRIPLED! How could this be? Through the Library’s subscription to a collection of ebooks numbering over 100,000 titles. Have you made use of this ebook collection yet? If not, here’s what you need to know about EBSCOhost eBooks:

• Ebooks are available any time, on almost any computer or other device with an internet connection and some kind of browser
• Although whole books may not be saved or printed, sections of books can be saved and printed as PDF documents
• Ebooks may be downloaded for offline reading to computers, mobile devices and ebook readers. This often requires the download of Adobe Digital Editions, so is easier done through your personal computer
• Ebooks may be searched through WorldCat, or directly through EBSCOhost eBooks

When it comes to downloading, there are lots of “if’s” and “but’s”! Rest assured your librarians have created a site to guide you through the most common considerations. And when in doubt, just ask a librarian!

World Read Aloud Day comes to Kirkwood

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books, world read aoud day

World Read Aloud Day takes place on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Kirkwood is participating by holding a read-aloud-athon from 11 am – 1 pm in the area outside The Cafe in Iowa Hall. Get the flyer here.

Why read aloud to college students, you might ask? Isn’t reading out loud just for kids?

1. There are “hidden benefits” to reading aloud regardless of age – including exposure to new ideas, discovery of new ways of thinking, an appreciation for language, cultural awareness, and an opportunity to just immerse yourself in the joy of one of the oldest means of human knowledge transmission – stories spoken out loud.
2. Many Kirkwood students are parents themselves – or may be some day. We all benefit from reminders of the importance of reading children, our own or those of others.
3. Why not celebrate the gift of literacy? After all, reading out loud is fun. Living in a first world country, we forget that literacy is, for many, not a right but a privilege.  litworld.org, who attribute this fact to UNESCO,  say that  “According to the latest data (2009), 793 million adults – two thirds of them women – lack basic reading and writing skills. Included in this statistic are 127 million youth aged 15 – 24. (UNESCO)”

We hope you’ll join us for this event. Questions? Contact your librarians.

Happy reading!

Welcome Back!

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Ask a Librarian!, books, del.icio.us, hours, research, website

The staff at the Kirkwood Libraries hope you had a fun and relaxing Spring Break. Library hours are now back to normal. Now it’s time to get back into the swing of things and start those final papers and projects you may have been putting off until later. The library Web site: www.kirkwood.edu/library has many resources available to help you research your topic. You can search our catalog to find a book, search our databases for magazine and journal articles, or check our list of “librarian approved” Web sites. If you hit a roadblock in your research, Ask a Librarian! for help. As always, the library is a great place to study for finals or just curl up with a good book. Come visit us!

Linn Area Reads

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books

The Main Campus Library is participating in the county-wide Linn Area Reads program. Each year they select a book for the entire county to read. A display is now up in the library featuring this year’s title, Population: 485. It’s the story of one man’s return to small town life as a volunteer firefighter. Multiple copies of the book are available for checkout. Please join the community in this on-going program. It runs through May and events will be held at different locations around the county. Check the website or the display for an event listing. For more information, check http://metrolibrarynetwork.org/linnareareads.