Virtual Program: Stitch ‘n Time Needle Arts Group

~ Jenna P ~ Leave a comment

Join us for a virtual Stitch ‘n Time Needle Arts Group on Monday, May 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Sometimes the most difficult part of any project is finding the time to work on it. Wouldn’t it be great to have a time set aside just to work on your project in the company of other like-minded people? Enjoy friendly tips, camaraderie and much needed time. Learn new skills or build on old ones. Whether you knit, crochet, cross stitch, needle point, weave, quilt, sew or any of the other needle crafts, you are welcome to join the group!

Please register for this program: Monday, May 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts.  Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link.  You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.

Teen Update: Crash Course with Hank & John Green

~ svirginiaroyf ~ Leave a comment

Popular vlogging brothers, Hank and John Green, are co-creators and contributors to Crash Course which offers fun and informative video tutorials geared for teens and young adults. The videos are free and there are over 15 courses available on topics that range from the humanities to the sciences.

Crash Course has hundreds of millions of views on its YouTube channel and its fans include students as well as casual learners who just want to get smarter. US and World History, Mythology, Ecology, Film Studies, Literature, Biology, Computer Science . . . choose your topic and get ready to learn and be entertained at the same time.

And as Hank and John like to say, “Don’t forget to be awesome!”

eBooks on EBSCOhost (Power Library)

~ cmviola ~ 2 Comments

Did you know that with your library card you have instant access to over 16,000 eBooks from the world’s leading publishers across all major subject areas? It’s true! Just go to our the Tools and Research tab on our website at chescolibraries and select “All CCLS databases.”

eBooks on EBSCOhost (POWER Library) includes both fiction and nonfiction books for children, young adults and adults. It’s a great way to find a book to read for a book club or reading group, since it is always available to any number of readers. Give it a look! Just click on this link and scroll down to eBooks on EBSCO. https://www.ccls.org/196/Databases-by-Name

Here are just a few of the many tantalizing reads available through this database:

New Kitchen Basics : 10 Essential Ingredients, 120 Recipes – Revolutionize the Way You Cook, Every Day / by Claire Thomson

This is just one of over 1,000 cookbooks available.

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Nancy : A Comic Collection / by Olivia Jaimes

Over 680 comic books and graphic novels

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The National Team (Updated and Expanded Edition) : The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer

Over 8,000 biographies and memoirs

If I Were a Park Ranger

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If I were a Park Ranger / by Catherine Stier & Patrick Corrigan

Thousands of colorfully illustrated nonfiction books for kids on all kinds of topics.

Kids’ Update: Happy Mom’s Day!

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Today is Mother’s Day! On Mother’s Day, children of all ages, honor their mothers and so treat your mom to a special day. Learn more about Mother’s Day History and Facts here.

Since no one can go shopping, make a great card or gift for your favorite ladies — Mom, Grandmom, Auntie, anyone! Celebrate the day with style! Find some great ideas at Mother’s Day Crafts for Kids!

Then, read a story about one terrific grandmother in No Mirrors in My Nana’s House.

Citizen DJ: a new tool for the creatively inclined from the Library of Congress

~ cmviola ~ Leave a comment

The Library of Congress has a new open-source project called the Citizen DJ project. Developed by Innovator-in-Residence Brian Foo, this project provides a simple interface for exploring the Library’s extensive audio collections, as well as a platform for combining these samples with hip-hop beats. Creators can also download “sample packs” containing an array of sound clips that can be uploaded into their music production programs of choice. 

The audio clips, drawn from over a century of live music, theatrical performances, speeches, interviews, and ambient sound recordings, have no copyright restrictions. So creators can freely use these clips to create songs for personal or commercial purposes.

“My goal is to develop a simple way to discover and use public domain audio and video material for music making so that generations of artists and producers can use it to maximize their creativity, invent new sounds, and connect listeners to materials, cultures and sonic history that might otherwise go unremembered,” Foo shared in a press release. “That’s what Citizen DJ is all about—an easy to use tool that unlocks the amazing treasures in the Library of Congress for music makers and their audiences.”

The project will fully launch this summer, but the Library of Congress is encouraging members of the public to try out a demo version and share user feedback through May 15. Give it a try!

Kids’ Update: World Migratory Bird Day

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment
Indigo Bird from Birds of America

Today is World Migratory Bird Day. How much do you know about the many birds that live and travel through your neighborhood? Today is a great day to start learning. James John Audubon (1785-1851) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter, who actually tried to paint every bird in North America. His work can be seen in his book Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints! Did you know that Aubudon actually lived nearby? You can visit his home, Mill Grove and hike the trails around it in a small town named after him — Audubon, PA!

Once you’ve learned about J.J., you can learn about North American Birds right here from the Audubon Society, and here’s some Bird Trivia from the California Audubon Society. What a great time to start a lifetime hobby as a BIRDER!

Virtual Instructional Technology Workshops

~ Sara ~ Leave a comment

Beginning in May, the John W. Jacobs Technology Center at the Chester County Library starts to offer virtual instructional technology workshops.

Virtual Tech Tuesday: You Can Host a Zoom Meeting, Too!
Tuesday, May 12, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Virtual Tech Tuesday: Instructional Introduction to Excel
Tuesday, May 19, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Virtual Tech Tuesday: Instructional Intermediate Excel (Charts and Formulas)
Tuesday, May 26, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Books about mothers and motherhood available now on OverDrive

~ Book Club Mom ~ Leave a comment

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday. Explore the tender, complicated and uplifting subject of motherhood in these eBooks, currently available and ready for check-out on OverDrive.

I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson’s smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as “The national anthem for working mothers.”

Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou

A moving memoir about the legendary author’s relationship with her own mother.

Motherhood So White by Nefertiti Austin

Honest, vulnerable, and uplifting, offering an exploration of social and cultural bias, a new perspective on a familiar experience, and insights about what it means to be a mom in America today.

She Has Her Mother’s Laugh by Carl Zimmer

Celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation.

That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam

From the celebrated author of Rich and Pretty, a novel about the families we fight to build and those we fight to keep

Looking for more? Try these keyword searches on OverDrive:

motherhood
mothers
moms
Mother’s Day

Kids’ Update: Free World Book Online Extended

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Do you have homework or a report to do? Or are you just curious about anything and everything? We’ve got something for you!  World Book Encyclopedia has given us free access to World Book Online for YOU now May 31st.  Simply click here World Book Online and enter your library card number. There’s a different version of World Book Online for every level. So, whether you’ve got an assignment or just want to learn something new, THIS is a great place to start.  You’ll also find eBooks and activities to keep you busy when you’ve finished your homework! 

Now here’s a great big THANK YOU to our friends at World Book!