What’s New @ AFPLS

The website for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, www.afpls.org, underwent a few changes over the weekend! You may have noticed there is no longer a lnk for the databses. They are accessible now through our single search feature.

On the left hand side of the screen, there is a white box that says Search Options above it. You can choose from searching the catalog, databases or the library website. If you are looking for a specific database, or want to search all of them, click on Database Search. On the next page, to find a specific database, just scroll down to the alphabetical list, or you can search across all the databses using the search box at the top of the page. Clicking on Catalog Search will take you to the traditional catalog search page.

We are making these changes to make the website easier for you, our patrons, to use! Please let us know how we are doing by leaving a comment with this post or drop an email to comments@fultoncountyga.gov

The 2008 college football season truly kicks off tomorrow and it’s great to know that ESPN College GameDay will be here in town at Centennial Park! But if, like myself, you don’t have tickets to a game or your school is in another state, you still have time to get ready for the new season!

Here are some of the preseason polls if you want to see how your team is doing before they play a game:

AP Top 25 Preseason
Coaches’ Poll
BCS Rankings

For scores, schedules, and stats, click here for the NCAA Football site.

You can also read about your favorite teams and all the big games online from home from some of the biggest sports publications, including Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News (as well as many of your favorite local newspapers) all from the comfort of your home computer! Cick here to access e-Library, type in your library card number and you’re ready to go!

If you want to be a true armchair athlete, AFPLS has many college football DVDs for you, including:

We Are Marshall
Rudy
Knute Rockne All American

You can search the AFPLS catalog here to see which branches have these or other movies.

AFPLS does not officially stand behind any team, but unofficially I just have to say Go Gators! Enjoy your football season!

From the publishers of Consumer Reports Magazine comes a collection of blogs helping the public stay in-the-know on products before they purchase them. The various blogs you can choose to subscribe to cover cars, electronics, safety, home and garden, health, money and shopping, and babies and kids. At first glance the posts seem to be well-written and informative, and can range from product testing to the latest news tidbits that may affect consumers.

Of course you can always access current and back issues of the Consumer Reports Magazine at your local branch library, or from home by going through the library’s databases. To search this and countless other popoular and scholarly magazines and journals from home, just follow these steps:

1. Visit the library’s webpage at http://www.afpls.org/.
2. Scroll down to Books, Research & Databases and click on the A-Z List of Databases.
3. From the list select the third database, Academic Search Complete.
4. At this point you will be asked to enter the GALILEO password which you can obtain by either logging into your account on the library’s homepage with your card number and PIN, or by calling your local branch.
5. Once in Academic Search Complete, click on the word Publications at the top left corner of the page.
6. Type in Consumer Reports [or any other magazine title] into the Browsing field and click Browse.
7. Click on the title of the magazine you wish to search
8. To search within a specific issue, simply select it from the date menu on the right. To search all issues of a particular magazine, click on the Search within this publication link.
9. Start searching!

It might seem like a lot of steps, but once you’ve done it a few times you’re sure to discover how convenient it is to have this wealth of information available at your fingertips! And be sure to check out all of the other databases available to you through AFPLS!

Thanks to the Librarian’s Internet Index for the heads up on the Consumer Reports blogs.

The prices at the pumps aren’t the only things breaking records these days. The number of people switching to mass transit is also starting to break records. I for one have started to make the switch and although it does sometimes require a bit more effort, it sure is nice to save money, time and sanity. Now instead of sitting in traffic pulling out my hair, I sit on the train and read a good book!

The Librarian’s Internet Index had several links today to great and informative websites about public transportation. For any of our readers out there considering the switch to mass transit, here are a few helpful [and maybe inspirational?] sites for your perusal before you hop on a bus or train.

• Public Transportation: Wherever Life Takes You

“This website is designed to better inform the public about the benefits and importance of public transportation for all Americans — even if they never board a train or a bus. “

• Transportation Energy Databook

“Most recent edition (26th edition in 2007) of this “data book… [of] statistics and information that characterize transportation activity, and … data on other factors that influence transportation energy use” in the U.S. Features spreadsheets on petroleum, energy (including fuel consumption by vehicle type), highway vehicles and characteristics, alternative fuel, fleet and household vehicles, non-highway modes (such as aviation, boats, and rail), greenhouse gas emissions, and criteria pollutants. From the U.S. Department of Energy.”

• American Public Transportation Association

“Material about public transportation from an advocacy organization. The “Industry Information” section features transit and ridership statistics, and reports and surveys about the benefits of public transportation, the connection between public transportation and greenhouse gas reduction, terrorism and public transportation, and more. Also includes news, information about government affairs, and links to related sites. Some material only available to members.”

• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority [MARTA]

A very user-friendly website for our local mass transit. Info includes maps, rail/bus schedules, fares, FAQs, and information and instruction on the recently adopted Breeze cards.

• The Clean Air Campaign 

This organization is motivating Georgians to improve our air quality and reduce traffic congestion by offering rewards and promotions, tips on finding other carpoolers, local resources for areas where you commute, and local and national news and events related to transportation and the environment.

Thanks again to LII for links and quotes!

AFPLS now has a single search function that allows you to search the library catalog, e-books and e-audiobooks, and select AFPLS databases. You can type your search in one time and get multiple results! No more going back and forth between the catalog and the list of databases. You can find out more about the single search feature on our website here. You can access the single search function by clicking here. These features are available to both in-library and remote users. This can make doing research for reports, homework and even casual use a whole lot easier!

AFPLS now has free e-books & e-Audiobooks available to our patrons. This includes both print nonfiction e-books you can read online and e-audiobooks which you can download to a MP3 player to listen to at home. Step 1 is to access the Netlibrary site remotely and create an account with NetLibrary through our website, www.afplweb.com. Here is a helpful guide to downloading eAudiobooks with full instructions on how to use and download the site. The best part is you can use these items now, there is no need to go to a library or put an item on hold!

Please be aware these e-Audiobooks do NOT work with Apple iPods. You would need a MP3 player to listen to the e-Audiobooks.

Si hablas español podrás encontrar estas fuentes de información útiles y fáciles de usar.

Clase Periódica – Un índice de revistas de Ciencias y Humanidades de Latinoamérica.

Economías y Negocios – Contenido en español con énfasis en negocios y economía. Consiste de mas de 60,000 entradas bibliograficas de revistas de España y Latinoamérica desde los anos 1980’s.

Enciclopedia Universal en Español – Versión en español de la Enciclopedia Británica.

Fuente Académica – Contiene publicaciones en español cubriendo muchas áreas de estudio académico.

Medic Latina – Colección en español de investigaciones médicas y revistas publicadas por casas de publicidad medicas Latinoamericanas.

Revistas para Bibliotecas Publicas – Versión en español de “EBSCOhost’s MasterFILE Premier”.

**Puedes tener acceso a estas fuentes de información y muchas mas haciendo “click” aquí. Para usarlas desde tu hogar Vas a necesitar la contraseña que te provee tu biblioteca.

If you speak Spanish, you might find these databases in Spanish helpful and easy to use:

Clase Periodica…an index to Latin American journals in the sciences and humanities

Economia y Negocios…Content in Spanish which focuses on business and economics, consists of more than 60,000 bibliographic records. Journals from Spain and Latin America dating back to the 1980s

Enciclopedia Universal en Espanol…Spanish-language version of the Encyclopedia Britannica

Fuente Academica…Content in Spanish on scholarly publications covering many areas of academic study

Medic Latina…Spanish-language collection of medical research and investigative journals published by Latin American medical publishers.

Revistas para Bibliotecas Publicas…Spanish-language version of EBSCOhost’s MasterFILE Premier

You can access these databases and many more by clicking here. To use these at home, you will need the current Galileo password. Check with your local library if you are not sure what it is.

Many thanks To Lillian @ Ocee for translating!

Have you ever run out of things to read? Ever wondered what else a particular author has written or what was the third book in a series? Or maybe you just want a list of spy novels set during World War II. Many of these kinds of questions can be answered by the database Novelist, provided free of charge as part of Galileo.

Novelist lets you search for fiction by author, book title, keyword or series. You can also click on the search our database tag and then click on describe a plot. Here you can describe what you’d like a book to be about. Want a book about housewives in the 1950s in New York? Or books about nurses during the Civil War? Or books with a certain character? You can find them with Novelist. You can also limit your search by age range, LEXILE rating and page numbers.

You will need the current Galileo password to access Novelist from home. You can get the password from your local library or by logging into your online account at www.afplweb.com and clicking on My Profile. You can find Novelist by going to the Galileo website here or by going to the AFPLS A-Z Listing of Databases.

You can now access the Rosetta Stone Program with no problems. You will need to register first with your library card number before you begin. You can start by either going to the A-Z List of Databses or click here if you are outside an AFPLS library. After you register, you might need to download a few small add-ons, like macromedia and ActiveX, depending on your computer settings, and then you’ll be all set!

College football is here again. My own team, who happens to be the national champion, gave up only a single kick this past weekend. Now, you can’t watch your favorite games at the library, but we can certaintly help make the most out of the football season.

AJC/Newsbank This databases, accessible in any library, will give you full access to the AJC to catch up on what was written about your game.

eLibrary This database, accessible from home with your library card number, gives you full text access to a wide range of newspapers nationwide. You can also access Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News for free.

You can also check our catalog here to look for books on your favorite teams, coaches and players. There’s plenty on local teams like the Georgia Bulldogs, Goergia Tech, the Florida Gators, and the Crimson Tide among others. We even have books on how to make the most of your fantasy football teams!

Remember, if you can’t watch your team play on Saturday afternoons, AFPLS can help keep you informed on what’s happening on the gridiron!