The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library System

Contents:
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
2/ New and Improved Library Location Pages
3/ Useful Web Links Section Highlight – “The Home” Links
4/ Reader's Advisory Section Highlight – Reading Lists
5/ Holiday Closings
6/ In Next Month's Issue

1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes

Welcome to the December issue of Books & Bytes. This month we will profile the new and improved Library Location pages. This will be followed by an exploration of the “The Home” category in Useful Web Links. We will also examine the new Reading Lists section in our Reader's Advisory. Finally, we will notify you of our closing times for the holidays.

We hope you enjoy receiving Books & Bytes. Please let us know what you think of our publication by writing to: webmaster@pbclibrary.org

2/ New and Improved Library Location Pages

If you want to know more about each library in our system, the Library Locations section is the place to look. These pages have always provided basic information about the branches, such as hours of operation, telephone numbers, and directions. Now, we have reorganized and added extra information to make these pages even more useful.
http://www.pbclibrary.org/locations.htm

- Under “Directions” a map has been added to provide a clearer picture of the branch’s location in relation to major streets and intersections.
- The “Descriptions” section provides an overview of the branch, including collections and other resources.
- “Computers” is a new section that has been added. Each branch has a number of computers for use by the public for services such as Internet access and Word Processing. This list is broken down into computers in the adult and children’s sections.
- “Meeting Room” information is now provided. This includes the size of the meeting room, along with booking information for the public.
- Many of our branches offer room for “Displays,” either in cases or on walls. Members of the public are required to fill out a request form.
- “Service Area” maps out the region which the branch is designed to serve. Remember that you may use any library in the County system with your card, but the one in your service area may be the most convenient.
- A list of the three closest library locations, including mileage, is provided.
- For those curious minds, a history of the branch is included.
- Each branch now has a photo gallery to display pictures from special events that have happened at the library. This can include programming, displays, and much more. It is a fun place to visit in order to get a feel for the events happening @ your library.

We hope you enjoy the new look of our branch pages. Please take a look at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/locations.htm

3/ Useful Web Links

As a regular feature each month, we examine one section of our Useful Web Links. Our web directory is compiled by librarians who apply their knowledge and Internet experience to recommend web sites for each topic.

Are you looking for a hip baby name? Do you have a green thumb? Are you hungry for a new dish to cook? If so, please check out “The Home” section of Useful Web Links.
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm

“The Home” is divided into four sections: Family, Gardening, Homemaking, and Pets

Under the Family, you can find:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm#Family

Baby Names
A collection of over 10,000 names used to find a name and to learn what the name means. Browse the Baby Name Dictionary or go straight to Find It to customize your search.

Bliss Weddings
A guide to planning weddings and honeymoons, supported by a bevy of nuptial experts.

FamilyFun
Travel, crafts, games, and more from Disney’s Family Fun magazine.

Great Websites for Children
Over 700 recommended sites for children and parents from the American Library Association’s Great Web Sites Committee.

KidSource Online
Current education and healthcare information for parents.

Under Gardening, you can find:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm#Garden

Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Includes links to publications on everything from ant control to xeriscaping, as well as lots of information on growing fruits and vegetables in Florida.

GardenWeb
The Internet's Gardening Community. It includes forums for Florida gardening.

Mounts Botanical Garden
The oldest and largest public garden in the county is a terrific place to view and learn about plants that will grow in our area. Visit the web site to find out about their hours, tours, bookstore, special programs, and plant sales.

Santol's Tropical Fruit Home Page
This site is excellent for anyone interested in growing tropical fruit in South Florida. It includes a wealth of articles and links on the subject. Santol has taught tropical fruit courses at Broward Community College and is a leading expert on horticulture in South Florida.

Homemaking contains:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm#Home

Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens provides tips on home improvement, cooking and entertaining, crafts, and landscaping.

Epicurious
It boasts over 12,000 recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines.

RecipeSource
Just enter keywords into the search tool to locate recipes that match. Over 70,000 recipes available online.

VeryBestMeals
VeryBestMeals.com provides recipes, ideas and tools needed to create fast, nutritious and delicious meals.

Pets has the following sites:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm#Pets

Animal Network
This site covers dogs, cats, horses, critters, reptiles, birds, fish, and links to information on how to care for each.

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control
Includes links to information about adopting pets, lost pets, and views from their PetCam.

Pet Names
This site lists suggestions for pet names, meanings and favorite names.

Petfinder.com
Petfinder.com tells how to find and adopt a homeless pet, and provides information on many aspects of living with a pet.

To visit these great sites and others, drop by the “The Home” category of Useful Web Links at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-thehome.htm

4/ Reader's Advisory Highlight

Looking for more information on famous and not-so-famous literature? Do you want to delve deeper into a genre? Or do you simply want to read a good book? As a regular feature each month, we examine one page of our Reader's Advisory. This month, we will explore our new collection of Reading Lists.
http://www.pbclibrary.org/read-biblists.htm

The Reading Lists are a new service we have added to Reader’s Advisory. This is a collection of fiction bibliographies. When readers discover a new genre or literary style they often want to read more works like that. Our lists address that need. They also offer links directly into our catalog. Users can click on the title to locate the book in our system and determine its availability. The author is also clickable to learn about all the books we own that have been written by that person. Below is a list of our lists.

British Mysteries – Authors range from Agatha Christie to Colin Dexter to Ruth Rendall.
Chick-Lit – Looking for something like “Bridget Jones Diary”? Then this is the list for you.
Comic Capers – Humorous tales of cops and robbers.
Family Sagas – Rich tales of family life, both with regular families and unusual ones.
Historical Mysteries – Stories of murder and crime from the olden days.
Historical Romanics – Dashing tales of romantic knights and heroines to name a few.
Historical Stories – Authors range from Jean Auel to John Jakes to Edward Rutherfurd.
Jewish Stories – Explore the wide range of stories from Jewish life and customs.
Legal Fiction – Riveting stories of lawyers, defendants, judges, and criminals.
Romantic Fiction – Get swept with tales of lost loves, young love, and heartbreak.
Sleuth Stories – Tales of detectives and spies solving mysteries around the world.
Thrillers –Authors range from Tom Clancy to Clive Cussler to James Patterson.

Feel free to print off these lists and pass them around to your friends. You may even want to start a book club or join one of ours. We plan to add more lists on a regular basis.

If you are looking for a good book to read, check out the Reading Lists in our Reader’s Advisory:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/read-biblists.htm

5/ Holiday Closings

All Palm Beach County Library System locations will be closed on Tuesday, December 24, and Wednesday, December 25, for the Holidays. No items will be due on those days.

New Year’s Closings: All Palm Beach County Library System locations will close at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, and remain closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2003, for New Year’s. No items will be due on New Year’s Day.

6/ Next Month in Books & Bytes

In next month’s issue we will profile a new service – eBooks @ your library. It is a free collection of online books available to you at home.