The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library
System
Contents:
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
2/ Library Expansion Program – Vote for Bonds
3/ Useful Web Links Section Highlight – “The World” Links
4/ Reader's Advisory Section Highlight – Horror
5/ In Next Month's Issue
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
Welcome to the October issue of Books & Bytes. Last month, we
promised to profile the Friends of the Library. However, we have
preempted that article in order to bring your awareness to a
very special issue – the Library Expansion Program. This will be
followed by an exploration of the “The World” links category in
Useful Web Links. We will also examine the Horror section in our
Reader's Advisory.
We hope you enjoy receiving Books & Bytes. Please let us know
what you think of our publication by writing to:
webmaster@pbclibrary.org
2/ Library
Expansion Program – Vote for Bonds
On November 5th,
voters in the Palm Beach County Library District will be asked
to vote on the question of whether bonds should be issued “for
the purpose of acquisition, construction, reconstruction,
expansion, improvement and equipping” the facilities in the Palm
Beach Library District. If the bonds are approved, the Library
District will add approximately 187,000 square feet to the
Library System, an increase in the neighborhood of 70%. The Palm
Beach County Library System Expansion Plan includes building two
brand new libraries and expanding seven existing branches. Major
renovations and enhancements to six other facilities are also in
the plan.
The new
libraries are planned for the Acreage and the area west of
Lantana. A new building, approximately 76,000 square feet, is
planned on land adjacent to what is now the Main Library, on
Summit Boulevard. This new facility will become the Main
Library, and will provide service to the public as well as
backup research support for the branches. The current Main
Library will be redesigned to house support functions now spread
between two buildings.
The
Wellington Branch will go from 8,000 to about 30,000 square
feet; the Royal Palm Beach Branch will expand to approximately
20,000 square feet. The Southwest Country Regional Library will
add nearly 20,000 square feet and the North County Regional
Library will gain about 16,000. The plan also allows for the
current West Atlantic Avenue Branch to be rebuilt, with a new
public service area to be attached to the existing meeting room.
The Okeechobee, Greenacres, Belle Glade, South Bay, Pahokee,
Tequesta Branch and West Boynton Branches will have major
renovations and enhancements, to increase accessibility,
operational efficiency, comfort and appearance. The Jupiter
Branch expansion, not part of the upcoming fall bond question,
is already underway.
Another bond
issue on the ballot would provide $50 million for the
construction, acquisition and improvement of recreational and
cultural arts facilities. The Board of County Commissioners
strongly urges voters to approve both bond referendums. The
benefits are enormous while the cost to the individual household
is minimal. For the owner of a home valued at $150,000 with a
homestead exemption, the tax is $14.45 per year for 20 years to
pay for both bond issues. Approximately, a dollar a month to
provide more libraries, recreation centers and cultural venues.
For more
information on the Library Expansion Program, please visit:
http://pbclibrary.org/lep.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.
Do you know which President gave the shortest inaugural address?
Are you looking for census information online? Do you want to
find information on Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund? If
so, you will want to look at “The World” links.
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-theworld.htm
“The World” is divided into three subcategories: History,
Geography and the Environment.
Some of the great sites in the History subcategory are:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-theworld.htm#hist
American Time Capsule
Three Centuries of Broadsides and other Printed Ephemera from
the Library of Congress.
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States
A complete list of Inaugural Addresses from George Washington to
George W. Bush. It includes mention of the five Presidents who
were never inaugurated.
Picturing the Century
Examine one hundred years of photography from the National
Archives.
Voice of the Shuttle
This site contains links to Renaissance resources for
literature, music, theatre, religion, etc. (fully searchable!)
Geography covers a wide range of topics such as:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-theworld.htm#geo
Morgan Quitno Awards
Rankings of America’s safest and most dangerous cities.
National Geographic Map Machine
Physical maps, political maps, flags, star charts, and satellite
images from National Geographic.
Sunrise & Sunset Computation
The U.S. Naval Observatory calculates solar and lunar cycles for
any date you submit.
Your Nation
Drawing from the CIA Factbook and other sources, this site
allows one to compare two countries, find the top and bottom
five countries for any characteristic, or summarize data for a
particular country.
Finally, there are many great sites to increase your knowledge
of the Environment such as:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-theworld.htm#env
Envirofacts - from the Environmental Protection Agency
A large database of EPA data that can generate maps based on a
variety of environmental criteria.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA's mission is to reduce loss of life and property and
protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of
hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency
management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and
recovery.
Scorecard
The Environmental Defense Fund's community pollution scorecard
identifies local chemical hazards.
South Florida Water Management
The official site concerning all things water related with
regards to the south Florida region. News on water restrictions,
rainfall amounts and much more.
To visit these great sites and others, drop by the “The World”
section of Useful Web Links at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/links-theworld.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 the frightful world of "Horror."
http://www.pbclibrary.org/read-horror.htm
Dark Echo
A superb collection of articles, interviews, and reviews of
horror writers and writing. It covers classic authors and
newcomers to the field.
Eternal Night
A searchable collection of reviews and authors lists - includes
science fiction and fantasy titles.
Horror Bibliographies
A searchable collection of bibliographies, specializing in
horror and fantastic fiction.
Horror Writers Association
Formed to bring writers and others with a professional interest
in horror fiction together, this site includes information about
agents and writers groups, as well as reading lists, member
pages and links to other dark fiction websites.
H.P. Lovecraft Archive
Howard Phillips Lovecraft is probably best known as a writer of
weird fiction, but some believe his voluminous correspondence to
be his greatest accomplishment. You can explore his numerous
facets through the many pages outlined on this site.
Literary Gothic
An exhaustive resource concerning Gothic literature, the
precursor of the modern horror genre. The site contains links to
authors, complete texts of Gothic works and various other
resources.
Masters of Terror
Author news and message boards, upcoming titles, reviews and a
reference guide and critique of horror fiction featuring 500
authors, 2,500 books, and 250 individual ratings and
commentaries.
The Official Stephen King Web Presence
As stated above, this is the official web presence for the
famous horror writer. It includes information on the author, his
books, and debunks the many rumors which swirl around him.
So if you are looking for chilling stories for a dark autumn
night, take a look if you dare at the “Horror” section of
Reader’s Advisory:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/read-horror.htm
5/ Next Month in Books & Bytes
In next month’s issue, we will profile the Friends of the
Library and the activities they do to support the library
system.
