The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library System

Contents:
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes
2/ Popular Subjects Directory and the Kids’ Catalog
3/ Database of the Month – Story Finder
4/ Reading it? – Read Together Palm Beach County
5/ A Quick Byte – Find (on This Page)
6/ In Next Month's Issue

1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes

Welcome to the March issue of Books & Bytes. This month we will look at our Popular Subjects Directory and Kids’ Catalog. In addition, we will look at Story Finder in our Electronic Databases. Finally, “A Quick Byte” will feature a short tip to assist you in your daily computer use.

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

2/ Popular Subjects Directory and the Kids’ Catalog

Our new web catalog allows users a new and simple way to search for books that match their interest. The Popular Subjects Directory and Kids’ Catalog provide straightforward subject-based searching for adults and kids. It is a fun alternative to regular word-based searching.

To browse the Popular Subjects Directory, first click on the “Search the Web Catalog” link on the library’s home page. Then click on the words “Popular Subjects” in the top right corner of the web catalog. From there, select the photo accompanying the subject you wish to explore. You will be taken to a second page of sub-categories, where again you will select another photo. At this point, you will be taken to a page that lists books and other items that match your category. For example, clicking on “Business & Industry” will produce a list of eighteen sub-categories, including Business Writing, Management, and Starting a Business. Please be aware that you will locate both adult and children’s materials using the Popular Subjects Directory.

The Kids’ Catalog is very similar. A link to it may be found in the top right corner of the web catalog, next to the “Popular Subjects” link. Children can select from a list of fifteen subjects, including Animals, Fun Stuff, Science, and Stories. From here, children select a sub-category. For example, under Animals, some of the choices include Cats, Dinosaurs, Dogs, Pet Care, and Training Pets. These sub-categories link directly to a list of items, all of which are children’s material.

To try a different way to browse our collection, look at the Popular Subjects Directory and the Kids’ Catalog. Check it out for yourself at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org

3/ Database of the Month – Story Finder

Are you looking for a biography of writer Katherine Ann Porter? Do you need a copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous story “The Pit and the Pendulum?” Or maybe you want to track down scholarly explanations of the classic story, “The Gift of the Magi.” All these needs can be addressed in Story Finder, which can be found at:
http://www.pbclibrary.org/edb/patronlinks.asp

As the name suggests, Story Finder focuses on collecting prose, specifically short stories written by some of history’s most renowned authors.

Current Story Finder features include:

* Thousands of full-text short stories
* Explanations
* Biographies
* Pictures
* Genre Navigator
* Just Published Stories Anthology

In addition to providing the stories themselves, it provides context for the stories by including explanatory material such as biographies, explanations of stories, pictures and more. The collection includes stories from the classic to the most contemporary.

For example, a search for early 20th Century author Willa Cather produced a short biography, which included a photo, eleven of her short stories, and full explanations of two of them.

The Genre Navigator feature allows users to isolate specific types of stories, such as Adventure, Mystery & Detection, and Science Fiction, to name a few.

If you enjoy a good short story, then Story Finder will surely become a regular stop on your Internet travels.

4/ Reading it? Read Together Palm Beach County

Are you reading it? All over Palm Beach County, people are reading this year’s selection for the 2004 Read Together Palm Beach County campaign:

THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
by Zora Neale Hurston

Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person-- no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three marriages and into a journey back to her roots. Part of the novel is set in Belle Glade against the backdrop of the 1928 hurricane.

Hundreds of copies are already available in the Palm Beach County Library System. Check out one today, and keep visiting our web site for more information on the Read Together Campaign as it kicks into high gear in April. Look for book discussions and other related programs at your favorite branch!
http://www.pbclibrary.org/story-rtpbc2004.htm

Read Together Palm Beach County – One Book, One Community!

5/ A Quick Byte – Find (on This Page)

Have you ever strained your eyes searching for a word on a long web page that you know must be there? Well, stop that needless task and enjoy the ease of Find (on This Page). The Find feature is built into the Internet Explorer browser. Click in the word “Edit” in top left gray corner of the browser. It is the last option on the drop-down menu that appears. When it is selected, a small box will open in the middle of the screen. Type your search term in the box and click the “Next” button. The browser will then jump to the first instance of your search term on the web page, highlighting it in blue. Hitting “Next” again will move it down the page further in search of other matching words. If you are happy with your result, you can click the “Cancel” button to close the Find box. For a real time saver the next time you need to find an elusive word or phrase on a web page, use the Find (on This Page) option.

6/ Next Month in Books & Bytes

We will examine the Clubs and Organizations portion of our web catalog. We will also conclude our look at three sister databases by examining the Essay Finder database.