The selection of The Martian for Somerville Reads raises the question, “Why Mars?” No one would ever write a book called The Venusian or The Plutoniac. But the words “Martian” or “Mars” command attention. And they long have. But why? What is it about this planet that has fascinated humanity for so long? A partial…
Our latest staff profile is of Kevin, who you will recognize if you’ve ever been to the second floor of the Central Library. “I’m Kevin. First and foremost, I work at the reference desk answering questions for library users, trouble shooting computers, helping people find books, and suggesting books to people who aren’t sure what…
The hot, muggy weather last week prompted a patron to call the library with questions about the Boston Heat Wave of July 1911. I was able to answer her questions (some of which were quite detailed) using our historic Boston Globe database, which provides every single page of the Globe from 1872 to 1981. Using…
Welcome to the first in a series of short articles about the Library’s staff. First up: Ann (whose face is familiar to anyone who uses the Children’s Room at the Central Library) tells you all about her job – and a few other things too! I love my job! I love being with the kids….
We’re still getting responses to our question about how the Library has impacted your lives. Some are short and simple, like these: The Library has taught me the invaluable lesson of research and how to learn something new by gathering the books to collect and learn. Whether it be the law, electrical, carpentry, computer knowledge,…
A recent issue of American Libraries featured an article called “Going Beyond Google Again,” a sequel to an earlier article exploring the uses of alternatives to general-purpose search engines (e.g., Google and Bing). The more recent article gives urls and descriptions of various free online databases that give you more focused search results than you…
First, the Library has allowed me to break the habit of overbuying books. In the last five years I’ve learned to ask the Library for a book, and wait, rather than to just buy a book and then have to store it, give it away, or chuck it. The Library always comes through. Second, the…
Here are a few more stories you’ve shared with us about how the Library has affected you: I am a life-long library goer, but it is only recently that I have really dug into the amazing resources available to me through my local library in Somerville. Six months ago, I started a blog about Somerville’s…
As I noted in a blog post last month, only about 0.03 % of all the information stored on the Internet is accessible via search engine. For the majority of what’s stored on servers around the world, you have to use databases. Most of them were created by publishing companies, which in turn lease access…
It’s been a big week at the Supreme Court: the Affordable Care Act upheld, gay marriage bans struck down, and a blow struck against housing discrimination. The Supreme Court’s rulings have had a profound impact on American society: their decision in Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) ultimately ended legal school…
