Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Be an informed voter

Does it seem like every election cycle, there are more and more outrageous rumors about the candidates? Have you heard that one of the candidates "won't swear on a Bible," or that one of the candidates "tried to ban Harry Potter books from a library?" Both rumors are false, but how can you prove it?

You can separate the truth from what's misleading and the out-and-out lies by looking at several reliable, responsible websites which are dedicated to combating lies and rumors.

FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They are located at the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Center for Responsive Politics is a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Their website is OpenSecrets.org

Snopes.com is a website that debunks "urban legends," rumors, email chain letters, and other hazards of the modern information age.

As my grandmother used to say, "Keep an open mind, but not so open you can hear the wind whistling between your ears."

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Do you have a Fax Machine?

YES! The Stratford Library now has a fax for public use. Stop by the Reference area to use it. The machine takes credit cards, debit cards or you can buy a prepaid fax card (good for 6 pages). It is convenient and super easy to use.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

In Theaters & on Library shelves everywhere

Did you see The Duchess starring Keira Knightley this weekend? How about Appaloosa starring Viggo Mortensen & Ed Harris? Want to know more? Then read on-
The Duchess is based on the life of Georgiana Spencer Cavendish. She was the great, great, great, great aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales and had quite a life. The library has a biography about her- Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman.
If you like Appaloosa, you may want to read the Robert Parker book by the same title the movie was based on.
You might be suprised how many books are turned into movies.... check out this website and then come into the Library for the books and the movies.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Spanish Heritage Event

Stratford Library is hosting a Spanish heritage program on Saturday, September 27th in the Lovell Room-----12pm to 3pm. This wonderful event will provide food, entertainment and information about Spanish culture populations, promoting cultural diversity in our community. Open to the public---young and old! Free.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Calling all Book Clubs.........

Are you always looking for ‘good’ discussion books? Do you need a bunch of questions to make your discussion more interesting? Do you want to find similar books to the title you are discussing? Make sure you try the library’s BRAND NEW online resource, NoveList Plus. It has both fiction and nonfiction books-for all ages. Click here to get there. You can also find a link to NovelList Plus in the Databases section of our website To find book discussion guides: Once you are in NoveList Plus, click on Book Discussion Guides in the left column – you can find guides for Adults, Teens and Kids. Each guide contains author info, a book summary (great for those who did not quite finish the book), a list of questions (with answers) and a list of further/suggested reading with short summaries. There are new titles added all the time. It is a great resource & fun to browse around in. We love this database and we hope you will too. Please let us know what you think.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Guilty pleasure reading

The celebrity biography-Everything you didn't need to know, but can't resist reading about....
Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran by Andy Taylor -One of MTV's favorite 80s boys.
Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone - Written by Madonna's brother, with an ax to grind.
sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling- Was her life really like 90210 and Dynasty? Losing It: and Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time by Valerie Bertinelli -TV's good girl marries a rock star & life gets messy.
Considering Doris Day by Tony Santopietro -America's sweetheart, not as sweet as we think?
Up Until Now: the Autobiography by William Shatner -Star Trek captain lets you into his life.
Don't Hassel the Hoff by David Hasselhoff -Baywatch, Knight Rider, America's Got Talent: get the scoop on his charmed life.
Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me by Pattie Boyd - The inspiration behind famous songs tells her story.
The Heroin Diaries: a Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx -A hard living, rock star life.
W.A.R.: the Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose by Mick Wall -Another hard living, rock star life.
Slash/Slash by Slash -Even more rock star lifestyle.
Julie Andrews: an Intimate Biography by Richard Stirling & Home: a Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews -Two books, two different points of view.
Willie Nelson: an Epic Life by Joe Nick Patoski - Get the details on his long, crazy and sometimes controversial life.
Audition: a Memoir by Barbara Walters -Lots of secrets revealed here.
Tonya Tapes: the Tonya Harding Story in Her Own Words by Lynda D. Prouse - How can you resist this one? A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex by Chris Jericho -WWE wrestler's story.
Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love and Leading Roles by Kathleen Turner - Actress with that sultry voice has had rough times.
These are just a few of the most recent books. If you are interested, there are plenty more.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Free computer training on the Career Coach bus, Sept. 5

The CTWorks Career Coach will roll up to the Stratford Library on Friday, Sept. 5, from 10 am - 3 pm, to provide computer training and career services to any person who wants their help. From 10 am - noon, the staff on the bus will conduct a two hour session "Introduction to Microsoft Word." From 1 pm to 3 pm, the staff will teach a more advanced class, "Microsoft Word part 2." The classes are free but advance registration is requested. Call us at 385-4164 or stop by the library. If the class is not filled, the extra computer workstations are available for you to use for your job hunt. You can use their high speed Internet access, fax, scanning, and print resources at no cost to you!

What’s onboard? On board the Career Coach bus you will find the latest technology, including:

  • 10 student workstations
  • 1 instructor’s PC
  • Wireless capacity for 10 additional laptops
  • A dedicated server for quick response time Satellite high speed Internet
  • ADA-compliant lift

The Career Coach is available to anyone 16 and over, at no cost.

Future visits of the Career Coach to the Stratford Library will be the first Friday of the month: Friday Oct. 3, Friday Nov. 7, Friday Dec. 5, from 10 am - 3 pm each day.