HCPL Happenings: August 2007

Thursday, August 30, 2007

DVDs, books on CD, and Music we ordered August 29, 2007

Below is a list of the DVDs, books on CDs, and Music recently ordered by the library. Click on the titles to see more and request a copy!

DVDs
Movies
Away from her
Funny bones
The Hurricane
I'll see you in my dreams
Jesus' son
License to wed
The medallion
My dream is yours
The unsinkable Molly Brown
The virgin suicides

Family
Alex Rider: Operation stormbreaker
Alphabet
Birds of a feather
Division rap
Extreme adventure fun
Extreme music fun
Fractions and decimals
How's that made?
Let's go!
Math is everywhere
Mickey & Pluto
Phonics
Phonics easy readers
Ratatouille

Other
Friends: Season 10
Sicko

Books on CD
Fiction
Deep dish by Andrews, Mary Kay
Dark guardian by Feehan, Christine
Dark possession by Feehan, Christine
The land of mango sunsets by Frank, Dorothea
Mad dash by Gaffney, Patricia
Third degree by Iles, Greg
Sizzle and burn by Krentz, Jayne
16 Lighthouse Road by Macomber, Debbie
Darkness falls by Mills, Kyle
Bleeding Kansas by Paretsky, Sara
Creation in death by Robb, J. D.
Blood brothers by Roberts, Nora
Friend of the devil by Robinson, Peter
Beyond reach by Slaughter, Karin
Breaking free by Snelling, Lauraine

NonFiction
Boom! by Brokaw, Tom
The coldest winter by Halberstam, David
The war by Ward, Geoffrey

Music
Elton John: Greatest hits, 1970-2002
Extreme music fun
Kenny Chesney: Just who I am
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Lost Christmas Eve

New books we ordered August 29, 2007

Below is a list of the books recently ordered by the library. They are grouped by Fiction, Non-fiction, Children and LargeType. Click on the title to see more and request a copy!

Fiction
A proper pursuit by Austin, Lynn
Mr. Darcy takes a wife : pride and prejudice continues by Berdoll, Linda
Life's golden ticket by Burchard, Brendon
Silver master by Castle, Jayne
Must love dogs by Cook, Claire
Ready to fall by Cook, Claire
Montana mistletoe by Dooley, Lena Nelson
Bride Island by Enders, Alexandra
Dark hunger by Feehan, Christine
Spandau Phoenix by Iles, Greg
The sanctuary by Khoury, Raymond
Last breath : a Sherry Moore by Shuman, George
A thousand voices by Wingate, Lisa

Nonfiction
Alone in the kitchen with an eggplant : confessions of cooking for one and dining alone
If I did it : confessions of a killer
Sin in the Second City : madams, ministers, playboys, and the battle for America's soul by Abbott, Karen
Wonderful tonight : George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and me by Boyd, Pattie
Boom! : aftershocks of the sixties and beyond by Brokaw, Tom
Running alone : presidential leadership-- JFK to Bush II : why it has failed and how we can fix it by Burns, James
Beyond the White House : waging peace, fighting disease, building hope by Carter, Jimmy
The coldest winter : America and the Korean War by Halberstam, David
Charts of Christian theology and doctrine by House, H. Wayne
Small town, big miracle / How Love Came to the Least of These by Martin, W. C.
Villa and Zapata : a history of the Mexican Revolution by McLynn, Frank
Celebrity detox by O'Donnell, Rosie
You, staying young : the owner's manual to extending your warranty by Roizen, Michael
The war : an intimate history, 1941-1945 by Ward, Geoffrey
The great upheaval : America and the birth of the modern world, 1788-1800 by Winik, Jay

Large Type
Deep dish by Andrews, Mary Kay
A sister's secret by Brunstetter, Wanda
New Year's quilt by Chiaverini, Jennifer
Bluebonnet belle by Copeland, Lori
Simple gifts by Copeland, Lori
Plum lucky by Evanovich, Janet
Third degree by Iles, Greg
Christmas letters by Macomber, Debbie
Lightning and lace by Mills, DiAnn
Creation in death by Robb, J. D.
Friend of the devil by Robinson, Peter
Play dead by Rosenfelt, David
Beyond reach by Slaughter, Karin

Children
Rocket racers by Appleton, Victor
The Land of the Silver Apples by Farmer, Nancy
Are we there yet? by Higginson, Sheila
Over the river by Higginson, Sheila
Whose birthday is it? : a lift-the-flap surprise story by Higginson, Sheila
Where are you going, little mouse? by Kraus, Robert
Putting on the brakes : young people's guide to understanding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by Quinn, Patricia
The girl's like spaghetti : why, you can't manage without apostrophes! by Truss, Lynne

Monday, August 27, 2007

Investing tip of the month from Morningstar.com

Our 10-Minute Test Eliminates Bad Stock Ideas, Pronto

It definitely pays to thoroughly investigate new stock additions to your portfolio. But does every stock warrant the same intense and time-consuming evaluation? No, and here's how to separate the handful of wheat from bushels of chaff in 10 minutes or so. You'll find all the information you need to answer these first-cut questions in Morningstar Library Edition's 10 years worth of data on stocks.

Does the stock pass a minimum quality hurdle?
Companies with tiny market capitalizations that trade on the bulletin boards (also known as pink sheets), foreign firms that don't file regular financials with the SEC, and IPOs--you'll sleep better by avoiding them all.
Has the company ever made an operating profit?
Oddly, companies that have never and/or have no immediate prospects of turning a profit often generate lots of excitement. Think cure for a rare disease. Best to stay away.
Does the company generate consistent cash flow from operations?
Reject any company with negative cash flow from operations. Eventually, they will have to seek additional financing by selling bonds or issuing more shares. The former increases risk and the latter dilutes shareholder ownership.
Are returns on equity consistently above 10%, with reasonable leverage?
Generally speaking, if the answer is no, say no to the stock. Leverage (basically debt) should be in line with the industry's norms.
Is earnings growth consistent or erratic?
It's best to go with the consistent bunch. Erratic earnings growth might mean a company is in a volatile business or, worse, competitors are pummeling it.
How clean is the balance sheet?
In most cases, you'll be doing yourself a favor by avoiding nonbank companies with financial leverage ratios above 4 or a debt/equity ratio over 1.
Does the firm generate free cash flow?
If not, it's usually best to bypass it. The exception, however, is a company that is reinvesting its cash in its business wisely. If you aren't sure about the wise part, research what the experts are saying, or avoid the stock.
How much "other" is there?
Management can hide bad decisions in supposedly one-time charges. If a company is questionable on other fronts and also has many "others," steer clear.
Has the number of shares outstanding increased markedly over the past several years?
This could mean the company is using shares to buy companies or reward employees. The former is a red flag because most acquisitions fail. The latter isn't good because it means your ownership stake is shrinking. If outstanding shares consistently increase year to year by 2% or more, think long and hard about investing.

Morningstar.com is great tool for new and veteran investors. It's chock full of unbiased analyst reports, tools for evaluating your portfolio, and lessons on how to invest. The best part is that it's free to all valid library cardholders! Begin now or learn more.

Library closed for Labor Day

The Library will be closed Sunday and Monday, September 2 and 3, in observance of Labor Day. The Library will re-open on Tuesday, September 4, at 9:00 a.m.

Remember that you can still do business with your library online 24/7! Renew items, place holds, and search our catalog at http://webpac.hcpl.org:81. Conduct research and use our many online services at www.hcpl.org/research.