This just in ... March's new materials

For those of you who like nice and neat organized lists (like librarians do), we have put together lists of the new materials that were added to the library's collection in the month of March.


Click on the links below to see the lists and request items. (Hint: You can see these lists every month in the "Book Lover's Corner" section of the library's online catalog, or in the library in the New Books section.)


Books
General Fiction
Mysteries, Westerns, and Science Fiction
Nonfiction and Biography
Large Print
Children
Teen - A new teen collection is in the works! Ask about it the next time you're in the library.


Movies, Audio books, and Music
DVDs
Books on CD
Downloadable eAudiobooks (what's this?)
Music on CD

Investing Tip: Which funds own Google?

The latest from Morningstar Investment Research Center by Sumita Ghosh . . .

Stocks certainly grab headlines. Not a day goes by without a stock's price soaring--or plummeting-- due to an earnings surprise, merger, or new product development. As a result, investors are often curious about which mutual funds own a particular stock. Morningstar Investment Research Center can provide those answers.

To get a list of funds that own Google, for example, go to Morningstar Investment Research Center and type its ticker, GOOG, in the box on the home page. Our new Quote box features auto-fill, making it easy to find a particular investment.

Once you are at Google's report page you will see a tab called Insider Trading on the left navigation bar. Clicking on that link will direct you to the Insider Activity page. Once on that page, you will notice secondary navigation areas called Concentrated Fund Owners, Funds Buying, Funds Selling and Top Fund Owners. When you click on each of these tabs, you will see a list of funds that have Google in their portfolios, or those that have recently purchased more, or those that have recently sold Google shares.

For instance, if you look at the Top Fund Owners tab, you will see that American Funds Growth Fund of America owns more than 2% of Google's outstanding shares. If you click on Funds Buying, you will notice T. Rowe Price Growth Stock has recently increased its stake in Google's stock.

Why is this important or relevant to investors? It is crucial that investors know what their mutual funds hold and whether there is overlap between two or more funds and stocks. This will help them understand their exposure to certain sectors or countries, which allows investors to better balance their portfolios. In the above example, if an investor holds the fund, American Funds Growth Fund of America and also holds the stock Google, there is an apparent overlap.

Morningstar Investment Research Center 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.

Questions about the stimulus payment?

Filing with the IRS for the Stimulus Payment is both easy and free. Don't be misled by those who'll try to charge you a special fee to file. To qualify, you must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income (such as earned income, social security or disability benefits) for 2007, and file a 2007 federal tax return. If you are not otherwise required to file a tax return, this year you will need to file a simple version of the 1040A in order to receive the stimulus payment.

The Henderson County Public Library has the information and the forms you'll need to file, and all it will cost you is the price of a postage stamp. Even better, you may also file electronically for free at the IRS website. Visit www.irs.gov and click on the free file icon.

Payments will start May 2. The last two-digits of your Social Security number and whether you opted for direct deposit into your financial account or a paper check will determine when you receive your payment.

DVDs and Books on CD ordered Mar 26

Below is a list of the Below is a list of the DVDs and Books on CD recently ordered by the library. Click on the titles to see more and request a copy!

DVDs
Movies
Angel eyes
Boondock saints
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Mr. Holland's opus
Stargate: The ark of truth

Family
The borrowers
Bugs, bugs, bugs!
Catches a wave
Human body
Toothless
Triple play

Books on CD
Fiction
Quicksand by Johansen, Iris

New books we ordered March 26, 2008

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

Fiction
Undertow by Bauer, Sydney
Unknown means by Becka, Elizabeth
A sister's hope by Brunstetter, Wanda
The beast house by Laymon, Richard
The cellar by Laymon, Richard
The midnight tour by Laymon, Richard
Death in Venice and other stories by Mann, Thomas
Moving target by McCray, Cheyenne
The body in the gallery by Page, Katherine
The healer by Sala, Sharon
Windy city : a novel of politics by Simon, Scott

Nonfiction
Making poor nations rich : entrepreneurship and the process of economic development
Malaysia and Singapore
Encountering the mystery : understanding Orthodox Chrisitianity today by Bartholomew Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
As I recall by Clark, William
Fatal misconception : the struggle to control world population by Connelly, Matthew
The comfort table by Joel, Katie
Physics of the impossible : a scientific exploration into the world of phasers, force fields, teleportation, and time travel by Kaku, Michio
Travel + Leisure Unexpected Italy by Novogrod, Nancy
Liberty of conscience : in defense of America's tradition of religious equality by Nussbaum, Martha
Home learning year by year : how to design a homeschool curriculum from preschool through high school by Rupp, Rebecca
Marching toward hell : America and Islam after Iraq by Scheuer, Michael
Beautiful boy : a father's journey through his son's addiction by Sheff, David
Almost Catholic : an appreciation of the history, practice, and mystery of ancient faith by Sweeney, Jon
Thomas Merton : master of attention: an exploration of prayer by Waldron, Robert

Largetype
A whole new light by Brown, Sandra
Nothing to lose by Child, Lee
Christ the Lord : Road to Cana by Rice, Anne
Standing still by Simmons, Kelly
Mending fences by Woods, Sherryl

Will Lavender book signing April 17

Kentucky author Will Lavender will be signing copies of his debut novel Obedience in the Henderson County Public Library’s multipurpose room, Thursday, April 17th at 7:00 p.m. There will be copies of the book available for purchase or patrons may bring their own copy to be signed. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library.

Obedience is a gripping suspense tale that follows students enrolled at the fictional Winchester University as they complete a sinister assignment for their Logic and Reason class. Their instructor, Professor Williams, has given the class a series of clues and puzzles that if solved correctly will prevent the hypothetical murder of a fictional missing woman named Polly. But as the students delve into the mystery, the lines between what is supposed to be hypothetical and what is real begin to blur. The more they solve, the more the students begin to suspect that Polly may be real and that her very life is in their hands.

Obedience is currently on the New York Times bestseller list and has earned rave reviews. Kirkus Reviews has called Lavender’s novel “an inspired thriller” and Publisher’s Weekly has said that Obedience is “complex” and “compelling.” A Library Journal review states that Lavender “has a knack for creepy characters and red herrings.”

Will Lavender currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky where he is working on his next novel.

If you would like to check this book out from the library, click here to reserve your copy. You may also purchase the book through Amazon.com and a portion of the sale will benefit the Friends of the Library.

Revisiting Henderson's Past: 1937 Flood

It's time to take another peek into the archives ...

Beyond the Swelling Flood

Over the past week, Henderson County has seen its share of flood waters. With the river cresting at nearly 44 feet on March 23rd, 2008, several county residents experienced property damage, as well as personal grief. However, there are some Henderson occupants who remember a flood far more stirring and far more destructive than the one we saw this week.

In January 1937, much of the Ohio River Valley was struck by the “Great Flood.” After eighteen days of wintry precipitation and two days of unrelenting rain, the Ohio River crested at just under 54 feet, submerging much of the Henderson wharf and indiscriminately disquieting Henderson Countians. The city of Henderson was relatively fortunate. Located on some of the highest land in the tri-state, it was during the 1937 flood that the town acquired the motto, “on the Ohio, but not in it.” Though the city of Henderson was undamaged by flood waters, several towns within the county’s lowlands found themselves in desperate need. Approximately 1,200 houses were flooded, 6,150 livestock were lost, and 3,000 acres of land were dramatically eroded.

It was at this time that relief agencies such as the Red Cross, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Work Projects Administration, and the National Youth Administration began to establish care centers in buildings throughout the city of Henderson. Churches, schoolhouses, fire barns, and lodges became shelters and distribution stations for food, cots, and blankets. Ships from various parts of the country brought food, supplies, and clothing to an estimated 6,000 evacuees.

Since the Great Flood of 1937, Henderson has not seen a comparable flood. The event is marked forever as one of the most tragic episodes in the history of the tri-state.

To read more about the 1937 flood or other floods in Henderson’s history, come visit us at the library. You can read 1937 Flood of Henderson County by Juliet Alves Johnston, newspaper articles on the flood, or view any one of our many other resources. You may also want to visit our genealogy page or read previous “Revisiting Henderson’s Past” entries.

Photo is of Henderson’s wharf during the 1937 flood. The long brick building visible near the left side of the photograph was the Imperial Tobacco Company. The structure is still located on Third and Water Streets.

Free World Book Encyclopedia for you

People the world over have come to recognize the World Book Encyclopedia as an authoritative and reliable source of information. Now library users can search World Book's treasure trove of information anytime from any Internet computer at home, school or work.

World Book Online is one of the latest online research tools offered by your library. It's free to valid library cardholders and is available 24/7 right from your home computer or in the library.

World Book Online offers 4 distinct searching experiences:

World Book Online Reference Center - a general information site for all ages

World Book Kids - a fun and interactive searching and learning experience for children in grades K-5

World Book Advanced - search the encyclopedia plus primary source materials (such as the Constitution), ebooks, and images

World Book Spanish Language Encyclopedia

Want to know more? Check out our info page.

Get started now! Don't have a library card? It's easy to apply. Simply stop by the library during our regular library hours. It takes only a few minutes and it's the smartest card you can carry!

Which investments do best in a recession?

The latest from Morningstar Investment Research Center by David Kathman, CFA . . .

Everyone seems to be worried about a possible recession these days. The specter of an economic slowdown has been hovering ever since the subprime-mortgage crisis erupted last year, after which falling home prices led to a reduction in consumer spending, or at least the expectation of one. More bad news came Feb. 5, when the Institute for Supply Management reported a sharp drop in non-manufacturing business activity in January, leading some people to think that we may already be in a recession.

Whether or not we're in an official recession (defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth in gross domestic product), most people agree that the United States economy is at least slowing down, and it's natural to wonder what you, as an investor, should do. A recent column by Annie Sorich that was featured last month gives some good advice, which can be summarized in two phrases: Don't panic, and be prepared. A down market is usually a better time to buy than to sell, and investing steadily through dollar-cost averaging is often your best bet. Also, it's a good idea to have some savings as a cushion and to have investments in your portfolio that won't be hurt too badly by an economic downturn.

But how are you supposed to know which investments will do well (or badly) in a recessionary environment? That's not always a simple question to answer, but some general guidelines can be helpful.

Riding Out the Storm
According to conventional wisdom, the best stocks to own in a recession are those that don't depend on economic cycles and are thus capable of doing well through thick and thin. Consumer staples such as food and beverage makers are a good example, as are health-care stocks. After all, people will keep on eating and taking their medicine regardless of what the economy does. On the other hand, stocks that are susceptible to economic and business cycles traditionally do poorly in a recession; prime examples include technology, hardware, and many industrials. In a broader sense, defensive, relatively low-risk investments, such as blue-chip stocks with steady earnings, are supposed to do well in a downturn, while higher-risk investments, such as small-cap stocks, do worse. Also, hard assets, such as precious metals and real estate, are considered defensive and traditionally do well in a downturn.

For the most part, those expectations are reflected in the market's behavior so far this year, when recession fears have been highest. For example, among Morningstar's 12 stock sectors, the two worst performers have been hardware and software, with average losses of 14.82% and 14.04%, respectively, for the year to date through Feb. 8. Next worst have been energy and telecom, both with double-digit losses. Consumer services has been the best-performing sector, with an average loss of "only" 3.99%, followed by health care. When we look at fund categories, there is a similar pattern. Technology and communications funds have been the worst-performing domestic-stock categories for the year to date, while the best-performing category (apart from bear market and long-short) has been real estate, despite the weak housing market, with health-care funds not far behind.

A Mixed History Lesson
In reality, however, the markets haven't always responded predictably to recessions. That's because other factors, such as the valuations of various asset classes at the outset of the recessionary period, can affect what performs well and what suffers during an economic downturn.

For example, in the last recession, which lasted from March 2001 to November 2001, highly cyclical tech stocks sunk like a stone. At the same time, equally cyclical industrial materials stocks held up quite well, despite the widespread view that they should be avoided during a downturn. That was partly because industrials were so cheap after being beaten down during the tech bubble of the late 1990s. Similarly, small- and mid-cap stocks did quite well in 2001, even though they're generally considered less recession-resistant than large caps. Again, recent history is the reason: Small caps had been laggards in the late 1990s, so when the market began to sink, they were poised to hold up relatively better than large-cap darlings that had been priced for perfection.

Things looked rather different in the recession prior to that, which officially lasted from July 1990 to March 1991. For the trailing six months through February 1991, the best-performing funds included several health-care funds, but also many growth and technology funds, such as 20th Century. The worst-performing funds were mostly gold and precious-metals funds, because the price of gold had been falling after rising sharply the previous July and August.

Caveat Emptor
Despite some similarities, every recession is different, however. The 2001 recession followed the popping of a huge bubble in technology stocks and a great run for large-growth stocks in general; the current downturn has followed a dramatic slowdown in the housing market, and large-growth stocks, including many big tech names, have been in the doldrums for years. The 1990-91 recession played out against the buildup to the first Gulf War and fears of a possible oil shortage, but it was also a time when the use of computers and other technology was growing fast enough to overcome the head winds. When the war started in January 1991 and it became apparent that it would not be a long, drawn-out affair, the stock market jumped and the recession was over soon afterward.

These examples also show that it's not a good idea to try to time the market in reaction to a recession. Someone who was defensively positioned at the time of the 2001 recession would have been in good shape, because even though the recession officially ended in November 2001, a multitude of corporate scandals, led by Enron and Worldcom, undermined investor confidence and extended the bear market for more than a year. On the other hand, as noted above, a new bull market started even before the 1990-91 recession was over, and investors had already been dumping gold and other traditional defensive investments months earlier. The market is generally very good at anticipating both recessions and recoveries, so they're often priced into the market well ahead of time.

In the end, your best bet is to make sure that your portfolio is diversified, and be prepared to ride out short-term shocks to the market. If you have a short time horizon and are really concerned about your exposure to economically sensitive areas of the market, you can use the portfolio X- Ray tool on Morningstar Investment Research Center to get a quick estimate of your exposure.

Morningstar Investment Research Center 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.

DVDs, Books on CD, and Music ordered Mar 19

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

DVDs
Movies
Back to Bataan
Christy: A new beginning
Death at a funeral
Death sentence
Ernest goes to camp
Ernest goes to jail
Ernest scared stupid
The great white hope
Infamous
The invasion
Laurel Canyon
P.S. I Love You
Rambo
The taming of the shrew
The Tarzan collection #2
The Tarzan collection
Tin man

Family
Born free
Free to be you and me

Regular
Eagles: Farewell tour

Books on CD
Fiction
Life class by Barker, Pat

Children
The Amulet of Samarkand by Stroud, Jonathan
The Golem's Eye by Stroud, Jonathan

Music
Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard
Donald Byrd: The cat walk
Frank Sinatra: A voice in time, 1939-1952
Giuseppe Sammartini: Sonate per flauto e basso continuo
Group 1 Crew
Hadley Caliman: Gratitude
Johann Sebastian Bach: Lute works
Keith Jarrett: Setting standards
Kris Kristofferson: Thirty-six all-time greatest
La belle epoque
Martin Hayes: Welcome here again
Michael Jackson: Thriller
Peter Rowan: Quartet
Rent: soundtrack
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano concerto no. 24

New books we ordered March 19, 2008

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

Fiction
Night shadow by Adair, Cherry
For the love of Mike by Bowen, Rhys
In Dublin's fair city by Bowen, Rhys
A royal pain by Bowen, Rhys
Tell me, pretty maiden by Bowen, Rhys
Lucky T by Brian, Kate
Sweet 16 by Brian, Kate
Cross by Bruen, Ken
Missing you by Cabot, Meg
Code name Cassandra by Carroll, Jenny
Safe house by Carroll, Jenny
Sanctuary by Carroll, Jenny
Silver : my own tale as written by me with a goodly amount of murder by Chupack, Edward
Twice loved by Copeland, Lori
Blood kin by Dovey, Ceridwen
Forged by fire by Draper, Sharon
Tears of a tiger by Draper, Sharon
The Konkans by D'Souza, Tony
Smart vs. pretty by Frankel, Valerie
The janissary tree by Goodwin, Jason
In war times by Goonan, Kathleen
Necessary evils by Hart, Neesa
Labor of love by Hawthorne, Rachel
Dark summer by Johansen, Iris
A wallflower Christmas by Kleypas, Lisa
Your heart belongs to me by Koontz, Dean
Much ado in the moonlight by Kurland, Lynn
With every breath by Kurland, Lynn
How they met, and other stories by Levithan, David
Now you see it... : stories from Cooksville, Pa by Monk, Bathsheba
Civil & strange by Ni Aonghusa, Clair
Salvation in death by Robb, J. D.
The name of the wind by Rothfuss, Pat
The adultery club by Stimson, Tess
Wash this blood clean from my hand by Vargas, Fred
Whatever tomorrow brings by Wick, Lori

Nonfiction
The Conde Nast traveler book of unforgettable journeys : great writers on great places
The Facts on File companion to American poetry.
Thirty ways of looking at Hillary : reflections by women writers
Why we're liberals : a political handbook for post-Bush America by Alterman, Eric
Predictably irrational : the hidden forces that shape our decisions by Ariely, Dan
The complete idiot's guide to success as a chef by Bilderback, Leslie
The little Earth book by Bruges, James
The Tao of Warren Buffett : Warren Buffett's words of wisdom : quotations and interpretations to help guide you to billionaire wealth and enlightened business management by Buffett, Mary
Becoming a chef by Dornenburg, Andrew
A life with Karol : my forty-year friendship with the man who became Pope by Dziwisz, Stanislaw
At large and at small : familiar essays by Fadiman, Anne
Farewell, my Subaru : an epic adventure in local living by Fine, Doug
House of wits : an intimate portrait of the James family by Fisher, Paul
American chestnut : the life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree by Freinkel, Susan
Puppy chow is better than Prozac : the true story of a man and the dog who saved his life by Goldstein, Bruce
Insomniac by Greene, Gayle
Road map to Holland : how I found my way through my son's first two years with Down syndrome by Groneberg, Jennifer
Retribution : the battle for Japan, 1944-45 by Hastings, Max
Mein Kampf by Hitler, Adolf
Mirroring people : the new science of how we connect with others by Iacoboni, Marco
The guy book : an owner's manual for teens : safety, maintenance, and operating instructions for teens by Jukes, Mavis
A long retreat : in search of a religious life by Krivak, Andrew
Coffee with Groucho by Louvish, Simon
The Facts on File dictionary of foreign words and phrases by Manser, Martin
Ancient Greece : an explorer's guide by Meagher, Robert
Ancient Ireland : an explorer's guide by Meagher, Robert
The place to be : Washington, CBS, and the glory days of television news by Mudd, Roger
One man's wilderness : an Alaskan odyssey by Proenneke, Richard
Truth at last : the untold story behind James Earl Ray and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Ray, John Larry
Mental resilience : the power of clarity : how to develop the focus of a warrior and the peace of a monk by Sarma, Kamal
Coffee with Dickens by Schlicke, Paul
The quest of the historical Jesus by Schweitzer, Albert
Make any divorce better! : specific steps to make things smoother, faster, less painful and save you a lot of money by Sherman, Ed
Twilight in the desert : the coming Saudi oil shock and the world economy by Simmons, Matthew
sTORI telling by Spelling, Tori
Hunting the tiger : the fast life and violent death of the Balkans' most dangerous man by Stewart, Christopher
The three trillion dollar war : the true cost of the Iraq Conflict by Stiglitz, Joseph
Going broke : why Americans can't hold on to their money by Vyse, Stuart
The only 127 things you need : a guide to life's essentials- according to the experts by Wilkinson, Donna

LargeType
Your heart belongs to me by Koontz, Dean

Children
A thief in the theater : a Kit mystery by Buckey, Sarah
Moving day by Cabot, Meg
The new girl by Cabot, Meg
Stuck in the mud by Clarke, Jane
Skylar by Cuffe-Perez, Mary
On the farm by Elliott, David
The runaway friend : a Kirsten mystery by Ernst, Kathleen
As if being 12 3/4 isn't bad enough, my mother is running for president! by Gephart, Donna
Monkey and me by Gravett, Emily
Mama mine, mama mine by Gray, Rita
Outcast by Hunter, Erin
We believe in Christmas by Kingsbury, Karen
Robinson Crusoe by McFadden, Deanna
Dragonlight by Paul, Donita
Kidnapped by Stevenson, Robert
Deep down popular by Stone, Phoebe
Andy finds a way by Stuart, Jesse
Gulliver's travels by Swift, Jonathan

Revisiting Henderson's Past: 1st lady doctor

It's time to take another peek into the archives ...

Elizabeth Blackwell and the Henderson Seminary

As Americans, many school children learn about Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in the United States and possibly in the world. What most students do not learn is that Ms. Blackwell once called Henderson, Kentucky her home. Before she overcame prejudice against females entering medical school though, Elizabeth was a teacher at one of the region’s first schools, the Henderson Seminary, located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Elm Streets.

Elizabeth Blackwell was born to a wealthy family in Bristol, England in 1821. In 1832, she and her family immigrated to the United States and by 1844, she had taken a job as a teacher at the Henderson Seminary. Her trip to Henderson via the Ohio River proved unnerving, as the first sight of Henderson Elizabeth recalled was “three dirty old frame buildings, a steep bank covered with mud, some Negroes and dirty white people at the foot.” In fact, it was in Henderson that Elizabeth got her first bad taste of slavery and for many years after her experiences here, she was an avid abolitionist. Because Henderson could not offer the fineries to which Elizabeth was accustomed and because she saw the residents as uneducated and uncivilized, she began her work here with a hatred of the town.

After several months in Henderson, though, Elizabeth confessed in her letters to her family in Cincinnati that the townspeople were always cordial, that her students were pleasant, and that she had no shortage of suitors in Henderson. The seminary would provide the means for Elizabeth to raise money for medical school, and though Ms. Blackwell went on to accomplish a great many things in her field, she likely never forgot her time in Henderson and the seminary work which made it all possible.

To learn more about Elizabeth Blackwell’s time in Henderson or her research and accomplishments, come visit our local history department and check out Currents – Henderson’s River Book by Gail King and Susan Thurman or one of the following biographies on the dauntless woman doctor.

The Excellent Doctor Blackwell: The Life of the First Woman Physician by Julia Boyd
Lone Woman: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell, the First Woman Doctor by Dorothy Clarke Wilson

To see what other services we offer, you can visit our genealogy page, or you may want to read previous “Revisiting Henderson’s Past” entries.

Spring break programs for children

Spring break for Henderson County students is just around the corner and the Library is preparing some exciting programs for children in grades K-5. Registration is required and will be held March 23-29. You can register at the library or online.


Make It! Take It! Spring Craft Session - Tuesday, April 1 at 1:30
Children in grades K-5 are invited to attend this free craft session and make spring crafts. Participants will make a coffee filter butterfly, muffin cup flowers in a pot, and a spring tree. All materials will be provided.

Meet Geronimo Stilton - Wednesday, April 2 at 1:30
For the past 20 years, Geronimo Stilton has been the editor of The Rodent's Gazette, the most widely read daily newspaper in his hometown of New Mouse City. His reporting assignments have taken him to Egypt, the Himalayan mountains, and other places around the word in search of lost treasure, mysterious monsters, and other enigmas. Geronimo has also become a best-selling author by writing popular books based on his amazing adventures. Fans and non-fans in grades K-5 are invited to join us and find out more about this cheese loving, book writing, world traveling rodent. Participants will sample cheesy snacks, write captions for Geronimo Stilton illustrations, and do a trivia quiz. Check out Geronimo's books at the library!


Spuds! Spuds! Spuds! -Thursday, April 5 at 1:30
Come join us and learn all about the versatile vegetable–the potato. Participants in grades K-5 will get to celebrate in a spudly way with stories, potato chip tasting, games, and potato prints.

Book Lover's Corner

Many of you have probably noticed the new feature that appeared on our website and iPac stations last week. The Book Lover's Corner is a new area on our website that our patrons can use to help them find good books to read. This site will help our patrons find new authors and books in two ways. First, it offers a central location for our patrons to access three tried-and-true ways to find a good book--Pearl's Picks, NoveList, and BookLetters. Second, we offer three custom areas that were created by your librarians--Explore Fiction, Have You Read Everything By..., and Your Librarians' Lists.

The Explore Fiction area is a place for patrons to discover new authors within a favorite genre. If someone likes to read Action and Adventure stories, all that needs to be done is click on the Action/Adventure button and the reader will see dozens of authors that write those kinds of stories. Some genres are even more specialized. Romance, for example, is broken down into different kinds of Romance stories. So if a person only likes to read Paranormal Romances or Regency Romances, the reader can jump down the page to see a list of those specific types of books. If you don't know what makes a book a Paranormal Romance or a Regency Romance, you can pass your mouse over the heading and a definition will pop up.

The Have You Read Everything By... page is a list of dozens of our most popular authors and series. When you click on an author's name it will take you to a page that will let you know what books have recurring characters or are part of a series and in which order they should be read. If you don't find an author you are looking for on this page, please let us know and we will be able to add him or her.

Your Librarians' Lists are a group of lists that we have created of books that are related in some way. Some books have similar characters, others have similar locations. For some, it is the authors that share the connection, rather than the books themselves. How the books on the list are connected can vary, but it is almost guaranteed that if you like one book that appears on the list, you will like another.

We are very excited about this page and we hope that it will help all of you in your quest to find the next great book to read.

DVDs, Books on CD, and Music ordered Mar 12

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

DVDs
Movies
Beaches
The bravados
The cider house rules
Face the music
The hunting party
Ladies in lavender
Lightning bug
Mad money
P2
Peaceful warrior
Reunion in France

Regular
The biggest loser 2: The workout
The biggest loser: The workout
The biggest loser: The workout: Power sculpt
From conception to birth
Into the great pyramid
Ken Burns: Baseball
Ken Burns: The Civil War
Monarch of the glen: Series 1
Monarch of the glen: Series 2
Mystery of the Nile

Books on CD
Fiction
Being Elizabeth by Bradford, Barbara Taylor
Swallowing darkness by Hamilton, Laurell
Odd hours by Koontz, Dean

Nonfiction
The age of American unreason by Jacoby, Susan

Music
Morrow, Buddy & his orchestra: Night Train

New books we ordered March 12, 2008

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

Fiction
The tale of Briar Bank by Albert, Susan
A spoonful of poison by Beaton, M. C.
Being Elizabeth by Bradford, Barbara Taylor
Mr. Emerson's wife by Brown, Amy
Death swatch by Childs, Laura
Scarpetta by Cornwell, Patricia
Into the flame by Dodd, Christina
Into the shadow by Dodd, Christina
Dark curse by Feehan, Christine
Now you see him by Gottlieb, Eli
Black Ops by Griffin, W. E. B.
Rough justice by Higgins, Jack
Night of thunder by Hunter, Stephen
The book of Marie by Kay, Terry
Running hot by Krentz, Jayne
Obedience by Lavender, Will
The world according to Bertie by McCall Smith, Alexander
A mercy by Morrison, Toni
Bone by bone by O'Connell, Carol
Covenant by Odom, Mel
Rough weather by Parker, Robert
Indignation by Roth, Philip
Heat lightning by Sandford, John
The saint, the surfer, and the CEO : a remarkable story about living your heart's desires by Sharma, Robin
Armageddon in retrospect by Vonnegut, Kurt
Hot mahogany by Woods, Stuart

Nonfiction
Be happy without being perfect : how to break free from the perfection deception by Domar, Alice
The cardio-free diet by Karas, Jim
Discovery! : the search for Arabian oil by Stegner, Wallace

Revisiting Henderson's Past: Isaac Knight Part 2

Last week we introduced you to Isaac Knight, the boy who was abducted and held for over 2 years by the Pottawatomie natives. We bring you the rest of the story this week and Isaac's cunning escape from captivity. (Click here to read Part 1.)

Isaac Knight's Fate

After months of torturous treatment from the Pottawatomie, Isaac was sold for what he estimated to be about $500 (over $6,000 today) to a group of Towa natives. He was delivered to his new owner stark naked. Though the Towa hunted throughout central Indiana during the winter, they spent their summers on Lake Michigan, trading with Englishmen.

Isaac was ordinarily confined to a Lake Michigan island during the trips to port, but after hearing the boys of the family describe the ships they saw, Isaac made a point to persuade the natives that he preferred living with them to living with the whites. They eventually allowed him to accompany them, and Isaac managed to convince an English captain to stow him away. He was hidden in a cupboard until the ships left port, and shortly afterwards, Isaac was returned to his family, who was now living on the Green River at what would later become Spottsville.

In his account, Isaac Knight tells many more bewildering tales of his experiences in the captivity of the Native Americans. To read his entire account, come visit us at the library, or visit our genealogy webpage to see what else we have to offer. You can also read previous “Revisiting Henderson’s Past” entries.

Photo is artist George Winter’s depiction of a Pottawatomie camp at Crooked Creek, Indiana.

Teen Books @ Your Library

Being a teenager can be hard. When you want to be an adult, you're treated like a kid. When you want to be a kid, you're told to grow up. It's so hard to figure out where you're supposed to be and who you're supposed to be. In a way, we've been guilty of treating our books for teens the same way. Some were in the Children's Department mixed in with the books for kids and others were in the Adult Department mixed in with the books for adults. They didn't have a place where they could just be Teen Books. But not anymore...

Starting this week, we are relocating all of our Teen Books (fiction, nonfiction, paperbacks, and biographies) to their very own section in the Adult Department. Now our teens get the best of both worlds and and easier way of finding the books that interest them.

To make them stand out from the rest of the books, each Teen Book will be getting a makeover--complete with new call numbers (TF for Teen Fiction, TN for Teen Nonfiction, and TB for Teen Biography) and a nice bright "TEEN" sticker for the spine. Some Teen Books might be off of the shelves for a couple of days while they get their new look. If you can't find your favorite Teen author on the shelf let a librarian know. In most cases, we can retrieve the book from "tech services" so that you can check it out.


We'd like to hear from our teens about this new section. We are open to suggestions for new books to add, fiction and nonfiction, as well as other things you might like to see in our Teen collection.

Investing Tip: Benchmark Comparisons

It's time for the latest investing tip from Morningstar ...

It's important to look at an investment in comparison with its industry average to determine whether it is beating its peers. This is where benchmarks come into play. Market indexes such as the S&P 500 or Nasdaq and sector averages such as the Consumer Average or Energy Average help us understand how our individual investments are stacking up against similar investment vehicles.

The Morningstar Investment Research Center coverage list has expanded to more than 1,900 stocks from fewer than 500 over the past five years. With that expanded coverage, we've become increasingly able to use our bottom-up analysis of individual stocks to draw conclusions about specific industries, broad sectors, and even the market as a whole. This is the reason why we added a new section called Industry on Morningstar Investment Research Center.

When you click on Industry you will be taken directly to the Sector Reports and Returns page. On the left navigation pane you will see sector reports on all 12 Morningstar sectors. By clicking on Quarterly Industry Reports you can download these PDF reports.

For instance, you can click on Sector Review Q4 2007 and dig down into the details of how a particular sector performed. It will give you details about which companies are undervalued versus overvalued. The report also covers five to six stocks that might be worthwhile to consider for your portfolio. With all these details and much more, you are in a better position to invest wisely.

You can also get daily index, sector, mutual fund category, and industry returns from Morningstar Investment Research Center directly from the home page.

Index Returns
An index is a good indicator of how different parts of the market perform and can be used as a benchmarking mechanism. Morningstar shows domestic, bond, municipal, and international index returns.

Sector Returns
These returns help investors to easily compare and understand the sector exposures of stocks and portfolios. Morningstar divides the economy into three "Super Sectors": the Information Economy, the Service Economy, and the Manufacturing Economy--each of which contains four more subsectors.

Industry Returns
Morningstar recognizes an industry as the company's primary area of business. Morningstar has more than 130 industries and it helps investors understand market exposure, peer performance, and standard benchmarking.

Fund Category Returns
Morningstar Category identifies funds based on their actual investment styles as measured by their underlying portfolio holdings. The broad categories are domestic-equity funds, specialty funds, international-stock funds, taxable-bond funds, and municipal-bond fund categories.

Morningstar Investment Research Center 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.

NoveList gets a face-lift - check it out!

NoveList has long been known as a leader in the library world for reviewing and recommending good books. In March, NoveList launched a totally redesigned website that we think you're going to love. Easily searchable, you can find recommended books for people of any age starting with the youngest readers all the way up to our most senior library users.

You can even personalize your experience by setting up a free account to track and save your searches and to alert you via email or RSS when a favorite author, series, or genre has a new book.

Other features include:

• Author read-a-likes (use this to find other authors who write like your favorites)
• Book discussion guides for book clubs or classroom use
• Author biographies
• Lists of award-winning books in different genres of fiction
• Recommended reading lists

This is just the beginning of all that NoveList has to offer. Get started on a new reading adventure today! Read more or start now.

DVDs, Books on CD, and Music ordered Mar 05

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

DVDs
Movies
27 Dresses
Awake
Behind enemy lines II: Axis of evil
Cloverfield
Drumline
Fido
The First Wives Club
The hustler
Lars and the real girl
Moonstruck
National treasure 2: Book of secrets
Romancing the stone
Runaway bride
Shattered
The spy who came in from the cold
Starter for 10
There will be blood
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Regular
Barney Miller: The complete second season
Pilates for dummies
Pilates for life workout collection

Books on CD
Fiction
Shadow command by Brown, Dale
A farewell to arms by Hemingway, Ernest
The old man and the sea by Hemingway, Ernest
The Bourne legacy by Lustbader, Eric
Rapture in death by Robb, J. D.

Nonfiction
Tricky business by Barry, Dave

Children
Geronimo Stilton: Book 13 & 14 by Stilton, Geronimo
Geronimo Stilton: Books 7-9 by Stilton, Geronimo
It's Halloween you 'fraidy mouse ; Merry Christmas, Geronimo! by Stilton, Geronimo
The Mona Mousa code ; A cheese-colored camper by Stilton, Geronimo

Music
Shame on you by Cooley, Spade
Unplugged --and seated by Stewart, Rod