Reference@TBML

Reading Art

A “Reading Art” book club has been formed at the Las Cruces Museum of Art. In conjunction with the upcoming exhibit “Rodin in His Own Words: Sculpture from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation,” two books on Rodin will be discussed at 2:30 p.m. on August 12th at the museum. The books are: The Shape of Genius by Ruth Butler and Auguste Rodin by Maria Rilke Rainer. The public is invited to attend if you would like to learn more about this artist. If you have questions, please contact Julia Hansen, Volunteer Coordinator at the museum, at 541-2322.

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library has three other books available for check-out on Rodin:

 

Rodin by Raphael Masson

Auguste Rodin: Drawings and Watercolors

The World of Rodin by William Harlan Hale.  DH

Summer School

Make this summer count! Here are some free online resources to help you out.

 The library offers an excellent resource called Learn-A-Test. You can access this database through the library’s databases page.  Select Learn-A-Test and log-in using your library card to discover a whole range of tutorials and practice tests.

 Further afield, check out the FSI Language Courses site for free language instruction. Always wanted to learn Cantonese? Here is your chance.  The site is a not-for-profit that gathers public domain Foreign Service Institute resources in one place.

 And finally, go Ivy-League this summer! Now you can casually let it drop that you studied at Yale thanks to Yale Open Courses.  Yale University has recently made a selection of courses free and open to the public.  Follow along with Prof. Charles Bailyn in Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics or Modern Poetry with Prof. Langdon Hammer. BES

“This Land is Your Land”

As I went out walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said, "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.
                      --Woody Guthrie, "This Land is Your Land"*

 July 14^th marks the birthday of Woody Guthrie—one of America’s most influential folk singers. Guthrie, born in Oklahoma, came of age during the Dust Bowl and was one of thousands of “Okies” who migrated to California in search of work. Often concerned with the lives and experiences of the dispossessed, Guthrie was heavily influenced and wrote in the custom of traditional American folk music. Woody Guthrie in turn, served as an influence to subsequent generations of musicians ranging from Bob Dylan to Billy Bragg and Wilco.

Click here to listen to a recording of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly performing on live on WNYC in 1940.

 

Check out Ramblin’ Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie by Ed Cray for an authoritative biography.

As a supplement and way to better understand Guthrie’s process, you may want to look at Woody Guthrie: Art Works.

Online, you can visit Woody Guthrie and the Archive of American Folk Song (hosted by the Library of Congress).

And visit The Official Woody Guthrie Site (hosted by the Woody Guthrie Foundation) which offers an extensive biography and sampling of lyrics.  BES

*Guthrie, Woody.  "This Land is Your Land".  This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1.  Smithsonian Folkways, 1997.

Summer Blockbusters

It’s blockbuster season and in the spirit of all things bloated and over-the-top (but oh-so-good), here are some resources for film buffs.

 For reviews, check out Rotten Tomatoes. In addition to reviews, the site features previews, box office stats, and opening dates (when is that new X-Files movie coming out?).

 How big is director Guillermo del Toro’s comic book collection? The Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB) has the answer. IMDB offers up an extensive amount of information on movies, T.V. shows, actors, and directors.

 For those of you interested in classic movies, the Turner Classic Movies Database offers a wealth of information. Attractive and easy to navigate, this site is highly recommended.

 And finally, for those of you browsing the library, check out one of the following books:

The A-List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films

Or

The Village Voice Film Guide: 50 Years of Movies from Classics to Cult Hits

BES.

Book Review

Here’s a recommended book: The Counselor by Theodore (Ted) Sorensen. Just published in May, it is suggested for those who want to learn more about the presidency of John F. Kennedy. Sorenson, who was Kennedy’s Special Counsel and speechwriter offers fascinating insider information. While you may be aware of some important events that occurred during Kennedy’s presidency (such as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missile crisis, and Vietnam), Sorensen sheds new light about these and other events before, during, and after JFK’s time in office. The Counselor is an absorbing and thought-provoking read that gave me new appreciation for both John Kennedy and Ted Sorensen. TW

Click here to see if the book is on our shelves. And click here to listen to a NPR interview with Sorensen. 

Business@Branigan!

Join us for a week of FREE Business Seminars and Classes!

Throughout the week of July 14^th, the library will be offering seminars and classes to help you improve your business skills. We’ve got everything from interviewing skills to franchising. Seminars will be taught by successful retired business executives from the Las Cruces S.C.O.R.E. chapter and Branigan Library Staff.

To register, please call 528-4005, visit the Branigan Library Information desk, or email bsauer@las-cruces.org.  Please note that space is limited for some seminars.

The schedule is as follows:

Monday, July 14th:

9 AM-12 PM: Email Set-Up / Email for Beginners (Space is Limited)

12-2 PM: Accounting Basics

2-4 PM: Word for Beginners (Space is Limited)

4-6 PM: Writing Cover Letters Using Microsoft Word (Space is Limited)

6-8 PM: How to Start Your own Business

Tuesday, July 15th:

4-6 PM: Creating Resumes Using Microsoft Word (Space is Limited)

6-8 PM: How to Start and Run a Home Based Business

Wednesday, July 16th:

2:30-4:30 PM: How to Successfully Interview to Get the Job

Thursday, July 17th:

12-2 PM: Searching for Jobs Online

6-8 PM: Franchising 101

Friday, July 18th:

1-3 PM: How to Start Your Own Import/Export Business

Saturday, July 19th:

9-11 AM: How to Successfully Write a Resume and Cover Letter

11 AM-1 PM: Creating Resumes Using Microsoft Word (Space is Limited)

1-4 PM: Email Set-Up / Email for Beginners (Space is Limited)

Beware of Online Pharmacy Scams!

Recently, there has been a lot of talk in the news about online pharmacies and drug scams. Here is some useful information if you are considering buying your prescription medications online.

Internet Pharmacy Information
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
(click on the 'Internet Pharmacy' link on the left-hand side menu)

Buying Prescription Drugs Online: Do's and Don'ts
From the Mayo Clinic

Buying Prescription Medicine Online: A Consumer Safety Guide
From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Going Somewhere?

U.S. passport laws have changed! Make sure you have all the information you need to travel outside the country.

Everything you need to know (and some things you don't) is available at the U.S. Department of State's Passport website.

Achoo!

It's that time of year again, when it seems that everyone is under the weather. If you're lucky enough to have avoided whatever is going around so far, here are some great tips to keep it up...

http://www.rd.com/content/tips-for-preventing-colds-and-the-flu/

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

Tax Season

"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." - Benjamin Franklin

Tax season 2008 is here! Below are some useful links...
(Please note, these links are for individual tax payers)

*Update: An important notice from the IRS regarding an e-mail scam targeting tax payers...
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=151065,00.html

Federal Government
Forms and Publications
IRS E-File
Tax Payment Options
Refund Status
IRS Withholding Calculator
Tax Law Changes

New Mexico
Forms
Publications
E-File
Information for Individual Filers
Tax information for Senior Citizens (.pdf brochure)
Tax information for Low-Income Filers (.pdf brochure)

Other Information
Federation of Tax Administrators
-Out-of-state tax forms, information on taxation by state.
TurboTax
-Free tax calculators and tax tips, also offers electronic tax filing options (not a free service)
H&R Block
-Free calculators and tax tips, also offers electronic tax filing options and tax preparation (not a free service)
Taxes @ Yahoo! Finance
-Articles, calculators, tips and advice (some services may not be free).
Tax information @ MSN.com
-Tax planning, tools and advice (some services may not be free).
Tax information from American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
-Estate tax planning, retirement and tax information.