« February 2008 | Main | April 2008 »
March 31, 2008
Recycle Your Computer for a Greener Tomorrow
April 22nd, 2008 will mark the 38th anniversary of the first Earth Day--April 22, 1970. For those of us old enough to remember, the first Earth Day was celebrated with spirited walks and demonstrations across our country, accompanied by promises to clean up the Earth. I first became aware of the environment after reading Rachel Carson's Silent Spring when I was about 10. Along with my classmates, I put on my earth shoes and walked the streets of Stamford, picking up litter and other debris. My friends and I were passionate about our mission to clean up the Earth. Over the years since, I have been a faithful recycler at home, separating paper trash from recyclable items, turning off lights when not in use, and keeping the heat to a minimum whenever possible during the winter months. But, back in the 70's, I didn't own even one computer, let alone several, and, like many of you, I'm now faced with the issue of what to do with old, out-of-date computers. It doesn't take a degree in environmental science to figure out that disposing of your old computer at the local dump is probably not the best idea. So, what to do? Well, here are some suggestions for those of you who, like me, remain passionate about preserving the Earth.
- Check with local non-profit groups in your community. Only good for computers with life left in them, charitable donations are a good way to give back to your community while taking care of Mother Earth. Here in Darien, organizations like Person-to-Person and the Darien Senior Center may be interested in your old computer, but be sure to call first.
- Check with your computer's manufacturer. Many major manufacturers--Dell, Gateway, HP, and Apple for example--offer free or low-cost recycling programs. Recently, the Library discarded several unusable computers, all Dells, and I was able to return them to Dell for free.
- Check with your local environmental group. Darien is fortunate to have an active environmental group right here in town. The Darien Environmental Group does a terrific job of informing the community of special collection days and other issues relating to the environmental health of our community. Each year the DEG provides the dates for the Hazardous Waste Collection in Town and other electronics collections open to Darien residents.
Posted by JudyS at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 30, 2008
Spring Adult Technology Classes Under Way
Our spring 2008 adult technology classes are under way. Thank you to all of you who entered our registration lottery. Your enthusiastic response is very much appreciated.
If you missed the registration lottery and would like to check on the availability of a particular class or set of classes, just call me at 655-1234 x136 or send an email to jsgammato@darienlibrary.org. I will update the following information as it changes:
Current Openings
- It's Delightful. It's Del.icio.us! - Monday, May 12, 6:30-8:30 p.m. - 9 seats available
Posted by JudyS at 10:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 17, 2008
Say aloha to...
Last month, I admitted to being a Google addict, and I was looking for ways to break the habit. I'm very happy to report that I recently found a new search engine that I feel has the potential to rival Google. The site is called Mahalo, and I am SO excited about it. Here's why:
Google, with its clean-cut image and results ranked by popularity among the masses, works by sending bots out into the wild, wild web to find millions of links for simple search queries. It's difficult to argue against choice; however, with so many results, it has become necessary for Google users to filter through pages and pages of inane hyperlinks in order to find a few that might be relevant and successful.
Mahalo, in contrast, employs real human beings to vet the search results for you. This means that a results list will never contain spam or unrelated links. YEAH! It also means that you won't get results ranked by popularity among the masses; rather, you'll receive suggestions for websites that have been researched by information professionals and are deemed authoritative, high-content, and well-established. And not only is the content high, but it's already sifted into sensible categories.
Let's say I conduct a search on my favorite tennis player, Pete Sampras. In only a matter of seconds, I receive the Mahalo Top 7 list of best Web sites, vital stats, timelines, news, videos, fan sites, blogs, merchandise, and links to related searches on Wimbledon, Andre Agassi, and others. Try gathering similar results in Google, and you'll find it takes much longer than a few seconds to have all of that information organized into a neat and pretty package.
Keep in mind that Mahalo is very new and still in its testing phase, which means that the number of search terms that yield search results is significantly less than Google. If you decide to give this new search engine a try and wander across a term for which results have not yet been vetted, you can request that a page be made and you'll be emailed as soon as its created. How hospitable!
Mahalo, Mahalo!
Posted by EricaB at 05:46 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 14, 2008
Do You Remember the SATs?
Standardized tests have always come easy for me, thanks to my teacher at Middlesex Jr. High, Mr. Frank Keen, Sr., who gave me the following advice about multiple choice: analyze the question, kick out the for sure wrong answers and make an educated guess.
It wasn't until I took the GREs the second time that I bought a study book and worked my way through it, discovering then that there were many more tricks to getting a higher score than I had realized before. With all that a graduating senior has riding on their SAT scores these days, it really helps to study up and take practice tests before taking the one that counts.
The library has subscribed to two online study services so that you and your kids can prepare! Try them both out, and let us know what you think, and how you do on your tests!
Learning Express Library
Practice Tests for the SAT, GRE, MCAT and many more are available via this subscription database. Sign up using your library barcode and then log in as a returning user the next time. If you are interrupted in the middle of a practice test or course, it is automatically saved and you can return to complete it later.
PrepMe: The SAT Preparation Course
The PrepMe SAT preparation course offers 40+ hours of instructional content, practice quizzes, and full length tests.
All you need is your Darien Library Card barcode number to log in.
Posted by Kim at 04:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack