Posted by eileen on March 11, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are? premiered last Friday on NBC. According to the show’s
About page, “Viewers are invited to take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities with NBC’s
Who Do You Think You Are? Starring in the new alternative series are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC’s official partner on the series.”
After (and prior to) the first episode, which featured Sarah Jessica Parker, one can find many
reviews through a simple Google search. Some of these reviews are less than favorable. For example,
Mary McNamara of the LA Times says, “And though Parker does her best to appear moved and humbled by the difficult and even tragic lives of her ancestors, the show is all about her, after all, forcing the uncomfortable question: If everything happens for a reason, did all this American drama occur to ensure the existence of ‘Sex and the City,’ or even worse, ‘Did You Hear About the Morgans?’” Ha!
Other mentions of the show are positive.
Paula Stuart-Warren, author of the blog
Paula’s Genealogical Eclectica focuses on the good things about the show. She says, “While they can’t show each step of the research I am thrilled that they are showing a variety of records, both online and off. Visits to libraries, specific localities, historical societies, museums are shown. The starting point of talking with family and looking at home sources is represented in the visit with her mother. The audience gets to see Ancestry.com, census, newspaper articles, maps, old letters, original court records, and that not all is online.”
In many cases, the search for one’s ancestors is not an easy one. It can be time-consuming and at times addicting (at least for me). Whether
Who Do You Think You Are? is a successful endeavor for NBC or not, I hope it brings to light the fact there are many
tools to help find one’s roots as close as his/her public library.
WPL happens to have a
Genealogy Collection with many many sources. Our
Reference Desk is staffed with degreed librarians who are more than happy to help you get started on the search for your ancestors. As noted above, Ancestry.com has partnered with NBC to create the series. WPL (and many other libraries, for those of you outside the area) subscribes to the full Ancestry.com database. This means the census records, local histories, draft records, and indexes one would pay for through Ancestry.com are available for FREE if you use
Ancestry inside the library. Stop in and take a look. Representatives from the
DuPage Genealogical Society are available to answer questions every Thursday night from 7-9pm at the library.
Posted by eileen on January 18, 2010
from Biography Resource Center
Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. For those of you who need a refresher on his life, check out this summary from Merriam-Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 1995:
1929-1968. American clergyman and reformer, b. Atlanta, Ga. Ordained Baptist minister (1954); led boycott of Montgomery, Ala., transit system to force desegregation of city’s buses (1956); founder (1957) and president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference; advocate of nonviolence and racial brotherhood; copastor with his father of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta (1960 ff.); major organizer of massive March on Washington where he delivered famous “I Have a Dream” speech (Aug. 1963); awarded Nobel peace prize (1964); assassinated at Memphis, Tenn.
For a more detailed biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., take a look at Biography Resource Center. This online bank of information is available to anyone from the computers in the library and anyone with a WPL card and PIN from home. Search by a person’s name, nationality, occupation, and many other qualities. Also, one can often find pictures of the person, websites about him/her, and news articles.
If you are planning on stopping by the library soon, try a catalog Subject search for King, Martin Luther Jr.
Posted by eileen on March 17, 2009
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, why not check out a book about Ireland?! The library has some great ones!
Travel to Ireland
Ireland Fiction
Biographies of St. Patrick
Posted by ben on February 26, 2009
Well, it’s time to trade in your old model and get a shiny new machine. But how much is your old car worth? How much are specific options worth? How does the mileage affect the value? You can find all this information in the NADA Official Used Car Guides. The library owns three different volumes of this guide: the Commerical Truck Guide, the Older Used Car Guide (1990-2001) and the Used Car Guide (2002-2009). All three are shelved at the Reference Desk, so be sure to ask a librarian for them.
If you are interested in fixing your car yourself, you can refer to the Motor Auto Repair Manual. The 2009 volumes are shelved at the Reference Desk, but older copies are available on the Second Floor (629.2 MOT) for checkout.
Another great resource is the Auto Repair Reference Center. This is a database that the library subscribes to, but you can access it for free from your home or from the library. For access from home you do need a valid WPL card and PIN. The database offers repair procedures, service bulletins and recalls, wiring diagrams, labor, specifications and maintenance intervals for American and foreign cars beginning with model year 1954.
Posted by ben on January 27, 2009
Hail to the chief!
I’m back after December’s hiatus to bring you Facts About the Presidents edited by Joseph N. Kane. Now in its 7th edition, this book provides all you could ever want to know – and then some – about the Presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush (Sorry, Mr. Obama, you’re not in it yet). Would you like to know who Rutherford B. Hayes’ Vice President was? Or perhaps you’re interested in knowing who Richard Nixon appointed to the Supreme Court? Wait, I bet you wanted to know that Calvin Coolidge was the second President born in Vermont. You will find these tidbits and other, slightly more relevant pieces of information in this book’s 700 pages.
This book is shelved in both Adult Reference and Juvenile Reference.
Posted by ben on November 25, 2008
Have you ever wondered what famous people share your birthday? Maybe you just want to know which month is Sweet Potato Month (February) or what day is Read in the Bathtub Day (Feb 9, 2009). These questions and literally thousands of others can be answered in Chase’s Calendar of Events. This is a very fun book full of some truly useful information….and some information that’s just fun to know. For instance, did you know that November is National Pomegranate Month as well as National Adoption Month? Beyond obscure “holidays,” readers will also find dates of historical events such as the introduction of the VCR (June 7, 1975) and the founding of the Humane Society (November 22, 1954).
This book is held in the Reference Department behind the Reference Desk, so please ask for it. It is also available in the Children’s Reference Department.
Oh and in case you’re wondering, I share my birthday with Henry Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Posted by eileen on November 20, 2008
Thinking about planning a last-minute holiday trip? The library has put together some sites and guides for travel. We’ve included all your favorite sites for booking hotels, rental cars, and more, like Expedia and Hotwire. On a tight budget? Why not plan a getaway right here in Illinois? We’ve provided a list of Illinois Getaways as well. Whether you’re going to Galena or Greece, there’s a source here for you. Just click the link below and off you go!
Wheaton Public Library Travel Resources
Grant’s home in Galena, IL
Posted by eileen on November 12, 2008
According to an article by Stephan Shankland, Google now handles nearly 70% of the U. S.’ online searches. Google is so popular, it has actually been added to the dictionary as a verb. I’m sure you’ve heard people say things like, “Why don’t you google it!?”
Planet Google is a relatively new book by Randall Stross, author of The New York Times‘ “Digital Domain” column. This is one of many books which gives some insight to the story behind Google and how it works. David A. Vise and Mark Malseed’s The Google Story and John Batelle’s The Search are other pieces of Google literature. So, if you’re looking for some information about the site that is bringing us information (or you’re just looking for some interesting reading), check out Planet Google!
What do other people have to say about Planet Google?
Barnes & Noble Review
New York Magazine Books
USA TODAY
Posted by ben on October 27, 2008
Hey all, I just got back from a wonderful long weekend in New England. The leaves were turning, the air was crisp and the lobster was fresh. Before I embarked on my trip I took a look through the 2008 Mobile Travel Guide New England edition for tips on where to eat, where to stay and what to see. The book is divided into sections on each state in New England and each section contains information on major cities in that state. There are maps of major cities such as Boston, MA, Portland, ME, and Providence, RI included as well. Hotel listings mention price ranges and amenties such as pools, WiFi and pet accomodations. Restaurant listings also mention price ranges as well as level of attire required, need for reservations, and type of cuisine. Finally, there is also a “What to see and do” heading under each city which I found very helpful.
The Wheaton Public Library has 15 different volumes of the Mobil Travel Guides that cover all parts of the U.S. and Canada. They are available at the Reference Desk on the first floor, but there are also circulating copies available on the second floor in the travel section. These handy guides easily fit into a carry-on bag and are definitely worth bringing along!
Here I am at the Boston Public Library (When librarians go on vacation, we go to libraries, haha)
Posted by ben on September 16, 2008
Have you ever wondered what the Gross Domestic Product of Brazil is?
What about the life expectancy of an average person from Bahrain?
Or maybe the customs tariff in Senegal?
Answers to these questions and many, many more can be found in The Exporters’ Encyclopaedia. This book is located in the Business Reference collection at call number R 382.9 DUN. In its nearly 2,000 pages you will find answers to any and all exporting questions. Countries are organized alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Each section contains a general profile, key contacts, trade regulations, an overview of documentation needed and marketing data for the country. There is also a section on business travel that contains such useful information as quality of healthcare and traveler safety for each specific country.
This book is a useful tool not only for those in the business world, but also for world travelers and students.
