Databases for the Home, the Collector and the Investor! Also, RSS

Those of you who walk down the digital halls of library information (i.e. look at our online databases on a regular basis) have probably noticed a few fresh faces among the usual suspects.

We are currently in the midst of a one-month trial subscription to the Home Improvement Reference Center. We have also got a one-year trial subscription to the scrappy Prices for Antiques database. Let us know what you think of these two.

However the really big news (sorry Tim Allen) is that we will soon be getting access to Morningstar online. Investors, warm up your computers. In addition to online access to mutual fund information, Morningstar online will give you information on individual stocks. And, as if that wasn't enough, you will be able to access Morningstar from both inside and outside the library.


Once the paperwork clears and all of the correct signatures are in place, you can bet you'll hear about it here first!


Attention Library Newsletter devotees - RSS is here!

Most philosophers and scholars agree that among the greatest joys of life are great food, great companionship, and getting the Rochester Public Library newsletter before anyone else does. We have thousands of books to help you with the first two, but now we also have an RSS feed set up to help you with the latter.

RSS feeds make it easy to keep up-to-date with the latest news and information on the web, and getting our newsletter has never been simpler. Either point your browswer to this page (and have it sniff out our RSS address (a simple XML file, for those of you in the know) or put this web address into your feed reader(http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/rssfeed/rss_home.html)

It couldn't be simpler. Saving trees, saving time and most of all, making sure you get your digital mitts on a copy of our compelling and informative missive.


Let us know if there is anything else that you think we should offer as an RSS feed.

Senior Techies Summer Computer Practice Starts this month!

For those who haven't marked their calendars, this June is the month it all begins. Starting on Friday, June 8th from 9:30am to 11:30am in Meeting Room B (on the second floor), the first session of Senior Techies Computer Practice will be running. There are three more scheduled sessions on June 22, July 6, and July 20 at the same place and time. For those of you keeping track, that's every other Friday.

We provide the computers, Internet access, a scanner, a digital camera and a librarian to answer your basic computer questions, and you just drop in and practice your computer skills.

Since so many people have been asking for some kind of follow-up to the four Senior Techie classes that we offer at the Public Library, we thought we would try these practice sessions this summer and give you the chance to show us that you think this would be a valuable service for the library to provide. If they are well-attended we will consider offering them on a regular basis.

Even though these Computer Practice sessions were created with the intention of being a practice session following the Senior Techie classes, you don't need to have taken any of the classes in order to participate. They are recommended for Seniors 55+.

We look forward to seeing you there!