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How to Access Science Journals and Scholarship Online

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Looking for an encyclopedia of bugs you can get at home, or an idea for a chemistry experiment for a middle-schooler, or a citation to a research article in astrophysics or news of the latest trends in biotechnology? You can find most of this and more right at your local branch of The New York Public Library, or sometimes even at home. Because of the breadth of the collecting of electronic resources at NYPL there is a very large range of science material—encyclopedias, dictionaries, journals, and research monographs—available to a range of audiences on computer screens throughout the system. What follows is a brief guide to the resources for high-school (or so) to post-graduate audiences, pointing out forms and levels. Please also consult these broad interest and long lasting periodicals: Nature, Popular Science, and Science, A detailed guide for children and middle-school scientists will appear separatelly.

Academic Search Premier

Academic Search PremierFor general to specialist audiences. Academic Search Premier is a database of more than 13,000 indexed and abstracted journals, including full text for nearly 4,000 peer-reviewed titles. Backfile journals in PDF form go back to 1975 or further for nearly 150 journals. Academic Search Premier comprises of magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers, trade publications and books. Science topics include Astronomy, Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Genetics, Mathematics and Physics.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.

American Physical Society Journals

For specialist audiences, the APS Journals site gives access to the full text of the Society’s research-level articles in its core physics interests over the whole lifetime of the journals. Included are: Physical Review Letters, Physical Review X, and Reviews of Modern Physics. The site also provides some free access to the Society’s more generalist journal Physics Today.

Access from all locations.

arXiv

For specialist audiences. arXiv is a repository of very specialized e-print articles in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Biology, Quantitative Finance and Statistics. Now maintained by the Cornell University Library it allows access to more than 1 million articles uploaded since 1990.

Free access online

Credo Reference

Hawley's Chemical DictionaryFor general audiences. Credo Reference provides access to full-text online versions of approximately 1200 published reference works from more than 70 publishers on a variety of major subjects. These include general and subject dictionaries as well as encyclopedias. 167 science and technology resources are searchable in Credo Reference. Search results can be printed, emailed or downloaded.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.

 

Gale Virtual Reference Library

GVRLFor general audiences. GVRL contains monographs and encyclopedias covering a wide range in medicine, science and technology including books of experiments. There is material for all age levels, with an emphasis on K-12th grade. The subjects break down as follows: Environment, Medicine, Science, Technology (very broadly treated). Some titles appear in more than one category.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.

JSTOR

JSTORFor general to specialist audiences. JSTOR is a collection of more than two thousand archival journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It is an excellent resource for scholarly and academic science journals in the subjects of Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Physics. Coverage begins at the first volume and issue ever published, and extends up to a publication date usually set in the past three to five years. Selected journals are available up to the current year. The database is fully searchable and articles can be read online or downloaded as a PDF.

Access from all locations.

Oxford Reference

For general to specialist audiences. Oxford Reference offers 51 science and technology titles which provide more than 117,000 concise definitions and in-depth, specialist encyclopedic entries on the very latest terminology, concepts, theories, techniques, people, and organizations relating to all areas of science and technology—from astronomy, engineering, physics, computer science, and mathematics, to life and earth sciences, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. Written for researchers at every level.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.

Public Library of Science

PLOSFor general to specialist audiences. PLOS is a suite of Open-Access, peer-reviewed journals. In 2014, PLOS published more than 33,000 articles; each one required participation from at least one of the 90,000+ contributors involved in the peer review process across the PLOS suite of journals. The signature journal of PLOS, PLOS ONE features reports of original research from all disciplines within science and medicine. It is the one to find articles on any science topic. Other PLOS journals include: PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Pathogens, and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

You can use PLOS One to find journal articles on any science topic. To find articles for specific topics, you can try these links below to browse articles by topics in PLOS One: Biology and Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences, Earth Sciences, Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Mathematics, Medicine & Health Sciences, Physics.

Free access online.

Project Muse

For general to specialist audiences.Project MUSE's mission is to excel in the broad dissemination of high-quality scholarly content. Although it focuses on digital humanities and social science content it also covers science, technology, and mathematics. At this moment it provides access to more than 2,000 monographs and 14 journals in these fields. The content has been written by the most prestigious authors and scholars in their fields.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.

Science.gov

For general to specialist audiences. Science.gov is a gateway site to information from U. S. federal government activities. It covers all aspects of science of interest to the government and provides a search platform to over 60 databases and 2200 websites.

Free access online.

ScienceDirect

Science DirectFor specialist audiences. ScienceDirect is the platform from which publishing giant Elsevier delivers a very large range of journal content under a variety of levels of service. Easily the most powerful service is that of an index to a huge range of sophisticated journal content that may need to be located at other libraries. But ScienceDirect also provides full-text access to Open Access journals to varying degrees. There are more than 250 journals available on the OA basis and more than 1,500 on the ‘Some OA’ basis, covering the full range of science subjects. Use the e-journal finder to locate titles available through ScienceDirect. For more on how to use ScienceDirect see here.

Indexing functionality and Open Access journals can be freely accessed via the World Wide Web. To locate other journals use our e-journal finder.

University Press Scholarship Online

UPSOFor specialist audiences. UPSO aggregates content from leading university presses which is fully cross-searchable via a single online platform. The NYPL’s access offers more than 500 high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly monographs which cover the following subjects (which are further subdivided): computer science, environmental science, mathematics , neuroscience, biology, and physics.

Access from all locations or remotely with a library card.


Job and Employment Links for the Week of June 21

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Time Warner Cable will present a Pre-Screening event on Tuesday, June 23,  10 a.m.5 p.m., for Field Technician (7 openings), at Lower Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center, 75 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.

Town Nursing Staff Inc. or Ridgewood Bushwick will present a recruitment on Tuesday, June 23, 12 p.m. 4 p.m.,  for  Certified Nurse Aide (360 openings), Licensed Practical Nurse (120 openings), Registered Nurse (34 openings), Registered Nurse Supervisor (5 openings),  Home Health Aide (10 F/T & P/T openings), at the New York State Department of Labor, Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street,  Brooklyn, NY 11201.

COHME, Inc. will present a recruitment on Wednesday, June 24,  10 a.m.2 p.m., for Home Health Aide (10 openings) at  the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458.

Imacuclean Cleaning Services, Inc. will present a recruitment on Wednesday, June 24, 10 a.m.2 p.m., for Post Construction Worker (5 openings), Food & Beverage Servers ( 2 openings), Housekeepers / Housemen (20 openings) at the New York State Department of Labor, Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Avondale Care Group will present a recruitment on Thursday, June 25, 10 a.m.2 p.m., for Home Health Aide (5 openings), at Staten Island Workforce 1 Career Center, 120 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301.

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York  City.         

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The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View the NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company,  startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search  jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT).  Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center.  For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202. 

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.  

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks,  Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance.  Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds.  For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of June 21  become available.

Booktalking "Guitar Notes" by Mary Amato

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guitar notes

Lyla and Tripp share a guitar room, but only one person is allowed in the room at a time. Two would be a scandal. So, Lyla uses the room on even days and is "Ms. Even;" Tripp is known as "Mr. Odd."

They pass notes to each other in a guitar case. They comment on each other's songs, performances and actions. Constructive criticism characterizes their treatment of musicality; they push each other forward. Tripp and Lyla dance around the guitar.

Annie and Lyla were best friends, but Annie is applying for admission to a select music school. If chosen, she could spend half of every day practicing music. Sounds like a dream to her.

Lyla and Tripp text each other and compose and sing songs to each other. They want their souls to thrum to the same beat.

I love the way that the songs and chat sessions are interspersed with the text.

Guitar Notes by Mary Amato, 2012

Summer of STEAM

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Last week, we brought you “Summer of STEM,” so this week, we’re adding the arts into the mix.

Here’s some new nonfiction for kids who want to get creative this summer.

Her Idea by Rilla Alexander
This graphic novel explains the creative processand the difficulties of staying focusedthrough a personal, visual lens. (Ages 37; it’s a follow-up to Alexander’s great debut, The Best Book in the World.)

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects, compiled by Paul B. Janeczko
Poems and stories about their origins are paired with whimsical, vivid drawings in this new anthology. (Ages 8 and up.)

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
When a Chinese-African-Cuban girl in the 1930s announces she wants to be a drummer, she’s told that only boys can play the drums. (Ages 48.)

Extraordinary People: A Semi-Comprehensive Guide to the World’s Most Fascinating Individuals by Michael Hearst
Short-and-sweet illustrated biographies of 50 different magicians, activists, sports figures, and more. (Ages 812.)

Magic Trash: A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Artby J. H. Shapiro
This biography tells the story of an artist-activist who took to the streets of his hometown, Detroit, to help rebuild the community. (Ages 58; newly published in paperback.)

Ballet Spectacular by Lisa Miles
Lush photos of ballet productions stand next to overviews about steps, historical facts about ballet, and first-person accounts from dancers. (Ages 5 and up.)  

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your picks! Leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend.

“It’s Me, Singing, Gone But Here”: Honoring Poet Philip Levine

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The Pulitzer prize-winning poet Philip Levine (b. 1928) died on February 14, 2015. His papers, housed in the New York Public Library’s Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American literature, is the source of a “flash exhibition” honoring his work and legacy (“It’s Me, Singing, Gone But Here”), on display in the Schwarzman Building’s McGraw Rotunda June 12–25.

Levine was born in Detroit to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, and after his father’s early death, the family lived in near poverty. From the age of 14, Levine worked nights in factories while attending public high schools. At Wayne State University he began to write poetry, encouraged by his bookseller mother. He explained, “I saw that the people that I was working with […] were voiceless in a way. In terms of the literature of the United States they weren’t being heard. […] And as young people will, you know, I took this foolish vow that I would speak for them and that’s what my life would be.” Like Whitman, he speaks to us with a conversational simplicity and intimacy about what it means to be human and a poet: “Some days I catch a rhythm, almost a song / in my own breath.” This line appears in the 2000 poem “Call It music,” a loving memorial to the great jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955).

Levine discovered that he was both a poet and a gardener in the autumn of his fourteenth year. One night, in a small forest behind his house in working-class Detroit, he climbed a tree, and began to speak quietly, first to the stars and then to his own hands.  As he recalled in his memoir, The Bread of Time (1994), he said to himself, “‘These hands have entered the ground from which they sprang’ […] then I said in my heart, As it happened to the gardener, so it happened to me […] we are all earth and return to earth. The dark was everywhere, and as my voice went out I was sure it reached the edges of creation.” Some days later, while lying against a favorite tree, he looked up at the stars and “began to speak both to and of them. […] I would say rain and moon in the same sentence and hear them echo each other, and a shiver of delight would pass though me. […] Best were those nights after a hard rain. […] ‘The damp earth is giving birth,’ I would say, and then in sentence after sentence I’d go on to list all that was being born within and outside me, though in the dense night I could hardly discern where I ended and the rest of the world began.”

In addition to selections of Levine’s papers, the exhibition will contain rare materials of poets who influenced him: John Keats, Walt Whitman, T. S. Eliot, and John Berryman. None of these influences was more decisive than John Berryman (1914-1972), a luminary of the Confessional School of poetry. Berryman became Levine’s “one great mentor” at the University of Iowa, in 1953-1954. Levine recalled him fondly and with deep gratitude: “‘Crude bastard’ was his highest form of compliment. […] As the years pass his voice remains with me, its haunting and unique cadences sounding in my ear, most often when I reread my own work. ‘Levine, this will never do,’ as he rouses me from my self-satisfaction and lethargy […] until I make it the best poem I am capable of.” A highlight for Levine of his tutelage under John Berryman was Berryman’s reading of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, a first edition of which is on display. Levine described it as “the most memorable and impassioned reading of a poem I have ever in my life heard.” Berryman’s lectures on Whitman convinced Levine “that ‘Song of Myself’ was the most powerful and visionary poetic statement ever made in this country. Those lectures not only changed our poetry, they changed our entire vision of what it meant to write poetry in America, what it meant to be American, to be human. […] Whitman had laid out the plan of what our poetry would do.”

Also on display in the exhibition is a page from T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” the first the first and most important lengthy Modernist poem in English. Levine first read him in a freshman composition course at Wayne State University “and found his poems extraordinary. I had never seen the modern city in poetry, and it suddenly occurred to me that I lived in a modern city and that the poetry I might write would be very different from the poetry of William Cullen Bryant and Longfellow and Poe, that I had read in high school.

Levine’s description of his creative process recalls another great poet (though one who focused on the countryside rather than the city), John Keats, of whom Levine wrote: “Nothing I had read before [referring to his first year in high school] had so potently lifted the gloom that hovered over my small portion of Detroit.” Levine would much later edit an edition of Keats’s poetry. Keats had described a state of creative inspiration that he called “negative capability”: “when man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” This egoless awareness, said Keats, allowed the poet to identify completely with his subject. Similarly, Levine said: “I don’t so nearly search for my poems as they find me. […] You have to be there. In some state of readiness and hospitality […] I do nothing. […] You have to be silent and see if the voice will enter you.”

Certainly, Levine fulfilled his early aspiration to be a voice for the voiceless. His 1991 volume, What Work Is, contains “Fear and Fame,” a bitter, raging poem about working in an automobile steel factory. He portrays himself as a sorcerer, an alchemist of toxic, acidic brews which he, after being lowered into a hellish pit, applies to sheets of steel: “A gallon of hydrochloric / steaming from the wide glass mouth, a dash / of pale nitric to bubble up, sulphuric to calm, / metals for sweeteners, cleansers for salts, / until I knew the burning stew was done.” Levine had no patience for the myth that harsh, manual labor ennobles men and women. To the contrary: those who are condemned to body-wasting labor ennoble their work.

Though his rage at social injustice and cruelty did not flag, as Levine aged, he began to wonder ever more insistently at the mystery of his own being, as expressed in the poem “Scouting” (1990):

I’m the man who gets off the bus

at the bare junction of nothing

with nothing, and then heads back

to where we've been as though

the future were stashed somewhere

in that tangle of events we call

“Where I come from.”

[…]

What is it like

to come to, nowhere, in darkness,

not knowing who you are, not

caring if the wind calms, the stars

stall in their sudden orbits,

the cities below go on without

you screaming and singing?

I don't have the answer. I'm

scouting, getting the feel

of the land, the way the fields

step down the mountainsides

hugging their battered, sagging

wire fences to themselves as though

both day and night they needed

to know their limits.

Learning Express Library: Practice Exams

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Learning Express Library is a great resource to utilize to practice for any upcoming tests that one might have. The learning curve comes into play with testing, and it is advantageous for individuals to practice tests multiple times before the actual test. Becoming familiar with and comfortable with the testing format and the types of questions helps improve one’s score. Also, people can learn from the answers to questions that they got incorrect and identify weak areas. People can then read books about and study up to improve their weaknesses. The database can be accessed from nypl.org, and it requires a login that is free.

Adult Learning Center

Adults can improve their math, reading and writing skills. They can also take practice citizenship tests. We also have the Adult Learning Centers that provide instructors to help people improve these skills. We have simpler books available for adult reading and writing students.

Career Center

This section includes tests on healthcare careers, dental assisting practice exams, military entrance exams (ASVAB), teacher exams, careers for veterans, and info for career changers. Information about a variety of career fields is available. We have career counselors available for free consultations at the Bronx Library Center and the Science, Industry and Business Library. We also have career fairs periodically at different libraries.

High School Equivalency Center

Prepare for the TASC exam (formerly known as the GED) by taking practice tests. Tests are available in English and Spanish. The library does not currently offer TASC classes, but we can provide referrals to organizations that offer free and low-cost TASC classes.

College Prep Center

This section features the PSAT, ACT, and SAT exams, as well as info on preparing for calculus AP exams, as well as the TOEFL. Students can also hone their college admission essay writing skills. We also offer many informative books and articles from our many databases, such as Academic Search Premier, that can help students with their research papers.

Courses for Spanish Speakers

Spanish speakers can improve their writing and math skills, take practice TASC tests, and study to become United States citizens. We also offer free ESOL classes at the library so that people can learn English. We have many books in English and in Spanish to prepare people for the citizenship tests.

College Center

Current college students can improve their math, reading, writing, and science skills. They can prepare for college placement exams, the CLEP, and the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT exams. Students can also check with their colleges to determine what resources those institutions provide. Students can also utilize the help of our free career counselors.

School Center

Exam practice is provided for a variety of grade levels and subjects from elementary school through high school. We have an Out-of School Time program in many of our branches that provides tutoring for students in grades 1 through 8. We also have a wide variety of educational and recreational programming that is offered for kids from birth through twelfth grade in our neighborhood libraries.

More Resources

 

 

Booktalking "Wanderville" by Wendy McClure

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orphan

Frances takes care of her little 7-year-old brother, Harold. 

Jack befriends them on the orphan train.

Quentin is the bully whom everyone fears.

They come from the Howland Mission and Children's Home, which is not really a home at all.

Alexander founded Wanderville, a place where children who have been mistreated can come together and live a charmed life in the wilderness. He has survival skills, and he stocks his pantry from the nearest town. He escaped a child labor camp run by the Pratcherds and their ruthless 14-year-old son, Rutherford. The boy is happy to welcome the first citizens to the his very own town.

Driving a wagon with runaway horses, freedom from child labor, pining for parents to take care of them, and letting their imaginations run wild. The kids in this story have a bunch of fun…on their own.

Wanderville by Wendy McClure, 2014.

 

Employment Services for People with Disabilities

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June 22 was the anniversary of a watershed moment in disability rights history: the "Olmstead Decision".  With this ruling, the US highest court affirmed that people with disabilities have the right to live and receive services, which  include  employment services in the community. This ruling also affirmed that publicly funded services must be provided in the most integrated settings possible.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) under the US Department of Labor also invests in systems change efforts that result in increased community-based, integrated employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities. 

US Department of Labor
US Department of Labor

Living in the Community Means Working in the Community,  a blog post authored by Jennifer Sheehy, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy,  offers you more information on Olmstead decision and integrated employment.

You can also learn about Employment First, Olmstead decision, integrated employment from the Labor Department blogs, authored by Kathy Martinez, former assistant secretary of Labor for Disability Employment  Policy: 


In an effort to support employment services for people with disabilities, the Institute For Career Development and Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) will present a career development program, Equally Strong - Job Search Best Practices for People with Disabilities and Veterans on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, 122 p.m. at  SIBL, in Conference Room 018.

Career development experts share their job search knowledge on topics including: 

  • What is the "Secret Sauce" to finding employment when you are dealing  with a disability or have served in the military?
  • What resources are out there to help provide support through the job search process?
  • How can you take advantage of some of these resources without having to pay for them?
  • what do employers say about hiring Individuals With Disabilities and Veterans?

Please, RSVP today to participate in this program to jscnypl@nypl.org with the subject heading  EQUALLY STRONG.  If you need any special accommodations  please indicate it in your email.


Seven Times Helen Keller Captured What it Means to Love Books

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Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. An author, political activist, and lecturer, Keller became one of the most inspiring figures of the twentieth century after publishing her autobiography The Story of My Life at age 22. What you may not know about Helen Keller, however, is that she was also a great lover of literature. Celebrate her birth with these seven Helen Keller quotes that capture what it means to love books.

Helen Keller

“Our enjoyment of the great works of literature depends more upon the depth of our sympathy than upon our understanding." The Story of My Life

“It is beyond a doubt that everyone should have time for some special delight, if only five minutes each day to seek out a lovely flower or cloud or star, or learn a verse to brighten another’s dull task. What is the use of such terrible diligence as many tire themselves out with, if they always postpone their exchanges of smiles with Beauty and Joy to cling to irksome duties and relations?” The Open Door

“Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.” The Story of My Life

"More than at any other time, when I hold a beloved book in my hand my limitations fall from me, my spirit is free." Midstream

“Trying to write is very much like trying to put a Chinese puzzle together. We have a pattern in mind which we wish to work out in words; but the words will not fit the spaces, or, if they do, they will not match the design. ” The Story of My Life

“Great poetry, whether written in Greek or in English, needs no other interpreter than a responsive heart.” The Story of My Life

“I read from Mark Twain's lips one or two of his good stories. He has his own way of thinking, saying and doing everything. I feel the twinkle of his eye in his handshake. Even while he utters his cynical wisdom in an indescribably droll voice, he makes you feel that his heart is a tender Iliad of human sympathy.” The Story of My Life

Booktalking "#Girlboss" by Sophia Amoruso

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girlboss

Sophia is an only child and a renegade who loves fashion. She has felt dissatisfied with the many jobs that she has had, so she decides to start a company. She buys vintage clothing cheaply from thrift shops and sells them on eBay for a profit. She names the company, Nasty Gal. A little while later, she hires her first employee, Christina. Seven years after the inception of the company, it is worth millions of dollars. Not your typical start-up story, and Sophia's advice about success in business and life is definitely worth paying attention to.

Sophia remembers her favorite pair of jeans at age six, and all of the clothing phases that she passed through. She never envisioned herself as the CEO of a multi-million dollar company, but that is exactly what she became. She is a noncomformist, and she is not content with following the crowd, except for an embarrassing Abercrombie phase. It must be noted that all of the money in the world cannot buy style or good taste. Nasty Gal can help you with that.

Sophia does not believe in waiting for your dreams to magically appear. She makes opportunities happen. The opinions of others cannot rule your life. Not everyone will be a CEO, and most small businesses fail. However, working and achieving is vital to one's career. The goals may not even be what you originally envisioned.

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, 2014

 

美国, 美国

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移民到美國, 無論是初來步到或已落地生根, 每人背後都有一段故事. 七月四日是美國國慶. 在這歡樂的日子, 讓我們細細回味過去的甘苦, 以敞開心扉面对美好的將來.

 

自由的阶梯 - 美国文明札记

钱满素

9787506077118

本书汇集了作者近年来发表的有关美国文明的文章。内容涉及美国作为英国殖民地创立至今的许多重大历史事件、历史人物和社会文化现象,贯穿于其中的一条主线就是美国人的思维习惯和政治理念,及其来龙去脉。正是这些思想和信念决定了美国人在历史关键时刻作出何种选择,并影响这个国家的发展方向。Dangdang.com

 

紐約 : 玩全指南

柯宇倩

9789863490432

《紐約玩全指南》蒐羅市中心曼哈頓島上10大特色街區、2大熱門旅遊小島,以及曼哈頓周邊的布魯克林、史坦頓島、皇后區、布朗克斯4大區的精華景點,網羅超豐富375個店家及景點,並附上詳細DATA與交通方式,讓您搭地鐵輕鬆走逛紐約,感受這座世界級大城市的的炫目多變魅力。特別企劃單元則精選紐約最新、最具代表性的熱門景點,深入介紹中央公園、洛克斐勒中心、大中央車站、時報廣場、高架鐵道公園、布魯克林高地、當波、威廉斯堡……跳脫走馬看花的旅遊方式,深入體驗道地紐約客生活。

Kingston.com.tw

 

弱者的抗争 : 美国宪法的故事

陶龍生

9787562055723

1857年,黑奴史考特的判决引发了南北战争。1896年之前,继华人铁路建工丁方越无身份证明被判遣返原国后,洗衣店老板李益世挑战种族主义者成功。但同一年,拥有八分之一黑人血统的鞋匠普莱西挑战黑白分隔“分而平等”却未果,直至1954年,“分而平等”被几位小学生的贫穷父母成功推翻。禁止地方警察非法闯入民宅搜索扣押证据的判例,平反了一位收藏黄色书刊的单身女子。保护言论自由最有力的意见,起源于检警拘捕囚禁五位散发反战传单的年轻人。一位18岁青年的横死,使得最高法院禁止全国警察在追捕人犯时从背后开枪。导致总统辞职(水门事件)的判决,由一位大楼的保安队员开始。凡此种种,没有这些关于平等权的判例,今日的美国,不会是我们所熟悉的“人生而平等”的国度。
  本书作者以善于说故事的文笔,在宪法弘大架构中,倾听美国小人物们的呼喊,这些故事上演的不是个人的荣辱利益,而是一个国家,本着宪法精神,逐渐走向真正民主的历程,而这个历程,不单单属于美国,同时,也属于所有参阅美国宪法立宪的国家们。Dangdang.com

 

你不知道的财经真相 : 美国退出QE之后的世界

梁海明

9787550415898

美国是世界上第一大经济体,该国的金融、经济和政治等政策不但可影响本国,也容易影响到世界其他国家。大家都知道,美国所推行的政策经常以邻为壑,各国虽然怨声载道,但也常常无可奈何。美国过去几年来对中国乃至全球冲击最大的政策,当然要数美联储实施的QE政策。Dangdang.com

 

国家威胁 : 中情局谍战亲历

亨利·A. 克伦普顿

9787508638645

克伦普顿一生中,最受命运摆布的篇章莫过于“9·11”以后的时光了,他受命参与领导了阿富汗战役。他的战略创意和大胆领导作风在战场上和椭圆形办公室都充分表现出来,在双子塔轰然倒塌后不到三个月,美国和阿富汗盟军就击溃了基地组织和塔利班。2001年底,在阿富汗战场与塔利班激战犹酣的美国人还不足500人,但却混合了中情局与特种部队的人员。这场战役改变了美国发动战争的方式。

克伦普顿详细描述了他如何进入酒店房间安装窃听设备,如何与当地游击队合作,如何招募教授从事间谍工作等细节。他将改变人们看待中情局的方式。这是史无前例的史诗之作,是关于谍报、战争、领导力,以及间谍意义的深入浅出的课程。Dangdang.com

 

到法学院学什么 : 美国法入门读本

特蕾西。E. 乔治

9787301239346 

本书将帮助中国读者了解美国法学院的教学模式,由此比较中美法学教育的差异,为准备进入美国法学院的学生提供基本知识,告诉读者在美国法学院会学到什么、需要了解的背景知识以及成功的方法。同时,本书也能帮助读者对美国的法律体系获得一个基本的了解,对美国式法律治理的思维方式获得基本了解。Dangdang.com

 

费城风云 : 美国宪法的诞生及其启示

易中天

9787533940485

如果只有独立宣言,美国就永远只是一个理想或者理念,而不是一个国家。没有联邦宪法,就没有美利坚合众国,我们甚至还可以说,正是一部宪法缔造了一个国家。
  在1787年费城会议上起草的《联邦宪法》,是世界上第一部成文的宪法。据此,美国人创造了一种既民主又共和的体制,并充分地体现了宪政与法治的精神。这样一个精巧的设计,在二百多年前由一群蛮荒大陆上的乡巴佬创造出来,实在是令人惊叹不已。
  《费城风云》再现了美国《联邦宪法》诞生的过程,在本书里可以看到1787年费城制宪会议的惊心动魄,领略华盛顿、富兰克林、麦迪逊等风云人物的智慧与胸襟,以及各州代表在坚守共同底线的前提下进行的针锋相对的辩论和最终伟大的妥协。第二部分《隔岸观火》收入易中天论美国政治的四篇文章。Dangdang.com

 

华盛顿国家艺术馆——伟大的博物馆

罗萨·乔尔吉

9787544725415

华盛顿国家艺术馆是位于美国首都华盛顿的国家级艺术馆,囊括了大批的名家名作,是名副其实的世界级一流艺术馆。馆里欧洲名家作品很多,尤其是近现代大师的一些作品,有些还是代表作:如毕加索、莫奈、德加、梵高、高更、塞尚、雷诺阿、马奈、马蒂斯、达利……本书对这些名家名作做了细致地梳理和分析,使得读者能很容易读出名家名作的过人之处。Dangdang.com

 

金赛是谁 : 改变美国的性学大师

周炼红, 黄文泉

9787563366224

金赛(1894-1956)是性学领域里的巨人。他的《人类男性性行为》和《人类女性性行为》是性学中的两块基石,不仅奠定了性学的方向,也影响了人的观念和社会的价值。他搜集整理的1.8万份性例就其丰富性和可信度而言,迄今无人超越。当初传媒把他的研究成果比为原子弹爆炸,把他誉为另一个达尔文,并非夸张。金赛是一位性学家,更是一位科学家,同时还是一位音乐家和园艺大师。他来自一个宗教气氛浓厚的家庭,却以自由奔放的精神突破了陈腐价值的禁区,筚路蓝缕,坚韧不拔,做出了惊世骇俗的发现。本书酣畅淋漓地再现了金赛充满酸甜苦辣的学术生涯,在这个充满争议的人生背后,我们也看到了美国主流社会对“性”的陌生与恐惧。Dangdang.com

 

陈查理传奇 -一个华人侦探在美国

黄运特

9787532153428 

陈查理是美国小说家厄尔·德尔-毕格斯笔下的华人探长,上世纪二十年代首次被好莱坞搬上银幕。自7925年以来,共有六部陈查理小说、四十七部陈查理电影在美国面世,使其成为美国家喻户晓的人物。这个大智若愚的胖子探长在深刻影响了几代美国人的同时,也引发了无数争议。有人认为他是智慧的化身,与阿加莎·克里斯蒂笔下的大侦探波洛、雷蒙德·钱德勒笔下的菲利普·马洛井驾齐驱;也有人认为他作为艺术形象,是美国丑化华人的典型,是种族主义土壤中开出的恶毒之花。
  《陈查理传奇:一个华人侦探在美国》作者黄运特上溯陈查理诞生的源头,探访故迹,钧沉史料,梳理出四条与陈查理相关的历史线索,巧妙编织干这部绝佳的非虚构作品之中。美国多元种族文化的发展流变,早期华人移民的艰辛历程,西方艺术中的“中国想象”,以及对华人族裔身份的反观与检视,就此一一呈现于我们面前。Dangdang.com

 

陌生人看美国

崔济哲

9787549554508

这是作者初次去美国亲眼看到的,亲耳听到的,亲身遇到的,亲自领教的,亲笔记录的时空碎片,让你感受美国的社会、美国的家庭、美国的教育、美国的城市、美国人的生活、美国人的伦理道德、美国人的人前身后、美国人的风俗人情……相信你读后定对美国有更深的认识,定会悟出更多的人生感想。“Follow me around to see America.” Dangdang.com

 

玩透美国东岸重要城市

柯筱蓉

9787121233975 

《玩透美国东岸重要城市》以优美、流畅的文笔,简明扼要地阐述了美国东海岸重要城市的地理环境、政治经济、历史变革、文化艺术,以大量富有艺术感染力的彩色照片,生动形象地展示了美国东海岸重要城市最具特色的名胜古迹、风土人情和自然风光。Dangdang.com

 

紐約第三只眼

陈九

9787108050243 

这是一本谈论美国,谈论纽约的杂文集。作者在纽约生活了二十余载,尽管已经融入了当地生活,在身份认同上依旧属于一个漂泊者。这使得本书具有了一种既不同于当地人也不同于游客的视角,对这座城市有着既熟悉又陌生的姿态。文风泼辣,带着北京人特有的贫劲儿,把平凡的生活咂摸出了别一番的滋味,让人看到别一番的纽约和美国生活。Dangdang.com

 

骗中骗 : 克格勃与中情局的无声战争

爱德华·爱泼斯坦

9787515510125 

通过中情局与克格勃在情报与反情报上的较量,作者向读者呈现了一场看不见硝烟的战争。作为西方反情报代表作,《骗中骗:克格勃与中情局的无声战争》不仅充满重要的情报战思想,还生动描述了丰富的经典案例,使得它既可作为饭后茶余之消遣,亦能当作国家安全研究的重要资料。Dangdang.com

 

我反抗 : 一部独特的美国史

霍华德 · 津恩

9787213061530

美国并非生而自由,自由要靠争取.
一个个“为个人争自由”的故事,一部“课堂上你听不到的美国史”!

Dangdang.com

 

Is 2015 Still 1984?

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In honor of George Orwell's birthday, we're thinking about one of his seminal works, 1984, and all the other prescient authors who told stories that still seem painfully topical.

We asked our NYPL librarians to name some of these all-too-relevant titles and explain why they’re still important for readers to consider today.

Race, Gender, and Identity

Handmaid's Tale

Given the recharged battles over the question of whether women’s bodies are theirs or the group property of the state, as well as renewed fights against separation of church and state, I’ll add 1985’s The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Taking place in a Christian totalitarian world where there's a social class of forced surrogates, it's a chronicle of slowly developing personal strength, seeing behind the curtain, and revolution. —Jill Rothstein, Andrew Heiskell

I’m gonna go with The Sneetches, because clearly, some in our society still insist on ostracizing and mistreating people who are “different,” however one might define that word.  Dr. Seuss, as always, teaches a wonderful lesson about tolerance and diversity that so many still need to learn. —Ronni Krasnow, Morningside Heights

Ralph Ellison’sInvisible Man is an especially relevant novel today because of the discussion of second class status for many minorities (particularly applicable with the trend of legislation in the D.R. (proposed) and Canada), racial division, protest, and the fight for civil rights and equality. —Katrina Ortega, Hamilton Grange

I just read Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness for the first time a few months ago; though originally published in 1969, its discussions of gender, identity, and xenophobia are (still) so relevant today. A thought provoking must read. —Amie Wright, MyLibraryNYC

I just finished reading Natchez Burning by Greg Iles. It's the first in a trilogy set in contemporary Mississippi across the river from Louisiana. A series of unsolved racially motivated murders committed during 1964-1968 have surfaced. The killers are still free, still prejudiced, and still killing. Sadly, in the wake of the Charleston shootings, it seems all too relevant. Recently published, The Bone Tree is the second in the trilogy. —Lois Moore, Mid-Manhattan

Sexuality and Growing Up

Margaret

Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret  and Forever, remain major sources for young girls (and boys) to learn about the woes of puberty and the “oh!”s of your first time. I've yet to stumble across another youth book, let alone a parent, who talks openly about sex to youth the way Blume writes about Ralph. While the world today continues to dodge sex education in schools or avoids “the talk” with their kids, Blume’s books remain relevant to help keep our youth from becoming as tragic as those clueless kids in Spring Awakening.—Anna Taylor, Children’s Programming

Even though some of the pop culture references in the Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? 
may be dated, the overall sentiment is still applicable. What tween girl didn't feel that sense of awkwardness in their bodies as puberty kicked in, feeling like you were alone in that experience? —Christel Ellis, George Bruce

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. While it is dated, the subject matter and feelings that lead to addiction as well as the addiction experience are still relevant. —Dawn Zimmerer, Wakefield

Walter Dean Myers’ Monster is still a relevant way for teens and young adults to read about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, mixing with the wrong crowd, and the possibility of being incarcerated as a teen. It feels especially applicable today, as society copes with the idea of an individual hurting strangers for widely incomprehensible reasons, especially when those reasons are or seem racially charged. It also offers a nice change in medium from prose, and can be a good suggestion for reluctant readers. —Katrina Ortega, Hamilton Grange

Poverty and Income Inequality

Outsiders

How about Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Propsal? Or, to give it its full title, A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick. I fear today’s readers will find this satire from 1729 only all too relevant in a society where burgeoning income inequality leaves those on the bottom rungs sinking ever deeper into the lower depths. —Kathie Coblentz, Rare Materials

The Outsiders. Teens feeling like they didn’t belong because they were poorer... had little to no parental involvement… being reared by people other than their parents and being involved in gangs. It would be a fight that led to the turmoil all the teens are entrenched in. Still rings true today with youth who get involved in gangs now and the results than come from those decisions. —Christel Ellis, George Bruce

War and Conflict

Miami

In college I read Norman Mailer’s non-fiction novel, Miami and the Siege of Chicago, about the violence surrounding the 1968 Democratic Convention. The Vietnam War was a conflagration gone wrong, anti-war activists in and out of the Democratic Party were beating down President Johnson’s door, MLK had just been assassinated earlier in the year, and there were mass protests devolving into riots. Flip a few names around and it could be 2015 with Hillary Clinton facing challenges within her own party for the nomination, mass protests, riots over police tacticsand, of course, a never-ending war on terrorism. —Joshua Soule, Spuyten Duyvil

Written as a response to 1950’s McCarthy Era politics and Nazi Fascisim, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 portrayed a world and society of full of fear, book burning, and the discouragement of new ideas. It’s not hard to picture that happening today with the current climate of religious right-wing extremism and anti-intellectualism. —Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

Technology and the Environment

Lorax

I’d go with M.T. Anderson’s Feed and Dr. Suess’s The Lorax. Both deal in the harm with technology and corporate greed in different ways. In The Lorax, technology, along with corporate greed harm the environment, and in Feed, they harm our mind and the ability to think for ourselves. —Sandra Farag, Mid-Manhattan

I’ll second The Lorax. Originally published in 1971, it tells the story of corporate greed and its effects on our environment. As we experience global warming, deforestation, and the disappearance of species at an ever-increasing rate, the book is especially relevant today. —Maura Muller, Volunteers Program

I’d like to second Feed. In one part of the book, the author describes how advertising companies and big business take over the Internet and how the characters shopped or made purchases. The chip in their brains learns what they like and what brands they shop for, and it starts to personalize to their tastes and their online presence. When I read that I thought “how creepy, how Big Brother,” but now look at us. We may not have chips in our head yet, but almost all the tech in that book is coming or has come to fruition. —Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street

I’d like to third (fourth, fifth?) Feed, specifically the idea of material objects at our fingertips and the bombardment of different advertisements as they try to analyze our “profiles.” Also on Facebook, the actual language of “feed” and the idea of the detached millennial is very similar to the technology and its effects as described in this dystopian piece. —Alessandra Affinito, Chatham Square

I’d also like to reference Stainslaw Lem’s The Cyberiad, a collection of sci-fi short stories reminiscent of folklore. These tales describe the trials and tribulations of two engineers competing to make varying levels of robotic perfection. These robots embody tasks and ideas that we once only thought were possible for humans (poetry, omniscience), and I find the similarity to current robotics endeavors eerily relevant despite the fact that it was published in 1965.—Alessandra Affinito, Chatham Square

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. What books do you find all too relevant? Leave a comment and let us know.

Booktalking "The Negotiator" by Ben Lopez

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negotiator

Ben Lopez is a pseudonym. He would not be able to continue his career as a hostage negotiator if his real name were used. Kidnap and ransom (K & R) is big business in many third world countries. Usually, kidnappers abduct one person and demand millions of dollars for his or her return to safety. However, sometimes pirates in Somali abduct an entire ship and its crew. Kidnappers of one individual usually up with tens of thousands of dollars. Most of the time (all of the time in the author's case), the victims walk out alive. Sometimes, they are lucky enough to escape, and no one has to pay a dime.

Companies with valuable executives take out K & R insurance on them. These are the entities that fork over the dough for the ransom payments. Security companies, such as the one that employs Ben Lopez, work on negotiating ransom sums with the kidnappers and keeping everyone safe.

Sometimes, relatives of the hostages employ a security company in order to obtain the return of their loved one. Family members of the hostage are completely distraught, and they sometimes turn their rage on the very people who are helping them. They do not know if they will ever see their loved one again. Some relatives want to be involved in the investigation, and sometimes having them talk to the victim can be helpful.

Being snatched from a familiar environment at gunpoint is understandably an ordeal. However, there are steps that hostages can take in order to minimize the severity of the situation. In general, victims should comply with their captors' demands. Avoiding eye contact in order to appear less threatening is preferable in most situations. Escape should only be attempted if hostages are sure that it will be successful. 

Hostage negotiators work with locals in order to get the kidnappers talking, work them down on the ransom price, and hopefully prevent any violent actions on the part of the kidnappers. People can be kept in captivity for weeks, months or even years. Living on little sleep is the norm when working a case. Cheap, sleazy hotels, dingy negotiation rooms, and lots of coffee are what these professionals survive on. Their work days are spent strategizing with other professionals, which may include police officers, and many hours of telephone conversations with the captors.

This work is a fascinating look at a career that I never thought I would learn about first-hand. An awe-inspiring read.

The Negotiator: My Life at the Heart of the Hostage Trade by Ben Lopez, 2011

Books about kidnappings

Color Philosophy and Synesthesia in Literature

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Many people have heard about that dress, that some people perceived as white and gold and others perceived as black and blue, but you may have missed the news about Homer's apparent inability to see the color blue, as evidenced by his use of phrases like wine-dark sea  and violet sheep. You can read more about it in Business Insider: No one could see the color blue until modern times and the New Republic: Does Color Even Exist: The Philosophy of Color. Color perception changes with how different people view different wavelengths of light, and depending on where you live and when you live/lived, you may have a very different experience. For example, the idea of the color pink is a relatively new concept. The Secret Language of Color by Joann Eckstut discusses some popular ideas about color and how the emergence of things like colored textile dyes affected our cultural understanding of color. NYPL carries many titles on optical illusions and even Magic Eye puzzles, which supposedly can help improve eye sight

According to the Colour Blind Awareness website, 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women are colorblind. I didn't find many fiction titles that deal with colorblindness, other than Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey, possibly because it's so common, but perhaps there are some writing opportunities there. 

Synesthesia is a  medical term for one type of stimulation evoking another, such as hearing a color or smelling a shape, but it has also become a literary term for that experience in a novel such as when Fitzgerald writes in The Great Gatsby: "now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music" (p. 42). The Great Gatsby does some interesting things with color symbolism in general, beyond the green light that is so central to the story.  While the use of synesthesia in literature is common, two well-known authors who were synaesthetes are Rimbaud (see his poem Voyelles)  and Nabokov.  Some nonfiction books on the subject are: Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens by Patricia Lynn Duffy and The Man Who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic. Some young adult and children's books that employ synesthesia are: A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass, My Blue Is Happy by Jessica Young, and the poetry book Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman.

A reminder: the Andrew Heiskell branch of the NYPL offers closed circuit televisions and other assistive devices that can enlarge text and "can be adjusted for brightness, contrast, reverse image, and color scheme".

Job and Employment Links for the Week of June 28

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United States Tennis Association will present a recruitment on Monday, June 29, 2015, 10 am - 6 pm,  for  Cleaner (250  Seasonal openings),  Court & Ground Crew (120 Seasonal openings),  Access Control Associate (90 Seasonal openings),  Parking  Lot Attendant (40 Seasonal openings), at Flushing Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355.

Western United Community Renewal Inc.  will present a recruitment on Monday, June 29, 10 a.m.1 p.m. for CASAC (one opening), LMSW Program Coordinator (1 opening), Maintenance Worker (one opening), Residence Counselor (one opening), Case Manager (one opening) at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458.

Sid Wainer & Son will present a recruitment on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, 10 a.m.1 p.m. for Delivery Driver (six openings) at the Bronx Workforce 1 Career Center, 400 E. Fordham Road, 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10458.

Time Warner Cable Pre-Screening event will be held on  Tuesday, June 30, 2015, 10 a.m.5 p.m. for Field Technician (seven openings),  at Lower Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center, 75 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.

Safewatch Security Group, Inc. will present a recruitment on Wednesdy, July, 1, 2015, 10 a.m.2 p.m., for Security Guard (ten openings) at the New York State Department of Labor - Workforce 1 Career Center, 250 Schermerhorn Street,  Brooklyn, NY 11201.

United States Tennis Association will present a recruitment on Wednesday, July 1, 2015, 10 am - 6 pm, for Cleaner (250 Seasonal  openings), Court and Ground Crew (120  Seasonal openings), Access Control Associate (90 Seasonal openings),  Parking Lot Attendant (40 openings)  at Flushing, Workforce 1 Career Center, 138-60 Barclay Avenue, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355.

Boy Scouts of America - GNYC will present a recruitment on Thursday, July 2, 2015, 10 a.m.2 p.m., for District Executive (5 entry level openings) at the New York State Department of Labor, 9 Bond Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Apprenticeship Opportunities in New York  City.         

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The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCE&TC) is an association of 200 community-based organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions that annually provide job training and employment services to over 750,000 New Yorkers, including welfare recipients, unemployed workers, low-wage workers, at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. View the NYCE&TC Job Listings.

Digital NYC is the official online hub of the New York City startup and technology ecosystem, bringing together every company,  startup, investor, event, job, class, blog, video, workplace, accelerator, incubator, resource, and organization in the five boroughs. Search  jobs by category on this site.

St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development provides Free Job Training and Educational Programs in Environmental Response and Remediation Tec (ERRT).  Commercial Driver's License, Pest Control Technician Training (PCT), Employment Search and Prep Training and Job Placement, Earn Benefits and Career Path Center.  For information and assistance, please visit St. Nicks Alliance Workforce Development or call 718-302-2057 ext. 202. 

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in sectors that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement. Currently, BWI offers free job training programs in four industries: commercial driving, telecommunications cable installation, TV and film production, and skilled woodworking.  

CMP (formerly Chinatown Manpower Project) in lower Manhattan is now recruiting for a free training in Quickbooks,  Basic Accounting, and Excel. This training is open to anyone who is receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Class runs for eight weeks, followed by one-on-one meetings with a job developer. CMP also provides Free Home Health Aide Training for bilingual English/Cantonese speakers who are receiving food stamps but no cash assistance. Training runs Mondays through Fridays for six weeks and includes test prep and taking the HHA certification exam. Students learn about direct care techniques such as taking vital signs and assisting with personal hygiene and nutrition. For more information for the above two training programs, email: info@cmpny.org, call 212-571-1690, or visit. CMP also provides tuition-based healthcare and business trainings free to students who are entitled to ACCESS funding.

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) trains women and places them in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades. It helps women achieve economic independence and a secure future. For information call 212-627-6252 or register online.

Grace Institute provides tuition-free, practical job training in a supportive learning community for underserved New York area women of all ages and from many different backgrounds.  For information call 212-832-7605.

Please note this will be revised when more recruitment events for the week of June 28  become available.


Soak Up the Sun with Award-Winning Nonfiction!

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Why not use the summer to catch up on some Award-Winning Nonfiction? The American Library Association  (ALA) has two awards for their picks for best informational and nonfiction texts for children and teens: the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. Though the awards were announced in chilly February, these titles are still hot tickets!

The books range from personal memoirs to the fight for civil rights to the compelling tale of the last imperial family of Russia. And sharks! Award-winning sharks!


The 2015 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner and Honors

The Right Word


The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

 Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

 

Looking for more nonfiction and informational books? Check out last year's winners in Reality Rules! 2014 Nonfiction Award Winners - Youth Media Awards

Looking for more summer reading? Our Kid's Book List and Teen Book List have plenty of Nonfiction titles to choose from!

Have a favorite nonfiction title? Looking forward to reading one of the titles above? Share your comments below!

How the American Negro Theatre Shaped the Career of the Iconic Harry Belafonte

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Farrah Lopez, our Communications Pre-professional, shares how our 75-year-old American Negro Theatre helped shape the career of the iconic Harry Belafonte:

The American Negro Theatre (ANT), a home for many prominent black actors in the 1940s, opened the doors to the performing arts for a young Harry Belafonte. After serving in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during the end of World War II, Belafonte worked many odd jobs in New York City. But the Belafonte the world knows today would soon sprout in the heart of Harlem. In an interview with Cornel West in 1996, Belafonte revealed that it was his experience at the American Negro Theatre that made him fall in love with the performance arts. In December 1945, while working as a janitor’s assistant, he was given two tickets to see his first show, Home is the Hunter, written by Samuel M. Kootz. Inspired by theater and acting, Belafonte became a volunteer stagehand. At first, Belafonte simply loved to be around the theater. But the ANT’s director at the time, Osceola Archer, asked Belafonte to play a role in On Striver’s Row in 1946. After that, Belafonte was given bigger roles.

Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte
Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte

At the ANT, Belafonte and Sidney Poitier developed a strong friendship. The theatre brought the two financially struggling actors together and shaped them for the stage. Eager to feed their love for the performing arts, Belafonte and Poitier would go to the theatre at least once a week, dividing the cost of a single ticket. Belafonte once said, “One of us would go in for the first half, come out at intermission and pass the stub, along with a plot summary, to the other. We saw some theater that way, and agreed that seeing half of each taught us more than not seeing a play at all.” However, despite his talent, the theater business would prove itself to continuously be an uphill battle for Belafonte due to the limited roles for black actors. Eventually, Belafonte caught the eye of Monte Kay, the music agent and artistic director of the Royal Roost, a jazz venue on 52nd street where Miles Davis played. Kay offered Belafonte the opportunity to perform at the Royal Roost in the late 1940s and Belafonte’s increased popularity paralleled musicians like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Today, Belafonte is one of the most prominent Caribbean-American stars, often referred to as “the king of Calypso,” with signature tunes such as “The Banana Boat Song.”

Learn more about our newest exhibition, The 75th Anniversary of the American Negro Theatre. 

Novedades de Julio 2015: ¡Disfrutando el Verano con un Libro en la Mano!

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¡El encanto del calor ya empezó con el solsticio de verano! El verano es la estación más cálida del año,   especialmente en los países donde las cuatro estaciones son más destacadas, ya que se inicia el 21 de junio y termina el 23 de septiembre. Tradicionalmente, el verano es una época que se aprovecha para vacacionar y disfrutar de varias actividades al aire libre. Leer al aire libre en la Biblioteca y participar en El Programa de la Lectura de Verano podrían ser algunas de las actividades para disfrutar. ¿Qué estás leyendo este verano? He aquí una breve selección de nuevos temas sobre la salud para enterarte este verano como puedes mantenerte fuerte y sano! Esta lista también está disponible en formato PDF.

 

 

1

El ácido úrico y la gota

Sintes Pros, Jorge

Métodos naturales para ayudar a combatir y erradicar la gota y otras enfermedades reumáticas que provocan la acumulación de sales de ácido úrico en el organismo.

 

2

Autoayuda para tus nervios

Claire Weekes

Un programa de ejercicios de respiración y relajación que ayuda a desensibilizar los nervios tensos y aliviar los malestares de ansiedad, pánico y depresión.

 

3

El código de curación

Alex Loyd

“Seis minutos para sanar la fuente de cualquier problema de salud, éxito y relaciones personales.”

 

4

Cúrate

Lauro Trevisan

“La medicina está dentro de ti.”

 

5

!Despide a tu médico!

Andrew W. Saul

Introduce pequeños cambios dietéticos para mantener una dieta balanceada y ayudar a mejorar el estilo de vida.

 

6

La dieta de batidos verdes

Roby Openshaw

“Programa natural para una salud extraordinaria.”

 

7

Dime qué comer si tengo síndrome de colon irritable

Explica las causas fisiológicas del síndrome de intestino irritable, los tratamientos disponibles, y las implicaciones dietéticas de la enfermedad, y además ofrece consejos nutricionales y recetas de cocina.

 

8

¿Enfermo yo-- pero por qué?

Christian Flèche

“El sentido de las enfermedades desvelado a los jóvenes.”

 

9

El gran libro del equilibrio ácido-básico

Anne Dufour

 “8 programas a medida para mejorar la salud.”

 

10

La revolución de 22 días

Marco Borges

 “El programa a base de plantas que transforma tu cuerpo, reajusta tu hábitos, y cambia tu vida.”

 

11

Vitamina C

Steve Hickey

“La verdadera historia: todo sobre este polémico y asombroso factor curativo.”

 

Esta lista también está disponible en formato PDF. Algunas de estas y otras obras también pueden estar disponibles en diferentes formatos. Para más información sírvase comunicarse con el bibliotecario de su biblioteca local. Síganos por ¡Twitter! Los amantes de la lectura y escritura podrían además disfrutar del club de libros latinos y la lista de lectura ReadLatinoLit de las Comadres y Compadres (en inglés y español). Para información sobre eventos favor de visitar: Eventos en Español. Más Blog en Español.

The World of Sports: A Reading List from Open Book Night

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Sports Collage.jpg

This post was co-authored with Miriam Gianni, Mid-Manhattan Library.

We asked patrons to share a sports-related book for our June 12th Open Book Night and got a selection of titles that was as fascinating and varied as the subject of sports itself. We discussed such diverse topics as sport agents, sports writers, the politics of athletic scholarships, news headlines featuring athletes, etc.  There were novels, autobiographies, nonfiction essays, and even philosophy, including one reader’s thoughts on sports as a means of indoctrination in Virgil’s Aeneid.

One of our participants, Wayne, shared his impressions of Leigh Montville, a sports writer and columnist for The Boston Globe. He talked about Montville’s sport page headlines, his coverage of sports legends, including some who went from rags to riches. Some of Montville’s books include:

From sports writing, we turned next to coaching. Wilsa told us about Bob Hurley’s 2013 book,  Chasing Perfect, saying, “this autobiography of Bob Hurley as coach  of St. Anthony High School basketball team is a story of success, dedication, and passionpassion for the game. Mr. Hurley genuinely cares about his athletes and leads them to victory on the court and in the classroom.”

Psychology, depression, and the connections people make with family and friends found their way into our discussion when Samantha shared Matthew Quick’s 2010 Silver Linings Playbook: “I really liked how Quick “normalizes” mental illness and uses the comparison to sports fanaticism/superstition. Ideas of fate and being able to change events based on unrelated actions  (wearing a jersey to help a win, bring a good luck charm, etc) , and how these thoughts aren’t so far from the mental illness of Pat. I enjoyed how the father and son came together over sports - It is the glue of their relationship.”

We next turned to a book that brought our talk to subjects of immigration and how sports can unify people. Elizabeth discussed her choice, Joseph O’Neill’s 2008 book Netherland.  “In post-9/11 New York, Hans, a Dutch financial analyst newly separated from his wife and son, embraces the city’s  cricket subculture. When he begins to play the game he loved in his youth, he discovers another New York and connects with people, like Trinidadian immigrant and would- be cricket impresario Chuck Ramkissoon, who would not otherwise have entered his world. But how deep is the bond created by the shared love of a game. Are friendships made on the field truly lasting ones?”

The subject of history found its way in to our discussion of sports, when Elizabeth also mentioned The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling, 1956. “Although I’ll never enjoy watching  the “sweet science of bruising,” I am really enjoying A.J. Liebling’s vivid descriptions of the post-World War II boxing world. These pieces, originally published in The New Yorker, convey the human and sociological aspects of boxing as well as the technical specifics, and they’re also very funny!”

Miriam recommended a more recent anthology of sports writing, The Silent Season of a Hero: The Sports Writing of Gay Talese, published in 2010. “In his writing, Talese focuses on the human and personal side of athletes, rather than just on their accomplishments. I really enjoyed his approach to sports writing, and felt the book was very insightful, both about the athletes included, as well as about Talese himself.”

Our final reader introduced her book choice,  Kakuzo Okakuro’s 2001 The Book of Tea. The book, she said, “explains Eastern culture through the ceremony of drinking tea in Japan.”  The Book of Tea made us think of nice refreshments after a fun-filled day of sports!

Another book suggestion that came up during the discussion was Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel, A Man in Full, in which one of the main characters, a businessman named Charles Croker, is also a former Georgia Tech football player. Although he had read the novel some time ago, the reader vividly recalled a scene involving a contract negotiation for a college player going pro, which he felt offered critical insight into the workings of professional sports.

The selection of titles was fascinating and as varied as there are types of sports. Whatever your interest, chances are you’ll find them covered under some titles at NYPL. Please come to our next Open Book Night, and continue to share your favorite authors and titles with us. If you share your books on social media, remember to tag your posts with the #ireadeverywhere hashtag this summer.

June 26th is our first open theme Open Book Night. We’ll  meet in NYPL’s Outdoor Reading Room on the plaza in front of the Schwarzman Building to share and discuss books we love!  

If you'd like to share book recommendations with other readers, join us at any or all of our upcoming Open Book Nights at the Mid-Manhattan Library, or in the Outdoor Reading Room this summer. The complete 2015 schedule is listed below.  We meet on the second Friday of the month at 6pm in the Corner Room on the First Floor, except for our special outdoor Open Books nights on June 26 and July 10, which will meet on the steps of the Schwarzman Building.  We'd love to see you there!

  • February 13, 2015 - Love                                 See the Patron Picks List from Open Book Night, February 2015

  • April 10, 2015 - New Beginnings                  See the Patron Picks List from Open Book Night, April 2015

  • May 8, 2015 - Nature                                           See the Patron Picks List from Open Book Night, May 2015

  • June 12, 2015 - Sports                                         See the Patron Picks List from Open Book Night, June  2015

  • June 26, 2015 - Open theme                           Meet in the Outdoor Reading Room

  • July  10, 2015 - Open theme                            Meet in the Outdoor Reading Room                

  • August 14, 2015 - Travel       

  • September 11, 2015 - New York

  • October 9, 2015 - The Occult

  • November 13, 2015  - Thanksgiving

  • December 11, 2015 - Food and Cooking

 

Booktalking "Miracle" by Elizabeth Scott

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life

Megan is the lone survivor of the Flight 619 crash. Memories of the disaster and aftermath are conspicuously absent when she awakes in the hospital. Her parents exude feelings of happiness and insecurity, and her brother, David, resents her. Friends Jess and Lissa are ecstatic to have her back.

Megan cannot tolerate her life. She dislikes being constantly referred to as a "miracle." She feels as though she is outside of herself, and things are not the same as they used to be. Countenances of dead plane passengers haunt her, who she wishes fervently that she could have saved. She relives the aftermath of the crash repeatedly; burning flames and images of herself running through the forest eclipse her existence.

Well, at least there is Joethat extremely attractive neighbor whom she never seemed to be able to utter a word to before the incident. Now, talking to him seems quite natural... the only thing that seems natural to Megan anymore.

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott, 2012

 

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