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The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audiobooks, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. Libby (for Overdrive - on Ideate Digital Library) It's been awhile since we highlighted this wonderful resource. While Libby has always been popular, during these days of library closures and stay at home orders, we have had more requests for this service than ever. This picture is a tool to help you remember the symbols used for checking out different items. You can check out an e-book, and e-audiobook, and and e-magazine. Sometimes the item will be available for immediate borrowing, other times you will have to place a hold. All these symbols are located underneath the picture of the item, the title and the author section on the app or website. I hope it helps! Just a reminder Our library - as well as many others now - is offering curbside checkouts for our library patrons, reading recommendations, and over the phone assistance with finding your favorite library books in traditional print form. E-Books Our electronic book collection has expanded significantly since the last time I covered this service. They are also organized in interesting ways. For instance, you can search for books by author or title, or you can search by subject. There are so many categories to choose from, you may get lost, so take your time and learn the structure. Also spend some time looking through the different categories and maybe you will find something new and interesting for your next book! You never know what will peak your interest. I love checking out e-books to keep up with my attendance at the Thursday Afternoon Read discussion. Do you ever make it to this program? We have a reading list for the year and a virtual meeting once a month. Check it out sometime, we would love to have you! E-Audiobooks As I have mentioned before, I am such a fan of e-audiobooks because it suits my busy lifestyle so well. I am often on-the-go, commuting from home and work. When I am at home, I am often doing some work with my hands (I like to paint, draw, create music, and play video games). Audiobooks are a great way for me to keep up with my reading goals. Currently I am working on my Ultimate Book Nerd Challenge - beginning by reading my "Banned Book" choice. Have you heard of our yearly book challenge? Sign up if you haven't already, you get a t-shirt when you complete it! Magazines Now to the new stuff! There are over 3,000 magazines available on Libby, covering an array of subjects. There are almost 40 categories to choose from, including "Comics & Manga" and magazines in other languages. I have just scratched the surface of this cool new feature, but I am looking forward to exploring more! I have always been a fan of electronic magazines. The images still look great and I don't have to have a million paper subscriptions to recycle each month. Especially during these times of being careful with shared items, I find checking the magazines out electronically helps me stay safe and up-to-date! Ask one of our librarians for assistance if you want to know more about this cool new feature. Up Next: We hope that you have been enjoying the materials that we have available on Libby during these stressful times. Stay tuned for another blog on our various e-resources that we have available and we hope that you continue learning and growing!

Which picture books have you enjoyed reading to your kids lately? Would you like to read a picture book that’s new and excellent? Each year the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) team up to present the “ Youth Media Awards ” in late January. There are 21 awards in all, each of which often have both winners and honor books. Some awards go to audiobooks, and one is a tribute to the body of work a creator has produced in his or her lifetime. But the most well-known and oldest are the Caldecott Medal and the Newbery Medal . The Caldecott award goes to an illustrator whose effort in a book published in the preceding year defines the best of American illustration. The Newbery is presented to the author of the preceding year’s most distinguished children’s books. The Cat Man of Aleppo by Karim Shamsi-Basha and Irene Latham, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. 2020. It’s difficult to imagine a picture book featuring a story from war-torn Aleppo, Syria. How could such difficult material be presented in a way that would appeal to young children? Enter The Cat Man of Aleppo . Ambulance driver Alaa comes across so many abandoned cats in his travels back and forth through the city that he decides to use his meager funds to help them eat. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s a lovely story with both clear-eyed reality and hope for the future. *Note: this book was an Honor title (runner-up) for the Caldecott Medal. Nesting by Henry Cole. 2020. Simple, lovely illustrations highlight the life cycle of the humble robin. Nesting in an apple tree, the blue eggs are laid one by one, cared for, hatch and the little birds grow and fly away. Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, illus. by Juana Martinez-Neal. 2020. Something about the style of the book cover didn’t intrigue me right off the bat. There’s an old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” so this dogged pursuer of excellence read through the book regardless. I loved this sweet, insightful tale with twists and turns galore. A story of friendship and determination. Lift by Minh Lê illustrated by Dan Santat. With a graphic novel feel and sparse text, the creators of Lift manage to transport us into a magical world with the touch of an elevator button. Iris LOVES to push the button on the elevator. When she finds that she has been displaced as the family’s official button pusher, she finds a way to make up for her loss. With a button to push and imagination as her guide, she travels far and wide without leaving home. Exquisite: the Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Carrera. 2020. Do you know an aspiring young poet? Gwendolyn was just that. Words flowed from her pen, even from a young age. She faced many trials in her life, enduring poverty, the difficulties of America’s Great Depression, rejection from classmates and losses due to world wars. Still, nothing could stop Gwendolyn from pursuing her dream: sharing her poems with the world. The tenacity and grit of this African-American legend kept her working until one day she discovered she had won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry of 1950. *Note: this book was an Honor title (runner-up) for the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade. 2020. This stunning ode to water starts by sharing a seemingly simple concept: “Water is the first medicine, Nokomis told me.” Throughout the tale, both water and a mysterious “black snake” wind through Native American tribal lands. It soon becomes clear that the “black snake” is, in reality, a threat to the very existence of the water upon which people depend. There is a political angle to this work that may not appeal to everyone, but it makes clear the connection that the book’s creators feel to the land around them. A worthy read for older preschoolers and young school-age children interested in contemporary Native American issues. *Note: this book is the ALA’s 2021 Caldecott Medal winner. Next month I’ll highlight some of the other excellent titles for children and teens that won awards in the 2021 Youth Media Awards. Can’t wait that long to find out who won? You can visit the American Library Association’s Press Center for the press release listing all the winners!

Multiple book awards are given every year for the best book published during the previous year, and some of these awards are specific to the Teen/Young Adult book category. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) - a division of the American Library Association - oversees many of these awards, and the winners are selected carefully by a committee. Some of the awards from YALSA you will see on this list include the Michael Printz Award, named for a Kansas school librarian; William C. Morris Award, named for an influential person in the publishing world; the Alex Award, supported by a trust fund and named for young adult librarian, Margaret A. Edwards, known affectionately as Alex; and the YALSA Award for Non-fiction. You will also see the 2020 Award Winner for the Coretta Scott King Award - "given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values." This list highlights five award winners for 2020, but it is by no means comprehensive. You can find a complete list of YALSA awards here. You can also search award-winning titles through YALSA's Teen Book Finder. Dig by A.S. King Michael Printz Award 2020 In Dig, Gottfried and Marla Hemmings have managed to make a small fortune by investing in and building subdivisions. Being only one generation away from being simple potato farmers, the Hemmings cling to their wealth, refusing to pass any of it to their children or grandchildren. Their reason? They want their family members to pave their own paths to success. There are five grandchildren in the Hemmings family - each of them trying to make their way in the world by their own means. As the story progresses, the decay beneath the surface of the Hemmings' white suburban respectability begins to show. The Hemmings grandchildren must come together and discover the true cost of maintaining a family name. Is it worth the price they must pay? Trigger warning: multi-generational racism and abuse The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus Coretta Scott King Book Award 2020 The Stars and The Blackness Between Them is the story of two 16-year-old girls navigating large life changes and determining who they really are. Audre is forced to move to America from Trinidad when her mother discovers her with her secret girlfriend - who also happens to be the pastor's daughter. Queenie, Audre's grandmother, assures Audre that, even in America, she can stay true to her roots. Mabel recently broke up with her boyfriend, Terrell, and is now contending with mixed feelings about their relationship, as well as a moment she had with her friend, Jada, in the woods. As she grapples with these feelings, her father announces that his friend and his daughter, who recently moved from Trinidad will be joining them for dinner. It's love at first sight for Mabel when she meets Audre. Mabel helps Audre navigate American schools and adjust to life in a new country. But medical test results for Mabel turn her world upside down, and the girls must care for each other as they prepare for an uncertain future. Trigger warning: child abuse, terminal illness, homophobia The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe The William C. Morris YA Debut Award 2020 Norris Kaplan is the protagonist in The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. A black French Canadian, Norris suddenly finds himself in a new high school in Austin, Texas - not exactly the most welcoming of places for someone like him. But adjusting to the heat and the culture of Texas aren't the only things Norris has to contend with. He's ready to go back to Canada and has little interest in making new friends. So what does he do? Categorizes the students at his high school into neat little cliques - the jocks, the cheerleaders, the loners - you get the picture. But as time goes on, Norris finds out that the students he was so quick to stereotype are actually real human beings, and he may have even developed romantic feelings for that manic pixie girl... Just as he's starting to warm up to his newfound friends, Norris makes a huge mistake. As he tries to make amends, he realizes that he can no longer hide behind his snarky exterior - he must come out of hiding in order to live his life fully. Trigger warning: racism, bullying, mentions of suicide Free Lunch by Rex Ogle YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction 2020 In Free Lunch, Rex Ogle sheds light on his own school experience as a 6th-grade boy living in poverty. Rex's mother cannot afford to pay for his school lunches, so she signs him up for the free lunch program. However, Rex is in a wealthy school district, so he's the only student in the program. This leads to embarrassing moments in the cafeteria, where Rex has to loudly tell the lunch lady he's on the free lunch program before she will give him food. The book follows Rex through his first semester of 6th-grade - trying to make friends while wearing shabby clothes, battling hunger, and contending with teachers who've already decided he's trouble. On top of all that, Rex and his family must move into subsidized housing. Rex, embarrassed, takes his time going home from school, so no one will see where he lives. Trigger warning: child/familial abuse The Swallows by Lisa Lutz Alex Award 2020 In The Swallows, Stonebridge Academy's new creative writing teacher, Alex Witt, poses a writing prompt: "What do you love? What do you hate? What do you want?" But what Ms. Witt thought was a simple writing prompt turns her world upside down. The students' answers to the prompt are alarming, and soon Ms. Witt realizes there is more going on in the school than anyone on staff is willing to admit. In her quest to find answers, Ms. Witt finds female students who have been questioning the "boys will be boys" mentality of the school, and together they form a resistance. Key students take major roles in the novel - Gemma, part of the resistance, and Norman, who dislikes his role in what is known as The Darkroom, but is unsure how to combat it. The reader learns more about the top 10 social elite in the school, as well as a shady English teacher, Finn Ford, who keeps his eye on Ms. Witt as the story progresses. As events unfold, a full-fledged gender war breaks out between the boys and the girls. But this isn't your typical high school war - the consequences could be deadly. Trigger warning: sexual content/discussion, bullying Did you like this list? Stay tuned for more young adult lists or call the library to get more book recommendations!

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. LiLI - EBSCO LearningExpress Library: This is the second blog covering all the resources available in liLI's LearningExpress Library. To learn about the other sections that are available, please refer to the first blog, which covers - Career Prep, the High School Equivalency Center, College Admissions Test Preparation, and the School Center. The EBSCO LearningExpress Library that is available to all Idahoans through lili.org is useful in so many ways. It is one of the electronic resources that I like to recommend the most, and yet I still feel like not enough people know that it is around. Whether you are trying to prepare for a career, for school, or working hard to enhance your job skills, this resource is available for no cost - as long as you have internet available. Don't forget, if you don't have internet access at home, you can drop by our library and use one of our computers. To start with EBSCO LearningExpress Library, enter your zip code and city and log in. To save your work and to access some of the portals fully, you will have to create a log in. Mine is just my email and a password of my choosing. From here, LearningExpress Library will let you save your course progress, e-Books, tests, portals, and flashcards from every section that you learn or explore. You can download files or you can delete files you no longer need as well. Each section available is worth exploring, but if you are looking for specific trainings, certifications, or information, I have more information on each section below. If you run into problems along the way, feel free to call the library, visit, or message us for more information, we have training and familiarity with all of our e-resources. Sections: College Students This section reviews all the topics that you will encounter while you are in college. These topics include: Math, reading, grammar, writing and science. The math review includes: Algebra, basic math, calculus, geometry and measurement, trigonometry, statistics, logic and reasoning, and quantitative comparison and word problems. You can take the practice tests and get the answers at the end, or you can take the practice exam in learner mode and get the answers right away, along with an explanation. Reading includes practice tests and an eBook for reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. Grammar, writing, and public speaking come with tutorials, eBooks, and practice sets. Science reviews chemistry and biology. You can also prepare for graduate school entrance, college placement, and CLEP exams with various practice exams, tutorials, practice essays, and eBooks available. Adult Core Skills Sometimes it is hard to know where to start when you are an adult and you are interested in building up your core skills for job development or to prepare for higher learning opportunities. The Adult Core Skills section breaks down the skills you need to develop, and helps with building math, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar skills. Within these sections, you will find a lot of important tools and resources, such as flash cards, eBooks, and practice tests. There is also a section on becoming a US citizen. In this section you will find a great eBook that helps with the process of obtaining a green card. There are also resources available in Spanish. Recursos Para Hispanohablantes Herramientas de aprendizaje, carrera y ciudadanía en español. The sections include: Mejore sus habilidades escritas, orales y gramaticales, Sea mejor lector, Desarrolle sus habilidades matemáticas, Prepárese para el examen de GED®, and Sea ciudadano estadounidense. Up Next: We hope that you find some of these resources useful and that you can use them to help enhance your skill set and to develop your career. Stay tuned for another blog on our various e-resources that we have available and we hope that you continue learning and growing!

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. LiLI - EBSCO LearningExpress Library: The EBSCO LearningExpress Library that is available to all Idahoans through lili.org is useful in so many ways. It is one of the electronic resources that I like to recommend the most, and yet I still feel like not enough people know that it is around. Whether you are trying to prepare for a career, for school, or working hard to enhance your job skills, this resource is available for no cost - as long as you have internet available. Don't forget, if you don't have internet access at home, you can drop by our library and use one of our computers. To start with EBSCO LearningExpress Library, enter your zip code and city and log in. To save your work and to access some of the portals fully, you will have to create a log in. Mine is just my email and a password of my choosing. From here, LearningExpress Library will let you save your course progress, e-Books, tests, portals, and flashcards from every section that you learn or explore. You can download files or you can delete files you no longer need as well. Each section available is worth exploring, but if you are looking for specific trainings, certifications, or information, I have more information on each section below. If you run into problems along the way, feel free to call the library, visit, or message us for more information, we have training and familiarity with all of our e-resources. Sections: Career Prep: One of the best things about the materials available on liLi is that the e-books and tests are extremely current and relevant information on various careers and educational opportunities. With your liLI access you can download the e-book and read it on your PC or device instead of having to purchase it or check it out in print form. Some helpful books that are available in the Career Prep section are: the Praxis Core Prep eBooks, the ParaPro Assessment prep eBook, the TOEIC eBooks, and many other eBooks for a variety of career training sections. Also available for a lot of the fields are practice exams or exam prep areas. This can really get you prepared for a career shift or higher education decision making. High School Equivalency Center: Speaking of higher education decision making, The High School Equivalency section offers a lot for those who need to gain credentials for the GED, HiSet, or the TASC completion. In this section, you can start off by taking a skill check test, as well as start some reading that will allow you to be more familiar with the test taking structure and format of the TABE Level A test. From there you can narrow down your options to just a section of study that you want to focus on, such as just mathematics or writing. There are eBooks dedicated to those subjects, as well as flashcards, tutorials, and practice tests. Don't forget that the learning portal also saves your work, so you can come back and work on more projects when you are ready! College Admissions Test Preparation: There are five tests available in the college admissions sections, and one section dedicated to college admissions essay writing. In the college admissions essay section, there are two eBooks available, one called Proofreading, Revising, & Editing Skills, Success in 20 minutes a Day, and Write Your Way into College: College Admissions Essay. Both books have been revised within the last four years, so the information is fairly current. The five tests that are available to prepare for are the: ACT, SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, the AP Exam, the TOEFL iBT and IELTS tests. All of these sections include either of these or all of these tools: tutorials, practice tests, and test prep eBooks that are current editions and available through immediate access or download. School Center: The school center focuses on elementary, middle, and high school. Elementary has two main sections: Mathematical Skills and English Language Arts Skills Improvement. Middle school includes three more sections: Social Studies Skills Improvement and High School Entrance Exams Preparation. High school includes three more sections: Science, Technology, and Logic and Reasoning Skills Improvement. Practice tests, eBooks, and tutorials. Up Next: Next on our list of LearningExpress sections to explore will be: College Students, Adult Core Skills, Popular Software Skills Center, and Recursos Para Hispanohablantes. You can check out those sections in the Easing into E-Resources: LiLI - EBSCO LearningExpress Library Part 2 blog coming out next month!

Navigating your first pregnancy is hard, and doing so during a worldwide pandemic comes with its own set of unique challenges. I've been fortunate enough to have a great support system of family and friends, but there were still things I wasn't prepared for. Luckily, I have used a variety of resources to help me deal with the unexpected. When I found out I was pregnant in early May, I was ecstatic! The statewide lockdown had just ended, and I felt like things would start to go back to normal pretty soon. My mom bought me the book What to Expect When You're Expecting, and I started reading the early chapters right away. My doctor also gave me a book called Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month. I've read these two books steadily throughout my pregnancy, and I've asked my mom more questions than I did as a toddler (okay, maybe not that many, but somedays it feels like a lot!). These books also helped me form questions for my doctor and helped me prepare (somewhat) for the many changes my body would go through over the course of my pregnancy. If you're experiencing pregnancy for the first (or second, or third, or...) time, I highly recommend borrowing (from the library of course!) or purchasing a pregnancy book to help you navigate your journey. I scheduled an early ultrasound to make sure everything was looking okay, and although we had to wear masks, my husband was allowed to attend the ultrasound with me. It was so neat seeing our little peanut on the ultrasound screen and realizing that, yes, I did have a little body growing in my belly! I'm so glad I got to experience that moment because, as we all know, things did not go back to normal. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a pregnancy book that prepares you for pregnancy during a pandemic. There are too many unknowns to publish a comprehensive book on the subject, so I've had to learn how to navigate this new system in our COVID-ridden world. I attended my monthly doctor visits and had my anatomy ultrasound in late August. I was bitterly disappointed when I was told by the hospital staff that I could not bring any visitors with me to the ultrasound. My husband and I both wanted him to be there, but the hospital's safety precautions just wouldn't allow it. I texted him and sent him pictures during the whole visit so he wouldn't miss out on the whole thing - but it's definitely not the same as being there in person. First-time mothers will often enroll in a birthing class prior to giving birth, but with extreme hospital measures and strict social distancing protocols - there aren't any in-person birthing classes right now. When I asked my doctor about classes, she suggested looking online for a virtual class and highly recommended I take one. So the hunt for a virtual birthing class began! Here are some classes I found: Lamaze: Lamaze offers a variety of online birthing classes. Most of them have a small fee attached, but there is a free class called "Labor Confidence with Lamaze". Lamaze also offers classes on breastfeeding, baby care, parenting, and pregnancy in general. HypnoBirthing: This birthing method focuses on relaxation techniques that help women have natural births with less pain and tension. There are three instructors in the area - all located in Boise. You can use the instructor search feature on the website to reach out to an instructor for class offerings and fees. There are many other classes and techniques offered, but many of them were not available in this area. I focused on virtual-only and local classes to make sure I was sharing the best resources for you, our patrons. It's always a good idea to check with your doctor for recommendations, and see what is offered at your hospital, before choosing a class. I finally found a virtual class through the hospital I plan to deliver in - there was a cost for attending, but if you can find a class through your hospital, it's worth it. The staff in your local hospitals will give you a better idea of what your labor and delivery experience will be like, than someone from a class on the web. But, as with everything else this year, sometimes we have to deal with the options we are given. This blog post just touches on part of the experiences of pregnancy during a pandemic. My most important advice for you is to find a network of support to help you navigate your pregnancy journey. It is a tough road to try to tackle on your own in normal times, during a pandemic - with stress levels elevated - it's even more challenging. If you don't have a network of friends and family for support, try joining a virtual pregnancy support group. I have the app What to Expect downloaded on my phone so I can track my pregnancy journey. A bonus feature of this app is that when you create an account, you can sign up for a daily email feed from the What to Expect forum. All members of the site are grouped by the month they are due, and parents-to-be can post questions and engage with other members. It's a great way to connect with other people and know that you're not alone! You can also search for pregnancy support groups on Facebook, or talk to your doctor about support groups in your area. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor to point you in the right direction - they are there for you! It's late November - just over a month away from my due date. I'm nervous and excited, and probably more unprepared than I realize, but I feel confident in the work I've done so far, as well as the support group I've surrounded myself with. If you need resources to help you with your pregnancy, make sure to ask your doctor for help. You can also ask a librarian for a great book recommendation or online resource to get you started.

Staying Ahead of Change Lately, we have all been experiencing an extreme amount of change in short periods of time. As we adjust to all of these changes, it is clear that some people have been able to adapt quicker than others. Why is that? Is there something that we can do to prepare for these changes, or do we have to change the way we think about change as a whole? Adaptation I have been observing and assisting our patrons as we have adjusted to our city’s response to the pandemic. While I know it has been hard on our staff, we have managed to get through each of our various stages by supporting each other and allowing ourselves time and space to adjust. It has not been easy, and many emotions arise as we adjust, but supporting each other and being patient has made a huge difference. As patrons have gotten used to all the changes, I have noticed that some adapt almost immediately, while others have to make space to accept this as a part of their new reality. The differences have been so distinct, that it had me thinking more about this topic. Why It’s Unsettling Change is one of the most natural things that we experience in our lives. In fact, our planet is always changing. As time goes through us, we are constantly in a state of flux. Every living thing on the planet, and all of the elements, are always adjusting to the continual changes that we experience. Our dormant lifestyle is actually continual flux. It would seem logical then for us to accept change, yet we often resist. Routine and familiarity are comforting and reassuring. We use these elements to make plans. When things change too quickly, it unsettles us and brings fear, anxiety, frustration, and/or anger. If the root of these emotions is not understood and managed, then we can get stuck within our emotions and express them in various forms, sometimes in unhealthy or destructive ways. If instead, we are able to adapt quickly and re-route our course of action, we thrive and spend less time on emotional roadblocks, and more on finding the road back to success. Check out these books! To learn more about the various ways change can affect our lives and all the different ways you can help yourself adapt, check out one of the following books. Do you know of any good books, blogs, or vlogs about change? Leave a comment below! Persuadable by Al Pittampalli “Persuadablility is the genuine willingness and ability to change your mind in the face of new evidence.” This book explains the seven practices of persuadable leaders, ranging from ways to consider opposite opinions, incrementally updating your beliefs, finding a balance between being too stubborn or too persuadable, and learning how to take the perspective of others. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin Have you ever tried to concentrate on your own happiness by dedicating your time and focus on doing activities that you find fulfilling and rewarding? Gretchen Rubin spent a whole year doing just that. Check out her results in The Happiness Project and maybe you will also be inspired to make some changes in your life that bring you more happiness. The Element by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. What is keeping you from achieving your element? Is it fear, lack of motivation, misunderstanding, or life experience that make it difficult to progress? In The Element, author Ken Robinson explores the reasons why we have a hard time reaching our talents or true potential, and what we can do to help ourselves make the necessary changes to accomplish our goals. The Intelligence Trap by David Robson Immediately upon reading the book jacket description I was drawn to the term “strategic ignorance.” This term is defined in the book as, “deliberately avoiding the chance to learn new information to avoid discomfort and to increase our productivity.” Exploring the ranks of great individual minds as well as the most innovative and revered companies and organizations, Robson identifies traits that can lead even the super-smart into making mistakes that can hinder success and cause entire groups of people to be led astray. The Gift of Adversity by Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D. Life has various twists and turns that make it difficult to navigate. Sometimes these challenges arise later in life, sometimes we start with them. This book has many accounts of people who have faced adversity in their lives and how they chose to navigate through these difficult obstacles. A great read for those who draw inspiration from personal accounts. How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer “The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.” We know we are faced with challenges and changes that have been affecting our everyday life. We know that we must make decisions to be able to adapt to this landscape in order to survive and (hopefully) thrive. But how do we know that we are making the right choices? What are the factors that sway our decisions, and are they helping or harming us when we make these choices? Read up on how we decide and maybe shed some light on habits that are holding you back.

Why Video and Online Games? Kids love games. Maybe adults love games, too. Personally, I have been enjoying a lot of online games with my friends and family during this time of "stay at home in your pajamas." I find it's a great way to keep in touch with family members who are not within my immediate household, or to escape from the normal and mundane routine of work and sleep. My sister lives in another state, and she and I love to hang out after she gets off work and slip into a reality that is colorful, beautiful, musical, or sometimes just full of mayhem and fun through online gaming. But there are other reasons to enjoy online and video games besides just having a way to socialize or relax. Sometimes you can find games that are educational and fun. There are also games that are highly competitive and require a lot of planning, strategy, and communication. Sometimes you can find games that are not meant to be purely educational, but end up adding some lore and history within their story line. Brain Food? All games teach skills that are vital for cognition. For instance, puzzle games help with memory, color recognition, strategy, and math. Certain games with historical references or in-depth story lines help with reading or word recognition (if there is a narrator) and often include choices that have consequences. Creative games encourage thinking outside of the box, and sometimes encourage collaboration on projects, allowing players to define the rules of the shared space in which they build. Team skills are extremely beneficial and every role is important, from the leader to the organizer. Outside of these benefits, people who game on a more competitive or intense level learn how to make decisions very quickly, to remain calm under stress, and to absorb a lot of information at a fast pace. They can also type, talk, follow directions, and navigate a screen (or various screens) with a mouse and keyboard quickly and efficiently. Lastly, no matter the type of device that is used, all online gamers learn how to operate their equipment. This may seem like simple task, depending on the device, but if you have ever tried to explain a technical process to someone who is used to working on their device, versus someone who has not used it, there is a definite difference in learning curve. Anything from downloading, refreshing a screen, right click, left click on a mouse, or just knowing what operating system your device uses is a step into keeping pace with the technology we use today. Want more information on the benefits of gaming? Check out the blog Online Gaming - The Benefits, from internetmatters.org. Types of Games There are so many different types of games available to enjoy. Some common styles are open world, or sandbox, which allows players to freely explore their environment. There are also first person shooters, very popular among younger gamers, especially the variety that allows for multiplayer interaction. There is rhythm gaming, these are the types of games that go along with music or beats, and can be a variety of singing, instrument integration, and/or dancing. Story games are a huge genre of their own, anywhere from extremely immersive with voice actors and cinematics, to text heavy, that allow a gamer to read along as they play. Some other common genres are: MMORPG, platformers, and real-time tactics. While this is not a complete list of all the games available, you can find a good list here at The Many Different Types of Video Games and Their Subgenres. Where to Find Them There are many places you can find online games for the family, and one place is your local library! We have a collection of console games that we loan out, and so do a lot of other libraries around Treasure Valley. Browse through our collection and check out a game for your console! You can also find a variety of games on the PBS Kids website, the Nickelodeon website, and the Cartoon Network website. For some indie games, you can explore itch.io. These games also have a good choice of free horror games, for those who love those genres. Lastly, Steam is a great place to find lots of games for every family member, and some of them are even free! A small note of advice: make sure that you plan for how you want to purchase the game, who has access to purchasing and downloading on your devices, and what type of game is appropriate. For more advice, this blog from The Federal Trade Commission is very useful. What are Your Faves? I like to play a variety of games, anything from Rock Band 4 to Minecraft to Slime Rancher, it just depends on my mood. Usually, I play games with my friends or family. Sometimes I like to play games that are single player, though, and have an amazing story. What types of games do you like to play? Let us know!

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. Resources - Idaho Resources We have organized some of our important state resources to accommodate the need for our residents to conduct their business online. The websites detailed below will help you navigate through the different areas. Please feel free to ask for assistance from a staff member at the library if you get lost. Congressional Records According to their website, "Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public." The congressional records site also states: "After each day that Congress is in session, the proceedings are printed in the Congressional Record (CR) and available the following morning." On this site you can also download an app for your phone, sign up for email alerts, or print/save. Idaho Driving Tests "These apps have been created by the Idaho Transportation Department/Division of Motor Vehicles to assist you in developing safe driving knowledge and will test your comprehension of information found in the Idaho Driver’s Manual." You can take the driver's practice test and it is available in English and in Spanish. The Idaho Driver's Manual is also available to study. Check out the Idaho Driving Tests site today! Idaho Tax Commission "The Tax Commission informs taxpayers about their obligations so everyone can pay their fair share of taxes, and it must enforce Idaho's laws to ensure the fairness of the tax system with those who don't voluntarily comply." The Idaho State Tax Commission site includes forms and guides available to download or print. It has the option to check your refund status. It also has ways to e-file and e-pay. The website is so informative, actually, that I recommend exploring it yourself; you may be surprised at everything you can find! Idaho Voter Registration Idaho Votes provides official voting information for the citizens of Idaho. The website includes helpful tools on voting, voting accessibility, steps to becoming a poll worker, frequently asked questions, and other resources. Something that I found really helpful was all the forms that are provided right through the website. It makes it really easy to educate yourself on the best ways to become the most informed voting citizen you can, encouraging you to grow stronger with each election that passes. Your Health Idaho "Your Health Idaho is an online marketplace that allows Idaho families and small businesses to shop, compare, and choose the health insurance coverage that’s right for them." The Your Health Idaho website includes information on how to get coverage, has options to serve current customers, and includes helpful additional resources. You can also find an agent, broker, or enrollment counselor to talk to for free. If you lost your job-related insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a special enrollment period through Your Health Idaho. See if you qualify! i-Court While Idaho is still transitioning from the ISTARS system to the i-court system, you have to search through both systems for your records. However, the website states that "i-Court will provide improved access to electronic court records, hearing schedules, court documents, e-filing and more. This new system will also provide tools to improve business practices amongst justice partners by providing around-the-clock access to court information, reduce costs from handling and storing paper files, streamline court processes, and deliver better information for judicial decision-making." Once the transition process is complete, Idaho residents should be able to check the court system entirely through the iCourt portal. Need Help? Not everyone is comfortable or familiar with online databases, and that's where your local librarians can help. Call us during our open hours and we can guide you through using any of our electronic services or drop in and use one of our computers or bring in your device and we can assist you as needed.

DiscoverE is a group dedicated to getting kids and teens engaged in engineering. Join a live chat with an engineer every Friday at 10 am Mountain/Noon Eastern Time. Missed the live session? Watch on-demand at DiscoverE.org . CODE.org helps kids and teens learn computer programming. Best known for their bite-sized “Hour of Code” lessons, CODE presents coding in easy-to-understand lessons that feature popular characters like those from Star Wars and Frozen. Enjoy a weekly classroom experience with founder, Hadi Partovi. Wednesdays at 11 am MT. A new activity or challenge is presented each week. Skype a Scientist ? You bet. Skype a Scientist does something extraordinary: it allows families and classrooms to specify their interests and set up appointments to meet with scientists around the world. Reach for the stars! Join the online discussion with the BSU Physics and Astronomy department’s First Friday series of talks . Some discussions may be too complex for your younger kids, but all are welcome to attend. The summer series is completely online and accessible to all. Do you love music? Maybe you’d enjoy using music to teach math and science! Visit Math Science Music . Explore rhythm, shapes, and sound with Groove Pizza, or enjoy Scratch Music to create music by coding. Wish you could take a trip, but you’re staying home instead? Visit National Geographic ’s Educators page and learn about the world without leaving the dining room. Maps, animals, weather, engineering, and much more are here at your fingertips. If you want to explore EVERYTHING in STEM, try, “ The Ultimate STEM Guide for Kids : 239 cool sites about science, technology, engineering, and math.”

The Hidden Resource: You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. The Clouds So maybe I don't mean actual clouds, and I just really liked this image of beautiful clouds. Then what does our collection of cloud resources mean? It means that there are a lot of great stories ready to be listened to, read, and enjoyed by everyone in the family, and they are all free and available to stream online! Audio Book Cloud I love a good audiobook. It is one of the main ways that I get any reading done. Personally, I don't think I could ever have enough places to go hunting for audiobooks. In Audio Book Cloud, you can explore more options for titles and stream straight from your device of choice. Audio Book Cloud lets you listen to any title in their collection, even if other people are listening to the same book at the same time. The collection is divided into: Classics, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children, YA, New Books, Spanish Audiobooks, and Romance. When you have picked out a title, just click on the play button and it will start right up! You can pause, stop, or bookmark at any time, as well as choose a previous section or move ahead. You can also pop up a menu of all the tracks in the audiobook if it's easier to navigate through this option. From the index, you can add your favorite titles to "Your Favorites" list and keep them there to listen to in the future without having to search through the whole collection...a great option for parents who have children that like to listen to things over and over again! Teen Book Cloud One of my favorite features of Teen Book Cloud is the graphic novel collection! In fact, the graphic novel I enjoyed the most was The Beatles in Comics. But Teen Book Cloud doesn't just have graphic novels. It also has: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Drama and Poetry, Enhanced E-Books, Videos, AP English, and Audio-books. Another cool collection in Teen Book Cloud is its array of Shakespeare plays. Just when you think you have to take a trip to the library to get a copy...you don't! You can just grab a copy off of the Cloud and get started on that paper that's due tomorrow. Add any of your titles to "Your Favorites" and read them again. You can change the color of the text and/or the color of the background. You can also jot down notes for each chapter. Need Help? Not everyone is comfortable or familiar with online databases, and that's where your local librarians can help. Call us during our open hours and we can guide you through using any of our electronic services. We like to encourage as much learning and hands-on experience as possible, so gather your notes, prepare to take more notes, and we can guide you through it so you can feel comfortable working on your own!

You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CDs, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you. Every day physical media’s presence is becoming less pronounced in our rapidly shifting digital world. While some more collectible forms of media like vinyl have seen a resurgence, more and more of our entertainment content is online. When was the last time you purchased a physical copy of an album? How about the last time you checked out a CD from your local library? If you’ve followed our blogs here, you know our library already offers e-books, e-audio-books, and many more digital resources to our patrons. But what about music? Being a teen in the early/mid-2000s meant my world revolved around CDs and low-quality mp3s, but like most at that exciting age I didn’t have much money to spend on albums. My local library was essential to my discovery of music that fit my interests and afforded me the chance to explore artists I may not have otherwise. Having access to all that music for free expanded my experience and broadened my tastes. In hindsight my library’s collection was modest, but I always seemed to find something new and exciting. There was nothing more thrilling than finding my new favorite band’s CD buried in the library’s bin of “Rock” music. Being a smaller library, our collection of music CDs is necessarily limited and in our age of streaming and digital music stores, seems almost quaint. Surely, libraries with their old-fashioned compact discs have been rendered obsolete. Right? Not so! Your local library might just be more hip than you think. If it’s still cool to be hip that is. Did you know that your very own Caldwell Public Library is a music streaming and downloading provider? With Freegal and your library card, you can stream nearly 15 million songs from 40,000 labels including Sony Music’s massive catalog of artists. You also get access to thousands of music videos and free downloads of your favorite songs. That’s right, 3 DRM free song downloads a week. Plus, there are no annoying ads to endure! With your Caldwell Public Library card and Freegal, you can relive those exciting teen years! Whether it’s rocking out like it’s 2003 again to a victory records compilation, or dusting off some of those unforgettable golden oldies, your library can deliver. And you don’t need to be stuck behind your PC to enjoy Freegal. Simply download the Freegal app to your Android or IOS device and listen on the go! So, pop in, stream your favorite artists, discover something new, download a few hot tracks, and lose yourself to the music.