Online SAT and ACT Practice Tests

If you're a high school senior getting ready to take the SAT on Dec. 6 or the ACT on Dec. 13 you should know about Learning Express!! This is a great database with practice tests for the ACT, SAT, GED and many other exams. Just go to the library website at http://www.northfieldmn.info/ and click on Electronic Resources. Scroll down until you come to Learning Express. Create an account and practice at your convenience from home or school. You can score yourself on all or just part of an exam. If you have any questions call the library at 645-6606 or go to our website and click on "Ask a Librarian" and send us a IM message through Meebo.

"How I Wrote a Minnesota Book Award Book"

On Thursday evening, November 13, sixty people filled the Northfield Public Library meeting room to listen to Minnesota mystery writer William Kent Krueger at a program titled "How I Wrote a Minnesota Book Award Book." Krueger, who has won four Minnesota Book Awards, and has been a finalist for eight awards, captivated the audience with his stories of how he began writing the Cork O'Connor series, and where he sees his writing going in his next two books. Many people asked questions and Krueger gave entertaining and thought provoking answers. Thank you to River City Books for selling copies of his books at the event. The program was supported by the Minnesota Book Awards through grants from the Department of Education - State Library Services and the Minnesota Library Association Foundation.

New display shelves

The library has installed some new "slat walls" on the ends of some of the shelves upstairs in the fiction and nonfiction sections. These "slat walls" have acrylic holders for displaying books, DVDS, booklists, etc. This will give us more room to display books and highlight certain parts of the collection. Next time you're upstairs, check it out!

Attention all Genealogists!

The library will offer a beginner's introduction to Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest Online at the library on Saturday October 25 from 8:30-10:00 A.M. Computer skills are required and space is limited. Call the library at 645-6606 to register.

IM Reference

What's this??? Instant messaging reference. Virtual reference. Live reference. Chat reference. Whatever you want to call it, the Northfield Library has it. Just go to www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library and click on "Ask a Librarian" and look for the Meebo box. During open hours you can ask us questions from wherever you are and we'll answer as quickly as we can.

Bees at Work - 3rd Annual Spelling Bee

Just a reminder to come to the Friends of the Library 3rd Annual Spelling Bee this Thursday, Sept. 25th, at 7 P.M. at the Grand Theater. Admission is $5. Even if you are not on a team, it's a great spectator event. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Grand Event Center. Funds raised will go to developing the new business resource area at the library.
And if you are thinking of having a team, it's not too late, but you should call in the next few days. Call the library at 645-6606 or go to
www.northfieldlibraryfriends.org for more information.

Biography Resource Center -

The Northfield Public Library subscribes to a great electronic database called The Biography Resource Center. This resource can be accessed by clicking on the "Other Resources" tab in the library catalog.

Supported by Gale, this comprehensive database contains more than 440,000 entries on more than 165,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.

I browsed the category "Ancient Greeks and Romans" and found entries under 60 different names. Individual entries vary in length and content but the Further Readings section appears to be a standard feature of all entries.
The Further Readings section can be particularly helpful in locating additional information about the person, including information that can be buried within more general books, as well as biographies, and autobiographies.

If you need assistance accessing The Biography Resource Center, or have any questions about it, please call the Reference Desk at 507-645-1802.

Things to remember when searching the library catalog online:

1. When doing a basic search on our website – http://www.northfieldmn.info/ – you are searching the Northfield Library ONLY.
2. To search all of SELCO ( our library system) click on Find or Library Catalog – then click on “Search all Selco libraries” ( top right hand side of the page)
3. With basic searching you are searching keyword; to be more exact click on the “Starts with” button - (Title starts with, subject starts with, author last name, first name)
4. And if you aren’t certain about subject headings, try to find something that does look right and see what the subject headings are and click on those to narrow your search.
5. Trying to find things in different formats? Look for the “Limit by” box and narrow your results by choosing formats such as large print, audio, CD, DVD, etc.

Travel books at the library

Despite the high cost of airfares, people are still traveling. Here's an overview of some of the differences between the various publishers of guidebooks.
Come in to check out our guides as you wind up your "Staycations" and get ready for fall and winter travel. Happy fare hunting!!

Eyewitness Guides - These are lavishly illustrated. Great for "visual thinkers."

Fodors - Best for luxury lovers - reports on high end hotels and exclusive restaurants.

Still a good all-around basic guide.

Insight Guides - Focuses on culture and history, making these guides fairly timeless.

National Geographic - great illustrations; each glossy page full of great pictures; big on culture and history.

Lonely Planet - Good overall guide with emphasis on history and culture and those budget minded travelers.

Frommer's - Guidebooks accentuate the "Best of" of a destination. A good all round guide.

Rough Guides - Best for Bookworms - gives lots of background on local arts

and literature.

Rick Steve - host of PBS travel show; has 30 years of travel writing experience; very personal suggestions.

Seeing Stars

Have you seen those red stars on books in the fiction section upstairs at the library? Those are books recommended by staff. Check them out as you look for books for these long summer days.

Nonfiction DVDs

The library is highlighting nonfiction DVDs this week in the stairwell. We have lots of DVDs upstairs shelved with the books on a variety of topics. We used to have them shelved separately but decided they might get more use if shelved with the books on the same topics. But still, it's good to remind people we have them. Here are a few titles:






ABC Africa -


"Over the course of a ten-day visit to Uganda, Abbas Kiarostami uses his camera to capture and caress the faces of a thousand orphans". (2005)




Tarnation -


"Jonathan Caouette has woven together a psychedelic whirlwind of snapshots, super-8 home movies, answering machine messages, video diaries, early short films, snippets of '80s pop culture and dramatic re-enactments to create an epic portrait of an American family torn apart by dysfunction and reunited through the power of love". (2004)





Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion -




"Ten years in the making, this award-winning documentary was filmed during a remarkable nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal". (2003)


The Sixties: the years that shaped a generation -



"The Sixties traces the events of one of the most turbulent and influential periods of political and cultural change in the 20th century and the powerful impact forced on an entire generation". (2005)




Seven Days in September -




"Director Steven Rosenbaum marshalled the resources of 27 different filmmakers that recorded what they saw throughout the city (New York) on 9/11 and beyond. Using never-before-seen footage at "ground zero", the film conveys the sights and sounds of the terrorist attacks in the most intimate way possible". (2004)

Looking for a good book to read?

The library has 2 new resources to help you do just that.
Pearls Picks is a monthly list of books chosen by Nancy Pearl, author of "Book Lust" and former Seattle librarian and bookseller. She is a regular commentator about books on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition". The New York Times calls her "the talk of librarian circles". The Los Angeles Times calls her "one lusty librarian". Her website says that "readers can't get enough of her recommenedations while bookstores and libraries offer standing room only whenever she visits". Pearls Picks gives Nancy's book reviews and in some cases the first chapter to read online. There is not a direct link to the Northfield Library catalog so you will need to check that to make sure we have it.

Booknews is an online service for readers which provides book lists on a variety of topics including fiction, nonfiction, mystery, classics, large print, gardening, children and teen books, etc. You can sign up to receive monthly emails for any of these genres. The newsletter will provide summaries and /or reviews of the books and a link to the library catalog. The library should in most cases have the book. If not, give us a call and we'll check further.

For both new services go to http://www.northfieldmn.info/ and click on "Reader's Resources".
Questions? Call 645-1802.

Where to go if we don't have what you want

If you search our catalog and we don't have what you are looking for, here are a few tips on where to go next. (Remember, when searching our catalog you are searching just what is in the Northfield Library. To search all of Selco click on "Search all Selco libraries".) If you live in Northfield and you need something quickly, you can borrow items from the libraries at St. Olaf and Carleton. Check their catalog at http://bridge.carleton.edu/. The colleges have a combined catalog so it's easy to search both places at once. You can get a library card at either library (some restrictions may apply).

If this turns up nothing go to MNLINK at https://www.mnlinkgateway.org/. MNLINK is a statewide database which includes most college and public libraries. If the item isn't new you can borrow from MNLINK. (Please note that this ONLY will work if the item is NOT in SELCO and if you have no fines in the region). If the item is new (published within the last year) please let us know. It may be something we will purchase. If you have any questions call us at 645-6606 or email reference by going to the library's website - http://www.northfieldmn.info/
and clicking on "Ask a librarian".

Minnesota Sesquicentennial Banner

In celebration of Minnesota's 150th birthday, the Sesquicentennial Banner will be presented to Northfield officials by the James Gang on Thursday, May 8 at 6 p.m. on Bridge Square. The banner will be accompanied by a journal that citizens can sign and add their thoughts on Minnesota. The banner and journal will be at the library on Friday May 9 from 9:30-5:30 p.m. and then be delivered to the state capitol by Booker, the Northfield Bookmobile, on Sat. May 10.
Come and celebrate Minnesota's 150th this Thursday on Bridge Square and check out the Northfield history display in the library foyer.

Going Green @ the library

In honor of Earth Day on April 22 the library has a display of "green" books in the stairwell. Here's a sampling of a few titles. Check it out and watch for other weekly displays.

The Organic Food Shopper's Guide - 641.5 Co
Don't Throw it Out - recycle, renew, & reuse to make things last - 640.41 Ba
Green Babies, Sage Moms: the ultimate guide to raising your organic

baby - 649 Fa
Green Remodeling - 691 Wa
Green from the Ground Up: sustainable, healthy, & energy-efficient home construction - 690 Jo
Rubbish: reuse your refuse - 745.5 Sh
True green@ work: 100 ways you can make the environment your business 333.72 Mc

Would you like to make a suggestion for something for the library to purchase?

You can! And it's easy. Go to our website - http://www.northfieldmn.info/ and click on "Library Catalog" or "Find". You will see a button to click called "Suggestion for Purchase". Enter your library card # and your suggestion. (This is mainly if you have a specific title suggestion). We will consider your suggestion and let you know whether we plan to get the item and if not, if it is available from another library. We appreciate your suggestions and hope to hear from you!

Genealogy Databases at the library

This is the first posting for the reference blog at the Northfield Public Library. I will try to highlight new (or not so new) resources, tips for searching our catalog and databases, author events, classes, etc.

Two of our most popular databases are Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest Online. Ancestry is available only in the library. HeritageQuest is available in the library and at home using your library barcode. Both include the U.S. Census and many different genealogical resources including immigration and military records. If you're interested in genealogy and haven't tried either of these you will be amazed at the depth of these two resources. We have a computer in our history room that can be used for genealogy. Just check in at the reference desk. To check out HeritageQuest Online from home just go to http://www.northfieldmn.info/ and click on Electronic Resources.