CAPSULE COMMENTS

January 10, 2008

New Books and Services

The following items can be found at Rodman Public Library or through the Library’s web site at www.rodmanlibrary.com.

MyLibraryDV is a downloadable video service available through Rodman Public Library. If you have a broadband connection to the Internet through DSL or cable and a Rodman Library card, then you have access to more than 500 video programs that you can "check out" for viewing on your home computer.

Programs include food, health, travel (including Globe Trekker and Rick Steves), how-to (including Antiques Roadshow), and classic movies. MyLibraryDV also just added a kids channel and now offers several kids shows that can be downloaded for one week. MyLibraryDV currently features Caillou, Boohbah, and Liberty’s Kids programming on their kids channel. At the end of the seven days, the video is automatically deleted from your computer and "checked in" – there are no overdue fines! To subscribe to this service, follow the instructions on the library's web site.

• CAILLOU (30-Minute Episodes)
  Four year old Caillou shares his life experiences with viewers. Like many four year olds, Caillou and his imagination explore and discover many new things. Parents will like the valuable lessons and developmental principles Caillou teaches.
• BOOHBAH (20-Minute Episodes)
  Preschool children will like watching different episodes of Boohbah. Boohbahs are five colorful atoms that visit countries all over the world. Boohbahs never speak and use primarily dance/movement to explain concepts. By watching the shows, children should improve their movement, mathematics, problem solving/science, language and imagination skills.
• LIBERTY’S KIDS (30-Minute Episodes)
  Seven to twelve year olds will enjoy the adventures of the "Liberty's Kids" as they travel back in time to the American Revolution. Characters, Ben (Benjamin Franklin), Sarah, James, Henri, and Moses make learning about the American Revolution fun. History students should enjoy the compare and contract articles provided by Sarah and James. Sarah is a British loyalist and James is an American "rebel".

GARAGE SALE AMERICA, by Bruce Littlefield

Many Americans have (sellers) or attend garage sales (buyers). For those attending garage sales, Littlefield gives advice on where to find certain items and provides a month-by-month guide to the best sales. Not stopping there, he then gives the buyer 10 steps to a good deal. Buyers will also want to pay attention to his buyers do’s and don’ts. If you prefer to sell instead of buying, you will want to check out his sellers do’s and don’ts. This is a very interesting read as it provides an entertaining look at Littlefield’s garage sale adventures.

STEALING YOUR LIFE: THE ULTIMATE IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION PLAN, by Frank W. Abagnale

Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can, and the subject of the Hollywood movie of the same title, writes this book to help individuals prevent identity theft. Abagnale explains how he stole identities 30 years ago and took on the lives of those people. No longer a criminal and now an expert who teaches FBI agents, he explains to the reader how identity theft occurs with today’s technology. The first half of the book should educate and scare most readers in that Abagnale shows how easy it is to steal one’s identity. After reading those pages, the reader will most likely want to consider his twenty steps to prevent identity theft. He also includes a section on what to do if you are a victim.

THE FAMILY TREE PROBLEM SOLVER: PROVEN METHODS FOR SCALING THE INEVITABLE BRICK WALL, by Marsha Hoffman Rising

If you do enough genealogical research, sooner or later you will run into a brick wall where you can’t seem to get past a particular issue. Rising, a well known and respected genealogist wrote this book to help experienced genealogists get past that brick wall. She provides valuable answers to such questions as "why does the census taker always miss my ancestor?" and "what can I do since the courthouse burned?" She also discusses the ten mistakes commonly made in genealogical research and what you can do to avoid them.