OverDrive Records – No Longer In Catalog

January 12, 2024January 9, 2024 - Valerie Leave a comment

PATRON: Do you still have eBooks and eAudiobooks?

LIBRARIAN: Why, yes, we do.

PATRON: I don’t see them listed in the catalog any more.

LIBRARIAN: Well, we removed the records.

PATRON: Why?

During the first week of 2024 the RiverShare Libraries de-integrated (removed) the records of OverDrive items from our catalog.

Checking our statistics, we found that less than 3% of OverDrive users visit the RiverShare catalog to find what eBooks and eAudiobooks are available. Over 97% of you go directly to the Libby or Sora site to borrow your items and place holds.

So, we decided to save the staff time spent entering this data and also save the cost of the MARC records to be added.

Did you know that we do not “own” some OverDrive items? Many items are “metered.” We have access to them for X number of circulations or for a particular number of months/years. Once we no longer have the rights to circulate these items, their records need to be removed from the catalog. That’s right, more work! Or looking at it from our new angle, more time saved!

What impact will this change have to you? Well, for 97% of you, none.

For the 2-3% of you who are use to locating the records in the RiverShare catalog, you will want to change your approach and go directly to the OverDrive site.

There you will be able to check out up to 5 items at a time, place reserves on up to 10 items, check out an unlimited number of magazines, and use the Settings option to control the default length of time items are charged to your account.

Don’t you just love OverDrive!?

Well, we just found a way to love it even more!

Little Free Libraries

July 19, 2023July 5, 2023 - Valerie 2 Comments

Did you know that the library hosts three Little Free Libraries (LFL) around the city? Well, we do!

Thanks to the generous donations of our community and the hard work of our FRIENDS organization, materials are made available to distribute through these weather-proof boxes.

I take care of the Duck Creek LFL. I normally stock it weekly, usually on Monday nights. I collect a mix of children’s, teen, and adult items from the library and drive to Duck Creek to fill up the box.

Typically, about one to one-and-a-half feet of books need to be restocked. But on one recent visit, I found that the shelves of the LFL had been decimated. There were less than a dozen books left! Fortunately, I had just enough books in my supply box to fill the library back up.

Upon arrival.

After re-stocking.

As a steward, I’ve stocked “my” LFL mostly with popular reading choices: Grisham, Connelly, Blume, and various other kids’ authors. But, included among these titles there are some personal favorites that stand out in my mind:

vintage Little Golden Books. They go like hot cakes!
a 1960’s version of Amelia Bedelia. Oh, Amelia Bedelia, who drew a picture of the drapes when she was asked to close (draw) them.
a pristine board book about colors.
a hardback Richard Bachman title. “Bachman” is the name Stephen King wrote under in the late 70s and early 80s.
dictionaries. I simply LOVE giving away reference books!

Tragically, some books that catch my eye are simply too unwieldy to be stocked. For example, atlases. They are just too large for the shelves.

I encourage you to visit one of our LFLs and browse the current items. You might just find an interesting title. If you do, take it. Visit again to see what is on offer the next time.

Our Little Free Library locations:

Duck Creek Park (across from the Stampe Lilac Garden)
Sunderbruch Park (at the Telegraph St. entrance)
Fairmount Street Bus Stop (across from the Fairmount Library)

Not near one of those? Visit the Little Free Library World Map to discover what Little Free Libraries are near you.

You never know what you’ll find in a Little Free Library!

Atención! Achtung! Announcing!

June 28, 2023June 17, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

The Library has switched foreign language products. We have been offering Transparent Language of late (and we still do through the end of June). But we are pleased to announce the return of Mango Languages to our fleet of online learning products.

Some previous users may recall that we offered Mango Languages in the past, and will be acquainted with the 70+ foreign language courses it offers and the 20+ ESL (English as a Second Language) courses.

The Mango learning system focuses on intuitive language construction through a conversation-based methodology that reinforces grammar, vocabulary, culture, and pronunciation, the four key elements of becoming a confident communicator.

With Mango, you may start to learn a new language or re-freshen your skills. If you will be taking a trip to a France, learn to parle Français. Or if you want to know what is being said around you learn to entender Español.

Mango uses a building block approach. At the beginning of each chapter, lesson material is presented in conversational context, broken up as the lesson progresses, and built back up by the learner, as they’re presented with new vocabulary, retention exercises, and cultural context that complement the learning material with a backdrop of cultural context.

With Mango you can hear the language pronounced and there’s the opportunity to record your pronunciation to compare it with that of a native speaker.

You may use Mango as a guest or you can sign up for an account. The benefit of an account is that you’ll be able to keep track of the courses you have signed up for and your progress through them. For example, with an account, if you just finished Japanese Lesson 5, the next time you sign on you’ll be presented with Japanese Lesson 6. And there is an app that you can download so you can learn on-the-go. But be aware that you must use the website to sign up for an account. Though once created, the app can keep track of your account’s progress.

Lessons tend to be 15-20 minutes. Sneak in a session while you are waiting in a restaurant or at an airport. Every lesson furthers your language skills.

So, go forth and Russisch sprechen, Italian or Ukrainian. The world awaits!

Otterly Fabulous

May 30, 2023May 10, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

You may recall that back in April we celebrated International Beaver Day. Well, now the otter gets its turn. May 31^st, 2023 is World Otter Day. This holiday always falls on a Wednesday. So next year, 2024, it will fall on May 29^th.

There are thirteen different species of otter (Lontra canadensis): Sea Otter, North American River Otter, Eurasian Otter, Giant Otter, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Smooth-Coated Otter, African Clawless Otter, Marine Otter, Neotropical Otter, Spotted-Necked Otter, Hairy-Nosed Otter, Southern River Otter, and Japanese Otter.

The North American river otter’s range includes the Quad-Cities, since they prefer water bordered by woods and wetlands. They are strong swimmers, using their long body and tail to slide through the water, paddling with their webbed hind feet. River otters have a transparent inner eyelid (called a nictitating membrane) to protect their eyes while swimming. They can hold their breath for up to 8 minutes. They close their nostrils to keep water out during these long dives.

They are considered a fur-bearing animal having the thickest fur of any mammal, with as many as 850,000 hairs per square inch.

River otters are mostly nocturnal. They feed on crayfish, fish, other small mammals, and aquatic plants. They are social animals with groups consisting of a female and her juvenile offspring.

These carnivorous mammals tend to weigh 11-30 pounds when fully grown. They live 8-9 years in the wild. It is estimated that there are 100,000 North American river otters in the United States and Canada.

Want to learn more? Check out the following juvenile titles:

Sea otters, by Laura Marsh

Otters under water, by Jim Arnosky

The otter, by Bert Kitchen

Sea Otter Heroes, by Patricia Newman

Otters, by Jane and Doran Whitledge

Odder, by Katherine Applegate

Information Is At Your Fingertips With Data Axle

May 16, 2023May 6, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

The library subscribes to a wealth of reference databases, including one called Data Axle. This product provides access to US information for: standard white pages, new movers, businesses, new businesses, consumer/lifestyles, healthcare, and job/internships.

“Data Axle offers the most comprehensive and accurate business and consumer databases.”

“Our data covers hundreds of millions of people and households and tens of millions of businesses – from Fortune 500 companies, to small mom-and-pop shops and work-from-home freelancers.”

Those are official statements from the company. But what can you actually use it for?

Well, to start with, you can attempt to look up old friends’ addresses for Christmas cards. Every year we receive inquiries from patrons who have received return mail from the post office because their old friend has moved, and they are now seeking the updated address.

If you need to send flowers out of state, you can use it to look for florist in a certain geographical area.

The phone number for that new bakery that started up last month in the strip mall that use to house that cool clothing store? The new businesses product likely has that.

Or you can look up your own name to see what information about you is floating out in the world. According to Data Axle’s consumer/lifestyles product I have interests in: women’s apparel, books and magazines, current events, bargain shopping, TV/movies, and general sports. I am a charitable donor, a credit card user, and an internet purchaser.

“Books and magazines,” but of course! “General sports,” not so much.

What might they know about you? Or your friends?

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With its consumer/lifestyle product you can identify charitable donors from whom to solicit funds for your non-profit. Find Quad Cities area dentists, with healthcare. Find the number of employees at your favorite eatery. If you are adept using Data Axle you can even draw boundaries on a map and then search for business types within.

This product is available on the Online Resources page of our website. Explore to discover what other cool products we offer!

Music anyone? Try Freegal.

Investing? Try Value Line and Morningstar.

Come on, baby, light that fire

May 5, 2023April 26, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

Turn on the propane. Ignite the charcoal briquettes. Marinade the chicken. And season those steaks.

On your marks, get set, GRILL !

We’re off and running for another fabulous summer filled with good friends, good times, and good food.

One could say that the history of grilling began back in cave man times. Cooking gradually moved indoors, but the desire to toss a slab of meat on the grill or a shrimp on the barbie still calls to us today.

Want to grill it up right? Check out the following titles for tips and recipes that will make your eyes eager and your taste buds tingle:

The great American grilling book

How to grill everything: simple recipes for great flame-cooked food, by Mark Bittman

Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook: explosive flavors from the Southwestern kitchen, by Bobby Flay

Ultimate grilling cookbook: 250 sizzling recipes

Life of fire: mastering the arts of pit-cooked barbecue, the grill, and the smokehouse, by Pat Martin

How to grill vegetables: the new bible for barbecuing vegetables over live fire, by Steven Raichlen

The best barbecue on earth: grilling across 6 continents and 25 countries, with 170 recipes, by Rick Browne

Thank you for smoking: fun and fearless recipes cooked with a whiff of wood fire on your grill or smoker, by Paula Disbrowe

Project fire: cutting-edge techniques and sizzling recipes from the caveman porterhouse to salt slab brownie s’mores, by Steven Raichlen

Rodney Scott’s world of BBQ: every day is a good day, by Rodney Scott

Smoke & spice: cooking with smoke, the real way to barbecue, by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Feel The Wind In Your Hair!

April 27, 2023April 8, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

Did you know that May 1^st is Learn To Ride A Bike Day? Perhaps you remember having training wheels when you first learned? Or maybe you got the hang of it right away and started on two wheels?

I remember my initial experience with bike riding. My childhood friend, Jill, was going to receive a Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle for her 9^th birthday. She had been awaiting its arrival for weeks. Boy, was it cool! It was the color purple. And it had a banana seat, which had enough room for two people to sit on it. Sometimes I sat behind her as she wheeled around the Allendale parking lot.

One day she allowed me to try my hand. Now, in fact, I did not know how to ride a bicycle at age 8. This I told her, but she said that was okay; she would teach me. I got on that banana seat, placed both hands on the handle bars, placed one foot on a pedal, and picked up my other foot as I pushed down on the first pedal. I was bike riding! Bang! I ran into the Allendale’s brick wall. I had forgotten about braking. Or turning. I fell off, but the bike was unharmed! And, luckily, so was our friendship.

By age 12 I had mastered the art of two wheels. On sunny days you could find me exploring every dead end and cul-de-sac in Moline. This knowledge still serves me well as a car driver. I know the fastest routes throughout the city.

Do you want to remember the joy you felt when you first learned how to ride? Here are some titles to help you remember the feel the wind in your hair and the utter sense of freedom:

My bike / illustrated by Byron Barton.

The bike lesson / by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Franklin rides a bike / written by Paulette Bourgeois ; illustrated by Brenda Clark.

Biking / by Cynthia Klingel and Robert B. Noyed.

The science of a bicycle : the science of forces / by Ian Graham.

Biking Iowa : 50 great road trips and trail rides / Bob Morgan

The cyclist who went out in the cold : adventures riding the Iron Curtain / Tim Moore.

A voyage across an ancient ocean : a bicycle journey through the northern dominion of oil / David Goodrich.

So in honor of this national holiday, I say to you, dust off your bicycle, pump up those tires, and go bike riding today!

Do You Need To Update To OverDrive’s Libby App?

April 10, 2023March 15, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

Still using the old OverDrive app? The time is upon you to switch to the newer Libby app.

The old OverDrive app will become inactive at the end of April. Downloading the Libby app takes just a few minutes. There is no impact to your account. The items that you have checked out and on hold will be there in the Libby app.

To use on a mobile device, you may need to update your Smartphone software. Ensure your device is running at least:

Android 4.4+ (you’ll also need Chrome, not the stock Android web browser)
iOS 10+
Fire OS 4.5.4+

To download Libby to a Smartphone:

Go to your App Store.
Search for the words “Libby” and “OverDrive.”
Download the app.
Enter your App Store password to install the app on your device.
The app will ask you to associate your account with a library. Search for “Davenport” or “RiverShare.” (Be careful. Be certain to select Davenport, IOWA.)
Enter your library card number into the app.

After that, you should be good-to-go!

If you use a laptop or desktop to access OverDrive, you may still use OverDrive Read in your favorite browser. OverDrive Read is compatible with: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari.

The end of April is fast approaching. Spend the time today to ensure you’ll be able to checkout in May!

Castor canadensis

April 7, 2023March 15, 2023 - Valerie Leave a comment

Did you know that April 7^th is International Beaver Day? Yes, we have an entire day to celebrate the joy and wonder of the Castor canadensis, the North American beaver, and the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber).

Beavers are known for many things. For example, they transform their surroundings building dams to create pools of water. These dams typically are 32 feet to 100 feet long, although one dam was measured to be over 2800 feet long. These dams create ponds of water behind them. And in these ponds beavers will often build a home called a lodge, with entrances below water, and a roof above water, creating a nice, homey, dry space on the inside.

Beavers originally populated the Quad-City area, and can still be seen today in our area. One day last summer as I was walking on Sylvan Island I encountered a beaver running along the levee. He was faster than I was, but I followed his path and found his lodge built in the river abutting the levee. I looked and looked for any sign of him, but he was gone. Probably, inside his lodge, I thought. As I walked on I did notice the stumps of trees that he had created, pointing skyward.

Interested in learning more about beavers? Then check out these titles:

Beavers: radical rodents and ecosystem engineers / by Frances Backhouse.

Beavers / by Wil Mara.

Beavers / by Elizabeth O’Sullivan.

Awesome animal builders [videorecording] / National Geographic ; Robert Goldberg, producer and writer.

Beavers / by Aaron Frisch.

Here are some beaver fun facts to impress your friends with: