Category: Websites

A Flux Capacitor for your Ears

- Ann Leave a comment

I always feel a little like Marty McFly when I listen to old-time radio shows on my iPod or computer. Here are several websites that give free downloads and/or streaming of a variety of programs:

WizzardRadioWizzard Radio hosts about 85 different podcasts relating to old Radio Broadcasts including:


Radio Lovers allows listeners to revisit the listening experience of hundreds of vintage radio programs such as western hero Hopalong Cassidy and comedy classic Amos & Andy.

Agatha Christie Radio MysteriesMy favorites are the Agatha Christie Radio Mysteries. Unfortunately, the site no longer produces new feeds, but you can still download old episodes from the website.

Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli

- Ann Leave a comment

Harry, A HistorySince Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment in the seven-part Harry Potter series, was released two years ago this summer, I have been receiving the same question over and over again by those who know I am a Potterhead: “Sooo what will you do now that Harry Potter is over?” And my answer usually is: “Well, the same things that Star Trek fans do.” For a more descriptive answer, I recommend they read Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli.

In Harry, A History, Anelli shares her experiences of how the Harry Potter fandom was born from her “front row seat” as Webmistress of the beloved Harry Potter news site The Leaky Cauldron. Over the years, Anelli’s work as a top fan journalist has resulted in her development of friendships with the key Harry Potter insiders including publishers, editors, musicians, actors, and even the grand authoress herself, J.K. Rowling, who gave Anelli an exclusive interview for the book. Anelli gives new insight into how Harry Potter was created and published, but most of the book focuses on how Harry Potter fans developed their community online, and thus, has played a significant role in the evolution of global commerce and intellectual property rights on the web.

As a die-hard fan, I was already familiar with “potterwar,” the fan-organized boycott against Warner Brothers in response to their attack on Harry Potter fansites, but I was fascinated by the section on how the organized worldwide releases of the later Harry Potter books were due to Americans buying Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second book in the series, from amazon.uk (which displeased both amazon and the U.S. publishers) before it’s release in the United States. Anelli does a wonderful job speaking to a variety of audiences and Harry, A History will appeal to both long-time and new Harry Potter fans alike, in addition to those interested in contemporary culture and the digital generation.

If you are interested in the history of Harry Potter and the Harry Potter fandom, you may also want to check out We are Wizards–a documentary focusing on several fans including Anelli. The film is currently viewable for free on hulu.com. Beware, this film does contain adult content.

Frugal Librarian #7: Online Shopping

- Bill Leave a comment

frugallibrarianLet’s get stingy with it… The frugal librarian is also too lazy to leave the house to find value.

Become a regular checker of, or subscribe to the RSS feed of slickdeals and dealhack.  These sites have user-submitted deals that are RED hot on hundreds of merchants.  We’re not talking “save 10%” kinds of stuff.  Ridiculously low blowouts that require action within a few days.  So if there’s a knickknack for which you’ve been on the fence for a couple months or something you’re kind of interested in, keep it the back of your mind and wait for it to come across these sites

And for the one-two cheapskate combo punch, check retailmenot and currentcodes for the secret codes you enter while buying to get additional discounts.  Well, they were secrets before astute shoppers or those that subscribe to those merchants insider deals newsletters leaked them to all us common folk altruistically.

Too phobic to shop online?  Completely understand.  Most of the insurance companies out there are offering packages for online identity protection and peace of mind.  $2-$3 a month for $30,000 in coverage is pretty reasonable.  Shoot, you’ll  probably save twice that in gas and time getting dressed.

National Day of Listening

- Ann 1 Comment

Today is the first annual National Day of Listening, sponsored by StoryCorps. The purpose of the day is to encourage you to listen to and record a story from the life of a relative or friend. The day after Thanksgiving is ideal since many people have the day off from work, and many families gather for the long weekend.

Capturing memories is beyond any price and you – and your children and grandchildren – will be glad you did. History taught in school may be about dates and big events, but the real flavor of history is in how people lived every day and how those big events affected them. Recording the story of how your Dad rode his horse every day to the one-room schoolhouse, or how your grandmother cooked elaborate meals on a wood burning stove not only brings them to life once again, it keeps them alive for future generations. Find out how your Uncle Bill felt when he returned from the war in Iraq, your Mother’s stories of moving away from home for the first time to go to law school, of the time your cousin broke his leg playing on the swing set or how your brother managed to flip your Dad’s car – twice. Listening may be the greatest gift you can give both to the storyteller and to yourself.

StoryCorps website has some excellent resources to get you started – how to get ready for the interview, how to actively listen to the speaker, how to record the stories (either in writing, on audio or on video) and even offer a Question Generator to help you get started. They also encourage you to share your stories through their website and list several that are available to listen to for inspiration.

For more information about StoryCorps and their goals, visit their website or check out Listening is an Act of Love by David Isay, a collection of some of the most inspiring and moving stories that have been recorded so far. You’ll be motivated to not only record some of your family’s stories today, but to make it an annual holiday tradition.

Oracle of Omaha

- Bill 1 Comment

If anyone could time the market, we’d all be millionaires, right? Well we’re not, but one fairly accurate economic indicator are the words out of the mouth of Warren Buffett. He clearly knows what he’s doing.

So if you suppose you too can buy low and sell high, you don’t need to hand your wallet over to a broker in return for $20 commissions. If you’re interested in cutting your teeth, there are places where you can create small accounts with trade commissions of a few dollars. A great book to learn more is Investing Online for Dummies.

Or, an even lower up-front expense is creating a virtual account at Icarra, Zack’s Simulator, Bullpoo, Marketocracy, Hedgestop, or Investopedia to see how sharp you are with play money first. Then if there is another recession (let’s hope not) you’ll be ready.

Election Day is Here (finally…)

- Ann 2 Comments

It seems like it’s been going on forever (especially if you live in Iowa and have been inundated with politics since the very beginning with the first caucus) but the Presidential election is drawing to a close today. Now, after all the talk and debate, it’s time to exercise one of the basic principles of democracy – casting your vote for the candidate of your choice. It’s a right that we’ve struggled to provide to everyone in this country (most notably women and African Americans) and it’s a right that millions of people around the world still do not have. A lot of people have fought very hard for you to be able to vote today – don’t let their hard work be forgotten.

Of course, maybe you’ve already cast your vote – record numbers of people voted early this year, including here in Scott County. If you’ve already voted – good job! If you’re voting today but aren’t sure what your precinct is or where your polling place is located, visit the Scott County Auditor’s Precinct Search, a handy dandy search engine that will give you the info you need.

Now get out there and vote!

All Iowa Reads 2009 Selection Announced

- Ann Leave a comment

Announced on October 17, the 2009 selection for the All Iowa Reads program was is The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown. Opening on Alice MacCauley’s tenth birthday, this is a luminous story of one girl’s coming-of-age during a fateful New England summer. Raised by her widower father and doting older brothers, Alice learns about how different the worlds of adults and children can be when she befriends a local artist dying of AIDS and the neighbor’s visiting mixed-race grandson. Beautifully written, this exploration of love, tolerance, racism and death told from a child’s view brings a unique perspective to the world we live in.

Be sure to watch the Davenport Library’s newsletter and News and Events blog throughout the following year for information on programs and book talks exploring The Rope Walk.

2 1/2 Weeks to a New President

- Bill 2 Comments

…but you don’t have to wait until then to get the job done.

The Fairmount Street library is a satellite voting location for the upcoming general election. This means that from today through November 1st you can walk in and cast your ballot early. You can avoid the November 4th hustle, and while you’re at it, enjoy the library for a bit. For a list of Scott county satellite voting times and locations, click here:

The Scott County Auditor’s office website has a sample ballot, a search engine to determine your polling place, and a section where they will tally the results.

You have 5 more days (Deadline Oct 25th) to register if you haven’t already.

Like shopping the day after Thanksgiving, some folks really get a kick out of being in the thick of things and pulling the curtain on the big day. And then there are some of us that would rather sleep. What do you think?

Banned Books Week – September 27th-October 4th

- Ann 1 Comment

written by Tana

Be sure to stop by the library and see our display of Banned Books. You just might be surprised at some of the titles! Many are popular classics which you may have read in high school or college. If not, you may want to read them just to see what all the fuss was about! Here are a few of the titles:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Interestingly enough, the number one “most challenged book of 2007” was a children’s book, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. It is based on a true story of two male penguins in New York’s Central Park Zoo that adopt an abandoned penguin egg and care for it together until it hatches.

For more information about Banned Books Week, related events and a complete list of frequently banned books be sure to check out the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week information center.

5 Phrases for International Talk Like a Pirate Day

- Ann Leave a comment

Today is, believe it or not, International Talk Like a Pirate Day. The purpose of the day is, simply, fun and silliness in the spirit of great pretend pirates (think Long John Silver in Treasure Island and Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean) To help you join in on the fun, here are some standard pirate phrases, suitable for most situations.

1. “Avast, me hearties!” Not sure what it means, but it sounds good.

2. “”Shiver me timbers!” When something surprises or frightens you.

3. “Ahoy!” Hello.

4. “Back, ye scurvy dogs!” Keeping the neighborhood dogs (or whatever) in place.

5. “Arr, matey, it be a fine day.” General pirate greeting.

Be sure to check out the ITLAPD website which has everything you could possibly need to know to celebrate the day including lesson plans for children, party ideas, pirate games and songs and much more. Pirate participants are encouraged to raise money for their favorite philanthropic causes such as Marie Curie Cure Cancer and Doctors Without Borders, so you can do some good while you’re having fun.

Now get out there and plunder some bounty!

Arrrr!