Happy 50th Birthday Doctor Who!

This is the year many of us longtime Doctor Who fans thought we wouldn’t see, the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who! Sure we would have had an anniversary, but the fact that after the show went off the air and all hope was lost, it has come back stronger then ever is so cool!!  Doctor Who first was aired on BBC on November 23, 1963 after much planning by BBC Head of Drama, Sydney Newman, producer Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein, director of the very first Doctor Who episode and several others to bring the story of the mysterious traveler from outer space, who travels in a blue police box.

To really celebrate the founding of this amazing show, there will be  a docudrama called “An Adventures in Time and Space” written by Mark Gatiss, writer of several Doctor Who episodes and Sherlock , which chronicles the initial founding and filming of this long running series. For me one the most exciting part, for the Doctor Who geek I am, is that  William Russell, Ian Chesterton, one of the Doctor’s first traveling companions and Carole Ann Ford, the Doctor’s mysterious and often discussed granddaughter, will be making an appearance. William Russell is 88!!! Sure they won’t be playing their original roles, which would be themselves, but it will be so neat to see them. Also in the production will be Brian Cox as Sydney Newman, Jessica Raine (of Find the Midwife fame and recently seen on the Doctor Who episode Hide) as Verity Lambert and David Bradley as William Hartnell, the first actor to play the Doctor. On a side note, David Bradley was recently seen in Doctor Who opposite Matt Smith, in the episode Dinosaurs on a Spaceship as a ruthless buccaneer.

I really CANNOT wait for this movie. I’m going to have to unplug/turn off my phone the night I watch it. In addition to this, BBC America has been featuring once a month, one of the past Doctors’ “classic” episodes. It has been really fun to watch the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, and Jamie outwit the Cyberman or to see the  Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, fight the Autons. Much fun! And prior to the episode, the actors and people involved, are interviewed. Some sadness for those who left us, some too early, but also lots of fun.

So enjoy, celebrate and Happy Birthday Doctor!!!

-Christine

Like magazines? ……Have you tried Zinio?

       If you enjoy reading magazines, you’ll want to try an exciting resource that recently became available to Fountaindale Public Library District cardholders. It’s called Zinio. To access this digital magazine streaming service, go to our library’s website at http://www.fountaindale.org and then go to the left hand side of the webpage. Scroll down a bit and you will see the links to Zinio on the left. You can access a step-by-step guide to help you set up your account by clicking on the link that says: “Click here for user guide to ZINIO.” We recommend you read and use this guide as you set up your Zinio account. The link just above this one will take you to the screen that is used to either create a new account or use to login to Zinio, once you have your account established.

More than 170 separate titles are available in Zinio. Users can stream magazines simultaneously to their computers, laptops, or tablets.  A few exceptions are Apple  devices, because Zinio requires Flash, and the Nook, because Barnes & Noble does not currently have an app for Zinio.

Zinio also gives customers the option to download magazines to their devices. Once downloaded, the magazines can be read without the need of wi-fi. Apple product fans will be happy to know that their devices are compatible with downloading from Zinio.

Unlike using some of our electronic databases that may only provide the text of a magazine article, Zinio gives you the complete content of the magazines that you are looking at… full color, text, pictures, charts, etc.

Below are examples of how Consumer Reports appears in Zinio. In addition to the content, Zinio provides easy to use tools and tips for searching, printing, and maneuvering through the magazine that you’re reading.

Interested? Go have a look at Zinio and give it a try. I’m sure you’ll find more than a few titles that you will want to read!

- Tom D.

Chill a bit … and discover how frozen foods got their start.

    When you take a bag of frozen fruit or vegetables out of your home freezer, do you ever wonder about who figured out the process that keeps that freshly picked taste and appearance?  I have.

Since it happens to be National Frozen Foods Month, I figured this would be a good time to find out more about it.

I discovered a very helpful resource that is put together by The Library of Congress. It is called Everyday Mysteries Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress . When I searched “frozen food,” not only was I able to find out that Clarence Birdseye was the person “credited with inventing in 1924 the quick freezing method, which produces the type of frozen foods that we know today,” but there was also information explaining how it is done. In addition you’ll find some handy Related Web Sites and a list of more resources under Further Reading.

Should you poke around a little more on the EVERYDAY MYSTERIES site, you ‘ll find some great information on Who “invented” the TV dinner, complete with period advertising from the days when these frozen convenience foods were first becoming popular.

   If you would like to learn more about  Clarence Birdseye, the person behind the BIRDSEYE brand of frozen foods, you may want to read Birdseye: the Adventures of a Curious Man by Mark Kurlansky. When Birdseye moved to Labrador, before the start of World War I, he recognized that the frigid arctic cold kept fish tasting fresh after thawing. He knew that he was on to something. The book traces how he developed the process to freeze food successfully and how he overcame the skepticism of consumers about this new technology and how it could capture the taste and texture of the food for eating months later. You can find this book at the Fountaindale Public Library, in the Biography section, on the 3rd Floor. You can learn more about this very curious man, while you’re enjoying a tasty, hot slice of pizza that you bought in the frozen food aisle of your local supermarket!

- Tom D.

From Tablet to Table – Checkout these Tasty E-book Titles!

A delicious meal is one click away when you download a digital cookbook from our Overdrive collection!  The Fountaindale Public Library has nearly 300 cookbook titles available for checkout 24-hours a day, seven days a week!

E-cookbooks are a visual treat!  If you have a color screen e-reader, you can read the book in full color with pictures!  Depending on the type of e-reader you own, you can zoom in and out on a recipe, browse the table of contents, and select a receipt with a tap of your finger (or button)! Think of it – you can download and browse a cookbook during your lunch break, stop by the grocery store after work, and have your recipe ready to go when you get home.   There are great cases and holders for your reader, which allow you to use your device in the kitchen while you’re cooking, so don’t be afraid to give it a try!

If you don’t have an e-reader, you can check out an e-book on your home computer.  This is great for browsing and reading if you’re on your computer.  I don’t recommend taking your computer into the kitchen with you, but if you already have one set up there, let me know how that works!

Our downloadable cookbook collection is certainly pleasing to the palate!  Are you looking to create easy family meals?  Try reading Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler, Gooseberry Patch’s Weeknight Dinners, or Yum-o! the Family Cookbook by Rachael Ray.

Planning a party?  Impress your guests with Antipasti: Fabulous Appetizers and Small Plates by Julia Della Croce.  Take this classic Italian appetizer and customize it to suit your party, side dish, or full meal.  Using a combination of olive oil, robust cheese, savory olives, dried meats, and seasonal vegetables, you can chose from traditional dishes (la cuisina classica) or modern recipes (la cuisina creativa).

Do not skip the introduction!  This ten page intro entitled  `Shop and Serve Antipasti’ may not contain recipes, but is an invaluable guide to shopping, storing, preparing, and serving the items in the book. Down load this title today and  Antipasti will make your next gathering a tasty Italian experience!

If you like this title, you’ll also want to check out 50 Great Appetizers by Pamela Sheldon Johns, Cheese & Beer by Janet Fletcher, and Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition by Gerald Hirigoyen.

There ‘s a growing demand for Vegan cookbooks and resources, and you can download these great titles!

Vegan Cooking with More than 300 Delicious Recipes—from Easy to Elegant by Jannequin Bennett

500 Vegan Recipes: An Amazing Variety of Delicious Recipes, From Chilis and Casseroles to Crumbles, Crisps, and Cookies by Celine Steen

Vegan à la Mode: More Than 100 Frozen Treats for Every Day of the Year by Hannah Kaminsky

Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! by Tamasin Noyes

The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester.

If you need help downloading any of our cookbooks or ebook titles, stop by or make an appointment at the 3rd Floor Reference desk.  Our FPLD Adult and Teen Services staff can help make your downloading experience easier!

See you at the Library!

Debra

Federal 1040 Instruction Booklets Have Arrived!

The library has received its shipment of Federal 1040 Instruction booklets. They will be kept on the 3rd Floor in the area that houses the income tax forms.

Please ask a staff member if you require assistance in locating the booklets. If no booklets are on the shelf, please ask a staff member and we will retrieve them for you.

-Tony L.

Where are the Federal 1040 Tax Form Instructions?

According to the IRS website that tracks form and publication shipping, the 1040 instructions booklets began shipping on Monday, February 25. The site further states that delivery may take up to 3 weeks from the date posted, although on average shipping times are 7 to 10 days.

The library should be receiving the instructions later next week – March 4-8 – but could take as long as March 18.

Please call the Adult & Teen Services Department at 630-685-4176 to ask if the library has received its shipment or for other forms, instructions or publications.

-Tony L.

Call the Midwife!

Last year, I had head about a series that was going to be aired on BBC, “Call the Midwife”. It looked interesting but I didn’t get around to seeing it. A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a reference to it and thought, wow I forgot I wanted to see that. Luckily, the library owns a copy of the 6 episode of series one. I got my hands on it and was hooked! The show, based upon the true life memoirs of Jennifer Worth, follows Jenny Lee, a young nurse and midwife in late 1950s England, who goes to work at Nonatus House, a nursing convent in the poor section of London, the East End. England’s National Health Service provides midwives to the area, they not only deliver the children, but they do well-being visits and follow-up baby visits.

We see an array of women that initially one feels a sort of a sense of contempt for, 10 kids being an average, poverty, squalor, disease, but eventually you start viewing these women as heroines as does our main character Jenny Lee. The show is an emotional roller coaster. There are so many heartfelt moments and even a bit of humor thrown in. It is also a fascinating look at the time period and the health system. All of these women are heroines, the mothers, the midwives and especially the nuns who keep everything together.

So far there is only series one that has aired here in the states but there also is a series two currently being broadcast on BBC. If you get a chance to see this show, please do. It is truly inspiring.

-Christine