Text Your Reference Questions to Us!

According to a recent survey Americans text almost twice as much as they talk. So in keeping up with trends Rocky River Public Library now offers a new Reference service: TEXT A LIBRARIAN!

Need info on the go? Let us help you. To get started all you have to do is text the keyword 'askrrpl' to 66746. Don't worry, your number remains private. All we see is an anonymous User ID number.

This is such a neat service. In fact, last week while our teen librarian was on vacation, visiting the Red Lodge Carnegie Library in Montana made her wonder how many Carnegie Libraries there were in the US. She whipped out her phone and texted us at the library and had an answer in a flash.

This service is not for answering long detailed questions, but to settle a bet, get directions, or find the name of that song that is on the tip of your tongue texting is great way to get a quick answer.

Standard messaging rates apply.

Need Help with Your Taxes?

Rocky River Public Library has the help you need to get your taxes done right. We've conveniently listed all the links you need--from forms to online tax preparation on our website. Just check out http://www.rrpl.org/research/tax_info/taxinfo.html and you're good to go.

AARP volunteers are even available to do your taxes for you by appointment until April 13th. Please call 440-333-7610 ext. 3700 to make an appointment.

Get into OverDrive: Exercise Your Mind as Well as Your Body

Did you make a New Year's resolution to save time and money? Be more organized and efficient? Exercise more? Here's a way to do all that at once: Get into OverDrive!

Download an audiobook on your iPod or MP3 player and listen to it while working out instead of just your usual music playlist. Rocky River Public Library offers free digital downloads from home on our OverDrive website or come in and use our convenient download station near the reference desk and download an audiobook in about 5 minutes.

Titles on OverDrive include everything from the latest bestsellers to business and self-help books. Why not try it out today?

Treasury Hunt - Is there money out there with your name on it?

Remember when US Savings Bonds were given as gifts for weddings, birthdays, christenings, etc.? Did yours mature? Did you cash them in? Maybe they are still in a file somewhere? If you're not sure, check out the Treasury's new website: Treasury Hunt to find out if you or a loved one has savings bonds that have stopped earning interest. The site includes forms for lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds as well as ones to reinvest your bonds so that they are earning interest again.

Better Than Google Biographies

Biography Reference Bank from WilsonWeb offers thousands of full-text biographies all in one easy-to-use database. Available from RRPL's website with your library card, BRB now offers the ability to hear a document or translate it into several different languages, even Chinese!

This new feature is especially useful for the visually impaired or non-English speakers. At the top of any biography you are viewing, there is a link to "Listen to Document." Click this, and a pop-up window will open showing the bio, with options to listen to it (you can download the audio also if you wish).

Download and Listen UP!!

Did you know that our OverDrive download serivce now has more iPod-friendly audiobooks? Just upgrade your OverDrive Media Console and your iPod will play the windows-based files.

Even if your not in to the latest bestsellers, there's plenty to pick from. Try one of the Freeway Guides to make your drive more productive:

Nailing the Job Interview

Confident Public Speaking

Effective Networking

For more information visit http://www.digiload.org/

Researching The Economic Downturn?--Get The Facts!

Having trouble deciphering the governmental double speak? Wondering what events caused all this economic mess? Get THE FACTS about the Economic Crisis as well as many other topics from our Facts on File World News Digest database that covers world events from 1940 to the present day. Just click on the "locally purchased databases" link on our webpage and enter your library card number. There you'll find in-depth coverage of the Economic Crisis, Iraq War, obituaries back to 1980, and even newspaper editorials. You can even click on the "research topics" links to get ideas for your student research papers. Why waste time googling when you can get the facts at your fingertips?

Finding Help in Tough Times

The State Library of Ohio has launched a new webpage called Find Help in Tough Times, a one-stop center on their website created to help state residents quickly locate important information and resources during these difficult economic times.

Find Help in Tough Times is divided into six sections that include, Employment, Financial, Health & Wellness, Housing, Parenting, and Help for Seniors. Within these sections there are links to help with topics such as finding jobs, training opportunities, services for the unemployed, insurance, home health care, childcare, tax help, and more.

Wolfram Alpha - The knowledge engine

Have you tried the new computational knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha? If not, you need to check it out. Its not a search engine, but rather a tool to help you compute just about anything. Try asking it to compare Lincoln and JFK--you'll get their full names, birth and death dates and places as well as a timeline to show when they lived.

It can compare stocks, do complicated math equations and just about anything else involving numbers.