Here come the Olympics

And we are ready to take you there!

Reserve one of our public computers and watch the competitions (or maybe the torch lighting ceremony is more your speed?) online. Learn about the sports or catch up on the latest scandals with our local and national newspapers, like Wilsonville Spokesman, The Oregonian, The New York Times, and USA Today, or magazines, like Newsweek and Sports Illustrated, or books in our non-fiction collection (796 is the magic number). Get into the Olympic spirit with movies based on true Olympic stories, like Cool Runnings and Miracle.

We also have programs in the Olympic vein. Today kids in 3rd through 5th grade can join us at 4 p.m. for the Afterschool Book Bash celebrating Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief.

Teens have their own Olympic event with the Teen Check-Out: The Olympians on Friday, February 19, at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Library at 503-682-2744 or visit our website: www.wilsonvillelibrary.org.

Get ready for holiday shopping with Consumer Reports

So you are making that list and checking it twice, but how do you make sure you are getting the best value for your money?

Let Consumer Reports be your guide. Get ratings and recommendations from independent testers of the best and best value for kids toys, electronics, cookware, power tools, exercise equipment, wines, and much more.

Here are three ways to get your proverbial (and literal) hands on Consumer Reports for free:

1. Online with the LINCC databases - Click on the “Popular Magazines” button, then click “Browse Publications” in the top navigation bar, then type in “Consumer Reports” in “Find title” (or you can browse under “C”). You can search within the Consumer Reports database or in their Annual Buying Guide.
2. In house in the library’s magazine collection – The most current issue stays inhouse, but older issues can be checked out. Can’t find the issue you want? Place a hold on the copy from the LINCC catalog and it will be delivered to the Library for you to pick up.
3. At the Reference Desk – Ask one of our fabulous reference librarians! We have copies that cannot be checked out, but may be photocopied.

Need some more help researching purchases? Contact a librarian (the ultimate search engine!) at 503-682-2744 or by e-mail. We hope this helps you get off to a great start with your holiday shopping!

What’s cooking? 5 resources to help you out for the holidays

Looking for a new recipe to spice up your holiday meal? Can’t find Grandma’s recipe for cranberry sauce? Well, look no further. Check out these cooking resources available at the library (and some online!):

1. Books – Cookbooks, from vegan to glutton. How to entertain, from formal to casual. Find them all in 641-643  in the non-fiction section.
2. Magazines – Want something smaller and more likely to stay open to the right page on the counter? Check out one of our cooking magazines. We have subscriptions to Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Cooks Illustrated, Gourmet, Healthy Cooking, Martha Stewart Living, as well as other more specialized magazines that happen to have recipes (Southern Living  or Sunset, anyone?).
3. Videos – Books just not your thing? Looking for a visual how-to? Then take a look at our collection of chefs on DVD. Go old school with The French Chef with Julia Child, learn about the history of food with Burt Wolf’s What We Eat, or watch and learn from video cooking classes with Video Bread. DVDs for Alton Brown’s Good Eats, America’s Test Kitchen, and Rachael Ray’s 30  Minute Meals are also available by placing a hold on them through the library catalog.
4. Database (online) – Take a look at our Culinary Arts Collection database. This database  includes 150 (wow!) of the major cooking and nutrition magazines, with thousands of searchable recipes and restaurant reviews, as well as industry information. Can’t make it in to the library? Then take a look at this wherever you can get online.
5. Websites (online) – For recipes (generally from Gourmet and Bon Appetit) with user comments & feedback (who tweaked what with how much, and other recommendations), visit epicurious.com. For recipes that range from Gourmet to more down-home cooking, also with user comments & feedback, visit recipezaar.com. If you are looking for gluten free crockpot recipes (and who isn’t?), visit crockpot365.blogspot.com (it’s really good for general crockpot recipes, too).

Best of luck with your holiday cooking!