I belong to the local Science Fiction group Harry. The upcoming meeting’s book discussion is Frank Herbert’s Dune. I’ve read the Dune series in the past and don’t really have the time to reread it before the next Harry meeting. I decided to go to the Literary Reference Center and check to see if it had a synopsis ior the story or any other fun tidbits.

 

I started with a Title search Dune.  As you can see this gives me 137 hits on the series with some of the hits not being about the Frank Herbert book.

I decided to go to the advanced search and added the author Frank Herbert  into the mix.

By doing the search this way I get 43 hits on the book .

I can now narrow the search to full text and  Plot Summaries by clicking the boxes on the left of the page.

I choose The Great Dune Trilogy because that is specifically on the book Dune wiwhich is the first book of the series.

The synopsis will then give me a short listing of information about the author and the various subject headings of the book.

 

One of the fun things that this database does is translate the synopsis into several different languages.

 

Also available is the ability to have the review read to you in either  American English, Austrailian English or British English

You can also regulate the speed and whether or not the words or sentences in the synopsis are highlighted.

By doing this and looking at some other articles I refreshed my knowledge of the book without having to reread it and I’m now ready for the  next Harry meeting.

Thanks for listening!
Norma

The eReader Room for Kids is Now Open

Have you had the chance to check out the new Ohio Digital Library for Kids? If you have children of your own, work with children, or know children with access to a digital device, go to http://www.ohioebooks.com/kids to explore the kid-friendly version of the Ohio Digital Library. It's a safe place for our youngest readers to download free eBooks and audio books, accessing only age appropriate content. All that's needed is a valid library card! No adult titles are available from this site; however, children's titles are still available from the main site.

Sign in using the button on the top right-hand side of the page and explore. To return to the main site to access the rest of the collection, just click or tap on the house in the upper left-hand corner.

The site is bright and colorful, and easy to use. In addition to searching by favorite title or author, you can browse by subjects (fiction, nonfiction, biography, comic and graphic novels, history, humor, mystery and suspense, and picture books), collections (new, recently returned), or even by levels (reading or interest level, Lexile Measure or ATOS level). The advanced search will limit the results by year published or device. There's even a section for award-winning titles.

The checkout process is the same as on the original site. Using a library card, you are able to download up to 10 titles at a time for a loan period ranging from 7 to 21 days. If you need help, our website has great  information and tutorials on downloading eBooks or audio books to your device. From our main page, click on or tap "Services", then "Computer Training", and finally "Digital Collection Instructional Material". There you will find information for your specific device.

Our youngest readers will enjoy using this fun site designed just for them and will certainly find something to suit every reading taste. There are titles for all ages ranging from Dora the Explorer and Fancy Nancy for the youngest readers, to Lemony Snicket and Percy Jackson for the older readers, with a multitude of titles in-between. Whether they want a favorite storybook or Disney character, or the latest Newbery award winner, there's something for everyone in the Ohio Digital Library for Kids. Happy reading!

Kathy