Ebook Classes! NEW.

So, you've got a Nook, Kindle or app and are wondering just how you download books to your reader.  Never fear, WWPL is here!  Our first E-book class will be held February 20, 2012 at 6:30 PM.  Well also have classes on March 15 (at 3 PM) and April 23 (at 6:30 PM). 

Registration is required.  To register, please call the library at 896-9391 or stop by the reference desk.

Downton Abbey "Read-alikes"

The PBS series Downton Abbey is a drama that begins in the years leading up to World War I, centering on the Crawley family and their servants.

This award-winning Masterpiece Classic series has garnered rave reviews, and we even have the First Season available to request on DVD at the Westfield Washington Public Library.

If you're a fan of Downton Abbey, try out one of these books while you wait for the next episode:

Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Edward Deravenel is suspicious about the true cause of the mysterious fire that killed his father, brother, uncle, and cousin and vows to seek out the truth while taking control of his family's business empire with the help of his friend, and cousin, Neville Watkins.

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
This is the latest part of a sweeping, multi-generational saga. In London, 1914, with World War I approaching, polar explorer Seamus Finnegan tries to forget Willa, a passionate mountain climber, as he marries a beautiful young woman back home in England.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the 20th century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts', suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second World War, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him -- oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking, pitch-perfect novel -- namely, Stevens' own ability to allow some bit of life-affirming love into his tightly repressed existence.

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
At 14, Grace Reeves leaves home to work for her mother's former employers at Riverton House. She is the same age as Hannah, the headstrong middle child who visits her uncle, Lord Ashbury, at the house with her siblings. Fascinated, Grace observes their comings and goings and, as an invisible maid, is privy to the secrets she will spend "a lifetime pretending to forget."

Click on the title of each book to go directly to the library's Evergreen catalog and make a request!

New on INSPIRE: Microsoft Training Tutorials!

Computers are utilized in many jobs and having basic knowledge of popular computer software is very valuable in the job market.

From creating documents and spreadsheets to making presentations and databases, these new tutorials from INSPIRE's Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC) will help you get started.

Individual interactive modules that include video will teach you the following programs:

· Microsoft Windows 7

· Microsoft Word 2010

· Microsoft Excel 2010

· Microsoft Access 2010

· Microsoft PowerPoint 2010

These interactive tutorials will guide you through key features of each program. Any Hoosier may access this and other TERC resources via INSPIRE from the public library or a home, work or school computer.

It's Tax Time Again!

Forms & instruction booklets for the tax season have begun to arrive! However, please note there is no set schedule as to when the forms will arrive, and quantities are limited. If the library is out of a particular form or does not carry the form you need, copies of most forms can be printed at the Reference Desk for $.10 per page. Instruction booklets can also be accessed online at www.irs.gov.

The individual deadline for filing federal forms is April 17, 2012. State forms are due by April 18, 2012. For those looking for Tax Preparation Assistance the AARP Tax-Aide service will be at the library again this year. AARP Tax-Aide is a free tax assistance service for low- and middle-income taxpayers, with special attention to those 60 and over.

Registration is required for this AARP Tax-Aide service, so please call the library at 317-896-9391 to register. The number of returns that can be completed is limited, and specific reservation times are not available. The AARP representatives will see people on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more tax information, you may want to visit the Federal IRS Tax website or the Indiana State Department of Revenue Tax website.

2012: Year of the Dragon

Chinese New Year is one of the most important celebrations on the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4710 begins today on January 23, 2012.

The Westfield Washington Public Library has many books on Chinese New Year for you to check out and enjoy.

Click here to search our online Evergreen catalog to view the selection.

To learn more about the traditions of Chinese New Year, you may want to check out the article and many videos at History.com.

New eReader? Download Free Library Books!

Did you get a new eReader over the holidays? You may want to check out the library's free downloadable eBooks and audio books online from home...

Begin checking out books by visiting our Indiana Digital Media Download Page here. This service is compatible with many popular devices such as Nook and Kindle. For a full updated listing of compatible devices, visit the Overdrive Device Resource Center.

Some of the new eBooks we have in the download collection include:

The Perils of Morning Coffee by Alexander McCall Smith - In this Isabel Dalhousie original short story, available exclusively in electronic format, our intrepid heroine--accused by a distraught wife of being the "other woman"--makes a surprising discovery as she attempts to defend her reputation.

Fraternity by Diane Brady - In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history.

We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee - When Benjamin Mee decided to uproot his family and move them to an unlikely new home—a dilapidated zoo where more than 200 exotic animals would be their new neighbors—his friends and colleagues thought he was crazy. Through tragedy and heartbreak, follow the story of his family's success in this book recently made into a film.

Check out some eBooks today at our online downloading site!

Best Books of 2011

Need a good book to start 2012 off on the right foot?

Each year, we see many "best of" book lists published, both online and in print. Reviewers and publishers weed through the numerous books that come out in a year to bring you what they see as the cream of the crop.

Whether you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller or the best cookbooks, check out these "Best of 2011" lists to find a great book, then check our library's Evergreen catalog for a copy!

Fired Up: The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasty (NPR)

10 Best Books of 2011 from the New York Times

Best Selling Books of the Year (via Huffington Post)

Romance Writers of America's Award Winning Romance Books

Top 20 Jane Austen-Inspired Books from 2011 (a very specific list for Austen fans)

From Booklist Online - She Reads Books for Women: 2011 and He Reads: 10 Manliest Books

Epicurious.com Selects: Best Cookbooks of 2011

Entertainment Weekly's Shelf Life Presents: Top 10 Memoirs and Biographies

What's my favorite read from 2011?
One book I very much enjoyed was The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht, a new debut novel that weaves myth, story, and memory in beautiful prose.
My other favorite book that I read this year was actually not a new book. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975, heartbreakingly depicts the major characters of The Battle of Gettysburg in a realistic and unforgettable historical novel.

Happy reading!

Library Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Westfield Washington Public Library will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012. Here are just a few of the many resources on the web that celebrate and honor Martin Luther King Jr.

• Get inspired by reading his speeches at the The Martin Luther King Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change website.
• Listen to an audio version of Dr. King's famous speech, "I Have a Dream," online at American Rhetoric.
• Biography.com has a five-minute mini-biography that you can watch online.
• For ways to serve, visit MLKDay.gov to find a service project near you.