The library has recently added several new databases to its online resources. All are available in the library or from home for Norwood residents with Norwood library cards.
To get to these databases, go to the library homepage at www.norwoodlibrary.org and go to the second column, “Web Links.” From there, click on “Databases for Research,” which is the third item on the list. There you will find an alphabetical list of many and varied resources. From home, once you click on a particular database, you will be asked to type in your library card number.
If you are interested in learning a foreign language, just scroll down the alphabetical list to Mango Languages and voila, you are there! We just added this to our database collection but this program has been very popular with patrons at other libraries and we expect you will love it. If offers 12 languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, ESL Polish (English for Polish Speakers), ESL Spanish (English for Spanish Speakers), and ESL Brazilian Portuguese (English for Brazilian Portuguese Speakers).
From the first screen, you can either jump right in and begin a course in one of these languages or you can register so that each time you log back in, you begin where you left off the previous time. There is also an option, from this screen, to translate by typing what you wish to translate, or a help screen explaining how you can install fonts for Japanese and Chinese characters.
It is an “online language-learning system teaching actual conversation skills…,” so you will need headsets, either the library’s or your own, for use in the library, and speakers if at home. Whether getting ready to take a trip or just looking for a little self-improvement for fun, this is definitely a convenient and user-friendly way to learn a new language.
In addition, if you do not have a computer and would like to learn a foreign language or improve your English skills, the library also has language cassettes and CDs, many of which come with booklets, to help you with this.
Another database we have just added is ConsumerReports.org, which is an online version of the popular magazine. It takes a little getting used to if you are accustomed to the print version, but the joy of it is you can check it out at home for that last-minute shopping. The publisher says that some articles found in previous issues of “Consumer Reports” magazine are not available on this site because their “currency review” indicates that information is outdated. When possible, they say, they have replaced these with a current, updated report for the Web. The big selling point for the online version is that you can access it from home with your library card, even when the library is closed.
