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Blue Jay

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Library Staff in Library Blog, Library Services

This morning a Blue Jay welcomed me to work. Actually, he was scouting around under the industrial trash bin in the alley, so I took a closer look at the fellow we called a “Camp Robber” when I was a child.

Last fall I took a bird watching class from Kevin Cook, who exudes a fascinating mix of incredible knowledge and expertise with child-like delight in the subject. He frequently said that to find new birds we needed to go to new places. As a novice bird watcher I learned that my back yard is a great place to find birds, but in this case I’m counting all of Fort Collins as my back yard.

northernflicker

I saw my first “life bird” in Library Park. It was a Northern Flicker climbing up a tree near the old Carnegie Library. They are a common bird, even a pest to some, but the Flicker was new to me. It was a bird I had seen but couldn’t name, so I went into the library, checked out a birding book and took it back to the park. Kevin had told us that any bird walking up a tree belonged to the Woodpecker family, so it didn’t take me too long to identify the Northern Flicker. It was the first of many birds I’ve enjoyed seeing in Library Park, including the Jays, the sparrows and a Downy Woodpecker. The little Mountain Bluebird that many others saw in April eluded me.

In late March I started hearing very raucous birds in the park. They liked to perch at the tops of the trees, making them annoyingly difficult to identify with the naked eye. On April 4 I brought my binoculars to work. That morning a colleague and I walked around the neighborhood following the sound of those birds. We found them, again perched at tree top, near the old stone church on Whedbee Street. I was thrilled to identify Bohemian Waxwings. I loved watching their smaller cousins, Cedar Waxwings, enjoying the fruits of my Crabapple trees in March. So having the pair on my life list is a real coup!

A good bird identification book is essential. I have two; I keep my back yard birding guide and binoculars in the dining room. When I leave the house to bird watch I grab my binoculars, National Geographic field guide to the birds of Western North America, a camera and notebook. I bought a roomy, insulated lunch bag to carry all my birding gear.

Before you invest in a bird identification book, check out what the library has to offer. In addition to the NatGeo guidebooks, we offer Peterson’s, Sibley’s and others. You can find a sampling of our birding resources on our Reading Room webpage, http://read.poudrelibraries.org/books/. Look for Recommended By and click on Backyard Birding & Beyond.

You can catch Kevin Cook on the second Tuesday of the month at Old Town Library. His noon time presentations cover all aspects of Colorado’s great outdoors.

 

 

 

Becky Sheller is a novice bird watcher and an experienced librarian. She’s been a Collection Development Librarian for Poudre River Public Library District for over ten years. In addition to birding she enjoys reading, DVD binging with friends, and traveling.

 

Birding, Blue Jay, Library Services, material collection, Winter Fun Read More

Winter Wonderland

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Jennifer Zachman in Library Blog, News

Since living in Colorado, I’ve grown accustomed to the relatively mild winters we often have, and I still marvel at how I can usually hang Christmas lights outside in short sleeves in December. But with winter back in its full frozen glory, I find myself bundling up once again in layers of hats, gloves, jackets, and boots to combat the frigid temperatures… I’m sure you’re bundling up too.

I really didn’t think I missed the days of bundling up like the little kid in “A Christmas Story” who falls down and can’t get up because he’s got so many layers on. But I’ve surprised myself during this cold streak. I’m actually enjoying the cold weather and getting bundled up in winter gear again.

I grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota and frigid temperatures were the norm in winter so I was used to cold days.  I learned early on how to bundle up to keep warm, but also how to have fun despite the cold. Bundling up again has brought back some vivid childhood memories and stories.

We lived five miles out of town on a lake in Wisconsin. Bundling up meant skating on the ice rink shoveled by my dad in front or our house or checking the tip-ups with my mom to see if any fish had bit the bait.  Bundling up meant carrying hot hard boiled eggs in my pockets to keep my hands warn (even with mittens on!) as I walked an eighth mile (or more it seemed!) to the school bus stop. Bundling up meant hiking the 18 acres of land behind our house for the perfect Christmas tree. Bundling up meant hiking those same 18 acres to see if any animals had taken refuge in the shelters that my sister had constructed in the fall so the animals would have a place to stay cozy in the winter. Bundling up meant pulling out the cross county skis and even entering a kids’ ski race or two. Bundling up meant sledding down Miller’s Hill so many times we couldn’t keep count… and then going down once more.

Winter Trees

And bundling up meant unbundling after our adventures. As my sister and I slowly unpeeled layer after layer of clothing off, we were warmed by the cozy wood stove on our four-season porch. We’d warm our insides with a mug of hot cocoa and on the best days, we’d tell the story of the day’s adventures or listen to a story as we bundled up again under the warmth of a soft quilt. What a pleasure to remember those cold days.

Yes, I’m thankful for these cold days. They bring me back to my childhood and the special times I’ve had with my family. And I’m thankful for these cold days… for the new memories being created now with my daughter and husband as we bundle up for more outdoor adventures… and then unbundle for a sip of cocoa, a cozy quilt, and a story. I wonder what winter story we’ll be telling tonight.

Childhood, News Release, Winter Fun Read More

Cache in on Apps

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Library Staff in Library Blog, Library Services, News

As of early 2013, mobile device users spent 158 minutes daily on their devices, and 127 minutes using apps. Only 31 minutes were spent on a browser. Most smartphone and tablet users spend 80% of their time on apps, of which 32% is spent on games and 18% on Facebook.

You don’t have to be a business librarian to find this information interesting. If you’re developing apps or wanting to publish online games, you NEED to know this information. For example, if you want to make a living from the app you developed, you need to know that the platforms get about a 30% cut of any revenue generated from your app.

Or, you have an electronic game you want to publish. Here is some industry trend information that may be of use to you: The global electronic games industry is so vast that it already rivals the categories of adult and children’s books in terms of total 2013 revenues (at least $65 billion globally including hardware, software and subscriptions).  Analysts at PWC estimated the global market for electronic gaming is $63.4 billion (2012), and projected growth to $86.9 billion for 2017. The “traditional” game segment (PlayStation, etc.) peaked, and will decline to $43 billion in 2016 (PCW), which at that point will be only about 50% of the total market.

The fastest growing segment is mobile games played on smartphones and tablets. Mobile gaming has, to a large extent, become an industry of its own, with startup firms such as Rovio and GungHo showing stunning growth. This is information you can use if you’re entering that market.

Is there a way to access this and other industry information in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand way? Can you get the industry and market trend information free?

Yes!

Computer User

All of the research and information above came from one source, Plunkett Research Online, one of the many business databases accessible from the Poudre River Libraries AnswerCache eResource collection. Plunkett Research Online tracks over 40 industries from Advertising and Branding to WiFi, Wireless and RFID industries. From Alternative Energy industry to Hotels and Hospitality industries, from Green Technology to Nanotechnolgy. Plunkett presents the total picture of an industry, including finances, markets, technologies, statistics, regulation, research and development and globalization; and provides financial and contact information for thousands of global and U.S. companies. Need gaming industry statistics? Need to know which trade associations might help you with your app development?  Need to know the leading game publishing companies? Plunkett has the latest industry and market trend information.

Plunkett Research Online is only one of several industry and market research publishers accessible through the Library’s business eResources. The Library also subscribes to First Research, a collaborative publication by Hoover’s, Dun & Bradstreet and Mergent. First Research tracks industry and market trends for over 900 industries, including finances, markets, technologies, regulation, research and development, statistics and globalization. Unlike Plunkett, First Research also provides business challenges, competitive landscape and cost benchmarks comparing industry ratios.

Other industry and market trend information can be found in the Library’s Encyclopedia of American Industries which includes detailed profiles of over 1,000 manufacturing and service industries; Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries which details industries that are pioneering new technologies, and newer industries such as biometrics, risk management services, satellites, special tourism and more; and  Encyclopedia of Global Industries which chronicles the history, development and current status of the world’s most lucrative and high profile industries.

Keyboard

Okay, back to apps: The most popular apps include games, such as Angry Birds, tools such as Google Maps, the Facebook app, and entertainment and media related apps, such as those for Pandora Internet-based radio and for leading newspapers. At the same time, important apps provide tools for business people, travelers, students, hobbyists, wine drinkers, people who like to cook, job seekers, students, children, sports fan, shoppers, car enthusiasts and myriad other special interest niches.

One problem for app developers, however, is marketing their products. Aside from “Top 10” lists on store web sites, it is difficult to reach potential consumers with new releases among the hundreds of thousands of others available. Developers are hiring “pay for install” companies that promise set numbers of installations (helping new apps to rise from obscurity to best seller lists). Costs for the service run from $1.50 per $1.80 per installation. Developers are also pre-buying a number of downloads. Analysts at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers estimate that developers are spending between 60% and 70% of their gross income on marketing (Plunkett Games, Apps and Social Media 2013).

First, there was dial-up and Internet service providers like the original AOL.com; we were “sometimes-on.” Then, with the adoption of broadband (via DSL, cable modem or smartphone) and higher Internet access speeds, we became “always-on.”  Now we’re “always-with-you.”  Soon, according to industry experts, the industry trend will be “always-around-you.”  We’ll be connected to, and collect data from, an astonishing array of objects ranging from automobiles to appliances and air conditioning systems to monitors that record our individual health statistics. We’ll have wearable computing devices, such as Google Glass, and embedded computing that enables rooms to recognize you when you enter and automatically configure nearby devices to your personal preferences.

You can find these and more industry trends by having the Library “always-with-you,” at home, at the office, coffee shop–anywhere you have Internet access by going to www.poudrelibraries.org eResources Business & Finance AnswerCache eResources. 

 

 

apps, behind the scenes, Business Resources, Library Services, material collection, News Release, technology Read More

Support the Library through Colorado Gives

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Library Staff in Library Blog, Local Happenings, News

During this time of winter reflection and 2014 resolutions, we think about what is important in our communities; support the organizations that bring us local art, education and culture.

A great way to support locally is to participate in Colorado Gives Day on Tuesday. The Community Foundation of Northern Colorado serves as the Larimer County Regional Champion for Colorado Gives Day, an annual initiative to inspire and unite Coloradans to “give where they live.” One-hundred percent of every donation made on this day goes to the charity, you can even pledge in advance so you don’t miss the day.

A recent column in The Coloradoan helped to profile the wonderful local organizations that are seen on www.NoCoGives.org. Local public radio station KRFC has given of their time to highlight the local organizations also.

orange logo

This effort is truly a community wide “give” and Poudre River Library Trust would like to thank everyone who has stepped up to make sure these community nonprofits succeed in their missions to Northern Colorado.

Please let these nonprofits know you think their time and talent is important by pledging today, even a small amount will help!

READ ENTIRE COLORADOAN COLUMN

 

Thank you for helping us to enhance

Old Town Library and Library Park!

 

Learn more about the Poudre River Library Trust:

www.ColoradoGives.org/PoudreRiverLibraryTrust

 

Colorado Gives Day, Library Services, News Release, Poudre River Library Trust Read More

NaNoWriMo Midway

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Library Staff in Library Blog, Library Services, Local Happenings, News

I think the hardest part about writing for NaNoWriMo is that it’s a competition with yourself. You’re not letting down anyone but yourself, and if you think about all the things you could let yourself down with, what’s a failed novel, right?

I mean, of all the things to fail at, writing a novel is one that is forgivable, right? I mean, it’s not like I failed to fill the gas in my car, or do my laundry.

So, going to the write-ins at the library, and various other places like Panera, Lucky’s Teahouse, and the Wild Boar have been tremendously beneficial for me. There, you compete with other people, and if you get stuck on something, there is always someone there to brainstorm with.

In short, it’s fantastic.

The other hardest part of NaNoWriMo, I’m discovering, is research.

When I first set out to do my novel, which unfortunately involves a lot of dead characters, I realized something very important. I, in my admittedly banal experience in life, have no idea how long a body stays at a morgue. Are they easy to sneak into? What do you call someone who works at a morgue?

And sure, the silence that fell when I asked, “Does anyone know if morgues have opening and closing hours?”  was followed by laughter, but it always lead to very helpful answers.

But that’s sort of the fun thing about the write-ins. There is always someone who knows, or knows how to find out, and it cuts down on researching time and lets you actually get to writing those 50,000 words instead of trying to figure out what they are!

Still, it’s the end of second week hump, and NaNoWriMoers all seem to have wisdom about that. The trick is, I’m told, is just to keep writing. So I am. And if my face looks a little bit like this while I try to find the words, ah well.

nanowrimoface

November is now over… check back to see how my novel writing went.

early literacy, Library Services, NaNoWriMo, News Release, Novel Writers Read More
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Poudre River Public Library District, 301 Olive Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524, (970) 221-6740
Including the collection of Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus