Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Fizz, Boom, Read

Framingham Public Library Adult Summer Reading
July 1 - August 14, 2014

Why should kids have all the fun?
Adults ages 18 and up are invited to participate in Fizz, Boom, Read.

How to participate:
  • Starting Tuesday, July 1, register at the Circulation Desk of the Main Library or the McAuliffe branch and receive a Summer Reading t-shirt, while supplies last.

  • For each book you read, enter the raffle for a Kindle Touch!
    Read any book of your choice. Entries accepted through Wednesday, August 13 at 9:00pm. The winner will be drawn at the Blackstone Valley Bluegrass concert Thursday, August 14 at 7:00pm.

Special Events

  • Drop-in eBook Help
    Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00-9:00pm, Main Library Reference Desk
    Bring your eReader, tablet or smartphone and stop by the Reference Desk of the Main Library to learn how to get library eBooks and eAudiobooks on your device.

  • Blackstone Valley Bluegrass concert & Adult Summer Reading Finale!
    Thursday, August 14 at 7:00pm, Costin Room, Main Library
    Ice cream donated by Ben & Jerry’s Natick Scoop Shop.

For more information: Call 508-532-5570 x4351.

All summer programs are funded through the generosity of the DCU Digital Federal Credit Union, the Framingham Public Schools, The Framingham Coalition, The Framingham Cultural Council, and The Friends of the Framingham Library. 


Monday, July 14, 2014

Food Network Cookbooks

Can't get enough Food Network? Did you know FPL has a large selection of cookbooks written by Food Network stars?!? Check them out below:

The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond

Barefoot Contessa: Ina Garten

Giada at Home: Giada De Laurentiis

Week in a Day: Rachael Ray

The Kitchen: Marcela Valladolid

5 Ingredient Fix: Claire Robinson

Guy’s Big Bite: Guy Fieri

Hungry Girl: Lisa Lillien

Heartland Table: Amy Thielen

Miscellaneous:

Culinary Arts e-Resource
Don't forget about our Cooking e-Resource: Culinary Arts Collection. Use this database to browse major cooking and nutrition magazines (Saveur, Bon Appetit, Vegetarian Times, etc.) from the 1980s until now. Find thousands of recipes and reviews. Now when you see that awesome recipe in Good Housekeeping while waiting at the doctor's office, all you have to do is jot down the date and month of the magazine, and you can look up the full article when you get home later!

Suggest a Purchase
Know of a good cookbook that you would like us to consider purchasing? Let us know.

Friday, July 11, 2014

When all the museum passes are taken...
free things to do with guests:



Thursday, July 10, 2014

Take a MOOC!



Do you have some downtime this summer?  Do you want to expand your horizons and learn something new? Consider a MOOC!

What is a MOOC? MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses, allowing anyone with an internet connection and computer to take free classes on virtually any subject from elite universities.  A MOOC can give you an opportunity to test drive a career, enhance your professional skills or simply explore something new.  Best of all, they are free, available 24/7, and you can learn at your own speed. Subjects vary from the Arts, Math, History, Business, Law, Technology and many more.  The lists keep changing.

How do MOOCs work?  MOOCs are designed for an online audience, teaching primarily through short (5-20 min.) pre recorded video lectures that you watch on a weekly schedule when convenient for you.  They may also have student discussion forums, homework/assignments, and online quizzes or exams, however, there is no course credit given (with some exceptions).
There are many sites administering MOOCs.  Most are affiliated with major universities, with courses taught by university faculty.  Here are a few to get you started:


Coursera  https://www.coursera.org/
One of the largest, Coursera offers over 680 courses in a wide range of subjects, many taught by Ivy League professors.

EDX https://www.edx.org/
This is a joint, nonprofit venture of Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley and others offering over 200 courses.

Udacity https://www.udacity.com/
Originally a project of Stanford University, Udacity has additional educational and corporate partners and offers courses primarily in Computer science, mathematics, life science, business, engineering.

Khan Academy is for “global classroom” originally developed for students, but now offers classes for all ages.  They also offer free test prep.
 
Class Central https://www.class-central.com/
This site is a MOOC aggregator - you can explore courses from several MOOC operators by searching for a subject.  Music of the Beatles, Sports and Society, Applied Real Estate, and The Fiction of Relationship are just a few of the offerings in their vast catalog.