Scott Brown-Elizabeth Warren debate tonight!

Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren, candidates for U.S. Senator, will be debating tonight at 7:00 pm. The debate will be shown on WHDH-TV (Channel 7), NECN, and CSPAN. Boston.com, BostonGlobe.com, and “Political Intelligence” will provide a live blog during the candidate back-and-forth. The candidates also will debate on Oct. 10 in Springfield, and on Oct. 30 in Boston.

To find out who is running for US Representative, State Senator and State Representative, and other state offices, and find information on ballot questions for Massachusetts voters, go to: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/.

Still not registered to vote? You have until October 17th to register, by mail (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howreg.htm) or at the Framingham Town Clerk's Office in the Memorial Building at 150 Concord Street, Room 105.

Interested in finding something on Massachusetts history or election history? Come to Reference and we'll help!

It's that time of year again and students are trying to find their required textbooks without spending a fortune.  We generally do not carry textbooks, and we can't get most through InterLibrary Loan, but there is some relief.
Chegg textbook rental, www.chegg.com, can save students money by offering rental texbooks. For instance, a 2010 Excel textbook sells new for $105.00. On Chegg, the student can rent it for $63.00 or get the electronic version for $40.49. And, they can access it for 7 days online while they wait for it to arrive.
The site also states that there is a "21 day satisfaction guarantee".
Chegg also welcomes your used textbooks.

New Terrific Online Resource

The kids are back in school and those project assignments will be coming soon.  We are pleased to announce the addition of several fabulous new databases from Britannica to help students create A+ papers and projects. 

Here is a brief overview, but we encourage you to follow this link and explore them with your students.  And, there is even an optimzed site for mobile phones at http://m.eb.com.

Britannica Annals of American History – Primary sources
Explore the rich and varied history of the United States through speeches, historical accounts, memoirs, poems, images, and multimedia.  This is the place to start for primary sources!

Britannica Online Public Library Edition
Britannica Online Public Library Edition contains 4 full encyclopedias, the Encyclopædia Britannica, Compton’s by Britannica, Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia, and Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, each covering the research needs of a different age group. Along with this encyclopedia content, this database contains full-text magazine articles, Web sites that have been reviewed and verified by Britannica editors, a homework help section for students, a world atlas, Merriam-Webster dictionaries and thesauri for children and adults, a Spanish-English dictionary, video and audio content, daily content updates, and more.

Britannica Public Library Edition for Kids
Contains Compton's Encyclopedia, Britannica Elementary Encyclopedia, and a wealth of other age-appropriate material for younger students and children

Britannica Learning Zone (early childhood)
Grade Level:  PreK-5. Play, discover, create—these are the cornerstones of learning for young children. Now, Britannica gives teachers an online solution designed specifically for the needs of ages 4 to 7. Learning Zone is a classroom-tested, interactive learning environment that gives early learners enjoyable, engaging, and developmentally appropriate activities to help grow their minds, their spirits, and their intellectual horizons.

Britannica Spanish Reference Center
Spanish Reference Center delivers two products in one—a reference collection for ages 6-12 and another for the high school and college ages. Separate home pages for each level allow schools and libraries to tailor the product to their users' needs, making it the only online Spanish-language database that offers age-appropriate content for everyone.

Britannica World Data Analyst
This rich trove of current and historical statistics on the countries of the world makes historical and cross-national comparisons easy. Plus, World Data Analyst allows subscribers to create tables, charts, and even export the information to a spreadsheet for data crunching and deeper analysis. Users can also link to country articles from the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. It’s ideal for research, to explore new topics for study, or just to learn more about the world.

Back to school: Framingham Public Schools Info.

Yes, it's nearly back-to-school time. The first day for Framingham Public Schools is Wed., August 29th (August 30th for kindergarten). Are you ready? Take a look at the school calendar to plan for vacations and conferences, double check bus routes, look at upcoming events, and even do a last check on summer reading assignments. Need to use a computer to check on the latest sales on backpacks and lunchboxes? Come upstairs at the Main Library or to the McAuliffe branch, and we'll be happy to help you.

Worcester Art Museum--FREE!!! through 8/31

Looking for a little culture on the cheap? The Worcester Art Museum is FREE through the end of  August. An easy ride from Framingham, this museum features art and artifacts ranging from ancient Rome to contemporary paintings and sculpture. Check it out at: http://www.worcesterart.org . 

Free Fun Fridays!

Once again, the Highland Street Foundation is offering free admissions on Fridays to a variety of Museums and Cultural Attractions in Massachusetts throughout the summer.  They begin on Friday, June 29 and continue until Friday, August 31. The places include the Stone Zoo, Boston Children’s Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, and Hancock Shaker Village.  The list is extensive.    The events are totally free, except for parking and there is no ticket, ID, coupon, or password required (with the exception of the Boston Harbor Island ferries, the New Repertory Theatre and Reagle Music Theatre performances).

For more information, click here.

National Donut Day!

Today is National Donut Day! National Donut Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June. It was devised by the Salvation Army in 1938, to commemorate when female Salvation Army volunteers handed out doughnuts to soldiers on the front lines during World War I. [1]

Celebrate with a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts, with any beverage purchase. If you can find a Krispy Kreme, you can get one free, no strings attached.

Interested in making your own? Come on up to the third floor and browse our cookbooks (call numbers 641-641.9). You can even find gluten-free!

For a little donut-related reading, check out:

Glazed Murder or Fatally Frosted, from the Donut Shop Mystery series by Jessica Beck 

(PB MYSTERY Beck)

The Donut Chef, a picture book by Bob Staake (J PIC Staake)

The Great Doughnut Parade, by Rebecca Bond (J PIC Bond) 

Enjoy!