Literary Criticism

In search of literary criticism to complete assignments for your English class? The library offers a number of databases you can search, accessible from home with your library card number, or at the library on one of our computers.

Looking for writings on a contemporary author? Try Contemporary Literary Criticism Select.

Search by author and read full-text essays on your computer.

Besides criticism, entries also include biographical backgrounds, listings of main works by the author, and sources for further information.

Essays also include MLA citations attached at the bottom of each record, which can easily be copied and pasted into your Works Cited page.

Other databases we offer include:

• Literature Resource Center- "Find up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on more than 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world. The optional MLA International Bibliography module adds citations for hundreds of thousands of books, articles and dissertations from 1926 to the present, linked to full text where available."

• Novels for Students- "Provides critical overviews of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the work's cultural and historical significance."

• Poetry for Students- "Features discussion and analysis of poems of all time periods, nations, and cultures. Provides an overview of the poem and discussion of its principal themes, images, form and construction."

If you need any help accessing the databases, e-mail us at fplmail6@minlib.net, call us at 508-532-5570 x4361, or stop by in person on the second floor.

Tax Forms Update

Federal and state tax forms are now here at the library. However, the instruction books for the 1040, 1040-A and 1040-EZ forms will not arrive before mid-February, according to the IRS.

All federal forms and instructions are available to you at the IRS website, www.irs.gov. Printing at the library is 20 cents per page.

Feel free call us before you visit, to be sure that we have the forms that you would like.

Mango Premiere

Our language-learning database, Mango, has just had an update! If you are not familiar with Mango, it is an online resource that teaches languages. Start with a brand new language you've always wanted to learn, or polish up a language you are already familiar with by taking a placement test to skip past the introductory lessons and go on to advanced level learning.

Available languages include:

Foreign language courses for English speakers: Arabic (Levantine), Arabic (MSA), Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, French (Canadian), German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Latin, Malay, Malayalam, Norwegian, Pashto, Pirate, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Spain), Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yiddish

English Courses for: Arabic Speakers (Egyptian), Arabic Speakers (MSA), Armenian Speakers, Chinese Speakers (Cantonese), Chinese Speakers (Mandarin), French Speakers, German Speakers, Greek Speakers, Italian Speakers, Japanese Speakers, Korean Speakers, Polish Speakers, Portuguese Speakers (Brazilian), Russian Speakers, Spanish Speakers (Latin American), Turkish Speakers, Vietnamese Speakers

Other Languages: Latin, Greek (Koine), Greek (Ancient), Biblical Hebrew

Framingham residents can access the database from home with their card numbers, but anyone can use Mango within the library- just don't forget your headphones. (If you do forget, never fear, we still have you covered. We sell headphones for $2 at the Circulation Desk.) You can also continue your lessons on-the-go by downloading the Mango app on your phones and tablets.

What's new with Mango Premiere?  Now you can learn languages through film! Browse the available offerings and either watch the movie of your choice with subtitles, or choose "Engage Mode" for a closer look at scene dialogue. Learn vocabulary, phrases, culture and grammar all while enjoying a new film.

For more information on Mango, click here to see our webpage.

If you have any questions, contact us! Reference staff is here to help. Stop by the second floor, or:
E-mail us: fplmail6@minlib.net
Call us: 508-532-5570 x4361

Happy learning.

Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys

Come have a look at our new Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys display, on loan to us from Framingham State!

According to Whittemore Library:
"The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities and was made available through a grant provided to the Whittemore Library.
The 25 books and 4 DVDs included on the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf have been carefully selected to present the American public with new and diverse perspectives on the people, places, histories, beliefs, practices and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.
The books listed here are divided into six themes, each of which focuses on a different perspective in Muslim life."

For a complete list and description of items in the display, please click here to see Whittemore's guide to the collection.

 Stop by the second floor, right by the Reference Desk, to have a look!

Freezing Holds instead of Cancelling

Traveling for the holidays? Did you know that you can "Freeze" your holds while you are out of town, and then "Un-Freeze" them when you get back so you don't lose your place in line?

Here's your dilemma: The book you are waiting for has a really long holds list.

The good news: it might come in any day! The bad news: you might be gone when it comes in and you might not be back in time to retrieve it, since the library only keeps holds for six days before sending it along to the next person

To avoid this scenario, you could cancel your hold and then re-request it when you get back. However, you will lose your spot in line and get stuck at the bottom of the list. To keep your spot, "freeze" your holds in your online Minuteman account, instead.

To log in, go to the Minuteman Library Network catalog and click the "Login to My Account" button in the upper right hand corner.

In the middle of the page, you will see a link to your current holds, which you can click on to see more details.

You will notice that the far-right column says "Freeze." If you click this button, and then click the "Update List" button, your holds will remain frozen until you re-activate them.

When your hold is frozen, it will look like this:

And when you un-check the box and click "Update List", it goes back to normal!

This way, you will be "skipped" but not cancelled. And when you unfreeze, you will retrieve your spot in line instead of having to face the bottom of the list.

Happy traveling!!!

Consumers Corner

Not exactly finished with your Christmas shopping yet? (Don't panic - still two weeks left.) Not sure what to get Grandma? Or maybe you are already past this step (nice) and have actually come up with a brilliant idea for a gift (e-reader for your older sister- genius!), but now find yourself daunted by the confusing task of which one to get?

Maybe Nook? Or a Kindle?- but a Paperwhite or Fire!?? Nexus Tablet? i-Pad? Kobo? (What is a Kobo...) So many choices! Which one will she like? WHICH ONE IS BEST?!

Never fear. The library is at your rescue. Come visit our Consumers Corner, located on the second floor by our Periodicals office.

Here you will find a selection of publications perfect for your consumer needs - just in time for the holidays (lucky you.)

Resources include:

• Banker & Tradesman
• Boston Consumers Checkbook
• Consumer Reports Buying Guide
• Consumer Reports Magazine
• Shop Smart

So now when Dad wants a new TV, rest assured that you will not be getting him just any TV; you will be getting him a carefully tested and painstakingly reviewed TV that he will be sure to love.

And remember - you can access Consumer Reports from home through our databases site if you are a Framingham resident and have a library card. Look for the green icon on the homepage of our website:









You'll be able to use the A-Z index to browse all sorts of items - blender for your best friend, GPS device for your nephew, headphones for your cousin, blue-ray player for Mom, etc. View ratings and read articles as if you had the print issues in front of you.



Need any help accessing the database? Visit us at the Reference Desk, e-mail us at fplmail6@minlib.net, or give us a call at 508-532-5570 x4361.

Make holiday shopping easier this year by getting acquainted with a great resource- brought to you by your library.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

So you know about our databases, but have you visited our Gale Virtual Reference Library?

Printed Version

 Homework problems:

• Maybe you have an overload of web-based sources, but your assignment requires at least one print source.
• Perhaps you have too many secondary sources, but you are looking for a book containing just primary sources.
• Or maybe you desperately need access to a reference book, but can't make it to the library because it is closed or you can't get a ride.
• Perhaps you find the library book you have selected too heavy, and would rather open it in PDF format on your computer or tablet.
  

Well look no further!! You can do all these things (and more!) with Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Our Virtual Reference collection consists of printed books in electronic format that you can read in the convenience of your home- all you need is your library card. View the books exactly as if you had them in front of you (see picture above).

Or, view books in text format with click-able links (see picture above).

In fact, there's a plethora of viewing and downloading options.

Now you might be wondering how you are going to explain to your teacher that your source was in fact an actual book and not a web page, and also how on earth you are going to cite it on your Works Cited page. Fear not. You will find handy citation generators for each book (see pictures below). Of course, be advised that citation generators are not always perfect, so make sure to double check with an MLA or Chicago Style handbook when you're done.

We think the library just made your homework assignments a whole lot easier. To get started, dig out your library card (you'll need your number) and visit http://galesites.com/pub/fpl. And if you are able to make it into the library (always good), view many of these titles in print format on our shelves as well.

List of Framingham Public Library Gale Virtual Reference Books:
A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980-1989 (2000)
Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary (2010)
American Decades Primary Sources (2004)
American Eras (1997)
An Evening's Entertainment: The Age of the Silent Feature Picture, 1915-1928 (1991)
Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students (1998)
Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (2001)
Biology (2002)
Biotechnology: In Context (2012)
Boom and Bust: The American Cinema in the 1940s (1998)
Contemporary Novelists (2001)
Crime and Punishment: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
Dictionary of American History (2003)
Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages (2006)
Encyclopedia of Bioethics (2004)
Encyclopedia of Business and Finance (2006)
Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (2005)
Encyclopedia of Education (2003)
Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security (2004)
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (2003)
Encyclopedia of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity (2005)
Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World (2004)
Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns (2007)
Encyclopedia of Religion (2005)
Encyclopedia of Small Business (2007)
Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa (2004)
Environmental Encyclopedia (2003)
Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources (2007)
Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear Through the Ages (2013)
Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law (2013)
Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America (2000)
Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History (1999)
Gender Issues and Sexuality: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
Gothic Literature: A Gale Critical Companion (2006)
Government, Politics, and Protest: Essential Primary Sources (2007)
Grand Design: Hollywood as a Modern Business Enterprise, 1930-1939 (1993)
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2003)
Human Diseases and Conditions (2010)
Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources (2007) 
Immigration and Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (2001)
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2008)
Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them (1997)
Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979 (2000)
Major 21st-Century Writers (2005)
Mathematics (2002)
Medicine, Health, and Bioethics: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
Novels for Students
Poetry for Students
Pollution A to Z (2004)
Reference Guide to World Literature (2003)
Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students (2004)
Science and Its Times (2001)
Social Policy: Essential Primary Sources (2007)
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture (2000)
Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources (2006)
The African American Almanac (2011)
The Emergence of Cinema: The American Cinema to 1907 (1990)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer (2010)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition (2013)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Environmental Health (2013)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (2010)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (2011)
The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (2008)
The Sixties: 1960-1969 (2001)
The Talkies: America's Cinema Transition to Sound, 1926-1931 (1998)
The Transformation of Cinema, 1907-1915 (1991)
The Writers Directory (2013)
Transforming the Screen, 1950-1959 (2003)
U.S. Immigration and Migration Reference Library (2004)
VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (2013)
West's Encyclopedia of American Law (2004)
World Eras
World Religions Reference Library (2007)