November 30, 2009

Local Author on blogtalkradio


A Book and a Chat blog radio recently interviewed Aaron Paul Lazar from Geneseo, NY. Lazar does the Gus LeGarde and Moore Mystery series. He has been at Wood Library several times at book fairs, YouTube interviews and Books Sandwiched In. Listen to the interview here.

Borrow Aaron Paul Lazar's newest book Mazurka.

November 25, 2009

Mango Language at Wood Library


As part of its new web event offerings, Wood Library is offering a month long test drive of the Mango Language Learning System. It's free and available on your internet-connected computer.  You will need:
  • Internet Explorer 6 or higher, Firefox, Safari or Opera
  • Adobe Flash Player 9
After your try it out, please fill out our survey. Click Here to take survey.

Go try it!  Mango for Libraries - Wood Library

November 24, 2009

Books to Movies: The Road



The movie version of Cormac McCarthy's bestseller, Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Road (2006), will be released on November 25. What's it about? A father and son wander through a post-apocalyptic world.  To read or re-read the book, click here and place a hold at Wood Library or an OWWL library near you. Also available on audio CD. Watch the movie trailer at Hulu.com or watch it below. The movie is nowhere to be found in local theaters yet, but perhaps it will make it to The Little. If the big theater version doesn't go well, see it soon on DVD.


November 20, 2009

Book Watch: Googled by Ken Auletta

Listen to Ken Auletta talking about his book Googled: the end of the world as we know it.  Read an excerpt now.  Place a hold and pick it up at an OWWL library of your choice.

November 1, 2009

Veterans Day Tribute Online

Welcome to Wood Library's special Web Event -- Veterans Day Tribute Online. Hi, I'm Barbara Henry, Adult Services Librarian. Thank you for dropping by to honor and remember our veterans. Please. take the time to say "thank you" to a veteran this month. If you are a veteran, thank you for your service.

We are pleased to present two films online that you can watch anytime and anywhere you want during the month. The Vietnam Mailbag video was recorded at Wood Library on October 14, 2009. The Medal of Honor documentary is provided by PBS and Hulu.com. We live in a marvelous age of technology that allows us to share these films with you in your home.

After you watch the films, you may share your thoughts with others by clicking "the comments" link at the bottom of this post. Did you like the program? Take the poll in the upper right corner.

Author Nancy E. Lynch Talks about her book Vietnam Mailbag: Voices from the War, 1968-1972. (Wood Library Video|2009|45:54)



Medal of Honor (PBS Specials|2008|1:25:50)
The story of the Medal of Honor - the highest U.S. award for valor in combat - is told through personal accounts of bravery and daring.

October 14, 2009

Stuart M. Kaminsky dies at 75; prolific mystery writer -- latimes.com

Stuart M. Kaminsky dies at 75; prolific mystery writer -- latimes.com

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October 13, 2009

Poe-Pourri: "Visions" Film Coming Up


Supernatural in western New York...On Oct 14 at 7pm Ontario County Historical Society , 55 N. Main St., and Wood Library present the film “Visions: True Stories of Spiritualism, Secret Societies, and Murder”--a Big Read event. The film uses illustrations, animation and live action seq...uences to portray four true stories in 19th-century western New York. This documentary by Rochester NY filmmaker Michael Keene was "Best of the Fest" winner, Rochester International Film Festival. Museum members free. Non-members $3/person. Watch a trailer.

October 6, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #4

When the Raven was first published in 1845, it was the talk of the town. Poe became an overnight sensation. The poem was performed in parlors at home and in public theaters. Even Poe gave public readings to enthralled audiences. As we get nearer to the Raven Read-Out by local dramatist Kathy Morris on October 8 at All Things Art, we are sharing some of the many Raven renditions that are out there. Here is one that is a little different - 18 YouTubers performing a joint recitation of The Raven. If you can't see the video below try this link.

October 3, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #3

Here is a short clip from Homer Simpson's rendition of "The Raven". That's son Bart as the Raven. Reminder: Raven Read Out by local dramatist Kathy Morris on October 8 at All Things Art at 7pm.

October 2, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read Out #2

The Raven has also been performed by rockers and rappers. Here is a sample of a Raven rock rendition by the Alan Parsons Project, a British progressive rock band active between 1975 and 1990.

October 1, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Raven Read-Out #1


Since its publication in 1845, Poe's "The Raven" has become a cultural icon. But not everyone thinks it's that great. Fifty years ago, the poet-critic Louis Untermeyer wrote that "The Raven" contained "vulgar rhythms and an incongruous light-verse structure." He saw the poem as ostentatious - what we moderns might call "over the top."

Today, "The Raven" continues to be one of the most popular read-aloud poems. Everyone has their own version from celebrities like Vincent Price, Christopher Walken, James Earl Jones and Homer Simpson to rappers and hundreds of students who chose it as "their project." It's even been done in Yiddish and Latin.

On October 8 at 7pm, local dramatist Kathy Morris will perform her own rendition of the "The Raven" in a Big Read "Raven Read-Out" at All Things Art, 65 South Main Street, Canandaigua. Pick up a free copy of "The Raven" at Wood Library or All Things Art.

Until then, Poe-Pourri will be posting different Raven renditions each day. We start with Mr. Poe, himself, leading the way. What do you think? Good poetry or bad poetry?

Edgar Allan Poe Reading "The Raven"

This version was created by Jim Clark of PoetryAnimation. The audio recording comes from a rare 16RPM record made in the 1950's by the late Amercan actor and broadcaster Nelson Olmsted.


September 29, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Masquerade Ball


As the official kick-off site for The Big Read, historic Sonnenberg Mansion is the perfect place for a masquerade ball to honor Edgar Allan Poe.

On Friday, October 2 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, the lights will dim as dramatic readings of Poe’s major works, including “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” are chillingly delivered to a captivated audience by state officials and other community members.

Students from Canandaigua Academy’s Drama Department will play Poe’s troubled characters including Fortunato, Roderick Usher and Prince Prospero. Poe himself will make an appearance. Guests will be challenged to guess the characters and Poe’s stories or poems. Costumes will be judged and prizes awarded.

Teens and adults are invited to this ticketed, catered event. Tickets can be purchased at Wood Library for $8/person. RSVP by September 30. Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion is located at 151 Charlotte St. in Canandaigua. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.

September 28, 2009

Poe-Pourri: Where to Start

These sites will get you up-and-running and involved in Wood Library's Edgar Allan Poe Big Read October 1-31, 2009. Find your way around Poe's life and writings; track events as they occur in Canandaigua and other communities and libraries in Ontario County; find Poe books to borrow.



Readers and Teachers Guides

Poe Big Read Events List

Poe-Pourri Display, Ground Floor, Wood Library

Find a copy of Poe's writings to borrow

Subscribe to Poe-Pourri by clicking the orange subscribe button in the upper left corner. We'll deliver Poe-Pourri to you.

Got Facebook? Become a Fan of the library and the Poe-Pourri will be posted there.

September 13, 2009

Poe-Pourri Promotes "Big Read"


There are more than 20 events in this October's Big Read, celebrating the life and writings of Edgar Allan Poe. You can keep current with Wood Library's October 2009 "Big Read" by visiting Wood Library Now! at http://woodlibraryhome.blogspot.com/. Throughout the month "Poe-Pourri" will feature something new about Edgar Allan Poe, his stories and poems, or a Big Read event. Even better, you can have the blog posts delivered automatically to your email or reader by clicking the RSS subscribe button. Prefer Facebook? Poe-Pourri will feed into the Wood Library Fan Page. Become a fan by clicking the Facebook button at www.woodlibrary.org. Poe-Pourri will start in mid- September. It is just one of many ways Wood Library will be encouraging the community to get together and read Poe's classic works. For more information, call or email Adult Services Librarian, Barbara Henry at 585-394-1381 or bhenry@pls-net.org.

August 25, 2009

Lost Symbol--One Hot Book


Get ready for Dan Brown's next release, The Lost Symbol, out in mid-September. Start placing holds on the downloadable audio book at OWWL2go. There are 3 copies and 14 holds already. Go there now!

Here's some details from the OWWL2go website:

Dan Brown’s new novel, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his #1 international phenomenon, The Da Vinci Code, which was the bestselling hardcover adult novel of all time with 81 million copies in print worldwide, will be published in the U.S. and Canada by Doubleday on September 15, 2009.

THE LOST SYMBOL will have a first printing of 5 million copies, and it will once again feature Dan Brown’s unforgettable protagonist, Robert Langdon. Brown’s longtime editor, Jason Kaufman, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday said, "Nothing ever is as it first appears in a Dan Brown novel. This book’s narrative takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan’s readers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a masterful and unexpected new landscape. THE LOST SYMBOL is full of surprises."

August 7, 2009

Celebrate Romance


Author Amanda Cross says romance turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze. So, if you love to read romance novels and are age 18 or older, you can get some free romances online. Harlequin Romance Publisher is 60 years old and celebrating. Debbie Macomber and Diana Palmer are two of their top authors. The Dowager Queen of Romance Publishers has some freebies to celebrate--some are full books downloadable in various formats, such as Adobe pdf and Mobipocket Reader. The 16 book list is worth $60. Go to the Harlequin freebie page.

You can also borrow Romances from OWWL2go. The download service offers about 78 ebooks or audio books for download to your computer and mobile player. Go there now and advanced search subject 'romance'.

August 6, 2009

Summer of Savings: Free Downloads

Take a look at what was on Rochester's Channel 8 news last night. Summer of Savings featured Pat Evans from the Victor Free Library talking about the OWWL2go downloadable books. These audio and ebooks are available for free borrowing through Wood Library and all the other libraries (42 total) in the OWWL - Pioneer Library System. OWWL stands for the counties of Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming and Livingston.

Summer of Savings: Free Downloads

Visit OWWL2go

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July 31, 2009

Top Genealogy Web Sites

For all you genealogy buffs out there, Family Tree Magazine puts out an annual list of the top 101 Genealogy Web Sites for 2009. Some sites are free, some available only by subscription. The sites are organized into ten research categories. Brief descriptions for each site are provided. This is a handy research tool to keep by the computer. Click and go take a look. Or, download and print the PDF list.

July 17, 2009

Savings at the Library

Here is an article and video on our sister OWWL library up in Williamson, NY. Take a look and pass it around. Remember, all the OWWL libraries, including Wood Library, are the best value in town. Visit us often and see your savings mount up!

Savings at the Library

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July 7, 2009

Online Videos for Organizations

Videos are everywhere on the web. Many people upload and watch videos on YouTube. It's a way for organizations to reach out to their communities. For example, Wood Library has several easy to use Flip video camcorders and a YouTube Channel. We've been using videos to show our community what we are doing.

Is your organization using video? Would you like to? Adult Services Librarian, Barbara Henry, recommends this video series to get you started.

This 7-part introduction from See3Communications is designed to get you thinking about online video, and to get you started on the path toward using it more to accomplish your organization's goals.

Take a look at the first video in the series. For the entire seven episodes go to Online Video Guide.


1. The World We Live In from See3 Communications on Vimeo.