Chase’s Calendar of Events

It’s the holiday season. The go-to reference guide for holidays and events is Chase’s Calendar of Events. It contains over 800 national, international and religious holidays. It lists 1400 historical anniversaries and 4000 notable birthdays.

• When is Jazz Appreciation Month? April
• Is there an apostrophe in New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve? yes
• When is Inauguration Day? January 20
• When is the birthday of Leonard Nimoy? March 26, 1931
• When and what is the Harvest Moon in 2009? September 4. So called because the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox extends the hours of light into the evening and helps the harvester with his long day’s work.

It’s also good for finding out “what happened today in history”.

Next time you are passing by the reference desk, ask for it by name for a fun and fascinating look at the coming year.

Join a Genealogical Society

Genealogy can become a team activity. It’s always helpful to bounce strategy and ideas around with a genealogy buddy. But where can you find someone with the same wild enthusiasm you have for “digging up” roots? Try a local genealogy society.

Each state has a genealogy web page on USGenweb. Each state page includes parish or county information, as well as societies and contact information.  In Louisiana we have several societies that may interest you.

The Louisiana Genealogical Society does not have monthly meetings but serves the community with an excellent conference each year in April. The Baton Rouge Genealogical and Historical Society does meet monthly and has provided an excellent tableau of speakers. Le Comite des Archives de la Louisiane, Inc is the non-profit support group for the Louisiana State Archives.  Founded in 1978, Le Comité is a 501(c)(3) historical preservation and genealogy organization.  Membership in the society is on a calendar year basis.  Dues are $15 per year plus $5.00 for members who join or renew after March 1st of each year.  A Membership Application Form can be printed here.  Benefits of membership include the society’s quarterly journal, le Raconteur, a discount on the purchase of other publications, and free admission to the society’s annual meeting.

For more information, visit or contact the Genealogy Department of the East Baton Rouge Library:

9200 Bluebonnet Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
(225) 763-2283

Electoral College

Today is the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Do you know what day it is?

It’s the day that the electors of each state meet in order to cast their vote for president and vice president.

The electoral college process may be controversial, but it certainly can be fascinating. How are electors selected? How have the electoral votes stacked up in past elections? What happens if electors do not vote for the candidate that they are pledged to vote for? What happens when a candidate for president dies after the election but before the electoral college meets?

Find out the answers at these websites:

• President Elect FAQ - the unofficial website for the electoral college.
• HowStuffWorks “History of the Electoral College”
• Project Vote Smart “What is the Electoral College?”

Reading Rocket’s Books as Gifts

Looking for gift ideas for the child on your holiday list? Check out Reading Rocket’s Recommended Books for Kids. In it you’ll find lists of books by theme, interest, holiday, timeless favorites and, of course, the Books as Gifts buying guides 2004-2008.

All book entries indicate the reading level and give a brief synopsis, so you can find just the right title for your young reader. Print out the list and take it to a bookstore, or buy directly online through a link to Amazon.com. It’s easy, fast, and Librarian-Approved!

OverDrive for Business

Have you checked out downloadable media from Overdrive lately? 81 new business titles have been added to the collection in the past year, including:

• Business Financing: 25 Keys To Raising Money
  by Dileep Rao, Ph.D., Richard Cardozo, Ph.D. and Eric Conger
  Format – OverDrive WMA Audiobook
• Business Planning: 25 Keys To a Sound Business Plan
  by Edward E. Williams, James R. Thompson, H. Albert Napier, and Eric Conger
  Format – OverDrive WMA Audiobook
• Dealing With Problem Employees: A Legal Guide
  by Amy Delpo, Lisa Guerin
  Format – Adobe PDF eBook
• Secrets of Millionaire Moms
  by Tamara Monosoff
  Format – Mobipocket eBook
• The Sales Manager's Guide to Developing A Winning Sales Team
  by Gerhard Gschwandtner
  Format – Adobe PDF eBook
• What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services
  by Anthony W. Ulwick
  Format – Adobe PDF eBook

Did you know that OverDirve has business related video content as well? Check out these interviews with business authors from the Expanded Books Interview series:

• Expanded Books Interview: Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough
  by Jonathan Tisch
  Format – OverDrive Video
  Duration – 4 minutes
• Expanded Books Interview: Copy This!
  by by Paul Orfalea
  Format – OverDrive Video
  Duration – 5 minutes
• Expanded Books Interview: Improvisational Negotiation
  by Jeffrey Krivis
  Format – OverDrive Video
  Duration – 4 minutes
• Expanded Books Interview: Expanded Books Interview: The Millionaire Maker
  by Loral Langemeier
  Format – OverDrive Video
  Duration – 3 minutes

New to our eMedia collection, MP3 Audiobooks! This format is compatible with iPods, iPhones, cell phones and just about any device that can play MP3 files!

To download our MP3 content, please make sure you have OverDrive Media Console 3.0 (or newer) installed on your computer.

How do I access Overdrive?

• Go to the library's eMedia page
• Take a few minutes to read the Quick Start Guide. The guide has information on the type of materials available, check out procedures, and how to place items on hold.
• Downloads are required to use Overdrive; the Quick Start Guide has instructions and links for downloading.

Put your computer into high gear and enjoy Overdrive.