Blog Posts by Subject: Internet

As a global event partner for Social Media Week (February 7 - 11), NYPL hosted four events that afforded me, a seasoned librarian but novice blogger, a handy immersion in social messaging—and in my own backyard, too. 

Were you one of the lucky ones who found a shiny new ereader or mobile device under the (nondenominational) tree? Or did you just decide 2011 was the year you would resolve to do more of your work and leisure reading on a screen?  Before you whip out your credit card for ebooks remember that other card.  NYPL might have you covered for free... read on to find out how in three easy steps!

For Colored Girls, Tyler Perry's latest film, was released in early November and has since received some mixed reviews. Tyler Perry as a director is known for addressing what can be very sensitive topics: for example, drug abuse in Daddy's Little Girls and unhappy marriages in Why Did I Get Married? The casts of his films are usually made up of actors and actresses who are well-known especially amongst the black community. However, it is his ability to capture basic human emotion on camera that has led to his success among of a diverse audience. Did you know that the film For Colored Girls is actually based on a choreopoem book 

Update 2/15/11: OverDrive Media Console Version 2.2 now adds native iPad support.

Update 12/7/2010: Good news Apple fans, OverDrive Media Console now adds support for eBooks. Same app, if you already have it, just be sure to update to the newest version. You might have to restart your device for it to recognize your checked out items the first time. While the app also works on iPads, it is not full screen. iPad users may want to continue to use the Bluefire Reader app but just a reminder neither we at NYPL nor OverDrive officially support this third-party product. Happy 

The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), arrived in theaters on October 1st. You knew it was based on the true story of the Facebook founders, but did you know that it was based on a book? The book is called The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal written by Ben Mezrich (the author of another "Reel Book," Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, made into the film 21 starring Kevin Spacey).

2008. Did your anxiety rise that year? That was the year Google measured 1 trillion unique websites spewing out information to you. I know my mind cannot begin to comprehend what the size means. I, like everyone else, want information, free information, but having more information than I can get a handle on is overwhelming. That’s where the anxiety comes in. Our brains simply are not designed to grasp the magnitude of information at our disposal and navigate the data. 2008 is an arbitrary mark, because the sensation of being inundated with information is not new but is ongoing.

Like a repeated news ticker, once again Facebook  is in the news. As a high player in the social media marketplace, it comes as no surprise that Facebook would lead headlines, but unlike Twitter , who caught media attention for reaching a record of 5 billion  tweets last week, Facebook's latest news round is not so glamorous. It does boil down, however, to the fact that social media is a marketplace.

Jose, a Teen Central alum, and friend Jennie volunteer their time and share their computer expertise at Jefferson Market.

Roberta loves poetry and volunteering at Jefferson Market.  Her favorite color is...

Rachel isn't afraid of computers, thanks to her incredible tenacity and the helpful staff at the 58th Street Library.

William Shakespeare is one of the world's most famous poets and playwrights. However, when students find out they have to read one of his plays or sonnets a huge question mark (?) appears in their heads. The New York Public Library has databases that will help your students get through the Shakespearen confusion.

Many of us, use google for everything. We look up addresses, movie times, weather, admit it you know you have typed in your name too. In any case, google has become a search strategy, but many of us do not use all of the incredible features it has to offer.

Now we all have heard horrific stories about sexual predators preying on our kids online. Facts like this make it scary for parents and teachers to feel comfortable with social networking sites. It's extremely important and our responsibility as adults to provide safety measures to kids when using the internet.

Would you like to learn more about computers, but don’t know where to start? Thanks to some dedicated volunteers, the 125th Street Library now offers FREE individual computer tutoring/computer help.

Marc Prensky coined the term digital natives to describe those born after the advent of digital technology, circa 1980. He posits that they differ fundamentally from those who came before. To carry the natives analogy a bit further, Prensky suggests that even if we digital immigrants learn the language, we will always have an accent.