Do you own a smartphone, such as an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android phone? If so, as you already know, you have an amazing device at your disposal, and now, more than ever, you can use your smartphone to take advantage of all the great services and resources the library has to offer. Below are just some of the ways you can use your smartphone to get the most out of the library:

Get information about the Robbins Library

Did you know that the Robbins Library has a mobile website? Just visit http://robbinslibrary.org on your smartphone to access our mobile website optimized for your phone’s screen. Check out upcoming events, look up our hours of operation, access this blog, and much more!

Find materials

Imagine you are on the third floor of the Robbins Library and trying to remember the call number for that Frommer’s Florida travel guide you want to check out. Sure, you could walk back down to the first floor and ask one of the amazing reference librarians for help, but why not save yourself some time and access the Minuteman Library Network Mobile Catalog on your smartphone? Just visit http://m.library.minlib.net, and you can quickly search the catalog or even login to your account directly using your smartphone.

Learn a language on the go

Did you know that some of our databases have apps that you can download to your smartphone? One of my favorites is Mango Languages Library Edition for the iPhone. Learn a number of languages on the go, including Spanish, French, Chinese, and so many more.

What do I read next?

Just finish reading a book and wondering what to read next? iRecommend is another iPhone app that allows you to scan the ISBN of that great book you just finished and get back a list of books you might enjoy, where you can buy them, and, best of all, find libraries in your area that have them (and if we by chance don’t have them, just ask and we will get them for you!).

Engage the library

In addition to visiting us in person or giving us a call, why not use your smartphone to engage us using social media tools? Friend us on Facebook, ask us a question on Twitter, tell us what you think of us on Yelp, and check-in / become the Mayor of the Robbins or Fox using Foursquare.

Smartphones are great tools that can really add a lot of value to your life. Be wicked smart and use yours to make your overall library experience even better.

Game night starts on Feb 28, and will be held on the last Tuesday of every month in the Community Room from 6-8:45pm. We’ll have a variety of games on hand, from old favorites like Scrabble and Monopoly to newer trendier games like Settlers of Catan and Dominion.

If you’re a board game rookie, don’t despair – a couple of brave volunteers will be on hand to teach some of the more complicated games. Bring your friends, bring games you want to play, and most of all bring your competitive spirit!

We picked our next couple of books, so here are the titles and dates:

3/12 I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan (Copies are being held at the Circulation Desk.)

4/9 Delirium by Lauren Oliver

All meetings are held at the Starbucks in Arlington Center at 7pm.

Don’t forget to bring book ideas! Here are some of the titles we considered last time. We’ll keep adding to it so we always have a list to choose from.

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

Going Bovine by Libby Bray

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

Hush by Jacqueline Woodson

Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

Do you have any ideas for good book group picks? Post in the comments or bring your ideas to the next meeting!

Look no further, because I have a fascinating (and blessedly short) book to recommend to you. Daniel Rasmussen’s book American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt was released in 2011 without much fanfare, but received deservedly positive reviews. In it, he tells the story of the 1811 German Coast slave revolt, a little-known part of our nation’s history and perfect reading for Black History Month.

A small group of slaves from several plantations in the New Orleans area carefully planned their rebellion in secret and on the night of January 8th they led a huge group – maybe as many as 500 slaves – to revolt. Ultimately, they were quashed and cruelly punished, but the event had far-reaching consequences. For instance, one of the reasons the Americans won the Battle of New Orleans was because the city was so well fortified in response to the slave rebellion.

Rasmussen packed a lot of information into this short book. He includes background including the slave revolts in Haiti, a possible inspiration for the German Coast uprising, as well as analysis of the aftermath and how the uprising affected later events through the Civil War. Finally, he described the cover up of the uprising and how the events were downplayed by the government and consequently became somewhat lost in history.

I found this book very readable and surprisingly enjoyable. It’s not written like a history book – a litany of names, places, and dates – but has a pretty good narrative feel.  It’s these details that really make the history come alive. He describes sights, smells, food, weather conditions and other details that make the story so much more real and immediate than the history I read in school. This would be great for high school students who are bored of the usual dry reading of facts and dates, or anyone interested in learning more about the history of American slavery. Not only is it informative and well-written, but it’s only 150 pages – there’s no excuse not to delve into this fascinating account. The library owns copies of the book and audiobook.

Thankfully, New York Magazine published a series of articles that do a pretty good job of explaining what we can get for our time and attention (those curious diacritical marks can really slow you down.  Tip:  try listening to the audiobook version.  The actors who perform the book generally do a convincing job with the pronunciation).  It’s a great place to start to get an overview of the literary landscape.

New York Magazine Scandinavian Crime Fiction Guide

Peaceful People = Best Crime Fiction

Scandinavian Crime Fiction in the Media

Homicide Rate Around the World

Bodyweight Exercises:

Bodyweight exercises are simple strength training exercises that don’t require weights– your own weight serves as all of the resistance that you need.  Push ups, pullups, and sit ups some of the most common bodyweight exercises.

One of my favorite bodyweight resources is located at http://www.simplefit.org.  It provides users with quick, straightforward, and effective workouts designed to help build muscle and strength.  The best part is, you can do it from home with just a few simple pieces of equipment!

The Minuteman Network also owns multiple copies of Mark Lauren’s You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises, which is another great resource that will provide you with great strength-building exercises that involve little, if any, gym equipment.

Kettlebells:

If you’re looking for an intense strength workout that doesn’t require a trip to the gym, look no further than the kettlebell!  It’s an iron weight that looks like a bell (shocking, I know!).  Kettlebell exercises combine cardio, strength, and flexibility.

And in amazing news, the Minuteman Library Network carries several useful books that focus on the kettlebell, including Enter the Kettlebell! Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen, by Pavel; Complete Guide to Kettlebell Training, by Allan Collins; and Kettlebells for Dummies, by Sara Lurie.

Interval Workouts:

A great way to burn calories is through interval training.  Interval training mixes bursts of high-intensity work with periods of low-intensity work. The high-intensity bursts are typically at or close to maximum effort, while the recovery periods are either involve complete rest or lower-intensity activity.  Interval training can be used in any kind of cardio workout, like cycling, running, or even rowing.

One of the most popular interval training programs is P90X, which is a collection of intense workouts that places your body in a state of muscle confusion.  The Minuteman Library Network owns multiple copies of the 13-DVD program, if you would like to give it a try!  The library also owns a copy of Bring It!, a companion exercise book by P90X creator Tony Horton.

Run Run Run:

Even though it’s chilly out, running is one of the most energizing activities that you can do in the wintertime!  And if you’re tired of running the same old routes around your neighborhood, you can check out Mark Lowenstein’s Great Runs in Boston and Great Runs in Boston Burbs.  Both of these books can be found at the library, and they are full of interesting and scenic run possibilities!  Winter is also a great time to start training for spring races, many of which you can find and sign up for on http://www.active.com/.

No matter what kind of exercise interests you, the library has a host of excellent resources that you can use to achieve your fitness goals.  Good luck– and have fun!  And remember, spring is just around the corner!

Don't know how to use this thing? We can help!

Can’t make this event? Feel free to stop by the reference desk anytime we are open and we will be happy to help you figure out how to borrow library ebooks for your ereader or tablet. Or, check out this handy list of resources showing you how to borrow ebooks for your device.

This first video walks you through the process of borrowing Kindle ebooks for your Fire:

This second video show you how you can download the Overdrive App to your Kindle Fire, which not only provides you with even greater access to library ebooks, but library audiobooks as well:

If you haven’t read the book yet, it’s not too late! There are plenty of copies of Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares being held at the circulation desk and it’s a very quick read, I promise.

And don’t forget we’ll be choosing next month’s book, so come with suggestions! If you need ideas here is an extensive collection of lists of best young adult books going back to 1996. There’s also this list of best young adult books for adults. Or check out some YA blogs like Reading Rants (check the lower left for themed lists) or my personal favorite, Forever Young Adult.

One thing to keep in mind is that there need to be available copies in the Minuteman System, so we shouldn’t choose the most popular books out there. Luckily, there’s still a ton of great books to choose from! Here are a few of my suggestions:

Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Do you have any book ideas? Leave them in the comments, or just bring them on Monday. See you then!

Oliver!  (1968 musical)

Saturday February 11th at 12pm

This musical adaptation of Oliver Twist won an Academy Award for Best Picture. For a sneak peek, you can view the trailer here.

Great Expectations (1946)

Thursday February 16th at 6:30pm.

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, this film won for Art Direction and Cinematography. Go here to see the trailer.

A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

Tuesday February 21st at 6:30pm

Nominated for 2 Oscars including Best Picture. Although it didn’t win, it remains the most highly-acclaimed movie version of the novel. The trailer is here.

All films will be shown in the Community Room on the lower level of the library. Please be sure to also stop by our Charles Dickens display table in the first floor lobby near the elevator!