2nd Annual March Book Madness Begins Today March 6th

Last year's March Book Madness was such a success; the Ort Library has decided to hold the March Book Madness Tournament again. Just like the  NCAA Basketball Tournament that will be held during March, the Ort Library will hold its own tournament, only our tournament will crown one book the Champion of March Book Madness. Eight different categories of books were selected and through a tough and rigorous process, the library staff narrowed down the list of books to eight books in each category, for a total of 64 books.

The categories selected are:

• Children’s Books
• Young Adult
• Books on Screen
• Graphic Novels
• American Lit
• Brit Lit
• Historical Fiction
• Banned Books

Just like in the NCAA Tournament, we will start out with 64 teams (books). Student, faculty, and staff votes will determine which books move onto the Round of 32. Once the 32 books are selected, additional rounds of voting will take place to get to the Championship title game. The Champion Book will be crowned on Monday April 6, 2015. 

Some of the books selected for March Book Madness will be available for your review on the main floor of the library (3^rd floor). Just look for the March Book Madness display case. 

There are three ways to vote:

1. Paper ballots will be available in the library by the March Book Madness display case.
2. A Library Guide has been created so that you can see the brackets and vote online. The guide can be accessed via the following link: http://libguides.frostburg.edu/march-madness-2015 
3. On the Library Guide, there is a PDF bracket that you can fill in and e-mail to tmmastrodonato@frostburg.edu

Voting for the Round of 64 begins on Friday March 6 and ends on Monday March 9. Voting for the titles in the Round of 32 will begin on March 10 and end on March 13. Voting for the Sweet 16, the Elite 8, the Final Four, and the Championship will take place after Spring Break.

If you have any questions, please contact Theresa Mastrodonato at tmmastrodonato@frostburg.edu or 301-687-4425.

Featured Online Resource: Grateful Dead Archive Online

This week’s Featured Online Resource is the Grateful Dead Archive Online (http://gdao.org/). The collection is drawn from more than 45,000 items that were digitized and stored at University of California Santa Cruz Library’s Special Collections and Archives Department. Additionally, content to the archive has also been submitted by the global network of Grateful Dead fans. Digitized content includes: recordings, posters, fanzines, photographs, tickets, t-shirts, and other web resources available about the Grateful Dead. The archive documents the band’s influence on music from 1965 to 1995.

There are several online exhibits, including one on different Grateful Dead posters. It can be accessed directly through the following link: http://gdao.org/exhibits/show/posters

The archive allows users to search the collection by keyword using a simple search box on the main screen. Additionally, the archive offers an advanced search option to help narrow down your search by item format and date.

Every week, the Ort Library brings you a new and outstanding resource from the Web or from one of the library's databases. To get an archive of all FOR entries, click here. Also, you can suggest a website that provides well-organized access to useful info.

March Book Madness Starts March 6th

The Lewis J. Ort Library’s March Book Madness is back for its 2^nd year. Last year we had over 3000 votes cast to crown the winner To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This year we have NEW brackets and many new books joining the tournament.

The 8 brackets for this year's tournament are:

• Children’s Books
• Young Adult
• Books on Screen
• Graphic Novels
• American Lit
• Brit Lit
• Historical Fiction
• Banned Books

Look for the books to be announced on Friday March 6, 2015. 

Voting starts March 6, 2015. 

The winner will be crowned on Monday April 6, 2015.

Featured Online Resource: FoodSafety.gov

Whether you are a serious cook, or you just need to know how long your leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator, FoodSafety.gov is a helpful resource for finding reliable information.

The web site is a joint effort of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Highlights of this resource include:

• Food recalls - information about current food recalls as well as an option to subscribe to e-mail alerts.
• Food safety charts - information about food storage, cooking times, and temperatures
• Emergency preparedness guidelines such as ensuring safe food and water after an emergency
• "Ask Karen" - ask questions about food safety or browse a database of past questions and answers.  An online chat is also available.
• Expert assistance - The "Other Resources" option under "Ask the Expert" provides a list of contacts for assistance in various topics

Every week, the Ort Library brings you a new and outstanding resource from the Web or from one of the library's databases. To get an archive of all FOR entries, click here. Also, you can suggest a website that provides well-organized access to useful info.

Ort Library Presents New Displays for February 2015

Ort Library Presents New Displays for February 2015

The first display, located on the 3^rd floor near the entrance, celebrates Black History Month with a remembrance of Brownsville – An African American community in Frostburg. Read about the residents of Brownsville as well as view aerial photographs and materials from many sources.

The second display, located on the 3^rd floor near room 318, highlights the discovery of Pluto in 1930. Although it was first designated as a planet when first discovered, since 2006, it has been designated a dwarf planet. The display highlights the history of the discovery of Pluto.

The third display, located on the 4^th floor, highlights the sinking of the USS Maine in the Havana harbor in February 1898. The sinking of the USS Maine was one of the many factors that led to the Spanish-American War in 1898. The display highlights some of the resources the library has to offer on the Spanish-American War.

The fourth display, located on the 5^th floor, highlights Reggae Music and Bob Marley. Reggae music originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s.  Learn more about Marley and the music he performed throughout the world.

Featured Online Resource: Computer Desktop Encyclopedia

This week’s Featured Online Resource is the Computer Desktop Encyclopedia (http://computerlanguage.com/). The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia was founded in 1978 when the founder of the company was unable to find a computer dictionary that would work in the computer classes he was teaching. The dictionary started out with 300 entries and now has over 30,000. 

The site offers the option of searching for a particular term, browsing by letter, or getting the Tech Term of the Day. This site also offers users the option of downloading the dictionary to their iPhone, Android, or Windows device.

Every week, the Ort Library brings you a new and outstanding resource from the Web or from one of the library's databases. To get an archive of all FOR entries, click here. Also, you can suggest a website that provides well-organized access to useful info.