Keeping an Eye on Isaac

As Isaac makes its way across the Gulf, Louisiana prepares for possible landfall.  Below are links to help you keep an eye on the weather and stay safe should the storm head our way.


Weather Monitoring

The National Weather Service's Hurricane Center

Wunderground Tropical Weather and Hurricanes



Preparedness Links

Terrebonne Parish Emergency Info (TPCG)
Latest news on school closures, sandbags, shelters, and other important Parish emergency announcements.  At the time of this post, schools for Terrebonne Parish will be closed on Monday, August 27, 2012.  Click here for the latest updates.

Southeast Louisiana Evacuation Guide

Louisiana Governor's Office: Get a Game Plan

Louisiana Department of Transportation Interactive Contraflow Map

National Hurricane Center's "Be Prepared" Website

Hurricane Supply Checklist

The Red Cross Hurricane Prep Resources - includes link to a Hurricane App for iPhone or Android to help you and your family prepare, find shelter, and stay in touch should a storm strike

Mars Rover Landing @ 12:31AM!

The Mars rover Curiosity is set to begin its landing at 12:31am CDT on Monday, August 6th -- less than 7 hours at the time of this post.


The countdown clock is ticking, but there is still time to learn about Curiosity's mission and how you can follow this historic event at home. Check the NASA Mars Science Laboratory web site for pictures, news, links to the different ways to follow the landing, and a variety of interactive games and lessons for all ages.


NASA's Mars home page is a good quick stop for a look at the countdown clock and links to Curiosity mission images.  You can also follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter.


NASA TV will be streaming the event live via cable and online.  A continuous UStream broadcast leading up to the landing has already started and will continue through the landing.

Free live streaming by Ustream

Universe Today and the SETI Institute will be hosting a pre-landing Google+ Hangout this evening from 10pm - 2am CDT.  This Google+ live feed and interactive web page will feature an all star lineup of scientists, available to answer questions and provide a variety of perspectives on the Curiosity mission and search for evidence of life on Mars.


According to Gaming Age magazine, you will even be able to watch the landing via Xbox 360!


The first photos from the surface aren't expected until 2 hours after landing, but if the landing is successful, we will be treated all week to a stream of new images as the mission progresses.  If you missed the video NASA produced to explain the perils of the rover landing, see the 7 Minutes of Terror video below.  

The EBSCOhost Mobile App: Databases on the Go!

Some of the databases we use most often at the library are part of EBSCOhost.  EBSCOhost is a service that allows you to see and search many different databases, including MasterFile Premier, Academic Search Complete, and many more.  Now, courtesy of Terrebonne Parish Library, anyone can access EBSCOhosts’s databases on the go on their mobile phones and devices.  Below is a quick set of instructions on how to download and set up the EBSCOhost mobile app.

On your computer, type "mytpl.org" into your web browser’s address bar.

On the home page, move your mouse cursor over "research” on the top menu bar.

When the drop-down menu that appears, click “Databases by Name.”

On the next page, click the “M,” and then click “MasterFile Premier” from the drop down menu that will appear.

A new window or tab will open.  Click on the link at the bottom of the page that reads: “New: EBSCOhost iPhone and Android Applications.”

A pop up window like the one below will appear on the page.  Enter an email address you can easily access on your mobile phone or device.  Then click send.

 At this point, you should open your e-mail on your mobile phone or device.  You should have an email from “ephost” that looks like this: 

Follow the instructions in the email (which exactly match the example above).  The quickest way to find and download the app in the iTunes App Store or Google Play is to search for “ebscohost.”  Once you tap “authentication key,” the app will open up ready to use for a 9 month period.  After the period ends, you simply have to re-authorize. 

If you need any help, please call the Main Library at (985) 876-5861 and select option 2 to reach the Reference Department.  Or, you can stop by and see us on the second floor at 151 Library Drive behind the Houma Civic Center.

Movies and Documentaries @ the Library: How to Find Videos in the Online Catalog

Whether you prefer blockbuster movies or educational documentaries, the library is sure to have videos that interest you.  However, people sometimes have trouble finding videos in our online catalog, because they don't know how to separate the videos from the books in their search.  For example, if you go to the catalog and type in "Civil War", you'll see that we have over 1,800 items with those keywords.  Most of these are books, so scrolling through all 1800 items to find the videos would be pretty tedious. 

Luckily, there's a better way.  Simply click on "Format", to the right of the page, and select "Visual Materials", as in the picture below:

This will narrow your search to videos only, so now you will see 249 items, instead of 1838 (see below). Once you have narrowed your search this way, you will see that our Civil War videos can be further divided into three formats:  Electronic Resources (most of which are streaming videos available through the Access Video on Demand database), DVDs, and a few VHS tapes (most of our hard copy videos are now on DVD).

If you want to narrow your search further, you can click on one of these formats.  For example, if you click "DVD", this will narrow your search to just 66 DVDs, as in the picture below.  Notice that each time you limit your search, the "limiters" will appear near the top of the page, as shown in the red box below.  If you decide you don't want to limit your search so much--for example, if you want to see all visual materials, not just DVDs--you can click the "x" next to the DVD limiter, and it will disappear.  For now, let's say you want to limit your search to just DVDs.  Those 66 DVDs will include videos made for adults, teenagers, and children.  If you're an adult looking for a video to watch yourself, you're probably not interested in the teen and children's videos.  To limit the DVD's to the ones made for adults, you can click "Collection", and then "DVD Adult", as shown below.

While we have a great selection of DVDs, don't forget that we have a huge selection of online videos available through Access Video on Demand. You can start watching these immediately.  Simply click on the title you are interested in, scroll to the bottom of its catalog page, and click the link that looks like this:

This will take you to the login page for Access Video on Demand.  Enter your library card number, and you're ready to watch the video.  For more on using Access Video on Demand, see this blog post. If you have any questions about finding videos at the library, give us a call at 876-5861, or email us at reference@mytpl.org.  Happy viewing!

Understanding Health Care Reform

Earlier today, the US Supreme Court made a historic decision, upholding most of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.  Everybody is talking about the Affordable Care Act, but it's a safe bet that not everyone understands it.  One reason is that it's been extremely controversial, so each side has tried to spin it in different directions.  Another reason is that the act itself is nearly a thousand pages long, so it's not something you can read on your lunch break.

To try to cut through the spin and confusion, we've put together some links to resources that explain Obamacare, and today's Supreme Court decision, in a simple, balanced way.

One of the best resources we've found is the video above, which is an entertaining, animated explanation of the basics of the Affordable Care Act.  It comes from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit and non-partisan organization focused on health care policy.  It's good to be aware that this foundation was started by Henry J. Kaiser, who also started Kaiser Permanente, a major health insurance provider.  However, the foundation is a separate organization, and its educational resources are well-made and seem to offer balanced coverage.  They have also created a written overview about health care reform, as well as a variety of graphics explaining the Affordable Care Act's main provisions.

HealthCareandYou.org, another non-profit healthcare education organization, is a great site to look at for easy-to-read information about the Affordable Care Act.  The US government also has an educational site devoted to the topic, at HealthCare.gov. 

If you want to learn more about the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act, CNN has a simple guide to the main legal issues they considered in the case.  NPR has an interactive transcript of the court's opinion, which lets you jump to the main opinion by Chief Justice Roberts, as well as supporting and dissenting opinions by other justices.  The first six pages offer a syllabus (summary) of the court's opinion.

If you're wondering what the effects of the law will be, the New York Times has a graphic showing how insurance coverage is likely to change among Americans, using data from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.  For a look at what the law might mean for your coverage, this interactive tool from the Washington Post is useful.  The Reuters news organization also has a useful overview of the law's effects on individuals and families.

For background on the history of healthcare legislation, and all the controversy around it, the library's Issues and Controversies database is a great place to start.  This database offers summaries of the arguments on all sides of controversial issues, which makes it a great way to get a balanced, fact-based look at the issues.  Their article on healthcare reform has a wealth of information on the history of the issue.

Whether you agree or disagree with the Affordable Care Act, everyone can agree that healthcare policy will have a big impact on all Americans in years to come.  We hope these resources will help you find the information you need to draw your own conclusions, and make informed decisions.

Auto Repair Reference Center: Keeping Your Wheels on the Road

Are you a do-it-yourself mechanic?  Or are you mystified by a car's innards, but want to learn what's what under the hood?  Either way, we have a database you may want to check out.  Auto Repair Reference Center is a great first stop when you're trying to figure how your car works. This database has information on over 37,000 different vehicles, going all the way back to 1945.

To get to Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC), go the the library's website at www.mytpl.org and click on Research. You can find ARRC in Databases by Name under "A", or in Databases by Subject under "Auto Repair".  If you're away from the library, you'll need to enter your library card number.  Once you're into Auto Repair Reference Center, you'll see a homepage that looks like this:

If you look at the options along the top navigation bar, you'll see Vehicle Search, Auto IQ, Care & Repair Tips, Troubleshooting, and Help.  The first page you see is the Vehicle Search page, which is where you can look up detailed repair information for your particular vehicle.  We'll come back to this page.  First, let's look at the next three options, which are all great for people who just want to learn more about how cars and trucks work.

The Auto IQ section offers a series of videos about how various parts of a car work.  For example, if you're like me, and barely know what a thermostat is, you could watch the video on thermostats below.

If you would rather read than watch videos, Care & Repair Tips offers basic introductions to the various parts of a car, and how they work together.  The Troubleshooting section, as the name suggests, helps you diagnose problems with your car.  You can browse problems by topic, but if you're not sure about the topic, you can use the search box to look up particular keywords, such as "rattle" or "smoke".

If you want to find detailed repair information on your particular car or truck, click on Vehicle Search.  Let's say you have a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup.  Simply enter the year, the make, and the model, as shown below, and then select the specifications for your vehicle (V8, V6, etc).

This brings up all the information for this particular vehicle.

Here you can find repair instructions, as well as wiring diagrams, recalls, and diagnostic information.  There is also a labor times estimator.  This is useful for professional mechanics, as well as people who want to check to see if a mechanic's time estimate is reasonable.  If you want to read about fixing your own car, click on Repair Info, and then choose the topic (brakes, drivetrain, etc).  Here you can find detailed instructions, complete with illustrations (see below).  You can print these instructions as PDF files, or even email them to someone else.

Whether you're an experienced mechanic or an amateur wondering what a timing belt does, Auto Repair Reference Center is a great place to find answers to your car questions!

Mango Apps!  

Learn a new language for FREE on your Android or Apple device

Mango has just announced a new Android app that brings language learning to Android devices with the same ease and convenience already enjoyed by those using the Mango app for iPhones and iPads.

As an Android phone user, I am really excited by this development, since I've been watching library staff members with iPhones having WAY too much fun with their mobile Mango access.  Now I can join the party and start working on my Spanish and French wherever I go.

Library patrons have access to both the desktop and mobile language learning power of Mango, and it's absolutely free!

Download is surprisingly easy.  To load the Mango app on my phone, I simply went to the Mango Languages page in Google Play (formerly Android Market, where all your apps are found) and left clicked once on the blue INSTALL button in the upper left of the page, next to the icon for the app.

I was asked to confirm the device to which I wished to download the app, and it was automatically loaded onto my phone via its 3G connection within a few minutes.

If you have an Apple iPhone or iPad, simply download the Mango Languages Library Edition app from iTunes. Click here for a direct link.

Once the Android app download was complete, Mango Languages was listed with all of the other apps on my phone. I tapped the Mango icon and the app asked for my username and password.

If you have already been using Mango at the library or at home, as I have, you know that each time you must sign in using your own personal username and password.  That's the way Mango helps us keep track of which languages we are studying and where we are in each course.  I simply entered that username and password into the Android app, and I was on my way!

If you haven't used Mango before, setting up a username and password is FREE for all Terrebonne Parish Library card holders.

To get your own username and password:

1. Click here and choose Mango from the "M" section of the database list.  (Or go to mytpl.org, choose "Databases by Name" from the Research drop-down menu in the black bar at the top of the page, and then choose Mango from the "M" section of the database list.) 
2. If you are not at a Terrebonne Parish library, you will need to enter your library card number.  Library cards are free and available at all library branches.
3. On the Mango welcome screen, use the "Create a Profile" option on the right to choose your own unique username and password.  It's that easy!  

Once you have your own Mango username and password, you can log in on your mobile device or use the full edition for desktops and laptops available through mytpl.org by repeating step one above.

Your library account at Mango gives you instant access to beginning, intermediate, and advanced training in 38 languages.

Mango can also help ESL students learn English, with English courses in Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, German, Dutch, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

If you need any help reaching Mango through our web site or downloading the Mango app, please stop by your library or call (985) 876-5861 and choose option 2 to reach the reference staff.


Jennifer Hamilton
Reference Services Supervisor