In Praise of the Readers' Guide

If you are of a certain age, you may remember in the distant past a peculiar method for looking up magazine articles that might seem alien to today's young people. As I recall, a teacher would lead the class down to the school library and present the students with a seemingly impossible task: finding magazine articles about a certain person, event, or subject. Those of us who were paying attention at that moment would wonder how the teacher expected us to accomplish this task. Everyone knew that, though magazines would be likely to run stories about news events around the time that the event happened, for the most part, we'd have to flip through all of the years of all of the magazines to figure out when an article was written about a specific topic.

Then came the big revelation: the school librarian would show us a a set of big, thick books (they were bound in red at my library) that would tell us the names of magazines that had published articles about a certain topic in a given year, and in which issue and on what page we could find the article. A whole year! That meant that all we had to do was select a range of years, look up a person, event, or, really, anything else from each year, and write down the title, date, and page numbers of the magazine that we needed to find.

That series of books, as many of you may recall, was the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Though it wasn't the first periodical index, nor has it ever been the most comprehensive, it seems to be the one most stuck in the memories of people who come to the Magazines and Newspapers reference desk looking for old magazine articles. I think that the reason for this is indicated in the title -- the "Readers' Guide" serves, unlike more subject-specific periodical indexes, a broad audience of readers rather than a small group of researchers. You won't find indexing for Living Reviews in Relativity in the Readers' Guide, but you will find Time. And while you won't find any references to the Annals of the Association of American Geographers here, you will certainly see citations for National Geographic.

In short, the Reader's Guide has long provided access to the stuff that 95% of readers want 95% of the time, which has made it a mainstay in public and school libraries for the last hundred years, which is why most of us above the age of, say, twenty, have probably come across it at least once in our lives.

The library also has the Reader's Guide Retrospective in our collection of databases, which means that users can electronically access indexing to popular American magazines from 1890 up to 1982. This is quite a boon to historical researchers, particularly because this is the only indexing available for many of these titles, which provides important contemporary perspectives on the events of the 20th century.

However, if you have a chance, stop by the Magazines and Newspapers Center and see if you can remember how to use the index that introduced so many young people to the principles of periodical research.

Cat Fancy -- C'mon, you know you want to read it

Though it's hard to imagine a world without Lolcats and Cute Overload, there was once a time when cat enthusiasts had to get their eye candy in monthly doses. Cat Fancy, which bills itself as the "world's most widely read cat magazine," is published for those of us who acknowledge that cats are much more than just pets.

Unlike its more tongue-in-cheek contemporary peers, Cat Fancy is full of useful information for dedicated cat owners. Look here for tips on everything from cat discipline (apparently not an oxymoron) to treating allergies to the latest in nutritional knowledge. There is also extensive coverage of current happenings in the world of animal rescue, adoption, and every issue also features an extensive profile of one cat breed.

But let's be honest with ourselves here. Most of us opening an issue of Cat Fancy are not doing so looking for serious coverage of the world of our feline friends. We want pictures of cute kitties doing funny things, glamor shots of exotic breeds, and classified ads reminding us that there's a whole world of furry friends out there.

Cat Fancy delivers the goods. (There's a centerfold, for crying out loud!)

The Magazines and Newspapers Center urges you to not be shy about your love of cats. Come on in and have a look at Cat Fancy.

Scanning the Radio Airwaves

The digital TV transition is here to stay, but long before we received our daily dose of news stories by browsing Google News, watching CNN on TV, subscribing to blogs and news sites via RSS feeds, listening to breaking news from podcasts, or pulling up instant information from PDAs (personal digital assistants), we kept up with the news through the radio airwaves.

Radio news continues to fill the airwaves and you can now tap into Radio-Locator, labeled as "the most comprehensive radio station search engine on the internet." This online resource boasts links to over 10,000 radio stations and 2500 audio streams worldwide. You can look up radio stations by entering a city, radio call numbers, Internet streaming audio by music genre, and country. An advanced search offers even more intricate ways of locating a radio station such as by frequency signal.

And for radio aficionados, the Magazines & Newspapers Center offers some periodicals including Monitoring Times and Popular Communications to whet your appetite.

Monitoring Times - Geared for radio listeners, this magazine features news on radio communications, scanner monitoring with loggings, international radio, broadcast schedules. Also highlights new technologies such as "HD Radio."

Popular Communications - Devoted to users and enthusiasts of VHF scanners, short wave receivers, radar detectors, satellite TV, and cellular phones.

So instead of surfing through hundreds of channels on your TV the next time you want to get your daily news fix, try tuning into a radio station with the Radio-Locator.

ABCs of Digital Scanning

On Monday, June 22, from noon to 1 p.m., the Magazines & Newspapers Center will present a workshop on digital scanning. This one-hour, hands-on demonstration workshop is designed to introduce patrons to high resolution microform and flatbed digital scanning.


The Magazines & Newspapers Center staff will assist and provide training with editing, e-mailing, and printing digital images. Come scan with us!

- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Fifth Floor, Magazines & Newspapers Center, Microfilm Room
- Event Date and Time: Monday, June 22, 2009 (noon - 1 p.m.)

When Wikipedia Meets the Library

The Magazines and Newspapers Center will present a program on Wednesday, June 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.—When Wikipedia Meets the Library: A Case Study from the University of San Francisco:

In Spring 2009, twelve students enrolled in Professor David Silver’s Digital Media Production class were assigned the task of overhauling the Wikipedia page for the University of San Francisco (USF). Required to work individually and collaboratively, and with resources from the Web and from USF’s Gleeson Library, the students’ goal was three-fold: to learn how Wikipedia works, to learn more about the university they attend, and to share their research with the rest of the world. In this talk, Professor Silver shares what happened.



David Silver is an assistant professor of Media Studies and the director of the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies at the University of San Francisco. Together with Sarah Washburn, he is the co-director of The September Project.



- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room B
- Event Date and Time: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 (6 to 7:30 p.m.)

Tune in to the Digital Airwaves

It's coming to a TV station near you very soon, and there's no escaping it. You've probably heard people talking about it, seen it on the news, heard it on the radio, and read it in the newspaper. Millions of Americans have already prepared for this upcoming event. The groundbreaking Digital TV Transition will hit American television airwaves on June 12, 2009.

This new technology will unlock many channels on your TV sets, so to help you keep up with the programs, the Magazines & Newspapers Center would like to highlight one of its longstanding magazines--TV Guide.

You might have remembered going to your favorite supermarket, lining up in the grocery lines, and flipping through pages of the small squarebound magazine to pass the time. Well, times have changed, and the magazine has expanded its size and content. You're probably already familiar with getting weekly listings of your favorite cooking shows, soap operas, movies, documentaries, and TV series. Now, you can read up on previews of upcoming TV series, get the latest scoops from in-depth interviews with your favorite TV and movie stars, explore highlights from shows you may never even heard of, and more.

If you have a home satellite dish, and TV Guide just doesn't cut it, then reach over for Satellite Orbit, one of the most comprehensive if not definitive television guides for over a hundred different digital channels! This magazine covers a month's worth of TV listings and delineates them according to their respective time zones. Other special features include an alphabetical listing of movies with synopses and ratings, categorized sports listings, show listings organized by genre, and highlights of noteworthy shows

With only a few days remaining till this monumental digital transition, feel free to drop by the Magazines & Newspapers Center so you can use these magazines to help plan out your future television viewing schedule.

Job Hunting and Career Exploration

With the current economic crisis looming overhead, manifested in part by job layoffs and hiring freezes, it might be discouraging looking for employment during these bleak times. However, a San Francisco Chronicle article highlighted how libraries can assist you during this recession.

The Magazines & Newspaper Center, for instance, carries selected job-related periodicals that might help you locate employment opportunities, enhance your job-seeking skills, or give you ideas for new career opportunities:

California Job Journal - A weekly publication covering career and employment information for over 25 years, this newspaper contains job listings in northern California, a career calendar, brief articles on selected job markets, and more.

Career Opportunities News - Published six times a year, this newsletter features career trends in the workplace, minority issues and resources, career news of special interest to women, reviews of new books on career guidance, reports on the latest salary information, and more.

Federal Jobs Digest - A bi-weekly newspaper featuring job recruitment opportunities. Each issue contains over 5000 current opening with the federal government in the United States and overseas in all occupations and career levels.

Jobs Available - A bi-weekly listing of public sector employment opportunities in California. Sample department include building inspection, city administration, finance and accounting, parks and recreation, and more.

For additional resources, try the Occupational Outlook Handbook to explore new careers and trends. Last but not least, you can also check the Jobs and Careers Center for additional tips on using the Internet for searching jobs and obtaining a list of periodic classes offered at the library.

As an added bonus, the San Francisco Public Library now offers an open computer lab for job seekers on Mondays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 5th Floor in the Main Library Training Center. So come let the library help you find your next job or career.

Go Eco with the Ecocard

Are you going green yet? It wasn't too long ago in our April posting when we highlighted titles from our Magazines & Newspapers Center collection in honor of Earth Day. In that same month, we also launched our Green Stacks program. Since then, the library has been showcasing a series of programs and exhibits ranging from community gardens and photographs of the urban wilderness to green cleaning products and organic foods, many of which were planned in part by staff in our Wallace Stegner Environmental Center. Check our Green Stacks Events page for an ongoing list of programs and special events.

Next, prepare for the launching of a pilot project in producing our very first San Francisco Public Library ecocard. For a limited time, you can exchange your current plastic library card for a more eco-friendly one manufactured from a renewable and biodegradable resource. This card is just one of many elements in the Library's new Green Stacks program, dedicated to helping San Francisco go green with the assistance of SF Environment and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Subscription Survivors -- A few of our longest-running titles

Although we work hard here at the library to bring you the latest in online content, it's sometimes very rewarding to step back, take a deep breath, and look at the collection that our forbears have gathered over the years. And what a collection it is, particularly considering that library workers had to start from scratch after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Over the years, we've managed to acquire many titles reaching back well into the 19th century, a few of which we continue to subscribe to today. This was the inspiration for a very cursory survey of some of our longest-running titles here at the Magazines and Newspapers Center. Here are some of our favorite old-timers:

Time, Life, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report are perennial favorites, and we have a long run of each of these titles. These are, in fact, such popular titles that we make an exception in our shelving procedures for these: rather than shelving volumes from before 1990 in closed (behind-the-scenes) storage, we keep several decades worth of each of these titles out in the public area. That means that you can go to the shelves and find, for instance, the issue of Life from the week that you were born, provided you were born during or after 1936. (If you were born before 1936, you can find your birth issue upstairs in our special collections.

Sunset Magazine is a lifestyle magazine that probably predates the term "lifestyle magazine." Originally published by the Southern Pacific Railroad as a way of promoting the West Coast -- at the time, the company was the largest landowner in California, and they wanted to combat the Wild West image so that people would want to buy land from them -- Sunset has since become the property of Time, Inc., and circulates well over a million copies. Sunset has a reputation for publishing striking images, which the enthusiast might find are best viewed in person. We've got a full run available for paging at the Fifth Floor Page Desk.

Harper's (a.k.a. Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Magazine, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, the International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science) and the Atlantic are both roughly 150 years old, and thus stand out as great American monthly magazines. Many literary greats, influential journalists, and public figures of just about every stripe have contributed words to these magazines over the years, and we have long runs of each available to anyone who comes by. How long? The Atlantic's run -- from 1857 to the present -- is impressive, but Harper's has them beat by seven years, and we have 1850 to the present available for paging. Navigating all of the title changes in our library catalog can be a bit difficult, so don't be shy about asking us about a particular issue!

Scientific American may win the prize for magazine published for the longest time without a title change. (Librarians notice these things.) You can find a record for this title in our library catalog that goes back to 1846! Think of some of the scientific advances made since then -- Pasteur, Darwin, Bell, Freud, Curie, Heisenberg, Einstein, Russel, Sagan, and Watson are only a few of the scientific greats that have worked during this publication's life. One of the most endearing traits of this title is that it has been continuously written for a lay audience, meaning that its writers work to demystify some of the most complicated, but nonetheless most significant discoveries in the various fields of science. We have a full run, so stop by and have a look at the last century and a half of scientific discovery.

Unlike the features in Scientific American, this survey of long-running subscriptions was in no way scientific. The method was pretty simple -- I mostly looked down the rows of shelves in the closed stacks and looked for the largest blocks of like-colored volumes. So, if there are any long-running titles that you would like to point out, please let us know in the comments section below. We know you old-magazine-lovers are out there!

Country Life: For members of the custard pie appreciation consortium

This librarian's knowledge of the English countryside is more or less based on 60's Kinks records (kudos if you caught the reference in the post title) and, of course, Hot Fuzz (2007). This means that I have an incomplete and probably very inaccurate sense of the culture associated with folks living in rural England. You can imagine, then, my surprise and delight at discovering a magazine that pretty much confirms every assumption I've ever had about life in the English countryside.

If tweed jackets, game birds, retriever dogs, and ivy are your things, I recommend taking a look at the Magazines and Newspapers Center's collection of Country Life. An English lifestyle magazine (Southern Living is a rough American equivalent), Country Life immerses readers in an old-fashioned world of genteel manners, plenty of fresh air, and slate roofs.

Readers can discover tips for gardening and entertaining, news and trends in the world of land-owning English people, features about hunting and equestrian sports, and gossip. From my perspective here in the New World, this countryside is the stuff of fairy tales.

Based on my reading of the magazine, I should warn you that you may not understand exactly what the writers in Country Life are talking about. Take, as an example, the captions to an illustration explaining four things one should not say when visiting friends in the country, taken from the February 4, 2009 issue:

"Oh, it's raining!"

"I do hope it's pheasant."

"It must cost a fortune to heat."

"I so long for an aga." (ed. note -- I don't know what an "aga" is either.)

In each cartoon, the person being told the above statement goes into a rage. I think I get number 3, but I can't imagine why I shouldn't say the others. (If you have any insight, feel free to share it in the comments section.) Until I get the hang of this, I'll have to make sure I keep my mouth shut next time I visit Gosford Park to go hunting.

That said, the mystery (Why tweed? What is bird ringing?) adds to the experience of peeking in to the English countryside life. If you're curious, stop by the Magazines and Newspapers Center and take a look.

Cheerio!

Fasten Your Seatbelts for OverDrive

Are you using your library card yet? Or have you just been stashing it in your wallet or purse until you actually need to visit a physical library to check out books, music CDs, and DVDs? Remember that you can unleash the power of your library card without even having to step into a library building (though we are always happy to serve your research and recreational needs should you choose to visit our branches throughout the city).

In a previous posting, we highlighted what you can do with our electronic databases. On May 4, 2009, fasten your seat belts because the San Francisco Public Library unveils its latest addition to its ever-growing collection of electronic media: OverDrive, a global distributor of audibooks, e-books, music, and videos. You can download the latest novel from the New York Times Best Sellers list onto your mp3 player or e-book reader, listen to music, and watch classic TV series, films, and documentaries right on your computer. Prepare to indulge in a wide spectrum of media ranging from bestselling audiobooks and e-books to classical music and documentary and feature films.

To kick off this latest addition to our family of databases, be on the lookout for the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile which arrives at the Main Branch (Fulton Street side) of the San Francisco Public Library on May 8 (noon to 5 p.m.) and May 9 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Learn more about this digital library collection and how you can access its ever-expanding multimedia collection.

Find 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winners' Work at the Library

Attention, news junkies! The 2009 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced on Monday, April 20th.

The Pulitzer, widely considered to be the highest honor bestowed upon American journalists (and other types of artists, too), is awarded annually by Columbia University. Out of almost 2,500 nominations (that number includes other, non-journalism categories) each year, judges choose only 21 winners.

The Pulitzer is of great value to the reading public because it highlights work done not only by major newspapers but also that of smaller, regional papers. With rumors of impending doom haunting the newspaper industry this year, it is worth stepping back to celebrate the important work of the Fourth Estate.

The San Francisco Public Library has recently increased online access to regional newspapers from around the world with the addition of PressDisplay, a new database that adds dozens of papers to our already large online collection. It's worth taking a look at some of the regional papers from around the country; you never know, you may be looking at next year's Pulitzer winner!

Below, we've reproduced the list of winners with links to the library catalog record showing our electronic holdings for each title. The descriptions of the winners' work are adapted from the Pulitzer announcement.

To view the papers:

1. Follow the link to the catalog record.
2. Click "Click here for full text." (See example below.)
   
3. Click on the link to the database containing the paper.
4. Enter your library card number (if you are accessing the database from outside of the library).
   

Once you're inside the database, you have full access to the papers and can browse to or search for the winning work.

Public Service - Las Vegas Sun for coverage of high death rates among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip.

Breaking News Reporting - The New York Times staff for coverage of the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal.

Investigative Reporting - David Barstow of The New York Times for revealing that the Pentagon had influenced retired generals to drum up support for the war in Iraq during media appearances.

Explanatory Reporting - Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart of the Los Angeles Times for their close look at the costs and benefits of fighting wildfires.

Local Reporting - Detroit Free Press staff for breaking the Kwame Kilpatrick sex scandal (anyone else notice a trend?) and Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ (This is the only one that we don't have, so the link goes to their Web site) for revealing how the local sheriff's focus on enforcing immigration laws and neglect of violent crime investigations endangered the public.

National Reporting - St. Petersburg Times staff for their fact-checking initiative during the 2008 Presidential campaign.

International Reporting - The New York Times staff for risky reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Feature Writing - Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times for the story of a neglected child moving from a filthy motel room to the home of her newly adoptive family.

Commentary - Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post for writing about the historic election of the first African American President of the United States.

Criticism - Holland Cotter of The New York Times for art reviews.

Editorial Writing - Mark Mahoney of The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, for covering local government and encouraging citizens to exercise their rights.

Editorial Cartooning - Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune for clear and funny political cartoons.

Breaking News Photography - Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald for photos of hurricane devastation in Haiti.

Feature Photography - Damon Winter of The New York Times for photos of Barack Obama's campaign.

In addition to electronic access to hundreds of papers from all over the world, the Magazines and Newspapers Center has a pretty large collection of print newspapers (imagine that!) from around the country. Whether you're a true connoisseur of regional news coverage, or you just want to check out the paper from your hometown, we may very well have you covered. Drop us a line for more information.

Green Power

April marks a month for many green living, sustainability events and activities. This year, starting as early as March 28, many of us turned out the lights in an effort to conserve energy during Earth Hour. April 22 marks the arrival of Earth Day, and two days later, we have Arbor Day.

Last year, we featured some "green titles" in our "Going Green" posting to assist you with your personal green living needs. This year, we would like to showcase some more titles. At the Magazines & Newspapers Center, you'll find diverse magazines like Friends of the Earth, Mother Earth News, Plenty, and World Watch to help you adopt an environmentally conscious, green living lifestyle.

Friends of the Earth - For activists and inquisitive citizens who enjoy a mix of action news and information articles, this quarterly news magazine highlights online resources, blogs, environmental issues, and related news for preserving a safe and healthy environment. Published by Friends of the Earth--"a group of committed people who fight daily for a healthy and just world."

Mother Earth News - This bi-monthly magazine covers country lifestyle with articles dedicated to helping people with how-to information of home building and home improvement, organic gardening, small business development and wood-working projects. Other topics include natural health, green transportation, renewable energy, nature and community, and more.

Plenty - Written for environmentally conscious consumers, this magazine features articles and products in transportation, technology, food, home, family life, and more. Although this magazine has ceased publication as of January 2009, archived articles can still be accessed online.

World Watch - Published by the WorldWatch Institute, an independent research organization dedicated to achieving an "environmentally sustainable and socially just society," this bi-monthly magazine explores current issues in energy, population, biodiversity, agriculture, climate change, the economy, politics and sustainability in general.

Last but not least, look for the Green Stacks initiative at the San Francisco Public Library as we highlight even more online resources, reading lists, programs, and events to help you live and maintain a healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle. In April, unleash your Green Power by keeping up to date with the latest news and happenings from these and other periodicals in the Magazines and Newspapers Center.

Tax Time

According to the British poet and playwright Edward Young, "Procrastination is the thief of time." This statement may ring true for millions of Americans every year in April when they must carve out a huge chunk of time to either set up an appointment with an accountant or independently decipher reams of pages to embark on a mad rush to complete their federal and tax forms.

Our neighbors at the Government Information Center on the 5th floor have compiled a list of resources that can aid you in this annual chore. From this link you can find federal and state tax information and forms for all 50 states, volunteer income tax assistance, where to get free tax booklets, and more.

Don't forget that you can also use our California Legal Forms database if you just happened to misplace one of your state forms, need to review the instructions, or just browse through a list. To do this:

1. Go to the SFPL Home Page and select “Articles & Databases.” You will need a San Francisco Public Library card to access the databases from outside the Library.

2. Under the Categories side bar on the left, select "Government" then “California Legal Forms."

3. Select either "categories" or "titles" and enter a keyword or phrase such as "income statement" into the search box:

4. From your search results, you will find a series of forms based on your keywords:

5. Selecting any of these links will open up these forms in the PDF format.

The California Legal Forms database contains thousands of printable legal forms for personal, business, real estate, litigation, and federal purposes. Browse or search through a list of categories ranging from adoption and banking to small businesses and wills. Don't forget you can also obtain more tax information on the 5th floor of the Main Library, Government Information Center. Happy Tax Time!

Are You Using Databases Yet?

Libraries bridge time in a variety of ways. Library collections are a bridge to our past and our future. Collections in the Children's, Teen, and Adult departments bridge the span of our reading lives. Libraries also provide information resources for the span of research skills that patrons enjoy using.

To provide resources in a variety of formats, the library offers similar information in multiple formats, each format having different and unique strengths. An example of this in the Magazines and Newspapers Center is the provision of both print and database reference sources.

Are you using these databases? You can see a complete list of databases that the library provides by going to Articles and Databases from the library's Web site.

There are a variety of ways to explore and learn how to use a database at the library. You can explore on your own through the Web site. You can work with a reference librarian at the reference desk. You can also come to one of the library's free training classes.

As you learn more about using databases, you will discover some advantages to finding information this way. Databases provide the ability to quickly search for information in multiple sources and then show results in ways that can be manipulated. Information can often be printed, saved to a storage device, or e-mailed to you. Looking at database results also gives you feedback on how you are asking your original question and how you might change the wording of your question to get more precise answers.

If you have a question that you want to answer, the library probably subscribes to a database that will be of interest to you. Databases provide another important method to give you the information that you want. There has never been a better time to explore them.

A History of San Francisco's Tenderloin District

St. Ann's Valley

The Magazines and Newspapers Center will present a program—A History of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District--hosted by Peter Field, City Guide leader of many popular walking tours through the Tenderloin.

Join San Francisco City Guide Peter Field, leader of many popular walking tours through the Tenderloin, for a slide show tracing the colorful, seldom-explored history of the district.

Known to early San Franciscans as St. Ann’s Valley, this once-placid piece of real estate provides us with a fascinating microcosm of urban history as we follow its turbulent passage from quiet respectability to entertainment center to vice-ridden “mean streets,” to its present reinvention of itself as a restaurant district.

Mr. Field worked in the Tenderloin as a community mental health worker for more than a decade, and has since spent several years researching its history and volunteering with San Francisco City Guides.

- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Koret Auditorium
- Event Date and Time: Saturday, April 4 (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

ABCs of Digital Scanning

MICROFORM

Digital scanning is an increasingly popular means of capturing images and text. The San Francisco Public Library offers multiple media scanning options. Let the Magazines and Newspapers Center staff introduce youto high resolution microform scanning.

In this one-hour session, we will demonstrate how to read, scan, and capture historical microfilm and microfiche images from our microform newspaper and periodical collection. You will also learn how to edit, save, e-mail, and print digital images in the format of your choice.

- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Fifth Floor, Magazines & Newspapers Center, Microfilm Room
- Event Date and Time: Monday, March 30, 2009 (Noon - 1 p.m.)

All programs at the Library are free.

Current issue of Consumer Reports now available through SFPL databases

You can now see the most current edition of Consumer Reports online by using the Library's InfoTrac OneFile and EBSCOHost Magazines databases. Previously, one could not use these databases to view the most current issues within a 90 day time frame.

Both of the databases provide scanned pdf files so that all of the illustrations and graphs are included - everything you would see if you picked up a paper copy.

If you would like to view this magazine but are not sure how to access it, please come by the Magazines and Newspapers Center information desk or email us at magazinesnewspapers@sfpl.org, and we will be happy to guide you.

Finding Magazines Through Google Book Search

One of Google's longstanding missions has been "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." In a blog post from the Official Google Blog, Google has expanded its Google Book Search to incorporate magazine articles into this specialized online collection. Some titles include Ebony, New York Magazine, Popular Science, Vegetarian Times, and more.

To search specifically for articles from magazines, access the Advanced Book Search page and limit your search to magazines:

Once you find a title, you can explore the individual issues withing a specific set of years, click on any given cover, browse through the contents just as you would if you had the magazine in your hands, and peruse the magazine page by page, search through a specific issue, and more. While this collection is not complete, Google plans to add more digitized images to this archive as time goes on.

Remember that if you cannot find a specific magazine or issue, you can still rely on the Magazines & Newspapers Center, and we'll be happy to help you.

A Radical Struggle for Education

Photo courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

The 1960s marked a time of radical change, and many student-led movements in academic institutions for a culturally relevant curriculum gave birth to what we know today as Ethnic Studies. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Third World Student Strike (Note: This link leads to a video) at San Francisco State University (formerly known as San Francisco State College). In 1969, the College of Ethnic Studies was born from that historical struggle.

Amerasia Journal, Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies, Journal of African American Studies, and Latin American Perspectives represent some of the scholarly publications from various ethnic minority groups in our collection here at the Magazines & Newspapers Center:

Amerasia Journal - A leading (and oldest published) academic disciplinary journal in the Asian American Studies field, this academic journal includes articles discussing culture and literature of displacement, mixed-race identities, and examination of memories of war.

Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies - An interdisciplinary journal dedicated to scholarly research relevant to or informed by the Chicano experience. Includes submissions from the humanities, social sciences, and the arts. Renowned as a "vanguard for over 35 years," this journal brings Chicano Studies into "critical dialogue with Latino, ethnic, American, and global studies."

Journal of African American Studies - A peer-reviewed quarterly journal that publishes theoretical, empirical, and sociological research on people of African descent, serving as a multidisciplinary forum for social scientists engaged in the analysis of the struggles and triumphs of Black males.

Latin American Perspectives - A scholarly journal that offers "extensive, well-researched, and annotated articles that discuss a single topic of pressing importance in Latin America." Features critical issues relating to capitalism, imperialism, and socialism as they affect individuals, societies, and nations.

The late 1960s certainly marked a time of radical change for higher education as evidenced by the scholarly research that continues to prevail in the aforementioned journals.

Furthermore, to commemorate the struggles and efforts in the spirit of the Civil Rights movement, be sure to check out the San Francisco Black Panther Party exhibition featuring "photos, newspapers and memorabilia that explore the personal and historical significance . . . in 1968 in the Fillmore district." This exhibition runs till March 12, 2009 in the Main Library, third floor, African American Center.

Lincoln Lore

He is immortalized on copper pennies and five-dollar bills. He sits at the west end of the National Mall in Washington D.C. We honor him every year on the third Monday in February. This former president of the United States is none other than Abraham Lincoln--the 16th president of the United States who led American soldiers of the Union through the Civil War.

This month, in honor of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birthday, the Magazines & Newspapers Center highlights Lincoln Lore, a bulletin published by the The Lincoln Museum. The editors of this quarterly publication seek to "interpret and preserve the history and legacy of Abraham Lincoln through research, conservation, exhibitry, and education."

Each issue features researched and reflective articles on different aspects of Lincoln's life during his presidency, interviews with historians and writers, vintage photographs, special exhibitions, conferences, and more.

Furthermore, be sure to check out the national traveling exhibition--"Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times"--at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library which runs from February 5 to March 5. This exhibition is organized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The Library will also be presenting related lectures, documentaries, and book readings. Stay tuned for upcoming events throughout the month of February and March.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

ABCs of Digital Scanning

Digital scanning is an increasingly popular means of capturing images and text. The San Francisco Public Library offers a range of scanning options. Let the Herb Caen Magazines & Newspapers Center staff introduce you to high resolution microform and flatbed scanning.

In this one-hour session for beginners, you will learn:

How to read, scan and capture images from our microfilm, microfiche and periodicals collection.

How to edit, save, e-mail, and print digital images in the format of your choice.

- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Fifth Floor,
Magazines & Newspapers Center, Microfilm Room
- Event Date and Time: Monday, February 23, 2009 (Noon - 1 p.m.)

Reminder: Blog Survey Ends February 16

Just a reminder to ask you to please take our blog survey when you have a spare minute or two. Again, your responses will help us determine the focus and viability of this blog.

http://tinyurl.com/c9gd6x

Thanks!

Censored 2009

On Saturday, February 7, 2009, the Magazines and Newspapers Center will present a program on some of the outstanding censored stories of 2007-2008.

Join the Project Censored (www.projectcensored.org) media research staff and faculty for a special presentation and discussion on top censored stories of 2007-2008. Learn about news stories that have been distorted, ignored and suppressed by the mainstream press. Find out what your media is missing and why accountability matters.

Project Censored, a Sonoma State University-based media research program composed of faculty, students, and community members, “conducts research on important national news stories that are under-reported, ignored, misrepresented or otherwise censored by the U. S. corporate media.”

CENSORED 2009—a compilation of top censored stories by investigative researchers, reporters, journalists, and first amendment advocates—reports “the news that didn’t make the News.” A book signing will follow the presentation.

- Address: 100 Larkin St. (at Grove)
- Location: Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Room
- Event Date and Time: Saturday, February 7, 2009 (10:30 a.m. to noon)

Take our Blog Survey!

Please take a few moments to take our survey, which can be found by following this link:

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As this blog is a relatively new service tool for us, it is *vital* that we hear your feedback. (Especially if you enjoy reading it . . .)

EARLY SF NEWSPAPERS - CALIFORNIA STAR

FIRST IN A SERIES

The Magazines and Newspapers Center of the San Francisco Public Library offers a wealth of archived historical evidence tracing the tumultuous saga of our city – as told in the rough-and-tumble newspapers of the era – in our microfilm collection on the fifth floor.

The living legacy found in the early newspapers of San Francisco provides a one-of-a kind contemporary written record of the origins and development of a city that made itself great, as well as the settlements of Northern California and the entire Bay Area community. These roaring, rousing, and often opinionated publications documented the partisan zeal, political corruption, political demagoguery, lurid headlines, defamatory editorials, partisan feuds, moralistic essays, slanted sermons, heroic tales, stubborn individualism, proud independence, patriotic fervor, and oftentimes libelous pronouncements that galvanized readers and influenced public opinion and civic direction. San Francisco and the gold mines were a point of entry for men and material, a clash of moralities old and new – and the financial center of a rapidly acquired - and very vast, wealth.

Based in Monterey in August 1846, THE CALIFORNIAN claimed the title of being the first California newspaper, yet THE CALIFORNIAN (after relocating in May 1847) became just the second paper published in the village of Yerba Buena.

The first paper in San Francisco was the Sam Brannan-owned CALIFORNIA STAR (published 1847-1848), self-described in the April 1, 1848 issue as “a weekly journal, devoted to the liberties and interests of the people of California, published by Samuel Brannan and edited by Edward C. Kemble.” Brannan and a group of Mormon settlers had arrived in Yerba Buena (now San Francisco) in 1846 with the city’s first printing press, setting up shop on Clay Street, upstairs from a mule-powered grist mill. Kemble had accompanied the Brannan party voyage to Yerba Buena on board the Brooklyn (six months out of New York) on July 31, 1846, and became the (18-year old) boy editor. Brannan and Kemble began their modest enterprise with a No. 4 Washington press Star printing machine. According to Kemble,

“The name of the intended paper had been cut in wood six months before in the city of New York. We had half a dozen pairs of cases of old Long Primer and Brevier type, and two or three small fonts of job type. These, with the press, were set up in the loft of the mill, and the first printing office on the Bay of San Francisco was ready for business.”

The weekly STAR debuted on January 9, 1847. The January 23 and 30 issues of 1847 ran the military government order proclaiming San Francisco as the town name, replacing thereafter Yerba Buena

"....in all official communications and public documents or records appertaining to the town...."

The January 16, 1847 issue of the STAR detailed the still-unfolding story of

"...a party of emigrants from the United States, who were prevented from crossing the mountains by an early fall of snow...."

The ill-fated travelers, it was revealed on February 13, had traveled overland from the Missouri River, and,

"…After wandering about a number of days bewildered in the snow, their provisions gave out…..”

These first accounts of the Donner party ran even as San Franciscans frantically raised money to purchase supplies for the proposed rescue of the unlucky group of settlers, trapped in the Sierra snows.

The CALIFORNIA STAR attempted a census of the “Statistics of San Francisco” in the August 28th, 1847 edition. Besides noting a total population of 459 hardy souls living in “the town of San Francisco (Yerba Buena),” the STAR described the ethnicity of inhabitants, as well as their occupations (including 26 carpenters, 20 laborers, 13 clerks, 11 agriculturalists, 4 tailors, and 6 printers). The STAR census also mentioned that

"...there are two weekly newspapers printed in this place....THE CALIFORNIA STAR and THE CALIFORNIAN....and though of small size they are deserving of the support and confidence of the community. They are both printed in English with an occasional article and advertisement in Spanish."

News traveled slowly en route to and from Alta California; San Francisco readers waited weeks to learn of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the end of the war with Mexico, and the annexation of California by the United States Government. The STAR was one of the first in San Francisco to fleetingly report on the discovery of gold in California (some two months after it was first found along the American River). On March 25, 1848, the CALIFORNIA STAR reported in a rather obtuse fashion,

“….So great is the quantity of gold taken from the mine recently found at New Helvetia that it has become an article of traffic in that vicinity….”

The short-lived STAR ran a Marine Journal each week, listing Port of San Francisco arrivals and departures. The STAR booster edition (or “Express Extra”) comprised an overland shipment of some 2500 copies, carried by mule train to the Mississippi Valley – a vivid and effective method of attracting settlers from the East – with a first edition date of April 1, 1848. This title ceased publication with the June 14, 1848 issue – after editor Elbert. P. Jones found himself without a staff; the erstwhile members of his newspaper office crew had unceremoniously abandoned journalism for a try at the gold fields. Some months later, Sam Brannan sold his interest in the by-then idle CALIFORNIA STAR. Purchased initially by Robert Semple, the STAR was later combined with rival paper THE CALIFORNIAN in 1849. Publisher, editor, compositor, and printer Edward C. Kemble (Sam Brannan’s former partner) added two new investors and renamed his property the ALTA CALIFORNIA.

Awaiting the 44th Presidential Inauguration

There's been quite a buzz lately about the upcoming Presidential Inauguration for President-Elect Barack Obama. With the recent debates surrounding Obama's decision to invite Pastor Rick Warren as a guest speaker to the inauguration, there's been a flurry of news on the media. So how do you keep up with the latest developing stories?

First, check out our selection of article databases. From this page, you'll find an assortment of periodical databases covering various topics. While the Proquest Newspapers database covers news articles from over 300 national and international news sources, you might want to explore news stories from non-print formats as well.

For example, slide down the list to EbscoHost Newspaper Source:

You will need a San Francisco Public Library card to access this database from outside the Library. Next, under Advanced Search, notice that in addition to limiting your search to newspapers and magazines, you can pull up news stories from transcripts and news wires. Let's run a search with the keywords "Obama" and "Rick Warren."

Notice the lower-right hand of the screen. You can limit your search to alternative formats such as news wires and transcripts:


After running your search, you will retrieve a series of results from sources such as CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and more. Select any link from your search results, and you can read the entire transcript of the audio/video news clip as it had originally aired.

The EbscoHost Newspaper Source database covers a wide range of news from over 180 newspapers including full-text transcripts from the radio and television.

Finally, come watch a special viewing of the Presidential Inauguration on Tuesday, January, 20 starting at 9 a.m. in the Koret Auditorium of the Main Library. Tickets for this program can be obtained in advance from the General Collections Reference Desk located on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library. Doors will open at 8:45 A.M. to patrons who already have tickets. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis after 9 A.M. This special program is co-sponsored by the African American Center.

Turbo Charge Your Library Card

In a past posting, we introduced 52 ways for you to use your library card. Now that the new year has arrived, you may wish to try out some or all of these 52 activities throughout each week of the year. Don't have a library card yet? The San Francisco Public Library aims to provide equal access to information and has recently launched its virtual eCard. Any California resident can apply for an eCard online, and from there, explore the library's electronic resources which include perusing many periodicals from the Magazines & Newspapers Center online through subscription databases, reading and listening to eBooks and eAudiobooks, and much more.

If you would like to reserve and check out books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and other library materials, you will need to upgrade to a full-access library card. Just bring a photo ID and proof of your current residential address to any San Francisco Public Library location. For more information on registering online for an eCard, check our FAQ.

Finding Good, Inexpensive Wines

There are many tricks to finding a good wine. If you find that you enjoy wine writing "almost" as much as wine drinking, one way to achieve this is to follow a critic whose preferred tastes seem to go along with your own. The Library has many titles for you to explore including the California Grapevine, Decanter, Wine Advocate, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator.

Each of these will have ratings and point systems, often for some pretty pricey wine. They will also occasionally have reviews on "best buy" wines, but there is one publication, Wine Discoveries, that should appeal to folks who want to read about wine that won't be breaking the bank. Started in El Cerrito in 1977, Wine Discoveries described itself as "the guide to exceptional wines under four dollars" (now the price limit is "...under eight dollars"). This newsletter provides concise reviews of generally recommended reds and whites and then often has two special sections that concentrate on a specific varietal or region. Each entry has tasting notes, a range of prices that the wines have been offered for, and (especially helpful) at which Bay Area vendor/s the wine can be found.

For a thought-provoking article regarding the quality of wines along the price gradient, check out Dan Berger's "Wine Ancient and Modern" in the Commentary section of the October-November 2008 issue of California Grapevine. His conclusion that some "Tuesday" night (read: cheaper) wines are often more structurally sound than many of the higher price offerings may intrigue you.

Online Life Photo Archive

In a previous post, we highlighted some magazines whose covers you can peruse and view directly on the Web. According to a recent New York Times article, Google's Image Search acquired over 10 million photos from Life Magazine--a searchable treasure trove for the connoisseur of quality photojournalism.

Life Magazine, noted for its chronicling of diverse aspects of American life, provides a nice pastiche of aesthetic and stunning photographs from all walks of life. In this online archive--enhanced with Google's image search technology--you can now search for images of people, places, and events from America's past.

According to Google's description:

"Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive, stretching from the 1750s to today. Most were never published and are now available for the first time through the joint work of LIFE and Google."

To read this article from the New York Times or to explore old issues of Life Magazine, feel free to drop by the Magazines & Newspapers Center, and we'll be happy to help you get your hands on the physical copies of these periodicals.

Our Universal Human Rights

Photo courtesy of San Francisco History Center, San Franciso Public Library

Did you know you have the right to live a life of leisure, participate in the cultural life of your community, and not be subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment? On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted what is known today as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document written in 337 languages outlining basic rights to which every human being is entitled.

If you are curious about the historical context in which this document was written, the participants involved with its creation, and additional information, try exploring the History Resource Center: World by following these instructions:

1. Go to the SFPL Home Page and select “Articles & Databases.” You will need a San Francisco Public Library card to access the databases from outside the Library.

2. Under the Categories side bar on the left, select "History & Genealogy" then “History Resource Center: World.”

3. In the basic search box, enter "universal human rights."

4. The first result, an article from the DISCovering World History, provides an overview of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its impact on the world.

The History Resource Center: World, an online global collection of human history, covers over 4,900 years of the past. This database incorporates "secondary sources, primary sources, and full-text articles from academic journals and periodicals from around the world."

Furthermore, in light of the controversial social debates surrounding Proposition 8 on banning same-sex marriages, be sure to check out Geoff Callan's recent award-winning documentary "Pursuit of Equality."

Finally, in honor of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Center at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library currently has an exhibit commemorating the 60th anniversary of this momentous and historical declaration.