If none of these titles appeal to you, we have a couple dozen more that may be more to your taste. To get a full listing of cooking magazines at the San Francisco Public Library, follow these steps:
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Use Those Leftovers
If none of these titles appeal to you, we have a couple dozen more that may be more to your taste. To get a full listing of cooking magazines at the San Francisco Public Library, follow these steps:
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thanksgiving Family Reading
With Thanksgiving arriving just around the corner, the holidays are sure to sneak up on us without warning as we approach the end of 2008. Last year, we posted an entry about KidsInfo--an electronic resource for beginning researchers containing articles and reference content written specifically for children from kindergarten to 5th grade.
This year, we'll explore reading activities in which you and your children can explore through our NoveList K-8 database--a resource that provides book titles for elementary and middle-school aged children. To access this database:
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 “Student Resources” then select, “NoveList K-8.” Once you've accessed the database, you should see a search screen that looks like this:Notice that you can check off boxes underneath the search box to limit titles to a specific age group. Go ahead and check off "Younger Kids," enter "Thanksgiving" into the search box, and run the search. You should now see a list of book titles:
From the drop-down "Sort by" menu, you can re-order your list by author, date, popularity, and more. The left-hand "Narrow Results by" column allows you to explore other subject headings where you can refine your search. The tabs along the top lead to links on award-winning books, curricular materials, and other recommended books. You can click the "Check the San Francisco Public Library Catalog" link at the bottom to see whether or not the library actually owns the book for which you are searching.
Finally, if you want to indulge in some of your own personal reading interests, a while back, we highlighted the Novelist database in a separate post. So this Thanksgiving, sit back, enjoy a hearty meal with family and friends, and enjoy the pleasures of reading over the holiday.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Cast On at the Magazines & Newspapers Center
Are you interested in showering your friends and family with homemade gifts? Does your love for scarves and mittens put a strain on your accessories budget? Do you long to do something with your hands?


Interweave Knits is another quarterly magazine that features, alongside some patterns and
If you tho
If knitting's just not your thing, we have plenty of other titles to help you explore your creative side, and, as always, we at the Magazines and Newspapers Center are happy to help you match your interests to titles in our collection.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
After the SF Election 2008
In a previous post "Follow the Election 2008," we presented some periodicals that could help you make informed decisions on propositions, measures, elected officials, and other topics of political interest and intrigue. Now that the election polls have closed, commercials have gone off the air, flyers have stopped cramming your mailboxes, and the verbal mudslinging has ceased, you may have forgotten what you voted for.
Let's turn our attention to the San Francisco measures. Perhaps you forgot which propositions had recently passed and you already tossed out your voter booklet. Maybe you're curious about how many people voted for or against a San Francisco proposition. Or you just absolutely forgot what exactly the propositions were proposing. If any of these apply, check out the San Francisco Ballot Propositions Database.
If you remember the proposition title, number, or letter, enter in that information. If not, you can always enter a year and/or month to pull up a list of propositions for that time frame. (See below):
Let's try an example:
1. Go to the SFPL Home Page and select “SFPL-Created Research Tools.”
2. Under the “San Francisco Resources” category, select SF Ballot Propositions Database.”
3. Enter "2008" into the year box to pull up a list of recent San Francisco propositions.
You will see a table identifying the various propositions and their outcomes. Clicking on the ID number next to each proposition will retrieve more detailed information on the proposition summarizing the measure and its percentage of votes for and against the proposition.
Even better, if you want to access the original text of the proposition, click on "View the Voter Pamphlet" to pull up a PDF file.
The San Francisco Ballot Propositions Database, a repository of most (a few years are missing) ballot propositions dating back to 1907, contains complete proposition titles, summaries, vote counts, breakdown of vote counts (pass and fail), and more. The exact count of vote counts for the November 2008 election will be forthcoming once the results are finalized.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
ShopSmart
Want great bargains? Perfect gifts? Savings on practically everything? Then read ShopSmart!
Something new has landed on the Magazines & Newspapers Center shelf at the San Francisco Public Library. Its name is ShopSmart. A quick & easy unbiased guide published quarterly by Consumer Reports, strongly adhering to the motto, “No Hype + No Ads + Just Great Buys,” this magazine presents facts and advice based on expert research thoroughly tested by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
ShopSmart offer its readers news, list of dos & don’ts, new ideas, and the truth on all kinds of products and services that will help you make sound decisions and smart choices. Although geared primarily towards a female audience, males will also benefit from this easy-to-read, colorful descriptive buying guide, especially information on electronics, autos, home and yard products.
The magazine’s editor notes that “along with recommending what readers should buy, ShopSmart also suggests what they not buy,” which is unusual for most shopping magazines. You will learn the best companies to buy from and who really deserves your dollars. Hopefully in return, you will have acquired the “best for less.”
Special features include the following:
- products and buying secrets
- safety alerts
- recalls and tips
- causes & effects of purse-smart savvy regarding choosing the right charities for donations and contributions
- gasoline savings
- easy clutter solutions
- great holiday shopping sites
- and more
So ShopSmart readers, get ready to “Shop-till-you-drop!"