Discover Your New Favorite TV Show at the Library

By Joyce

We all know the most popular TV shows to watch during this pandemic. They include hits such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and The Office.

However, there are many shows that might not be on the top 10 list, but are definitely worth watching. Here are my picks that you'll be able to borrow from our library.

The Wire: This series follows a joint homicide/narcotics police detail to investigate a drug-dealing operation.

Boardwalk Empire: The birth and rise of organized crime in Prohibition-era Atlantic City.

Downton Abbey: A sprawling, lavish Edwardian mansion nestled in the Yorkshire landscape.It focuses on the lives of the Crowley family and the servants of the estate.

Homeland: A psychological thriller that tells the story of Carrie Mathison.

Dexter: When blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan is not out solving murders, he spends his time as a serial killer who eliminates those who do bad things.

Ugly Betty: Smart but wholesome Betty embraces her unique appearance and independent attitude in the cutthroat world of New York City.

Deadwood: This series focuses on the birth of a frontier town and the power struggle between its just and unjust inhabitants.

Last Detective: "Dangerous" Davies is one offbeat flatfoot who takes the stuff at the bottom of the pile-the cases nobody wants. Davies and good friend Mod help unfold events that usually end up in disaster, but still manage to nab their man.

Doc Martin: A brilliant and socially awkward and neurotic Doctor who develops an aversion to blood.

Revenge: Wealth, beauty and status define the people in this town, but one woman is willing to destroy everyone for the sake of revenge.

DVDs circulate for one week and can be renewed. Happy watching! 

Treasure Hunting 2020

By John

Want something to do that involves the outdoors, a bit of a mystery, travel to new locales and which won’t break social distancing guidelines? Welcome to geocaching!

At its heart this fun activity involves you, a GPS or phone app, your keen eye and wits.

Geocaching players hide caches all over the world from Concord, NH to South Korea. Though they have since been discontinued, even NHTI had several on campus many years ago. The caches are generally waterproof Tupperware containers that hold a log book, paper or pen and maybe some swag (small toys, ornamental buttons, or coins). To play, merely travel to the website. There you can search a map for nearby cache locations, download coordinates into a handheld GPS or phone app, read the description, read the hint if you need a little help and set off to find the hidden treasure. Many of the caches are located in state parks, off wooded city trails and along hiking paths so be sure to dress appropriately. The GPS coordinates will get you close but its your wits and sharp eye that bring you to the prize. Geocachers are clever with their hiding spots – the end of a hollowed log covered by leaves, beneath a large rock, or pushed under that toppled tree. Once you have the container in hand you generally sign the log book. If there are treasures it is ok to take one though you should leave a little something in return. In today’s COVID-19 climate it is acceptable just to have the personal satisfaction of finding the well-hidden treasure box if you didn’t wish to sign the log or trade a treasure. Once done you place the box back as you found it for the next hunter.

That is the description of the traditional geocache. There are many different types to keep you entertained. Examples include:

• multi-caches - one cache leads you to another and that one to another until you find the final treasure box
• mystery-puzzle cache - you must solve a puzzle to receive the coordinates
• moving caches - each person who finds the cache re-hides it in a new location and updates the coordinates.

Among the swag you may find a travel bug. This is a special item that someone placed in a cache with the sole purpose of having it move from cache to cache. Each geocacher who finds the item will move it to another cache and log it on the website. That way the owner of the travel bug can watch its progress. Once upon a time, I launched a travel bug and asked that it travel the world. This is how a poor and humble Gumby went from Maine, to Oregon, to Utah, to Norway, Latvia, the Netherlands, Belgium and France with many stops in between.

Hopefully I have piqued your interest in a fun way to spend an afternoon outdoors solo or with your family. It won’t be long until you take your explorations out of your home turf and start to explore other parts the state and country. To learn more, check out the geocaching website or page through one of these books from our collection: 

• Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS
• The Joy of Geocaching: How to Find Health, Happiness and Creative Energy Through a Worldwide Treasure Hunt

NHTI Community eBooks - August 2020

More eBooks?!

Absolutely! This fall we’re going to pilot a new program. Basically, the Library will add three new titles to our eBook collection each month which promote innovation, awareness, exploration, and learning. 

You can browse through this month's list of eBook titles below. 

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Best Practices in Designing Courses with Open Educational Resources 

by Olena Zhadko and Susan Schor Ko

Click here to read the Library's copy

Best Practices in Designing Courses with Open Educational Resources is a practical guide that assists faculty and institutions looking to adopt and implement open educational resources (OER) and to foster meaningful, effective learning experiences through the course design process. Chapters loaded with tips, case examples, and guidance from practitioners advise readers through each step necessary for sustainable OER initiatives, from preliminary planning and course redesign through teaching, learning, and faculty development. Written by two authors with direct experience in training higher education professionals to use OER, this is a comprehensive resource for faculty, instructional designers, course developers, librarians, information technologists, and administrators hoping to rethink and refresh their curricula by moving beyond traditional textbooks. An authors'website expands the book with resources, templates, and examples of implementation models, including faculty development workshop OER materials that can be adopted by readers.

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Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 

by David Epstein

Click here to read the Library's copy

Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you'll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world's top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule. David Epstein examined the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They're also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can't see. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.

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Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, & Identity 

by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi

Click here to read the Library's copy

In this deeply inspiring book, Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi recount their experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity on a cross-country tour of America. Spurred by the realization that they had nearly completed high school without hearing any substantive discussion about racism in school, the two young women deferred college admission for a year to collect first-person accounts of how racism plays out in this country every day--and often in unexpected ways. In Tell Me Who You Are, Guo and Vulchi reveal the lines that separate us based on race or other perceived differences and how telling our stories--and listening deeply to the stories of others--are the first and most crucial steps we can take towards negating racial inequity in our culture. Featuring interviews with over 150 Americans accompanied by their photographs, this intimate toolkit also offers a deep examination of the seeds of racism and strategies for effecting change.This groundbreaking book will inspire readers to join Guo and Vulchi in imagining an America in which we can fully understand and appreciate who we are.

For the birds!

by Claudia Wason

One day, while walking across campus, a bald eagle flew much lower than they normally do, circling several times before flying off toward the river. I looked around to see if anyone else had been fortunate enough to share a glimpse of this majestic bird. Several people were walking nearby, but each one had their eyes on their phones. A feeling of well-being from this brief but spectacular view of the natural world stayed with me for several days. 

During this stressful time, even a short escape into the natural world can greatly reduce anxiety and stress. I’ve learned where to walk in my neighborhood in order to be accompanied by a chorus of birdsong. A walk with music provided by an avian choir leaves me feeling refreshed and renewed. If you normally walk with your phone in hand, try leaving it at home or in your pocket. Perhaps, like me, you’ll find joy in watching and listening to the very social black-capped chickadees.

Whether you are new to birdwatching or have been enjoying the our feathered friends for years, the Library has great resources to help you learn more about birds near you.

Birds & Blooms

The August/September issue of Birds & Blooms magazine is available online through Flipster. Check out the lovely stellar jay on the cover of the current issue or look through the back issues! This magazine not only has great articles and photos of birds, but it includes tips for planting gardens that will attract birds and butterflies. 

The Flipster database can be found about halfway down the Library: Research & Resources page.

 

Films on Demand

One of my favorite databases has great full length and film segments, such as Counting on Birds: Tales of Migration—Counting on Birds Full Video (56:28). 

Description: “More than a century ago, ornithologist Frank Chapman redirected a Christmas-time tradition of revelers shooting birds to a new holiday recreation: counting birds instead. Now join the annual bird count, the longest-running wildlife census in the world. Distributed by PBS Distribution.” Join host Willem Lange, as he starts out in New Hampshire and travels to Maine, Ecuador, and Cuba to follow migrating birds. 

Films on Demand can be accessed through the Library's databases page. 

Books

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Songs by Les Beletsky – A traditional book with built-in audio! 

Description from Amazon: “Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds, including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker, with lavish full-color illustrations and accompanied by their corresponding songs and calls. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs…”

Birding by Ear a Peterson Guide 

Description: Designed to help listeners recognize birds of eastern and central North America by their songs and calls. Points out exactly what to listen for to tell one bird from another.

Bird Song Ear Training Guide by John Feith 

Description: “A guide for anyone who wishes to improve their ability to recognize bird songs. Featuring 189 species found in the midwest and northeast states, each bird song recording is followed by a short description along with a common mnemonic used to remember it.”

Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont: Field Guide by Stan Tekiela

Description: “This book features 130 species of New Hampshire and Vermont birds, organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don't know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Fact-filled information, a compare feature, range maps and detailed photographs help to ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.”

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman 

Description: "Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. In fact, according to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. Like humans, many birds have enormous brains relative to their size. Although small, bird brains are packed with neurons that allow them to punch well above their weight. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores the newly discovered brilliance of birds and how it came about."-- provided by publisher.

Bird-Watcher's Bible: A Complete Treasury--Science, Know-how, Beauty, Lore by Jonathan Alderfer [et al.] 

Description from publisher: “A lighthearted and broadly cultural and visual approach to learning everything there is to know about birds, bird-watching, birds in history and the arts, and life on the wing. Short narrative pieces are interspersed with sidebars, quotes, top-ten lists, and how-to instructions. Illustrated with photographs, contemporary and archival art, maps, and diagrams, the book has lots of cross-references and riches to find on every page...”

More birding resources:

• NH Audubon
• Nature trails, guide to birdwatching basics, information about native birds, and much, much more!
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Information about birds, bird identification help, bird songs, and all other things for the birds!

Looking for something else? We are here to help! Contact us via the Chat box during our regular hours, via email, or call (603) 230-4028!

Happy birding!

Do You Know About Career Coach?

NHTI – Concord’s Community College has access to an online program called Career Coach. This program is a great way to discover majors and in-demand careers and education based on your interests. A lot of students begin their college career knowing the exact field and profession they want to enter, however, a good portion of students don’t, and that’s okay! Career Coach is here to help and this is how it works:

1. Start by taking a career assessment. There are two versions you can take: a short 6-question version, or a more detailed 60-question version. These questions will ask you about your interests-- whether you’re more of a leader, if you like working in areas of biology or mathematics, and so on. This is a great resource to really make you think about what you like to do and might enjoy doing as part of your career. Once you’ve answered all the questions, your results will include your top personality traits and which career fields you best match up with. Don’t worry if your suggested career fields seem out in left field! These results are meant to give you some career choices to think over and dig deeper into before making a full commitment. Remember, college is a time to explore your interests and NHTI offers dozens of classes in various subjects, try some out!

2. Next, browse some careers. Maybe you already have an idea in mind for your future career, or you’re really interested in a topic area but have no idea how to turn that into a career. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Career Coach has a section where you can browse through careers in various topics areas like education, law, government, and so on. Did you know you can do so much more with a criminal justice degree than become a police officer? Scroll through some of the career fields and see if you find anything that might interest you.

3. Try browsing some of the programs. So you’ve decided you really like the medical field but don’t really know where in that field you would like to work. Career Coach allows you to browse through all the programs that are offered at NHTI. Did you know we have a Rad Tech program? What about Nursing? Maybe you’re interested in more of the business side of the medical field? This section breaks down the various programs into groups so you can easily work your way through each program to determine which is the best fit for you.

4. Are you a Veteran? Career Coach provides a great resource to help match a civilian job with the skills you learn while serving the United State’s military. Did you spend a lot of times with computers, learning various programs and how to develop programs? A career in IT might be the perfect fit for you! This tool can be an excellent resource if you are looking to make a transition into a new career, or continue expanding upon an area you’ve already qualified in based on your years of service.

5. You can also build your resume! What does a good resume look like? How many pages should it be and what font should you use? Do you include your experience in high school or not? Resume building tends to be the area people need the most help because you just never really know what a future employer might want to see. This resource will walk you through adding your experience, education and skills to a comprehensive document that can be sent to hiring officials. Plus, once you’ve built your resume once, you only need to tweak it with each new experience and skill you gain-- that’s awesome!

The main point to take away from this is to not be intimidated because there is plenty of help to go around. You don’t have to have it all figured out on day one of your college career. Try a new class or check out a program you never thought you would be interested in. Career Coach is here to help you figure out who you want to be and what you want to do with your life, so give it a try!