JCLC--The Reader, Winter 2001-2002

	Click on a Book ... an eBook
	by Mary Stewart, Birmingham Public Library, Catalog Department If you think a book is a collection of printed sheets of paper fastened together along one side, think again! In the past few years the concept of what a book is has rocketed into cyberspace. Known popularly as eBooks, these new electronic books are actually online presentations of familiar subjects – novels, how-to-do-it manuals, reference books, and almost anything that you might expect to find on the shelves of a library or a bookstore. In addition to being convenient and easy to use, they add a new dimension to how you can use the library. To see books available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, use your personal computer and your Internet provider. Once you are online, go to www.jclc.org and click on the netLibrary logo. From here you will be able to choose from almost 500 eBooks to browse, check out, or read online. The JCLC book collection has over 200 *Cliffs Notes* of literary classics and 261 general adult reference works. The reference books cover a variety of subjects such as legal self-help, health matters, literary resources, dictionaries, and government information. They can help you fill in the blanks with last-minute homework, look up published and authoritative information, or introduce you to new books on popular topics. In addition to current popular titles, you will have access to the *American Heritage* Dictionary and also to online public domain titles, such as Shakespeare’s plays. In netLibrary’s collection each eBook is an exact electronic version of the paper book. The interactive tables of contents and indexes allow you to navigate through the books to locate needed information, skim the pages, and zero in on the topic you are searching. You can print page by page or copy and paste only the parts you need. You can browse an eBook for 15 minutes or check it out for 24 hours. When the 24-hour checkout period is over, the book is automatically checked in for you. No late fines or fees, no overdue notices, and no late-night dash to the book drop. All you need is a personal computer with Internet access. The JCLC eBook Online Collection is found in the library catalog and through the JCLC Web site. You can check out the eBooks at any time of the day or night without coming into a library. To use the eBook collection, follow the instructions to create an account. Then browse through the collection or search for a specific title, author, or subject. It is easy, fast, and convenient. Give it a click!

	An Interview with Betsey Green Alabama Author
	Tell us a little bit about your background? I was born in Salt Lake, but my parents moved shortly thereafter to Birmingham where my father went to medical school at UAB. I have always loved to read and to write. Several years ago I started writing short stories about my Mom, who died young, and sent them to my family as Christmas gifts. About three years ago, my aunt told me that if I could find a way to channel the passion I felt for my mother into another form of writing that I might be able to get something published. When did you start writing seriously and how did you break into the ranks of published novelist? That idea planted itself in my mind and started to grow. When I finally decided to give writing a book a try, my first decision was to find the market I wanted to write in. As a life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have strong Christian values. So I decided to try religious fiction. At first I considered writing a non-denominational type book, but realized that I could make a book about Mormon characters more realistic since that’s what I am and what I know. What is your book about? What gave you the idea? My book is titled Hearts in Hiding and was published May by Covenant. I created a small town in southern Georgia that closely resembled my father’s hometown of Headland. I think many people from other parts of the country have a lot of misconceptions about Southerners. I wanted to show the genteel and refined side of Southern womanhood. I have since submitted another book, named ‘Never Look Back’, which will be released in February or March of next year.
	Interview conducted by Leslie West, Bessemer Public Library

Dial
A
Story
Telephone
Need a quick, pick me up? Check out the Dial-A-Story for a wonderful new story each week.
Call (205) 226-3650

Southern Voices 2002
Mark your calendar!
February 22, 23 & 24
Southern Voices Conference, 10th reunion.
"The Circle is Unbroken"
A celebration of Southern writing, theater and art featuring more than 50 Southern Voices authors! Pat Conroy, Connie May Fowler, William Cobb, Jill McCorkle, Nanci Kincaid, Robert Morgan, Dori Sanders, Tony Earley, Lewis Nordan, Mike Stewart and many, many others. Also, enjoy the Alabama Troubadours, the greatest hits of singers/songwriters Karren Pell, Tommy Goldsmith and Tom House. Also featuring David Wilcox in concert.
Tickets on sale in January.

Call The Library Theatre Box Office at (205) 444-7888 for more information.

Look for the Read-In Chain in February 2002!

National African-American Read-In Chain

The African American Read-In-Chain will be celebrated at all Birmingham Public Libraries during the month of February. Please check the calendar of events in the next issue of the Reader.

National African-American Read-In Chain

READ-IN, REACH-OUT, READ-ON

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