Featured Database: Sanborn Historical Maps

The library subscribes to the Sanborn Historical Map collection featuring maps of Louisiana cities dating back as far as 1885. For Baton Rouge, you will find well over a hundred maps. The maps for Baton Rouge are dated May 1885, June 1891, May 1898, June 1903, April 1908, August 1911, August 1916, 1923, 1923-1947, 1923-May 1951. It is fascinating to see how our city has changed and grown over time.

Maps can be downloaded as PDF files, and are printable (just not for commercial purposes). On the database you can select the size of the viewing window, re-center maps and zoom in and out.

We also have a physical collection of historic Baton Rouge maps that are part of the Baton Rouge Room collection at the River Center Branch. To find out more about our map holdings please visit the Baton Rouge Room InfoGuide.

To access the maps you can go to EBRPL.com, then Online Databases, or go straight to the maps through the Sanborn links on this page. All you will need to access them is your library card.

Book Notes October Quiz

Book Notes is a monthly email newsletter written by Gerald Lively. If you would like to sign up for his newsletter please email him at geraldlively@cox.net Here is the October quiz from Book Notes:

You read the titles of literary works all the time, but do you understand what all the words mean and why the titles were chosen? Here’s a quiz that will test your title knowledge. The answers appear at the end of the newsletter.

1. What is the name of the thin man in Dashiell Hammett’s novel of the same name?

2. What is the purpose of the lottery Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery”?

3. Who is Charley in John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley?

4. Name the two cities in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities?

5. Who are the title characters in John Grisham’s novel The Brethren?

6. Name the title character in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

7. What are the dolls in Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls?

8. What is the source of the title of Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls?

9. Where does the title of William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies come from?

10. What does “wuthering” mean in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights?

11. In Robert Browning’s “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” what does “pied” mean?

12. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, what is the letter, and what does it stand for?

13. In Arthur Conan Doyles story “The Five Orange Pips,” what are “pips”?

14. What is “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” in George Bernard Shaw’s play of the same name?

15. In D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, who is her lover?

16. Name the title character in Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man?

17. What is the name of the title character in Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest?

18. What is the vacancy in J. K. Rowling’s new novel The Casual Vacancy?

19. In Nicholas Myers’ novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, what substance is the seven percent composed of?

20. In Neil White’s book In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, what is the sanctuary?

Want to see how you did? Head over to the answers on Book Notes Plus

National Geographic Magazine Archives

We’re excited to tell you about the National Geographic Magazine Archives library database that provides access to over 100 years of this popular journal. You can enjoy thousands of breathtaking photographs and articles. The archive begins with the very first issue published in October, 1888, and runs through to 1994. The issues are presented in their entirety including all articles and advertising.

You can search for articles by keyword, by subject, by country and by time period. There is also a separate search feature for just the amazing images.

When reading an issue, there are some useful viewing options, such as zooming in, full screen view, and you can also print articles. Another cool feature is that you can create an account and then save articles for viewing next time that you login. Don’t delay, head over to the National Geographic Magazine Archives! All you need is your library card.

Buying Books Through Overdrive

We all love Overdrive and having convenient access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks. Downloading them wherever you may be to your smartphone, computer or eBook reader.

Sometimes, when you are browsing our Overdrive catalog you’ll see a book you really want to read, but there is a waiting list. Well, if you decide you want the book right away, there is the option to buy it. You can enjoy the instant gratification of reading the book as well as the warm feeling in your belly knowing that you are helping the library too. This is also the case if you know you are going to buy a book, by getting to the bookseller through us rather than going straight to their site, you are supporting the library.

When you click the ‘Buy it Now’ link in Overdrive you will be redirected to a bookseller such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and independent book stores. You get to choose who you buy from. Then when you buy the book, a portion of the proceeds go back to the library, and every penny of that goes to allowing us to purchase more books for you and more copies of popular titles! It’s a win/win situation!

50th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis — a seminal event in US foreign relations and the hottest month of our Cold War with the USSR.

Foreign Policy magazine has created a site devoted to the Crisis with plenty of pictures and commentary — but the most interesting part is their Twitter feed.  The feed is chronicling the crisis in “real” time and so far has captured some of the tension generated when the world really was on the brink of nuclear war.

Zinio Digital Magazines

Want free access to over 100 200 popular magazine titles digitally? Well you have it! All you need is your library card. With Zinio you can subscribe to magazines and read them on your computer or on any mobile device. They look amazing on an iPad and other tablets.

Titles include Consumer Reports, Cosmopolitan, The Economist, Martha Stewart Living, Maxim, Mental Floss, National Geographic, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Shape….and the list goes on!

To find out more about our digital magazine service, visit our Zinio InfoGuide that shows you how to get set up and enjoying your digital magazines!

Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day

Time to get rid of those old hazardous materials and chemicals that pile up in the garage or in the back of cupboards!

Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day is Saturday, October 6.  This is only open to East Baton Rouge Parish residents and commercial waste is not allowed. Items accepted range from batteries and pesticides, to pool chemicals and tires. See the complete list of items accepted.

There are many places where you can recycle household hazardous materials year round. Looking for more information about recycling in Baton Rouge and who to contact? Head over to the Recycling Office website.