Michael Crichton (1942 - 2008)

He gave us the Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man, the Great Train Robbery, Congo, and Jurassic Park. Michael Crichton, who excelled at combining great storytelling with science and science fiction, passed away on November 4, after a struggle with cancer. He touched many lives, both through his books and through the movies that were made from them.

For a peek into his life, there are many articles in the Biography Resource Center (library card needed if you click the link at home), and in case you want to revisit his books, here's a link to the list in the Sacramento Public Library catalog.

Try This @ Home: What Have I Read Lately?

There's a new feature in the library's catalog that many have been asking for. My Reading History is now available as an "opt-in" service. It saves a list of books you check out, beginning with the first item borrowed after you opt-in. Only you can see it - the list is not available to library staff. You can selectively delete individual titles or opt-out at any time - your choice.

My Reading History is off by default; to turn it on, click the "My Account" tab in the library's catalog, log in with your library card number and PIN, and look for the "My Reading History" button under the box containing your name.

With the new year just around the corner, and with book clubs and reading programs planning busily for spring and summer, My Reading History could become an easy way to remember books you liked or might want to recommend to others. It could also be a "feel-good" list - a trophy list - of reading accomplished (or movies watched, or books on CD listened to.)

Let us know how it works for you!

User Tools - Library Bookmarklet

Have you ever shopped for books online and wondered whether the library owns copies (before you plunk down your credit card)? John Udell has created a "library bookmarklet" that creates a button for your browser's Links toolbar. The bookmarklet button gives you one-click access to your library's catalog from any screen that includes an isbn, including pages from bookstores like Amazon.com, Bookfinder.com, etc. If the library has the book, you should see the catalog listing and be able to request it with your library card number.

Here is the Bookmarklet for Sacramento Public Library:

Find at SPL

Drag the link to your links toolbar, or right-click, select "add to favorites", click "yes" at the security warning, and save in "links". (If you have a long list of links, you can drag the bookmarklet to the top of the list or to the place you want it to stay on your links toolbar.)

Problems dragging your bookmarklet to the link toolbar? See this screencast.