Biography Reference Center

Can you identify these famous people?              

1-Born in Poland—female—physicist

2-Native American—Athlete—born in 1800s

3-Born in Denmark—Astronomer (He had a metal nose)—1500s

If you don’t know the answers (and even if you do), you should try the Biography Reference Center, one of the online database resources available for free from the Fresno County Public Library.

Looking for….?

Not every famous person has books written about them. Some people only get a paragraph in an encyclopedia, and others aren’t mentioned at all. With the Biography Reference Center, all you have to do is type in the name, and any articles on that person are only a click away.

How to Find a Doctor—Without Making Yourself Sick

Reference USA is a great resource for finding phone numbers and addresses, doing consumer research, and locating businesses you want to work with. But did you know it also gives you access to contact information for more than 855,000 physicians and dentists? Besides just tracking down addresses and phone numbers, you can look up doctors by specialty, medical school attended, or name of practice. This search, for example, finds dermatologists in Fresno County:

Using the “Custom Search” feature adds a lot of power to your search, letting you find doctors by specialty, gender, or zip code. Want more search tips and tricks? Give us a call at (559) 600-9699.

FCPL databases provide cardholders with a vast amount of accurate, free online information. This blog post is a part of a weekly series highlighting FCPL databases and is tagged with the blog tag “Resource of the Week.”

'Tis the Season . . .

Fresno County Public Library staff (including the WoW! Department) were excited to take part in several holiday events this year! 

Santa's Village 
Fresno’s Southwest Police Department hosted the 11th Annual Santa’s Village event in the FoodMaxx parking lot on Fresno Street. Librarians Mark Halvorsen and Xuemin Zhong were there for the festivities, handing out gift bags and library information to more than 200 families! Children attending received a stuffed bear and winter coat while taking in live holiday entertainment. And of course Mr. and Mrs. Claus showed up for the fun! 


West Fresno Family Resource Center Holiday Event

WoW! Librarians Terrance McArthur and Mark Halvorsen showcased their multiple talents at the West Fresno Family Resource Center Holiday Event December 16th. In addition to acting as emcee, Terrance made balloon animals, performed magic, and led a rousing rendition of Jingle Bells for the community. The event featured Polynesian dancers, pictures with Santa, and a toy give-away. 


Downtown Christmas Parade

Bentley, a WoW! car, and scores of library elves made their way through the Fulton Mall in this year's Downtown Fresno Christmas Parade. The parade also featured carol-themed floats, marchers, and a large crowd of spectators. 

A big thanks to all hosting organizations for letting the Library take part in the holiday cheer!

Veteran's Town Hall

Librarians Mark Berner and Richard Mann attended the Veterans Town Hall on December 16th in Clovis. The event's goal was to increase communication between local vets and the Fresno VA Medical Center. Dr. Wessel Meyer and Maurice Turner, Acting Director and Associate Director of the Central California VA Health Care System, gave information briefings. An open forum followed. 

As WoW!'s veteran's services specialist, Mark attends outreach events like these, networking with Fresno County veterans and their service providers. For more information about resources for vets, visit the Library's Veteran's Resources page or call us at (559) 600-9699.

How to Succeed in Business and Know What You’re Doing

Want to start your own business? Expand? Find trade journals and articles relevant to your field? The Fresno County Public Library offers the Small Business Reference Center, an online resource that can lead you through the ins and outs of starting and running a business or non-profit.

It’s in There!

The Small Business Reference Center has links to full-text copies of 30 guides from Nolo, a leader in business and legal publishing, dealing with everything from how to hire and manage employees to the world of business taxes. Additional articles and videos provide vital information that can mean the difference between success and bankruptcy.

The information you’ll find in the Small Business Reference Center comes from experts and professionals.

This is Not a Test . . .

Tests are a reality of life. Whether you’re starting a new career, preparing for college, or becoming a U.S. citizen, chances are there's a test involved somewhere in the process. Thankfully, the Fresno County Public Library offers test-preparation tools through Learning Express, a database you can access from our website.

Some useful tools Learning Express offers are:

• Employment Practice Tests: Take practice tests from a variety of fields such as cosmetology, law enforcement, teaching, and allied health.
• Adult Learning Center: Brush up on your math, reading, or writing skills; prepare to take the USCIS Naturalization test.
• College Prep Center: Prepare for college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT; take practice tests for your Advanced Placement Courses in a variety of subjects.

Thank you, Fresno Bee!

We would like to give a huge thank you to The Fresno Bee for its article highlighting the WithOut Walls Mobile Library in Friday’s paper, as well as the thumbs up staff received in the Bee’s opinion section on Saturday. Thank you Marc Benjamin, Bonhia Lee, Bethany Clough, and the Fresno Bee!

http://bit.ly/12kcuqY