Monthly Archives: November 2010

Last year I posted about eReaders before the holidays. It was a confusing time, with lots of different eReaders and competing formats. If no one got the hint last year and bought you a reading gadget, well, things are just as confusing as ever. Here’s an update.

Did you know you can only borrow library titles on certain compatible devices? If that matters to you (free stuff from the library – of course it matters!), here’s a list. But which one should you buy? What do you do when the salesperson starts talking about PDFs, EPUB, AZW, DRM and 3G?

Well, you can turn to the experts at cnet  and switched.com who have kindly explained and reviewed e-Readers. If you want to borrow from the library, your reader must support the EPUB format (sorry,no Kindles).

UPDATE: Apple devices (like the iPad, iPod, iPhone) and Android devices (Droid, HTC Evo 4G, etc.) will now support EPUB books. Yay!

If you’re feeling an overload of technostress, we recommend turning to the Medieval Help Desk. It’s still funny.

hk

Looking to buy, sell, or repair a car? We can help!

The library subscribes to Consumer Reports magazine, which devotes its annual April issue to cars.  
We also subscribe to the annual Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide and Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide.  The New Car Cost Guide is a monthly magazine that provides dealer invoice prices and manufacturers suggested retail prices.  You can find all of these sources at the Information Services Desk. We also carry the NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) guides if you’re pricing a used car, or want to make sure you’re getting a fair trade-in value.

In our magazine section, you will find Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Automobile, and a circulating copy of Consumer Reports.

If you need repair information, we have an extensive collection of repair manuals. Check the online catalog or ask at the Information Services Desk to find the manual that you need.

The library also offers access to two online databases – ChiltonLibrary and Mitchell OnDemand.  Both databases are available to users here in the library and ChiltonLibrary may also be accessed from your home or office if you have a St. Charles library card.  

An excellent free website is Cars.com. This site provides substantive and unbiased information from both consumers and industry experts.  The banner on the homepage has buttons for buy, sell, research, finance, and get advice.  There are video reviews, consumer reviews, tips from Tom and Ray (the Car Talk guys), and lots more.  

For more info, see our guide on all things automotive.

Happy motoring!

kt