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05/21/2020 - 6:03pm

The Library holds hundreds of titles in eBook format, including an abundance of history selections. In previous weeks, we’ve offered a glimpse of 20th-century American history offerings focusing on San Francisco and California, the U.S., and nationally noteworthy figures. Below, our final sample list in this series suggests the range of eBooks available on additional 20th-century U.S. history topics.

Clic...

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05/20/2020 - 2:19pm

Besides its extensive collection of chess literature, Mechanics’ Institute has a large collection of records documenting its chess club activities, including tournament records, photographs, and the Chess Room Visitors Register dating back to 1913, which includes signatures of World Champions from Alexander Alekhine to Boris Spassky.

The Chess Room Visitors Register has been digitized and stored on the...

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05/19/2020 - 9:51am

In the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend, it is fitting to recognize health-care workers and the war on coronavirus. These medical “soldiers” who are staffing the hospitals and caring for the sick while risking their lives on a daily basis deserve our utmost gratitude. For many of us, it would be impossible to walk in their shoes.

It’s difficult to imagine working in a medical capacity during ordina...

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05/15/2020 - 5:01pm

Biographies of historical figures are always popular with readers. This week, we highlight biographies of notable 20th-century Americans in a sample list of history eBooks available to MI members. Click on any title below to learn more about it, or click here to browse the wealth of history selections accessible through the eBook app...

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05/14/2020 - 10:15am

He was a bigamist and he had one wife in California and another in Rhode Island. The odd thing is they knew about one another, but never divorced him. They were good Italians and their Catholic religion played a big part in their decision not to seek divorce.

During this time of sheltering in place, seeking out our ancestors and learning about who they were is a worthy use of time. Not only will you be in...

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05/13/2020 - 1:36pm

Good news for everyone who’d like to have home internet access but can’t afford it: several local internet providers are discounting their services during the coronavirus outbreak.

The internet can be a lifeline right now, a way for those of us sheltering in place to get important information about what’s going on, and to stay connected with family, friends, and the larger world. Internet access gives us...

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05/12/2020 - 4:17pm

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, which makes it a perfect venue for storytelling, especially during meal preparation. In between all that slicing, chopping, and stove watching, food-themed eAudiobooks are sure to spice up any number of mundane culinary tasks. Besides, spending more time in the kitchen accompanied by an engrossing audiobook can take a sizable bite out of your reading wish list.

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05/12/2020 - 11:34am

EAUDIOBOOKS

FICTION
Ruth Rendell Death notes
Patrick W Carr The end of the magi
Elizabeth Musser The sweetest thing
Sarah Loudin Thomas When silence sings

05/11/2020 - 4:50pm

Daydreaming about future travels? Tired of the same old view? If you could use a fresh perspective right about now, a virtual museum visit may be just the ticket. With free access to hundreds of museum collections, exhibits, and tours available via your computer or smartphone, there’s no shortage of ways to broaden your visual horizons.

The British Museum in London, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Gugge...

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05/08/2020 - 12:18pm

Writing is an outrageously time-consuming occupation. Parenting, even more so. Yet somehow, some human beings manage to do both simultaneously. Today, in honor of Mother’s Day 2020, we offer glimpses into the lives of women who have tackled both literary and maternal careers—and lived (in most cases) to tell the tale.

Let’s get real

In 2013, Alice Munro capped her brilli...

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