Download free titles to your eReader device

Project Gutenberg offers approximately 36,000 titles that are in the public domain as electronic downloads to your computer or other device. If you enjoy reading and are looking for a title, check out their selections.  Click here for the link to their mobile site.

Another site that offers free eBooks for various readers is Manybooks which also offers public domain titles for download.  

Kindle borrowing

Are you a student at Dutchess Community College? Have you ever tried using an e-reader?  If not, here's your chance. You can now borrow a Kindle and experience first hand what reading on an e-device is like. Perfect for vacations or for people on the move, e-readers such as the Nook, Kindle or even the iPad are easily portable with various capabilities for downloading titles on the fly. The device we have to loan is an early model Kindle, but it will give you a sense of what using one of these devices is like and if it suits your lifestyle.  Stop by the Circulation desk to check out the Kindle and review the rules for borrowing the device. 

Download that ebook!

You can now download books and parts of books from ebrary, the Ritz's collection of over 70,000 electronic books, directly to your computer. Click on the links below to get detailed instructions on the options that are available for downloading

How to download a chapter or page range
How to download an entire document as an e-book

Keep in mind that you cannot download an ebrary title directly to iOS devices like smart phones or iPods. It is necessary to transfer them from your computer using these procedures Here's how to directly download an ebrary title onto an iPad.

The Big Read

DCC is once again a proud partner of the Poughkeepsie Big Read.

The selections this year are Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Louis Rey and Our Town.

Stop by and see the Library's Big Read Display and pick up a copy of these books and other books written by Thornton Wilder.

Mobile access to the Ritz Online Catalog

Looking to see if the Ritz Library has a book? A DVD? A magazine?

Now you can let your smart phone do the searching. A special Web site, optimized for access via mobile devices, has been created that will allow you to easily use the library's online catalog. Containing information on the books, media and periodicals at the Ritz' Hudson Hall location, the online catalog is configured for title, subject and author searches and also contains links to electronic books that can be read online.

So, whether you are at home, in a classroon or browsing the library's stacks you're never any farther than a wireless connection from finding out what the library physically owns.

The address to access is:

http://dut.sunyconnect.suny.edu:4670/F?func=find-b-0&local_base=DUT01_MOBILE

Introducing ILLiad online

So what exactly is ILLiad?  ILLiad is an online version of the Interlibrary loan process. OK, so what is Interlibrary loan? Interlibrary loan is the ability to request from a library, other than the library you are in, materials you wish to read or review.  Using the old methodology you would have to fill out paper forms at the Reference desk and submit your requests through Reference. Now you are able to fill out a request from the comfort of your home or work computer. The back end process remains the same, but the front end is streamlined for your convenience. 

In order to reach the Interlibrary loan system, log onto myDCC, head to the Library tab, and select the channel that is on the right hand side of the screen labeled Interlibrary Loan.  When prompted for a username, enter your myDCC credentials again.  There is a brief form with contact information that you need to fill out once, but after that you simply log on to review  or submit your requests, both past and present. Any questions?  Please feel free to contact the Reference desk at 845-431-8637. 

Doing a cross cultural or anthropogy project? Try these resources!

The SUNY system has set up a trial of two databases produced by Yale University through their Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) project. These databases cover all aspects of cultural and social life and contain material from books & articles.

Use the links below to try them, and then let Ritz Reference know what you think of them.

eHRAF World Cultures is a cross-cultural database containing information on all aspects of cultural and social life. The information is organized by cultures and ethnic groups
eHRAF Archaeology focuses on world prehistory. The databases is organized by regions and archaeological traditions.