Read with your kids with Tumblebooks!

Bossier Parish Library has many resources for parents and children. We've covered a few of these resources, but those were almost entirely school related. What about parents who want to help their young children read for fun? For those parents, we have TumbleBooks!

TumbleBooks is a service for Bossier Parish Library patrons who want to share in a fun story time with their kids without leaving home or while on the go! Tumblebooks are story books that have been animated and read aloud. Not only is the book read aloud with different voices and sound effects, but the book text still shows on the screen allowing kids to read along.

Tumblebooks offers story books for young readers, as well as chapter books for more advanced readers. There are also nonfiction books and math books to help your kids learn about a wide range subjects. You may even learn something while listening along!

The books are automatic, so there's no page turning required. This means even young children can finish the books on their own.

For access to Tumblebooks, go to our website at BossierLibrary.org and click on the Tumblebooks icon on the right side of the page. This will allow you to automatically be logged in under Bossier Parish Library's account.

From the Tumblebooks home page, you can decide browse books by type and genre or search for specific authors and titles.

Have you tried Tumblebooks? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!
If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

Social Media Spotlight

This week we're going to talk the social media website Instagram!

According to it's website:

Instagram is a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and family.
Take a picture or video, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram — it's that easy. You can even share to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and more. It's a new way to see the world.

It is a free app available for Apple and Android phones.

So what's the big deal about Instagram? For one thing, it supports photo and video only. This means that long winded updates about everything your friend has done that day aren't usually found on Instagram.

One of the greatest appeals of any social media service is the ability to connect with people all over the world - even celebrities. Instagram is no different. You can follow your favorite celebrites to get behind the scenes photos and a look into their every day life. Musicians and bands often post news about albums on social media before officially announcing it on websites. Want to see what Drew Barrymore is having for lunch? Or get a look into Sarah Jessica Parker's life as a mom? Instagram lets you connect with celebrities in new ways.

You can also follow your favorite magazines on Instagram - for example the Real Simple magazine often posts beautiful pictures to be featured in upcoming articles. Meanwhile, the Southern Living magazine Instagram is full of delicious looking food and adorable animals.

Instagram has also introduced a new feature called 'Hyperlapse,' which allows you to create time lapse video with your phone. No need for expensive equipment! Many brands are getting in on Hyperlapse, including the Ellen show and Disney.

Find more information on Instagram on the website: www.instagram.com. Look for a Bossier Parish Library Instagram coming soon!

 Do you use Instagram? What is your favorite social media? Tell us in the comments below! If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. 

New Tech Wednesday!

Thanks to the Labor Day holiday our schedule is a little off, so this month's New Tech Tuesday is actually being posted on a Wednesday. We hope you'll still enjoy all the shiny new gadgets.

There are many exciting smartphone accessories available on the market today. For our New Tech Tuesday (one day late) this month, we'll be discussing a few accessories to make your smartphone even more versatile.

External Camera Lens 

The camera phone means that most of us have a camera at all times, ready to capture the perfect photo of the sunset, family and friends or just our evening meal. There are also lenses that allow your phone to take panaramic pictures, perfect for capturing landscapes or, in our case, the many books on our shelves!

The newest external lens in the news turns your smartphone into an almost professional level camera. The latest lens from Sony is bringing interchangeable lenses to your smartphone.
You can find more information on the new article from TechCruch.com.

Speakers

Listening to music and movies is made even better with external speakers. There are many choices for external speakers for smartphones, including smaller speakers that plug into the headphone jack of your phone and wireless speakers that connect to your phone via bluetooth. The good news is, the variety of speakers available on the market means you'll be able to find one in your price range. You'll even have your choice of colors! 

There is even a speaker that learns your moods and preferences and plays music accordingly! The Aether Cone features a complex algorithm that allows it to learn what you like to listen to, when and where and tries to play music accordingly. Read Gizmodo's review to learn more! 

Portable Chargers

Using all of these fancy accessories or even just using your phone in the course of your normal day can really drain your battery. Unfortunately, we can't always be near an outlet to charge up. Luckily, there are portable chargers there to help you when your batter starts to fail. Like the speakers, these portable chargers come in almost every price range. There are some that run on batteries (which means you have to change the batteries before charging) and some that are rechargeable themselves. There are a variety of sizes, though most can charge a smartphone from almost dead to full charge at least once. The one we'll be talking about today goes the extra mile - it reminds you to take it with you when you're having a busy day! 

The Smart Power Battery from Elgato syncs with your calendar and sends you a reminder to bring it along any time you have a full schedule. It also sends you a notification when your battery starts to run low. 

You can read more about this battery from Elgato on SlashGear.com. 

What is your favorite smartphone accessory? Tell us in the comments below! If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter.