Winged Focus

Our household recently acquired some new binoculars.  A friend of ours received them as a gift, and he already owned an almost-identical pair. He generously offered them to us and we accepted with grateful hearts and eyes ready to focus.

So my sweet husband and I have been having a delightful time looking at our world up close and personal – and the clarity is breathtaking! We thought we were seeing things before, but we’re really seeing things now!  And more often than not, that includes the world of birds.

Yes, all kinds of feathered friends seem to occupy most of our binocular time.  We’ve watched bald eagles soar, hawks hover, magpies enjoy a tasty lunch and a mama robin patiently sitting on her little nest.  Birds, birds, birds - they’re the best entertainment around, no power source needed.
At times we feel like would-be ornithologists, and at others, just your run-of-the-mill aviary voyeurs.  Call us what you will, we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves each time we raise our binoculars and find another beaked friend to watch who shares this beautiful world with us.

Our feathery focus has led us to another interesting and highly informative place – right down the path to the library’s website at www.neill-lib.org.  We simply click on the “Databases” link on the left-hand side and then scroll down to Birds of North America.  Talk about a plethora of bird information -photographs, sketches, calls, habitats, conservation tips, feeding habits, measurements, demography, population data and more!  It’s a veritable who’s who and what’s what of the winged world.

But wait, there’s more!  Are feathered creatures not your thing? No worries! You’re just a click away from other incredible library databases designed to meet your needs.  Looking for a new job or ways to update your resume?  Just click on the Career Transitions Database, and you’re off and running.  Do you need to do some repair work on your vehicle or get a ballpark estimate of what it might cost to have someone else do the work? The Chilton Auto Repair Library Database has it all. Have you just read a great book and want to find another title that’s similar?  Go to NoveList and you’ll have a long list of books and authors to choose from.   And there are even more databases to explore including – Mango Languages, Consumer Reports, History Study Center and Health and Wellness.  So many databases, so little time!


It’s all just a click away with your library card.  There’s no catch, no fee, no hassle.  It’s all there for you to explore, search and learn – right in the comfort of your own home.  Have questions or need some assistance?  Head to the library, send us an email or give us a call. We’re here to help you.  So, as we say at our house, get your nest made, spread your wings and get started today!
Kathleen Ahern
Youth Services Librarian