CLP Librarians heart blogs

A very ambitious group of Adult Librarians at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main have collaborated to create a fun and informative blog called Eleventh Stack. Here you can learn about everything from alternative forms of transportation to Life on Mars to Blogging for Equality. This blog is updated daily, so be sure to check in often!

Another very ambitious group of librarians - this time Teen Librarians from across the entire city - have collaborated to create yet another fun and informative blog called CLPTeensburgh. Interested in library programs for teens at neighborhood locations like the Hill District? Or would you like to read a good book review? Perhaps you are more in the mood to learn about writing contests. Check out this blog for a look at library service to teens across the entire city.

Think you've had enough of fun and informative blogs? Think again! If you are a parent of a young child, know a parent of a young child, or are an older sibling, than this blog is for you. Storypockets is a blog created by the Children's Department at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main. Did you know that the Nandanik Indian Dance troupe just visited the Main Library? Would you like to recommend a book to youngsters you know? Have a good look at this Children's Librarian blog.

Geek Teen Alert: Guitar Hero on the Commodore 64

Hey teens! Have you caught the 8-bit retro madness of the chiptune craze, the people at SyntheticDreams have managed to make your dreams come true: Guitar Hero on the Commodore 64.

The FREE Shredz64 project lets you hook up your guitar controller and play along with a huge user repository of .sid files, which are music files designed to be played on the Commodore 64 system. These range anywhere from NES games to cheesy 80s hits.

If your parents still have one of these dinosaurs lying around the office (and I know some of you do), then you and some adventurous friends can breathe new life into the old system. If you don't, here's your chance to delve into the wonderful world of emulation. Here's what you need:

• A downloaded copy of Shredz64.
  


• Commodore 64 emulator. Your computer can simulate the C64 environment, opening up your computers to a whole host of fun, independently-designed games. PC users can check out CCS64, while Macs have Power64. For Shredz64, what matters is that your emulator can emulate paddles. Commodore 64 emulation can occasionally be tricky, so make sure you read the documentation.
  


• Playstation to USB adapter. This will let you hook up your Guitar Hero controller to the computer. The Stepmania site currently has a great guide to finding the one that will work for you.

After a couple of mouse clicks and text commands, you'll be all set. Have fun, and be sure to check out the demo on Youtube!