Election Day 2020 is coming upon us quickly.  Tuesday, November 3^rd (or sooner if you vote early) is the day this year that Americans will head to the polls to vote for electors from each party, who will then cast their votes for President.  But what happens to our votes and how does the President get elected?

Take a few minutes and watch the video from the program we hosted called Terry’s College of Electoral Knowledge to get you up to speed. 

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The Electoral College is a confusing topic for most Americans.  It is important to remember that the Electoral College is a PROCESS, not a place.  A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to have the majority and win the election.  There are a total of 583 electoral votes up for grabs. The electors meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, which this year will be December 14, 2020, to cast their votes for President and Vice President. Each state’s electors’ votes are then tallied and certified and the sent to Congress.  Each States’ electoral votes are counted in a joint session of the U.S. Congress on January 6^th of the following year. 

Most states operate under a winner-takes-all system for their electoral votes meaning that the winner of the popular vote for the state should be awarded all that states’ electoral votes, there are two states that allow for splitting of their electoral votes.  It is also possible for an elector to not vote for the person they originally pledged they would vote for.  This person is called a “faithless elector.”  There were seven faithless electors in the 2016 election.

It has happened five times in our history that the winner of the election did not win the popular vote.  This is due to the decision of the electors in each state. The Electoral College process is confusing, and some say outdated, but that is for the American people to decide and possibly change.  The 12^th Amendment to the Constitution speaks regarding the Election of President and Vice President.

To learn more about the Electoral College you call also go here:

https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college

https://history.house.gov/Institution/Electoral-College/Electoral-College/

Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist Paper #68 concerning the Mode of Electing the President https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-61-70#s-lg-box-wrapper-25493455

https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xii

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

Election Day 2020 is fast approaching and voting is already underway across the country, with early voting and absentee/mail in voting proving especially popular in this pandemic year. If you’ve yet to cast your vote, or haven’t yet registered to vote, this post will provide critical information about the process and tips to help you make decisions if you’re not yet committed.

Voting/Registration Information

The deadline for the library registering folks to vote for this election has passed, but you can still register elsewhere. Online registration is still available for 2 more days, with an October 18 deadline. Begin the process here.

Grace Period voting allows you to register to vote at a polling place if you cast your vote at the time of registration. This is available through Election Day (November 3) in Kane County. Through November 2, this applies at all Early Voting polling locations. On Election Day, November 3, Grace Period registration can only happen at the Kane County Elections main office and Aurora satellite.

If you’re not completely sure if you’re registered to vote at your current address, check your status here.

With early voting underway, take a look here to see which locations are available at what times prior to November 3.

If you plan on voting on Election Day, find your polling place here.

Track your mail in ballot here.

General information for our county can be found on the Kane County Clerk Office.

Candidates/Ballot Research

Now that the technical bits are out of the way, the most complicated part is often determining for whom who you want to vote and which way you want to vote on various propositions. While you might know exactly how you feel when it comes to the top of the ticket (President/Vice President), down ballot voting often doesn’t get as much coverage even though it has the potential to affect everyday life for citizens. 

If you’re interested in seeing a sample ballot for Kane County, request one here.

BallotReady is a site featuring information about candidates for each race, often linking directly to a candidate's own words on a given subject. 

USA Facts allows you to explore information on federal, state, and district candidates. 

Various sites offer quizzes that can help "match" you with a Presidential candidate. They ask your viewpoint on a number of topics, and then give you a general snapshot of which candidate's public stances align with your answers and to what degree. I Side With and ProCon by Encyclodpaedia Britannica are two populare sites. Both also have information on controversial or hotly debated issues with areas to learn more before you answer. ProCon is a more scholarly exploration, with detailed arguments for and against every issue. I Side With gives links to outside news articles discussing the topics, and also allows you to indicate how important an issue is to you on a sliding scale after you agree or disagree with it. Neither site is affiliated with any party/candidate.

I personally have to do research about judges before every election because I almost never know anything about the names appearing on my ballot. Here are a few non-partisan sources for learning about judges’ sentencing patterns, past controversies, whether they worked as a state prosecutor, a public defender, and all kinds of other information that you can use to put together a picture of their career.

• Illinois State Bar Association ratings/recommendations
• Vote for Judges

Media Literacy

We all know how rampant misinformation is these days, on television, on the internet (particularly social media), and everywhere else information is consumed. The plethora of reasons for this are beyond the scope of this post, but we can go over some tips to help you determine how to verify the authenticity of a claim. Media literacy is, very simply, the skills to identify different forms of media and know how to access, critically evaluate, and analyze the content and information provided. 

The Center for Media Literacy provides a free toolkit on education in this important topic. They list 5 key questions you should ask yourself when encountering content to help determine its authenticity.

1. Who created this message? (Who's the author? Who funded it? What is their agenda? How many people were involved in creating this and in what capacity?)
2. Which techniques are used to attract my attention? (How is the story told? Are there visual symbols or metaphors? Are my emotions being appealed to or manipulated?)
3. How might different people understand this message differently than me? (What about your background contributes to your interpretation? Who is the target audience and what does that in itself say?)
4. What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? (What type of person is the viewer/reader/listener encouraged to identify with? Consider the omitted voices and how that changes the content.)
5. Why was this message sent? (Is it to entertain, inform, or persuade? Does the message creator stand to gain power, money, or influence? Who is the message being sent to and for what purpose?)

A few non-partisan sources that check the veracity of claims in the media: 

• Snopes.com
• Politifact.com
• Punditfact (a special subsection of Politifact dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media)
• FactCheck.org

Continuing where I left off in last week's Celebrate Latinx Authors post, today I'm sharing new books by Latinx authors to check out. Many of the titles below are by debut authors!

Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon {Debut}
Liliana Cruz does what it takes to fit in at her new nearly all-white school, but when family secrets come out and racism at school gets worse than ever, she must decide what she believes in and take a stand.

Diamond City by Francesca Flores {Debut}
Pulled from the streets at age twelve and trained to become one of the most powerful assassins in Sumerand, Aina Solís discovers a conspiracy that could rewrite the kingdom's history and her own future.

Lobizona by Romina Garber
As an undocumented immigrant on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manuela Azul is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida. Then her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past: a mysterious "Z" emblem. It leads her to a secret world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong. It's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal-- it's her entire existence.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez {Debut}
Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena's motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight. When Atoc demands the real Condesa's hand in marriage, it's Ximena's duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc's no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry
Three sisters in San Antonio are shadowed by guilt and grief over the loss of their oldest sister, who still haunts their house.

Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez / Casi Alconzar Todo {Debut}
Three Mexican-Americans--Juan, JD, and Fabi--each try to overcome their individual struggles as they all grapple with how to make a better life for themselves when it seems like brown lives don't matter.

Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza & Abby Sher {YA Debut by Mendoza}
In 2032, when sixteen-year-old Vali's mother is detained by the Deportation Forces, Vali must flee Vermont with her little brother, Ernie, hoping to reach their Tía Luna in the sanctuary state of California.

Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro
Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village's stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. One night, Xo's wish is granted--in the form of Emilia, the cold and beautiful daughter of the town's murderous conqueror. But when the two set out on a magical journey across the desert, they find their hearts could be a match--if only they can survive the nightmare-like terrors that arise when the sun goes down.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas {Debut}
Yadriel, a trans boy, summons the angry spirit of his high school's bad boy, and agrees to help him learn how he died, thereby proving himself a brujo, not a bruja, to his conservative family.

We are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, three teens follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life -- if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go.

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland {YA Debut}
Artemisia (Sia) Martinez's mother was deported to Mexico by ICE and disappeared in the Sonoran Desert trying to make it back to her American family; Sia believes that she was as-good-as murdered by ICE and the sheriff in their small Arizona town on the edge of the national park, and wants revenge against him and his son, Jeremy--but her search for the truth will uncover many more secrets than she counted on.

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante {Debut}
After escaping a detention center at the U.S. border, seventeen-year-old Marisol agrees to participate in a medical experiment hoping to keep her and her younger sister, Gabi, from being deported to El Salvador.

Banned Books Week? Is the library banning books now? The answer to that is an emphatic no! But, to the surprise of many, books are still banned (removal of materials or cancellation of services from libraries, schools, or stores based on content) and more commonly challenged (an attempt to remove or restrict materials or services from libraries, schools, or stores based on content) with regularity even here in the U.S.

Banned Books Week (Sep. 27-Oct. 3, 2020) is an annual recognition of these challenges when libraries across the country celebrate the wonderful, diverse books that we believe every patron should have equal access to without censure. Why do books get banned and challenged? Common reasons are the inclusion of sex, profanity, LGBTQ+ characters and content, racist content, drugs and drinking, witchcraft, and political propaganda. To celebrate your freedom to read, this week is the perfect time to pick up a book that someone at some point wanted to prevent you from getting your hands on! 

Check out the top ten recent challenges below and click here to see the top 100 books with the most challengs in the last decade. 

But first, can you identify which banned and challenged books the following quotes are from? Answers are at the end of the blog post. 

1. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
2. "You're bound to get idears if you go thinkin' about stuff."
3. "But it's the truth even if it didn't happen."
4. "Destroying things is much easier than making them."
5. "Obscenity only comes in when the mind despises and fears the body, and the body hates and resists the mind."
6. "Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some."
7. "What's the point in having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments when you shouldn't be?"
8. "The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."
9. "No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people."
10. "We realize that we are as ourselves unlimited and our experiences valid. It is for the rest of the world to recognize this, if they choose."

*This list is based solely on challenges that received media attention or were voluntarily reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom. 82-97% of challenges are never reported, so we have no idea how that data would change these titles. Titles this year skew towards those for youth, but that is not always the case. 

Top Ten Challenged Books of 2019 (last full year from which data is available): 

George by Alex Gino	Beyond Magenta: transgender teens speak out by Susan Kuklin	A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss	Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg	Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings	The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood	Drama by Raina Telgemeier	Harry Potter series by JK Rowling	And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson

Quotes: 

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
3. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5. Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
7. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
8. The Giver by Lois Lowry
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
10. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

"Women belong in all places where decisions are being made."- Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1993 until her death in September 2020 at the age of 87. Ginsburg was the second woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court, following Sandra Day O’Connor (who served from 1981 to her retirement in 2006). Ginsburg is particularly known for her work on the legal fight for women’s rights and as co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU. Ginsburg not only overcame her own difficulty in finding employment due to her gender but managed to earn a seat on the most prestigious court in the country, the absolute pinnacle of a legal career.

If you’d like to read in depth about her life and career, we have a selection of materials to acknowledge and celebrate her trailblazing ways.

• My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Mary Hartnett and Wendy W. Williams- physical book; Overdrive ebook; Overdrive audiobook
• Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life & work by Victoria Ortiz: physical book; Overdrive ebook; Hoopla audiobook
• Notorious RBG: the life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik- physical book; Overdrive ebook; Overdrive audiobook
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: a Life by Jane Sherron de Hart- physical book; Overdrive ebook; Overdrive audiobook
• The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Antonia Felix- Overdrive ebook

• Sisters in Law: how Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg went to the Supreme Court and changed the world by Linda Hirshman- physical book; Hoopla ebook
• Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law- Overdrive ebook
• I Know this to be True- Ruth Bader Ginsburg edited by Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday- Hoopla ebook
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg In Her Own Words edited by Helena Hunt- Hoopla ebook

Film:

• On the Basis of Sex DVD
• RBG documentary on Hoopla

Related topics:

• The Nine: inside the secret world of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin- Overdrive ebook 
• Out of Order: stories from the history of the Supreme Court by Sandra Day O'Connor- physical book 
• Because of Sex: one law, ten cases, and fifty years that changed American women's lives at work by Gillian Thomas- physical book
• First: Sandra Day O'Connor by Evan Thomas- Overdrive ebook
• My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor-physical book; Overdrive ebook
• How to Read the Constitution and Why by Kim Wehle- Hoopla ebook; Hoopla audiobook

For young readers:

• Ruth Objects: the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Doreen Rappaport: physical book
• I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark by Debbie Levy- physical book; Overdrive ebook
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the case of RBG vs. inequality by Jonah Winter- physical book
• Who is Ruth Bader Ginsburg? by Patricia Demuth- physical book

Ken Follett’s long-awaited The Evening and the Morning hit library shelves today, September 15. This prequel to The Pillars of the Earth creates a new beginning to the Kingsbridge cycle, the hugely popular series that ignited an interest in history for many readers. The Pillars of the Earth centered on the building of a cathedral in an English town and its successors span the centuries of the town following the cathedral’s completion. Here are selections of non-fiction on the periods covered and historical figures who feature in the novels, a number of epic historical novels that fans of the series might enjoy, and DVD selections featuring relevant characters. There’s plenty to keep you busy while you wait for your hold on The Evening and the Morning to come through (or after you finish the book and aren’t ready to leave those time periods)

The Evening and the Morning- 997 CE- England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. A young boatbuilder's life is turned upside down when the only home he's ever known is raided by Vikings, forcing him and his family to move and start their lives anew in a small hamlet. A Norman noblewoman marries for love, following her husband across the sea to a new land, but the customs of her husband's homeland are shockingly different, and she begins to realize that everyone around her is engaged in a constant, brutal battle for power. A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.

The Pillars of the Earth- The story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect--a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.

World WIthout End- In Kingsbridge, two centuries aftr completion of the cathedral, the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas--about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race--the Black Death. 

A Column of Fire- As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love. Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else--no matter what the cost.

DVDs:

Non-Fiction:

King Stephen and the Anarchy by Chris Peers (ebook)- An in-depth study of the Anarchy, the protracted struggle between Stephen of Blois and the Empress Matilda for the English crown between 1135 and 1154, with descriptions of each phase of this civil war, in particular the castles and sieges that dominated strategic thinking.

Northmen: the Viking Saga, 793-1241 AD by John Haywood- Recounting the sage of the Viking age, from the creation of their world through to the dwindling years of halfhearted raids and elegiac storytelling in the thirteenth century. Focusing on key events, including the sack of Lindisfarne in 793 and the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.

Edward III and the Perfect King by Ian Mortimer (ebook)- Holding power for over fifty years starting in 1327, Edward III was one of England's most influential kings-and one who shaped the course of English history. Revered as one of the country's most illustrious leaders for centuries, he was also a usurper and a warmonger who ordered his uncle beheaded. A brutal man, to be sure, but also a brilliant one.

The Betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and her greatest rival by Kate Williams- Elizabeth and Mary were cousins and queens, but eventually it became impossible for them to live together in the same world. This is the story of two women struggling for supremacy in a man's world, when no one thought a woman could govern. They both had to negotiate with men--those who wanted their power and those who wanted their bodies--who were determined to best them. They loved each other, they hated each other--and in the end they could never escape each other.

Thomas Becket: warrior, priest, rebel by John Guy (ebook)- Becket had many sides- the skilled warrior as comfortable unhorsing an opponent in single combat as he was negotiating terms of surrender; the canny diplomat "with the appetite of a wolf" who unexpectedly became the spiritual paragon of the English church; and the ascetic rebel who waged a high-stakes contest of wills with one of the most volcanic monarchs of the Middle Ages. Driven into exile, derided by his enemies as an ungrateful upstart, Becket returned to Canterbury in the unlikeliest guise of all: as an avenging angel of God, wielding his power of excommunication like a sword. It is this last apparition, the one for which history remembers him best, that will lead to his martyrdom at the hands of the king's minions.

FICTION:

The Last Hours by Minette Walters- When the Black Death enters England through the port in Dorsetshire in June 1348, no one knows what manner of sickness it is--or how it spreads and kills so quickly. The Church cites God as the cause, and fear grips the people as they come to believe that the plague is a punishment for wickedness. But Lady Anne of Develish has her own ideas and looks for more sensible ways to protect her people than daily confessions of sin.

When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman- As church bells tolled for the death of England's King Henry I, his barons faced the unwelcome prospect of being ruled by a woman: Henry's beautiful daughter Maude, Countess of Anjou. But before Maude could claim her throne, her cousin Stephen seized it. In their long and bitter struggle, all of England bled and burned.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell- In the middle years of the ninth century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England--and the course of history--depended upon one man, one king.

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom- In 1537 the country is divided between those faithful to the Catholic Church and those loyal to the king and the newly established Church of England. When a royal commissioner is brutally murdered in a monastery, Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's feared vicar general, summons fellow reformer Matthew Shardlake to lead the inquiry. Shardlake and his young protégé uncover more than expected.

London by Edward Rutherfurd- The novel follows six different families from the Roman settlement to the dockland development of today. Real-life characters and events of British history are found in this epic, but it is the period details and the stories of ordinary Londoners, whose daily lives are affected by events that have shaped the city over two thousand years, that bring the novel to life.

Outside FRVPLD: 

Gothic Cathedrals: a guide to the history, places, art, and symbolism by Dr. Karen Ralls- From the 12th century through the 16th centuries, the Gothic architectural style spread throughout Europe. Several hundred churches and other public buildings were built, many of which stand to this day. Gothic architecture’s legacy has left religious devotees, pilgrims, artists, scholars, and craftspeople marvelling at the interweaving of mathematical mastery and skilled workmanship in these magnificent edifices.

The Great Mortality: an intimate history of the Black Death, the most devastating plague of all time by John Kelly- A fascinating account of the phenomenon known as the Black Death, this volume offers a wealth of documentary material focused on the initial outbreak of the plague that ravaged the world in the fourteenth century. A comprehensive introduction is followed by documents organized into topical sections that focus on the origin and spread of the illness; the responses of medical practitioners; the societal and economic impact; religious responses; the flagellant movement and attacks on Jews provoked by the plague; and the artistic response.

The Hundred Years War: a people's history by David Green- The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) dominated life in England and France for well over a century. It became the defining feature of existence for generations. This sweeping book is the first to tell the human story of the longest military conflict in history- the war affected different groups, among them knights, clerics, women, peasants, soldiers, peacemakers, and kings.

Queen Emma and the Vikings by Harriet O'Brien- Emma made her mark on a nation beset by Viking raiders at the end of the Dark Ages. At the center of a triangle of Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and Normans all jostling for control of England, Emma was a political pawn who became a power broker and an unscrupulous manipulator. Regarded by her contemporaries as a generous Christian patron, a regent admired by her subjects, and a Machiavellian mother, Emma was, above all, a survivor: hers was a life marked by dramatic reversals of fortune.

Stormbird by Conn Iggulden- Book one in Iggulden’s saga of the two families who plunged England into a decades long civil war. In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride--Margaret of Anjou--sparks revolts across English territory. The rival royal line, the House of York, sees the chaos brought on by Henry's weakness and with it the opportunity to oust an ineffectual king.

Pronunciator is an online language learning platform that you can access for free with a valid FRVPLD library card.  You can access Pronunciator by going to the Research page on the library's website. Pronunciator now has a feature where you can work with them to create a personalized language learning course to fit your needs. Personalized courses can be created for people of all ages, from 0 to 65+. This is in addition to all of the other pre-made courses and content available in Pronunciator. Using this feature is pretty straightforward. After logging in to Pronunciator and choosing a language (I have a previous blog post that shows how to do this), you will see a few different options: Daily Lessons, Personalized Courses, Main Course, and Learning Guides and More.

Click on "Personalized Courses" and then click on the blue "Create" button. You will then be asked to choose 5 topics or 1 occupation. If you want to choose topics, click on the blue box that says "Select all the topics that interest you" but if you want to choose an occupation, click on the purple box that says "Or select your occupation."

If you click on the blue box to choose topics, a bunch of potential topics will come up that you can choose from. The screenshot below has a sample of some of the possible topics, but there are many more that you can choose from. Select 5 and then click the "Next" button on the top right corner.

If you click on the purple box to choose an occupation, a bunch of potential occupations will come up that you can choose from. The screenshot below has a sample of some of the occupation choices, but there are many more that you can choose from. Choose 1 and then click the "Next" button on the top right corner.

After you choose 5 topics or 1 occupation and then click next, you will then be asked to choose a skill level, your age range, and the number of weeks you want your course to last. Make your selections in each of these sections and then click "Next" in the top right corner.

On the next screen, you will be asked to choose how many new phrases you want to learn each day, what ratio you want of drills vs. quizzes, and whether or not you want to use your device's microphone and webcam (some drills use the microphone to listen to your pronunciation and a few drills use the webcam also to help with pronunciation by seeing the way you use your mouth to form the letters and words, but both are completely optional). Make your selections and then click next.

You now have one last set of options to choose from. First, you must set your learning goals. There are are 4 categories: Speaking, Understanding, Reading, and Writing. You have to choose the importance of each of these areas from 1 (most important) to 4 (least important) and Pronunciator will structure the different types of drills and quizzes around your choices. Then, it asks if you want to recieve a daily reminder email to go and do your lessons for the day. Choose "Yes" or "No," and if you choose "Yes" a spot will come up for you to type in your email address. Finally, you must create a name for your course and type it in on the last line. You can name it whatever you'd like. After that, click on "Build Course" on the top right corner and Pronunciator will create your personalized course!

You will now be able to access your personalized course and begin learning! If you want, you can create more than one personalized course and create them for different languages. This is a great feature that allows you to learn a new language exactly how you want to. Be sure to check out this personalized course feature along with all of the other amazing things that Pronunciator has to offer! If you have any questions about Pronunciator, please feel free to call us at 847-428-3661, email us at libraryhelp@frvpld.info, or stop by the Information Desk.