Library Toys

Here in the O'Grady Library, we have some pretty nifty toys.

Gorillapod (3)

I have to say, out of all the toys, I think this one might just be the coolest. Sure Kindles are like whole libraries in the palm of your hand and Flip Videos take awesome videos, but they ain't got nothin' on Gorillapods. It's a mini, flexible tripod that completely bends and rotates 360 degrees! What could be cooler?! It goes where most tripods can't: around a tree branch, around a pole, pretty much where ever you want. They even come in different colors!

Library Catalog
Loan Period: 2 days

If you're looking for something bigger, we also have regular tripods.
The loan period on them is also 2 days.


Kindle (1)

Oh yeah, we've got a Kindle. What should you know about it? Well, let's see: it's simple to use, the battery life is really good, it weighs less than 6 ounces, you can take it just about anywhere, it holds over 1,000 books (some of which are free), and you can even borrow from your public library! Of course, there's more features that I haven't listed, so I recommend you check this out for yourself.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 3 weeks


Flip Video (10)

A lightweight, easy to use, handheld video camcorder that, according to the website, is "tagged as one of the best-selling devices in the market today, it boasts of the highest recording and playback quality and the most user-friendly controls." It's pretty easy to use. When you're ready to shoot, just push the big red record button and point at what you want to capture. Push the red button again when you want to stop the recording. I must say, the video quality is very good. The recording time ranges from one to four hours, depending on your model. I'd say the major drawback is that all the videos are recorded in .mp4 format, which means you would have to install a codec (video compatibility software). It's not a big deal, and one of the models even comes with pre-loaded software to install the codec automatically.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days

miniDV Camcorders (4)

The website dubs these camcorders "a perfect balance of style, performance and affordability." With 35x Optical Zoom, advanced image stabilizaion, widescreen HR recording, "perfect exposures" and "easy operation", it seems you can't go wrong with this camcorder. It runs on a recharable battery pack, so just plug it in when you get low on juice.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Digital Cameras (8)

There are several different types of Canon Powershot digital cameras (my personal favorite being the A1200) in the library. These little guys have great features like: 4x optical zoom, face detection, 12.0 Megapixels, and low light setting. There are also creative filters that let you add effects to your pictures. The cameras run on AA batteries, so no need to worry about keeping a charge (just pop a new one in as needed!).

Library Catalog
A510 Manual
A560 Manual
A1200 Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Laptops (8)

From the website, "the Latitude D410 combines the business class performance of the Latitude family with the convenience and portability of a light and compact form factor." A couple specs: 2.13GHz processor, Windows 7, 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM, 80GB hard drive. There's many more features I haven't listed, so hop on over to the website (or stop by the library) to check it out.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


TI-89 Graphing Calculator (2)

This is a beast of a machine! It comes with 16 preloaded apps, a built in USB port and extra memory. It can do physics, chemistry, statistics, and math. I would recommend getting familiar with it before using it on a test! Runs on four AAA batteries.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days






Bamboo Tablet (1)

Imagine using a pen instead of a mouse for your computer. You've essentially just pictured a Bamboo Tablet. You plug it into your computer's USB port and that's it. No more mouse. Taken from the Wacom website, this pen is "precise, natural, and so much more comfortable than other input methods, the pen is the ideal tool to use when annotating, drawing or photo editing." It takes some getting used to, but it's definitely something worth trying at least once.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Keyboard (1)

Always wanted to play the keyboard but never learned how? That's ok, our keyboard has 100 built in songs with keys that light up. It even waits for you to catch up and hit the right key! It's a perfect way to show off your skillz. Besides the lights and the range of songs, the keyboard also has three lessons for each hand, grading for those lessons, a chord dictionary, 367 voices (pianos, electric pianos, drums, guitars, etc), and a handful of other cool features. It runs on six AA batteries or a 12-V power cord.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 hours/In-house use only


Headphones (11)

We have several different types of headphones, from ones with mics to your regular old ones. Stop by and have a look.

Panasonic stereo headphones RP-HT355 Library Catalog
Telex 610 headphones Library Catalog
USB Headset Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 4 hours/In-house use only - 2 days depending on which one you want to check out


Voice Recorder (8)

We've even got voice recorders in the library! What for? Well, say you have a professor that talks like he's at an auction - there's no way you can write down everything that's said. So you check out a voice recorder, record the lecture, then play it back and take notes. Depending on the model, recording times range from approximately four hours and 20 minutes to 27 hours and 20 minutes! That's not too bad, if you ask me. The battery life is also pretty good, getting about 13 hours on one AAA alkaline battery, and about 12 hours on one AAA NiMH battery charge. You can even upload the recordings to your computer.

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Mics (5+)

Mics, along with headphones and digital cameras, have several different types for you to choose from. We have condenser mics, which are used for recording instruments, to mics for recording the sound for your movies.

Condenser Mic Library Catalog
PRO 88W VHF Wireless Microphone System Library Catalog
TwinMic Microphone System Library Catalog
Wireless Mic Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Chess Set (1)
Want to learn how to play chess?  Well, stop by the library and check out the chess set!   You can borrow it for up to three weeks, so you have plenty of time to get at least the basics down.  Who knows, maybe you'll be the next Bobby Fischer.

Library Catalog
Loan Period: 3 weeks


Boom Box (2)

A boom box?! But no one uses those anymore, right? Wrong. We've got one, so of course that means they're still cool, yeah? It runs on 6 AA batteries or a power cord. It even plays CDs!

Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days


Slide Projectors (2)

What do we have to go along with our boom box? A slide projector! It comes with an 80 slide tray (for one model) and a 140 slide tray (another model).

Kodak Ektagraphic III A Projector Library Catalog
Kodak Carousel Projector Model 550 Library Catalog
Manual
Loan Period: 2 days