Yearly Archives: 2019

The Digital Resources Committee would like to thank all those who submitted ideas for our “Virtual Lexicon” rebranding contest. After a big discussion and vote, the winner is…

eLibrary Backstage   !!!

Congratulations Carnegie Library of McKeesport for your winning submission! Look for your awesome “swag” coming in the mail…we know you can’t wait.

For everybody else, there’ll be some exciting changes coming in the next few weeks. New name! New look! All the same awesome you’ve come to expect from the blog-formerly-known-as Virtual Lexicon.

Not registered for our blog? Here’s your ticket backstage! Sign up for our weekly emails and get the VIP treatment – all the tips, announcements, and behind-the-scenes info you need to know about your Allegheny County eLibrary.

Heather Auman
Western Allegheny Community Library

Having recently met with a Hoopla rep, I was amazed to discover the plethora of marketing materials available to promote the collection – including Highlights Storytime.

Many other marketing materials can be found here. If you cannot find something to fit your library, Hoopla’s marketing team is happy to help create just the right promotional materials!

Looking for social media content? Try Hoopla’s ready made editorial calendar – there you will find pdf and jpegs that feature areas of the collection for many days of the month.

Gabrielle Bolland – Youth Services

Robinson Township Public Library

First, one more plug for #eBooksForAll.
Have you signed the petition?  It only takes a minute and has the potential to improve access to eBooks for all patrons.

Second, are you thinking about your library’s entry in the CONTEST to rebrand this Virtual Lexicon site?    Details:

• Each library director has received an online entry form
• One submission per library/department. We recommend brainstorming ideas for a new site name (and any suggestions for content) as a group
• Deadline for submissions is November 1, 2019

Next, OverDrive wants to make it easier to sign in and get going.  Libby offers the same collection and is still generally much simpler to use.  If you have a patron who hasn’t used either app before, I’d always recommend Libby (if available — sometimes kindles just don’t want patrons to leave the amazon universe).

Below are highlights of OverDrive’s changes, as seen on a desktop computer (followed by my observations in teal).

We’ve made the following updates to the sign-in page at your library’s OverDrive website:

• Updated design: The look of the sign-in page has been updated and more prominently displays your library’s colors.
  • Both ACLA’s OverDrive site and Libby’s site  behave similarly.
• Simplified sign in options: To simplify the login process, we removed the Sign in with Facebook and Sign in with OverDrive options (both options required a valid library card). Users can still sign in with their associated cards to access your digital collection and their current loans and holds.
  • It’s very simple if using the ACLA link. 
  • However, it’s a real nuisance if you go to generic overdrive.com — you have to select your home library at least twice, and it’s unwieldy to check books out.
• New sign-in help links: The sign-in page can display custom URL links to assist users with their login credentials (e.g., for Card/Username and PIN/Password).
  • Our links are not listed by the Sign In button yet. 
  • Clicking on the ‘Need a Library Card?‘ link at the bottom of the page does direct all visitors to CLP’s page — even though people have to select their library first.
• Easier library selection: For libraries in a consortium, in addition to the drop-down in the Select your library field, users can now type the name of your library or branch for easy filtering.

Christy Barowich
Carnegie Library of McKeesport

NoveList Plus has you covered when you know what you are in the mood to read but you don’t have a book in mind! With NoveList’s suggestions for different moods and break downs by genre you’re bound to find a great read.  NoveList will let you filter by age, genre, and even sub-genre. So if you are an adult who really enjoys a good romance but you are only interested in heroes who wear kilts – NoveList has the perfect list of titles for you!

The spookiest time of year is upon us so I would be remiss in not pointing out that NoveList’s mood suggestions are currently highlighting “Creepy and Atmospheric” titles. So if you are looking for something spooky or suspenseful then look no further than the main page of NoveList under the mood suggestions.

P.S. If you are on the hunt for a real scare don’t miss out on the NoveList’s horror resources with the “Feel No FEAR” highlight on the main page for this season.

~Adrianne

Northland Public Library