Author: backstage

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Do you take old National Geographics? No?

Introducing an exciting new database you can share when your patrons ask you this eternal question! Thanks to Power Library, all libraries in Allegheny County now have access to a robust run of National Geographic, featuring a collection of fully searchable issues running from 1888 –2020. This is great news for students, researchers, and anyone interested in this classic American magazine that explores the natural world, both on and off planet Earth.  

The search interface will be familiar to anyone who has used a Gale product before. We have access to lots of great Gale content! They all work in similar ways, and I’m here to point out a few exciting things I’ve found in the new National Geographic Virtual Library. 

Because I am so dorky, I always head to the advanced search page to see what it can offer. This advanced search page provides some useful options for sifting through such a large collection, including multiple keyword fields, date ranges, and content types. Yes, you can search through National Geographic content not just for the articles but also for the iconic covers, detailed maps, and even the advertisements!

I’ve been having a grand time searching through 132 years’ worth of advertisements!

The electric car won’t happen overnight in November 2002, pg. 39

An electric car from November 1914, pg. 549

I’m a fan of the dynamic reading pane, as well. Readers can flip through the pages, zoom in and out, and read in a full screen view. There are tools to adjust contrast and brightness to enhance accessibility. Here, I’ve used the “Invert” tool to create a kind of “dark mode.” 

The table of contents is also fully linked. Readers can explore content by type within the reading pane if they want a more direct, hyperlinked reading experience, as opposed to the flippable browsing kind. National Geographic is covering cheetahs, the Bronze Age, the Brothers Grimm, Y2K and more just in this issue! You can see other navigation options listed along the left side, as well, offering a rich search experience for patrons (and staff!).

Click here to get started with the National Geographic Virtual Library. Let me know in the comments what interesting articles, beautiful maps, and (especially) weird ads you find.  

-Mary Phillips, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Continue ReadingDo you take old National Geographics? No?

Long Holds List on Libby? Check Hoopla!

I get a question sometimes that makes me smile: “Which should I use…Libby or Hoopla?” My answer is always, “Why not both?!” Then I proceed to tell them about the advantages of each, and how if something is not available on one, you can always check the other.

This is especially true when there are long…LOOOONG holds lists on Libby! Just for example, this timely title that has exploded to the top of the bestseller lists this week. Libby shows EIGHT holds per copy, which means, let’s see…eight times 3 weeks…a very, very long wait time.

BUT keep hope alive and check Hoopla…lo and behold, it’s available now! (Provided you haven’t already used your monthly checkout quota binge watching on day 1 of this month…)

I am often surprised at the number and caliber of popular titles that are immediately available on Hoopla. Take a look at this lineup this week, probably ALL of which are on a wait list on Libby. Hoopla to the rescue!

– Heather Auman, Western Allegheny Community Library

Continue ReadingLong Holds List on Libby? Check Hoopla!

Mystery in the Library

I have always been a lover of mystery stories from my first Encyclopedia Brown books to the Shetland series by Anne Cleeves. Before Covid I had gotten away from reading mysteries though. With the lockdown that all changed. I started reading every cozy mystery I could find on Libby. For me, mysteries were something solid and reassuring because the criminal always gets caught and justice is served!

In my quest to read as many cozy mysteries as I could, I knew I needed help with finding the best matches for my tastes. That is when I discovered Cozy Mystery List. This has become my one-stop shop for all things cozy. It’s a great resource for learning about new authors, series lists and even finding cozies by theme (i.e., animal, cooking, profession). There is even a list of cozy TV and movie mysteries.

Whether for a patron or for yourself, be sure to check out Cozy Mystery List!

Tracy – Monroeville Public Library

Continue ReadingMystery in the Library

eChanges Drop-in Sessions

We all know eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines are only becoming more popular. But the way publishers and vendors have designed their services to take advantage of this has become an issue that is impacting libraries all over the country. This is affecting us too, and we will have to adjust our Libby and hoopla holds and check-out limits to rein in rising costs later this year.  

These choices are the result of quantitative and qualitative research, and we acknowledge that patrons may be upset at the change. We are offering three drop-in sessions you can attend to learn more about the reason this is happening, what the changes are, and what you can do support patrons. A recording will also be available. 

Event details

Below are the session dates and times with links to the Teams meetings.

Tuesday, July 9: 1:00pm – 2:00pm 

Wednesday, July 10: 10:30am – 11:30am 

Tuesday, July 16: 1:00pm – 2:00pm 

Questions? Contact Hilary Lewis 

Continue ReadingeChanges Drop-in Sessions