New Databases Are Live  

FinancialFit and BlueCareer are up and running on the eLibrary site

Financial Fit 

FinancialFit offers patrons short, easy-to-understand lessons, videos, and interactive tools to help develop and support basic financial literacy. Print material that provides similar information is consistently popular with our users, and we’re excited to be able to offer this digital resource as well!  

A note about FinancialFit sign in/registration. Patrons need to create an account to access the lessons, videos, and to keep track of their progress. To create an account, they first need to validate as a library patron by inputting their library card number (image 2). Once they input their library card, they will pass through to the registration screen and can create their account (image 3).  After they have an account, patrons will be able to access their accounts by signing in. They will not have to input their library card each time they access the resource. This account creation process is similar to hoopla and Creativebug, so patrons will likely be familiar with this process.

Blue Career  

BlueCareer provides information on more than 100 skilled trades, connects patrons with hundreds of trade schools across the United States and Canada, and provides training resources for those seeking to build their trade knowledge and experience.  

This is an important addition to our career resources that also connects job seekers to employers in a simple, mobile-friendly environment. Patrons can explore 100+ trades in more than a dozen industries. 

BlueCareer does not require an account to view the content, but if a patron wants to keep track of their progress, they will want to create an account.  

Patrons will need a separate BlueRecruit profile if they are using BlueCareer to look for and apply for jobs. BlueRecruit Job Seeker Demo is a short, two-minute video that goes through the steps of setting up a BlueRecruit profile.  

Please contact Hilary Lewis or Mary Phillips if you have questions about FinancialFit or BlueCareer. 

Hilary Lewis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

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eChanges Beginning September 1, 2024

Beginning Sunday, September 1, 2024 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County libraries are making the following changes to Libby and hoopla:

  • Reducing Libby holds from 20 to 10 at a time
  • Reducing Libby borrows from 20 to 10 at a time 
  • Reducing hoopla borrows from 15 to 5 per month  
  • Requiring PIN authentication to the Libby sign-in process

You can learn more about the upcoming changes here.

While the vast majority of patrons will not be impacted by these changes, we know there will be interest in why we need to reduce holds and check-outs. Below are a Staff FAQ and two patron brochures to help explain changes and answer questions that may come up.

eChanges Staff FAQ

eChanges Public Brochure

eTips updated

You can also view the recording of the eChanges Drop -In session we had earlier this month that will outline the changes, including the rationale.

eChanges Drop-In Session Recording

To help make these documents easier to find, we’ve added them to the eChanges & Publishing Industry tab along the top navigation bar of this site.

Please reach out to Hilary Lewis if you have questions. Thank you!

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eResources Changes Drop-in Session Recording

Thank you to everyone who attended the eChanges Drop-in Sessions! We know that everyone is busy, so for those who could not attend, we recorded one of the sessions. The support materials mentioned in the session (staff FAQ, blog post, social media pieces, etc) will be ready later this week. Please reach out to Hilary if you have questions. Thank you again! 

eResources Changes Drop in Session Recording

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Exploring Career Opportunities in PA

Assisting patrons with job and career help is an important service offered by libraries. While there is a lot of information available to job seekers, it can be challenging to find information relevant to Pennsylvania residents.

A great place to begin general job searching is with PA CareerLink, which features thousands of positions locally and state-wide.

But what if your helping a student, first time job seeker, or someone switching career fields? Someone who has no idea what careers are even available, yet alone which one is right for them. The Occupational Outlook Handbook can be helpful, but does not provide information based on our local economy.

These local job seekers may find the Pennsylvania Career Guide useful. This informational packet provides an overview of career-related topics including: occupational outlooks specifically related to positions in Pennsylvania, worksheets to help job seekers find which occupational fields might be a good fit, apprentice program opportunities in the Commonwealth, career preparation steps for high school students, resume tips, and more.

Happy career exploration!

Richelle @ Sewickley Public Library

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