Adults

Tutor.com Training Session

It’s important to understand the different databases and learning tools at your disposal. Join us on Tuesday, August 22 at 11 am to learn more about Tutor.com and all of the features within it. This will be a comprehensive 30 minute overview of Tutor.com and will strengthen your ability to guide patrons when they approach you with questions. Please stick around for the Q&A session at the end!

Register to join the live session, or to receive a link to the recording to watch at your availability.

Click here to register

-Erin Weaver, Bridgeville Public Library

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You’re Not Holding Enough Books on Libby

We’ve all experienced it. The crushing disappointment when a book you are white-hot on has a wait list of weeks or months. “73rd in line? Come on!” Mine was The Emperor of All Maladies. I started 48th in line with only 3 copies available in the county. 40 weeks. The terror.

But, I kept my head down and listened to my current audiobook, only to experience the same frustration a week later—I had one hold, 39 weeks. There must be a better way!

You cannot speed up your holds, but you can defer them. This means, whenever a hold becomes ready, you can delay them by a custom number of days (ASAP to 180 days). You can choose “deliver later” an unlimited number of times. Combine this with everyone’s far-too-long “to read” lists, and we have a solution brewing.

Here is my method:

  • Whenever I think of a book I could be interested in listening to, I add it to my Holds List, regardless of wait time, giving me a stable of several books on hold (up to 20 with your Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh card).
  • If a book becomes available and I am not ready for it, I delay it 7 days.
  • When I am ready for a book I have delayed, I change the delay option to ASAP.
  • Voila. A rotating cadre of books you want to read that can be available within days of your readiness. Not as satisfying as having them the day you are interested in them, but they will get to you when you are ready!

For instance, it has been 40+ weeks since I held The Emperor, and I am still not ready for it. But when the time comes, it will be there waiting for me within a few days.

Any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at smithc2@coopersiegelcommunitylibrary.org.

Happy holding.

Cameron R.S. Smith

Cooper-Siegel Community Library  

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Get More Content with hoopla’s BingePass

A few years ago digital content provider, hoopla, introduced their BingePasses. The concept allows users to borrow a full collection of movies, books or magazines to stream for 7 days straight, using only one checkout credit. Since the introduction of this borrowing format, the collection has grown.

Get ready to hit that Hallmark demographic hard when I tell you that they now offer 7 day access to the entire Hallmark Movies Now catalog! That’s over 1,500+ hours of ad-free content from Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

And parents will love the “Read-Along 2 Learn” collection of engaging, non-fiction titles for school-age children to help prevent the summer slide. Learn about bugs, animals, dinosaurs, engineering and emotions – all of it using just one checkout.

There’s also the GoKidGo podcast collections, The Great Courses collection, Highlights magazine collection, digital magazines and many more.

View BingePass Collections

But how can you promote these collections to your users you ask? With hoopla’s BingePass marketing resources! They have everything you need (flyers, social graphics) to spread the word about these great collections.

Marketing Resources

Enjoy sharing this wonderful resource with your patrons!

-Richelle at Sewickley Public Library

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It’s (Always) a Great Time for Consumer Reports

Seasonal purchases. We all have to make them some time. A new string trimmer in the spring, a new air conditioner in anticipation of a hot summer. Don’t forget that you’re in need of a new grill and *BAM*, you’ve already made a list of big commitment purchases.

But this isn’t an advertisement for your local hardware store, oh no. This is a little friendly advice: use Consumer Reports to perform your due diligence before you buy.

As consumer advocates, Consumer Reports publishes their own product testing and consumer-oriented research. Which means you’ll find:

  • Product overviews
  • User reviews
  • Ratings
  • Prices
  • Where to buy
  • Reliability standards
  • Performance scores
  • Safety features
  • So much more

You’ll get all the information on product features and specifications you could hope for. Consumer Reports will be the perfect tool for comparing value and quality among the many brands and styles while in search of that new string trimmer.

If you’re thinking: “Prices and specifications are neat and all, but I’m not an expert in buying lawn care equipment. I don’t even know what to look for in a proper string trimmer!”

Consumer Reports provides a buying guide for every kind of product they review. This is where they explain how they test products, what you should look for to find the product to fit your needs, and things to consider before you buy.

Example of a consumer need: Some people just prefer the smell of two-cycle first thing in the morning.

If you’re wondering: “Is it just appliances n’at?” Great question.

Once you start browsing Consumer Reports, you’ll also notice they have a report on just about everything your money can buy. And I mean everything. Athletic shoes, cars, car wax, diapers, glues, smart watches…

“Are you going to make a joke about Consumer Reports even having a report about the kitchen si-“

Thanks for setting that up for me.

The bottom line is: Consumer Reports will help you save money. It will help you find something that lasts. It will help you find the right product to fit your needs. Of course, if you ever need help using Consumer Reports, reach out to your local library!

— Derek, South Park Township Library

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