Databases

Job Seeker Spotlight: BlueCareer

Help your patrons discover BlueCareer: an all-in-one guide to the skilled trades.

Whether they’re a student looking to start their job path or a seasoned employee looking for a career change, BlueCareer is a helpful introduction into trade industries like construction, hospitality, tourism, landscaping, transporation & logistics. Whether they’re looking to become a crane operator, drone pilot, or arboist, BlueCareer has the resources to get them started on their new career path.

The career assement tool matches job seeker’s strengths with the right trade. Find in-demand trades in their area and dive into career-specific details for more than 100+ trades. Site content is generated from live-hiring data which keeps information current.

Job seekers can see what employers require in each field – from specific certification requirements and necessary skills to background check details.

Screenshot shows a synopsis of what a trade does, what necessary skills are required and what certifications are necessary for those positions.

The Explore the Community section lets job seekers watch curated videos and listen to industry podcasts to hear directly from people working in the field. Specific trade pathways are identified so job seekers can find schools, apprentice programs, or online training.

And the Salary Explorer lets seekers view real, localized pay data, so they know what the earning potential is for each trade.

Chat is available 24/7 to guide job seekers on the next step in their career path.

Get started exploring this resource!

BlueCareer

Want to promote BlueCareer in your library? Access EBSCO’s BlueCareer promotional kit here.

Happy learning!

– Richelle, Sewickley Public Library

Continue ReadingJob Seeker Spotlight: BlueCareer

Travel Time is approaching…

It is already May and that means that our patrons will be looking into travel plans NOW! If you have patrons who are traveling abroad be sure to mention our helpful language learning resources for their travel needs – like Mango language.

It has never been a better time to learn with Mango because they now have a Chrome extension in beta that lets you practice language learning while you browse the web or even just watch a movie with Netflix! With the Mango extension installed you can double click on a word and have Mango instantly translate it for you or even hold down the Alt key, highlight a word and have it added to Mango for your next vocabulary practice.

They next time you watch a Netflix show in the language you are studying now the extension can help you translate and learn while you enjoy some quality drama. Now you and your patrons can have fun on the web and brush up your language skills for that next adventure abroad!

Have fun language learning,

Adrianne, Northland Library

Continue ReadingTravel Time is approaching…

Tutor.com is hosting an AI Literacy webinar for Staff and Patrons

Click to Register

Can’t attend live? Register and you’ll receive the final recorded webinar via email. 

The world of artificial intelligence is touching every aspect of life, and none more than academia. In this webinar, we will explore how AI can be used effectively by students. We will answer questions like:   

• What is AI and how does it work? 
• When is it appropriate to look to AI for help with academics? 
• What kind of prompts will help me get what I really need from AI? 
• How do I vet what I get from AI so I know it’s accurate? 
• How do I use AI and still learn what I need to in school? 
• Where can I get more help with using AI in conjunction with academics? 

Come learn more about how to reconcile AI with education.

This session is led by Tutor.com’s Training and Development Team. We’ll be holding a Q&A session after the presentation, so stick around at the end.

Continue ReadingTutor.com is hosting an AI Literacy webinar for Staff and Patrons

ADIEU, ADE. HELLO, THORIUM!

Do you remember your Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) username and password? Neither do I! It makes it frustrating to read the EBSCO eBook I downloaded! Is this familiar? Well, good news.  

Due to the upcoming ADA II compliance deadline, EBSCO eBooks is sunsetting its Adobe Digital Editions requirement. The product will not be in compliance, and EBSCO has moved on! Welcome to the modern era: Thorium Reader!  

A blue app tile with the letters "Th" in white text, and the word "Thorium app" underneath.

Thorium is a modern alternative to ADE, specifically designed for offline eBook reading. Unlike ADE, patrons will no longer have to create a separate username and password (note: they will still be required to use their EBSCO username and password). 

Thorium’s benefits include a range of text-to-speech functions, the ability to choose font type, text size, and spacing, as well as change the overall layout of the eBook. It is also designed to work with a variety of screen readers, making it accessible to more types of readers than ADE could ever dream of.  

This will only affect offline reading, when a patron checks out and downloads an EBSCO eBook from our collection. Right now, Thorium is only available via desktop and iOS apps, though the Android version is coming down the pike. 

Again, the online reading experience won’t change. When a patron wants to download an eBook for offline use, they will need to download Thorium instead of ADE. Below, you can see what it will look like in the EBSCO experience. Note at the bottom, patrons are provided with a passcode that they will be prompted to enter once they open Thorium.  

They will only need to enter the passcode once per device to open the downloaded eBook. Additionally, they can use the same passcode across six devices simultaneously. If, as happens, they forget the passcode, it is easy to generate a new one. 

Thorium is available as an app on our Microsoft desktop and laptop computers. You can download it now to take a look!

ADE will no longer work with EBSCO eBooks beginning on April 14. You can find out more by visiting EBSCO’s Thorium FAQs here. Onward, into our glorious eBook future! 

-Mary, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 

Continue ReadingADIEU, ADE. HELLO, THORIUM!