Teens – eLibrary Backstage

Career Resources

Post published:June 10, 2022

Lots of people are on the hunt for new jobs or looking to expand their career horizons – well your local libraries are here to help! Here are some great resources to help you gain some new skills for a new job, polish your resume, or get some job hunting help.

The first place to start may be here – the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Occupational Outlook Handbook has a wealth of helpful information for those looking into starting in a new field or just brushing up on what the job market in certain fields looks like. You can do a deep dive into what type of duties a job entails, what the pay rate is, and what the outlook for that job looks like into the future. This website is provided by the U.S. government.

Now that you know what your prospects, duties, and requirements are needed in your new field you may want to begin brushing up on some old skills you may need again or gain some new ones. This is where Udemy can help! Udemy has almost 2,000 courses (including classes in 8 different languages in case you will need to travel for your new job). If you need to learn something new Udemy can help you reach those new learning skills.

You have studied up on your new job and you have actually studied up on the new skills you may need – now it is time to brush up that resume! Tutor.com is here to help! You may think “I don’t need a tutor!” but Tutor.com doesn’t just provide tutors for school age students they also offer resume help for everyone. You can book an appointment, upload your current resume, and sit back and wait for a dedicated tutor to send you some personalized notes to help you really make your resume shine! This is a brilliant service that can really make a difference on getting that interview for that dream job – make use of this excellent service.

If you need some assistance working through the entire job hunting and resume process you may want to get in contact with PA CareerLink. They can assist you at many different points throughout your new job journey so taking a look at their site to see all the services they offer is a good start to this new job process as well.

No matter where you are in the process of getting a new job don’t hesitate to reach out to your local library so that they can help connect you to a myriad of resources to help you get that dream job!

-Adrianne

Northland Public Library

Learn a new language with Mango Languages!

Post published:April 15, 2022

Learn anything from Cantonese to Ukrainian to Shakespearean English with this digital resource. Mango Languages offers multi-level courses for children and adults with visual and auditory elements. Some languages feature specialty units such as Spanish for Business or Japanese Mimetic Words.

Mango also offers a free app so that you can learn on the go! The program will keep track of your progress so that you can pick up right where you left off.

Happy learning!

-Erin Weaver, Bridgeville Public Library

SYNC Returning for Summer 2022

Post published:April 5, 2022

Free Summer Audiobook Program for Teens 13+

Returning Spring 2022, SYNC gives participants two thematically paired audiobooks each week. Titles are all available worldwide and change every Thursday at midnight Eastern Time during the season.

If you have teens who visit your library, feel free to share the information about the SYNC program with them. The Digital Resources Committee is not actively promoting SYNC. We are sharing this information in case you would like to share it directly with your customers.

**Even though the SYNC program runs on the Sora app, it is not connected to a teen’s school account so consequently it is not connected to the public library’s OverDrive collection.

Access Details

Titles are accessible in Sora, the student reading app from OverDrive.
- Sora is available in your browser at soraapp.com, or as an app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Each SYNC audiobook will be featured in Sora for a window of 7 days.
- Titles are yours indefinitely once you “borrow” them during their 7-day availability window in Sora.

The SYNC program will only work with Sora, the student reading app from OverDrive. You don’t need to be affiliated with a school to use Sora with the SYNC program.

First register for SYNC.

Then set up Sora.

How do I set up Sora?

Download Sora from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to soraapp.com in your browser.
1. In Sora, tap I have a setup code (at the bottom of the screen).
1. Enter this setup code: audiobooksync and tap Get Started!
1. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.
1. Tap Explore (at the bottom of the screen) to see the week’s featured titles [SYNC 2022 starts April 28]

I already use Sora for school. How do I add SYNC titles? If you already use Sora, you’ll need to add the SYNC program’s library. Here are the steps:

In Sora, open the menu (in the top-right corner).
1. Select Add library.
1. Search for audiobooksync and select the library from the results.
1. Enter the email address you used to sign up for SYNC.

For more details about the SYNC program, visit AudioFile’s SYNC FAQ Page

Staff can also attend the AudioFile & OverDrive Present: SYNC Audiobooks for Teens training on April 26, 2022. You can register for the training here.

~ Hilary Lewis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Mark Your Calendars for these Tutor.com Trainings!

Post published:February 4, 2022

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the online resource Tutor.com, now’s your chance. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and your local library are hosting training sessions for staff and patrons.

The staff-focused training is a quick and comprehensive walk-through of Tutor.com. This training session will equip you with the knowledge and skills that you need to help patrons navigate the resource and market its features.

There will be two trainings offered for the public. The first is an introduction to Tutor.com, how to access it, as well as its many features, such as live tutoring and homework help. The second training is focused on SAT/ACT prep and how Tutor.com can offer support.

All webinars will be recorded and shared with all registrants, so if the time doesn’t work for you or your patrons, don’t worry!

Staff Training

Tutor.com Staff Training
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST

Patron Trainings

Everything You Need to Know About Tutor.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
4:00 PM-4:45 PM EST