Teens

New databases, bird flu, and you! 

Bird flu! It’s in the news.  

Maybe your patrons are wondering about it. Maybe they’ve already transformed into giant chickens themselves! That’s what bird flu does right? I read that somewhere on the internet.  

Just kidding! When I go looking for information online, I start with library databases. I love Wikipedia dearly, but sometimes it will lead me astray. Just look at this link! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Flu. 

Luckily for me, POWER Library has provided two new databases that can help with health information and much more: Health and Wellness and Academic OneFile Select, both from our pals at Gale. As with other Gale products, they look almost the same but contain different information aimed at different audiences. 

Health and Wellness contains full-text articles from medical publications and reference works, but also from more popular, general media outlets with a focus on health information that is approachable for a general audience. Here are the results for a search for “bird flu” with a publication date limiter of the “past month.” 

Notice that it leads with four audio clips from various NPR programs. Health and Wellness is for a general audience looking for reliable information that doesn’t get too deep into medical jargon. 

However, if your patrons do want jargon, we now have Academic OneFile Select! 

This resource is geared toward students, researchers, and curriculum-based learners. It provides access to full text articles across many disciplines, not just health, as well as also vocational/technical training material for students who are studying the trades. A nice complement to BlueCareer! 

But back to the chickens. If I do the same search for “bird flu” with that “past month” time limiter, I get results that may not be appropriate for a lay audience but will definitely help with a college student’s research. 

These new resources provide information for a variety of different types of patrons and are now live on the eLibrary website. Check them out! 

-Mary, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 

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Tutor.com, but make it webinars

Tutor.com, with its fancy new interface that dropped back in August, offers all the good stuff we’re used to: live homework help, quizzes and mini-courses, job and career help, test prep, and more!  

But did you know that they also offer webinars to enhance a variety of other skills that can help build a successful learning journey?  

It’s a big challenge for students to focus their attention these days; there are a lot of technological distractions designed to grab a click or invite them to scroll or lead them down a Wikipedia rabbit hole (I’m looking at you, Hyperborea!). While a little clicking and scrolling isn’t bad for you, it can quickly get in the way of healthy study and concentration habits. How can we support learners in managing these seemingly irresistible internet temptations, and help form long-lasting study and work habits that can inform their education and beyond? 

We’ve all heard the phrase “time management,” and it’s still an important skill. But today, our world is built around distractions, notifications, and updates that can break an attention span and lead to a loss in productivity and quality of work. Yes, I’m talking about “attention management.”  

Tutor.com is here to help! They’re offering Student Success: Time and Attention Management, a quick webinar as part of their Student Success series. You, your learners, or your learners’ caregivers can register here for the October 22 session. It starts at 4pm and is free! It’s part of a three-session series they’re providing from October – December. You can check out the line up here. If you can’t make the dates, you can still register and receive the recorded webinars in your inbox.  

In fact, there is a whole world of Princeton Review-Tutor.com based webinars for learners and educators! Look around and tell me if you find something you like! 

-Mary Phillips, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 

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Hallmark+ on hoopla!

I know it’s only September, but Hallmark Christmas movies will be here before you know it. And if you are a fan of those and other Hallmark offerings, be sure to check out the latest Binge Pass from hoopla – Hallmark+.

Hallmark+ is an all-new streaming service that provides unlimited access to exclusive new original series, reality shows, movies, and other feel-good content featuring beloved Hallmark stars. There is a huge selection of Hallmark rom-coms, cozy mysteries, heartfelt dramas, and holiday movies!

From the old (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) to the new (Chicken Sisters – Hallmark+ exclusive), there is plenty of series to watch as well as the numerous movies available.

And all of this is available to you and your patrons for only one hoopla borrow. Now that patrons have fewer borrows per month, this Binge Pass means access to more movies and series options to watch.

Tracy – Monroeville Public Library

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Tutor.com Gets a New Look

We’re heading into the back half of summer, and back-to-school season is coming up fast. What better time to hype Tutor.com, right? As we learned from Jaime last week, Tutor.com can set students up for success all year long. Starting the school year off on a new foot, Tutor.com is rolling out a fresh update to their user interface. Who doesn’t love a UI refresh?

Below, you can see the home page we’re all accustomed to:

Screen shot of old version of Tutor.com

The update will drop on Monday, August 19th. Here’s a sneak peek at the new homepage, so you can be prepared to help patrons navigate the new site:

Screen shot of new version of Tutor.com

Be sure to take a cruise around the new menus and streamlined options. For instance, the Career Resources for adults (did you know they had that!) was buried under a few too many clicks and dropdown menus.

Screen shot of old version of Tutor.com Career Resources page

Look at this improved Career Services design! It’s friendlier to the user and easier on the eyes:

Screen shot of new version of Tutor.com Career Resources page

The new school year is almost upon us, so mark your calendar for Monday, August 19th to give yourself a tour of our fancy new Tutor.com design!

Tutor.com

If you have any questions, ask Mary Phillips.

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