Need LEGIT legal forms? Don’t just “Google” it!

We’ve probably all had that reference interview that started with something simple like needing help printing, when what was REALLY needed was much more than that: a résumé re-write, mini-lesson in MS Office, or trickiest of all – legal advice. That is something we can’t dispense and most of us are not equipped to do so! However, what we CAN do is simplest of all – point to Gale Legal Forms.

Last week I had a patron very frustrated with the fact that she was told she needed a specific form, but “Googling” it just let to bad places, either non-legit or costly or both. She was having trouble accessing one such website to print out the form (which was going to cost her $30 to download). Luckily she asked for help, because I was able to help her take a U-turn out of that particular dark alley and send her straight to Gale for free, legit, and accurate access to the very form she needed.

This tax season (and really all year round), we should have this resource in our back pocket ready to pull out instead of saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you, I’m not a lawyer.” As a notary, I often have to say that myself, but I can at least add Gale Legal Forms as a legitimate place to start, with hopefully more ease of use and definitely fewer dark alleys than Google Country. And of course it’s always free when brought to you by your friendly neighborhood library!

Legal Forms – eResources for Allegheny County Public Libraries (einetwork.net)

– Heather Auman, Western Allegheny Community Library

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hoopla Music

I grew up in an age where the radio was the only place to listen to music other than your record player. To be able to stream just about anything you want is still a little mind boggling to me. And while there are a lot of people willing to spend money on Spotify or Apple Music, I am not one of them. To listen to ad free music I love to check out albums on hoopla.

They have an amazing selection of new and old and a wide variety of genres. There are over 30,000 albums available for checkout. Never listened to a Taylor Swift song before (there are still a few us out there!)? hoopla has you covered. Did you see Tracy Chapman perform at the Grammy’s but never listened to her self-titled debut album? Then you are in luck!

hoopla lets you search by genre, trending, featured and more.

And on top of all of that, your patrons now have access to browse, borrow, and listen to their favorite music through Roku. hoopla is the only library service on Roku that offers music, audiobooks, movies, and TV shows.

Tracy – Monroeville Public Library

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Utilizing Creativebug in Programming

It’s February, and even though it’s 30° outside, it’s time to start thinking of summer programming.

Thinking of planning an art program? Creativebug has got you covered with 1,000+ crafting classes and projects on everything from painting to print making. If you find something that interests you, add it to your watchlist for later.

You can also filter your search results by class length, skill level, and instructor, ensuring that you find the perfect craft for your patrons.

Creativebug is free to staff and patrons with the use of their Allegheny County Library card.

Happy crafting!

-Erin, Bridgeville Public Library

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