Tips & Tricks for ACLA Databases and Downloadables

The world is opening back up (hooray!) and the libraries in Allegheny County still have what you need remotely to offset all the socializing you’ll be doing. Don’t forget that you still need some downtime! Here’s some ways to have a great eSummer:

• Hoopla has your summer movies and books! Their titles are always available (no waiting!) and always changing. Some summer favorites:
  • Movies with Reese Witherspoon all day, all summer: Sweet Home Alabama, The Man in the Moon, Rendition and The Importance of Being Earnest
  • Books for the kiddos when they need a break from swimming in freezing water: Sonata for Fish and Boy by Milan Pavlovic, The Color Collection by Nick Solis and You are Fantastic! by Sabrina Moyle.
  • Take a moment and recapture your youth! I love re-reading old childhood favorites like More About Paddington, The Boxcar Children, The One and Only Ivan, Winnie the Pooh, Romana Quimby Age 8 and Where the Sidewalk Ends.
  • ALL THE HARRY POTTER AUDIO BOOKS! Done! Your summer’s planned.
  • Beach listening (just don’t get sand in your airpods!): American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (this one’s read by Tom Hanks and let me just say, there were many ‘driveway moments’ where I just couldn’t get out of my car and go into the house), The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
  • Beach reading for days (pack your Kindle or iPad loaded with all the genres: A House is a Body by Shruti Swamy, Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn (the new Netflix movie of this one is soooo good!) and Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras.
• Looking for mindless poolside magazines? Flipster has People, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly and Woman’s Day. Also, kiddos love magazines and Flipster has Cricket, BabyBug, Ranger Rick, Sports Illustrated Kids and High Five. And Libby has Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue, Allure and Bazaar!
• Don’t forget the music. You’ll need a soundtrack this summer (all life needs a soundtrack!) Hoopla’s got you covered. Look for the Hamilton Soundtrack, 80s Mixtape (yes, Word Up from Cameo is included!), Nicki Minaj’s Beam Me Up Scotty, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, 90s Mixtape (Ice Ice Baby will get you where you need to go) and The Weeknd’s The Highlights.

Kelley, Cooper-Siegel Community Library

A request I frequently get from patrons, is for access to recent back issues of Time Magazine. If you are looking for recent back issues of magazines including Time, Entertainment Weekly, and The New Yorker, and you can’t make it into the library to browse a paper copy, Flipster is a great resource for recent back issues of popular magazines.

Kate Straccia- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main

One aspect of pandemic-era library services that is here to stay is contactless pick-up. Patrons will continue to enjoy the convenience aspect of this kind of service. Many libraries are not only circulating materials this way, but also having take-home crafts and activities for all ages that patrons can pick up and complete at their convenience.

At South Park, we’ve had great success with our “subscription bags” program for children, where staff members choose a selection of books based on a child’s interests. We’ve been including small crafts and activities in these bags as much as we can. A few resources have been helpful in providing activities that go along with books in the collection.

Sourcebooks has put together activity sheets for a number of their picture book titles, focused mostly on children’s, but there are young adult and adult options as well. These can be printed out and included in bags with the appropriate book—an easy and fun way to expand on a title.

There is also a curated list put together by Theme Park Professor that has many Disney-related activity sheets. These can be thrown in with the corresponding movie or picture book versions.

Jeff, South Park