Tips & Tricks for ACLA Databases and Downloadables

DC Comics and Graphic Novels – Now on hoopla!

Regular ShowGarfieldHushEarth One 

Every story has a hero! To add even more excitement to your patrons’ summer reading lists, Hoopla has added DC Comics and Graphic Novels. From Mordecai and Rigby, Strawberry Shortcake and Justice League to The Mis-Adventures of Adam West and The Illustrated Story of the Crusades, graphic novels and comics help children build reading & language skills; they help motivate teens to read & discuss literature; and they encourage adults to experience the joy of reading.

Hoopla’s office announcement states:

hoopla takes pride in announcing the addition, today, of DC Comics and Vertigo to all our library partners. And, just like heroes are known to do, all the iconic DC Comics Superheroes have arrived just in the nick of time for all of you planning reading programs around “Heroes” this summer!

Hugely influential graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns, All-Star Superman, Watchmen, and The Killing Joke are just a taste of what to expect. The Vertigo imprint is also represented as well, with Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman Vol. 1 joining our ranks.   WOW! To make this the ultimate superhero encounter, your patrons can now experience all of the DC Comics close-up action with hoopla’s Action View – our immersive-reading technology!

Learn more about the Action View experience in the web tutorial below, entitled: “comics on Apple iOS devices” https://youtu.be/MBngxyarFe

There is so much to experience and enjoy at https://www.hoopladigital.com/home

Debi

ACLA

Continue ReadingDC Comics and Graphic Novels – Now on hoopla!

New Look for Gale Databases

In April, Gale announced enhancements to the Gale Virtual Reference Library, which includes the “In Context” products (Biography in Context, Opposing Viewpoints, Science in Context, and U.S. History and World History in Context) and the Literature Resource Center.

These upgrades improve usability for desktop and mobile researchers, increase accessibility for users with disabilities like low vision or blindness, and create a common user experience across the most popular Gale products. The improvements include:

  • Optimization of mobile content for any screen size and any device
  • Improved workflow through placement and labeling of navigation elements
  • Increased accessibility through high-contrast banners and buttons
  • Better presentation of page content
  • Introduction of easily recognized icons.

If you haven’t used these databases lately, please check out the new look and navigation.

Click here for more details: http://solutions.cengage.com/enhancements2015/

Mary Lee Hart. Northland.

Continue ReadingNew Look for Gale Databases

Summer Reading: Database Heroes

Take advantage of your super-powered databases during Summer Reading season this year!

NoveList and NoveList K-8 offer many articles providing readers advisory and other tips for summer reading clubs.  Perform a search for “summer reading” and then limit to Lists & Articles.

novelist summer reading

The Teacher Resource Center database also has sources with ideas and insights into reading programs.

teacher resource summer reading

Overdrive provides marketing materials for summer reading and the collection also includes graphic novels (perfect for the Hero theme this year)!

SMSummerRead

Need an idea or booklist for Summer Reading?   Databases will save the day!

rob (Bethel Park)

Continue ReadingSummer Reading: Database Heroes

The Updates Keep On Comin’…

As always, updates are plentiful in OverDrive land! The sun has officially set on the WMA and WMV formats, with a few exceptions.  It turns out that the deadline spurred a few audio publishers into action and we have a few WMA stragglers that will stick around for conversion to MP3 by mid-June.

There were some WMA titles with active holds and those patrons have received an e-mail notification that their hold will not be fulfilled. We will also be receiving a list of the WMA titles in our collection and will be checking for a supported format that we can purchase.

OverDrive Listen has also arrived.  Like OverDrive Read, OverDrive Listen allows patrons to listen to audiobooks directly in their browser, rather than downloading the files onto their device. You can also still bookmark, notate, and highlight as with downloaded files.  Find more information about this new format in the OverDrive help pages.

Starting June 1, there is more happening on the holds front as well. Patrons can now get a better idea of how long they’ll be waiting for requests. Rather than the total number of holds for a title, they will see a whole number ratio that represents the number of holds per copy.

And, finally, there’s more news about OverDrive’s new “Dyslexic font” option.  Starting on June 1, patrons will have the option to enable this font through their account settings on the OverDrive site itself.  This heavier-weighted font increases readability for patrons with dyslexia. The feature, when turned on, will work site-wide.

Jeff, South Park

Continue ReadingThe Updates Keep On Comin’…