Friday, August 28, 2015

Resources Review - E-Books

Over the past few weeks we've been reviewing our online resources.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

In this final installment, we'll be taking a look at our many e-book resources for kids and adults.  One great thing about our e-books is you don't have to remember to return them (they expire on their own) and there are never any fines!

For kids, we have:
Sesame Street E-books, picture books with animation & audio

StarWalk Kids Media, featuring picture books by award-winning authors and illustrators. Please note: The login/password for the available apps is opl/opl (that is OPL lowercase).

Tumblebooks, animated, talking picture books and chapter books. Includes books in French & Spanish for language learning!

Most kids ebook services are interactive and allow you to customize your reading experience, such as turning narrative audio on and off. Several also have apps available so you can use them on the go.  More details & links to help and FAQs are included on our Resources Page.

For adults/teens, we have two resources, both of which are now fully integrated into our catalog, allowing you to find titles as well as get on holds lists without using a separate app or going to another website.
3M offers e-books for all ages, you can browse our collection here, and checkout their online support resources here.  They offer apps for many smartphones, e-readers (except traditional Kindles) and computers. Please remember your default account password is the last 4 digits of the primary phone number we have on file for you!



OverDrive
OverDrive has e-books, e-audiobooks and a limited number of downloadable videos for teens and adults. They offer apps for most platforms as well as Kindle support.  They also have extensive online help, including videos and step-by-step guides for most devices.

We hope you've enjoyed this blog series and found a new resource (or two) to enhance your library experience!

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Resources Review - AtoZDatabases

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

As you can see from the above graphic, AtoZDatabases is an extensive directory database. What sets it apart are its flexibility and the online help and training that it offers.  For home access, you need to sign into your account on our catalog and select Reference from the E-sources tab.  The default password is the last 4 digits of your phone number.

In addition to business & residential databases, they offer directories containing only new homeowners and new businesses. You can customize your search by including only the fields you want and also customize your results by limiting them by things like geographic area, income, industry, company size, etc.  You can download up to 1,000 records at a time - a great deal more than most competitors. 

Newer features include a Spanish language interface,a background search feature and the ability to create free bulk e-mails.

You can learn more about the AtoZ via introductory videos  or by signing up for one of their webinars. They also offer direct support via phone and e-mail.

We hope you'll give AtoZDatabases a try & let us know what you think!

Monday, August 17, 2015

Resources Review - One Click Digital

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.
One Click Digital from Recorded Books offers a wide variety of downloadable audiobooks for adults, including best-sellers, Recorded Books exclusives, classics and much more. As with most digital audiobooks services, they offer apps for several platforms, so it couldn't be easier to select and download audiobooks directly to your smartphone! They also offer media manager software you can use to download and transfer audiobooks to your computer or other device.

They offer step by step instructions for their smartphone apps and their media manager software as well as live, toll-free technical support at 1-877-77AUDIO

A few notes:
  • You must first create an account on the system to use this service
  • You may do this from home with an access code, please call the Oldsmar Library at 813-749-1181 for the code.
  • Please have your Pinellas County PPLC library card ready when you call! This service is available to PPLC card holders only. More info on obtaining a library card can be found on our website.
  • All items in the collection are available all the time, no waiting, no holds queue!
  • Items check out for 21 days, and may be renewed once for another 21 days
This is a great service and complements our other downloadable audio service, OverDrive, which will be covered in another blog post!

Monday, August 10, 2015

Resources Review - Pronunciator

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.



Up next is Pronunciator, our language-learning service. With Pronunciator, you have access to courses for over 80 languages and can approach your learning in a structured or informal manner, whatever works best for you!  You learn through activities, drills and quizzes that have been developed by language educators. You can also choose from other available learning aids, such as films, music and audio files.  Content is available for learners of all ages.
Pronunciator is also great for those whose native language isn't English, as you can choose any one of 50 languages in which to take your courses!


Pronunciator has mobile apps designed for a variety of devices, even Kindle Fire!  The apps have the same functionality as the browser-based program and your progress is synced across devices

You can view an introductory video here, and even read the entire user's manual.


Try out this great resource and let us know what you think!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Resources Review - Career Cruising

Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some of our online resources, including our ebooks and various online learning programs.  You can visit our Resources page at any time for a list of our more popular programs, or the databases by subject page to view a comprehensive list which includes our academic research offerings.

Next we'll look at Career Cruising, a database for job seekers as well as students doing career research.

This great resource is accessible from anywhere with your Pinellas library card.  You can create an account (called My Plan) to save your research, create a portfolio and build a resume.

One of the highlights of Career Cruising is its career assessment tool. You can identify career matches based on interests and skills and then continue on to explore in-depth information on hundreds of occupations, including multimedia interviews, workplace photos, sample career paths, and more.

Career Cruising also includes a national database of higher education options, including details on admissions, expenses, enrollment, athletics, and programs of study.

With built in resume & portfolio builders as well as direct links to job listings from Indeed.com, Career Cruising can be a great first stop for career explorers of all ages!  Give it a try & let us know what you think.