Lifelong Learning with Libraries

Try Hoopla Digital - Sign up for your own account on their website or through their app.  

You will need your Oldsmar library card, pin and an email address. 

Learn more here Hoopla Digital  

• Binge Passes Curiosity Stream & the Great Courses
  

• Music  Variety of music for learning & enjoyment
  

Holiday Help with Your Library

Winter holidays are fast approaching and your "to do" list may be growing.

Cooking, shopping and travel preparations for visiting with friends and family. If you're feeling a little time pressured, look to your library for some help.

Recipes and cookbooks: We have a variety of cookbooks (both in-house and online) with recipe ideas for making that traditional dish or a new recipe would like to try. There are books with different cooking methods, baking, slow cooking, grilling and some that cover special diets.

Shopping recommendations: The Consumer Reports online database and buying guides can help with gift ideas on the latest electronics - smartphones, tablets, TVs, digital cameras and home appliances. Access to the database is available from library computers only.

Make sure you pencil in a little downtime for yourself and family! 

 

Whether you enjoy reading, watching or listening, your library provides free access to audio-books, books, comic books, magazines and DVDs to check-out with a library card. 

 

If you prefer online access, you will need your library card, pin and device (tablet, e-reader, computer or TV) to enjoy content from the Tumble Book library, Hoopla and Overdrive databases. 

 

Not sure what to check-out? 

 

Browse the Novelist Plus & Novelist Plus K-8 reading databases for ideas - great for finding the next title (or the First) in a series. 

 

You can also browse the library catalog for book lists, awards and recommendations. or download the app from your app store - search for Pinellas Library Cooperative

 

To get started - visit the library checkout desk to get a library card. For help with downloading e-books/audios - click on the "help" buttons within each database to find out which devices and formats are supported and how to download/stream. Call the library (813) 749-1178 for more info.

 

 Wishing you an enjoyable and relaxing holiday!

New Newspaper database including Tampa Bay Times

  
The Oldsmar Library is pleased to announce the immediate availability of its new digital newspaper collection: Access World News. This collection is available to all library patrons (both in-house and remote) and is updated daily.

Access World News provides Web-based access to current and archived issues of  full-text newspapers, including access to the Tampa Bay Times archives going back to 1987.

This new resource appears under the Research & Learn tab on the library's homepage, or you can use the links in the pictures above.  Use outside of the library will require an Oldsmar Library Card.
 
Access World News is a resource offered by NewsBank, the world’s premier provider of newspapers and other news sources online. Serving public libraries for more than 45 years, NewsBank offers Web-based access to more than 12,000 titles from the U.S. and other countries around the globe.

For more information on this collection, contact us by calling 813-749-1181, emailing information@oldsmarlibrary.org, or visit http://www.oldsmarlibrary.org/

New Database Available: Fold 3 Military Records

You may have noticed a new link under the Research & Learn tab on our website: Fold 3.

Distributed by ProQuest, Fold3 Library Edition by Ancestry provides convenient access to a growing collection of US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served from the Revolutionary War onward. It contains millions of records from world-class archives, many of which are exclusively available on Fold3.

Fold3 supplements the records available in the Ancestry Library Edition database (available for in-house use only).  You can use Fold3 from anywhere, all you need is your Pinellas Public Library Cooperative library card.



The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans who served in defense of their country and to maintain peace throughout the world.

For more information or for help getting started, please see this.pdf from ProQuest:

Fold 3 Quick Tips

New Online Service - Hoopla Digital

We are excited to announce the public availability of thousands of ebooks, movies, television shows, comic books, music albums and audiobooks, all available for mobile and online access through a new partnership with hoopla digital – all you need is a valid library card!

hoopla digital has a simple sign-up and attractive, easy-to-use interface, so it’s easy to get to your listening and viewing experience. There’s also no waiting to borrow, ever, and hoopla digital’s automatic return feature eliminates late fees.




To access the system on your mobile device, you will need to first download the FREE hoopla digital app from the App Store on your Android or IOS device. There is no need to download an app or extension for your internet browser.


Once you have downloaded the app to your device(s) and/or clicked on the hoopla digital link on our website you will be prompted to select your library, enter your email address, a password, your library card number, and your library card PIN number. The system will validate that you are in good standing with the library, so that you may begin to browse, borrow, and enjoy the content.



Remember: the default PIN number for your library account is the last 4 digits of your phone number!


Come see what all the hoopla’s about: 

• Once you borrow a title on one device it is automatically available via all devices with the hoopla digital app and via your PC web browsers (IE 8+, Firefox 12+, Safari 5+, Chrome 19+).
• When using hoopla you will be able to begin streaming the content immediately. You can also download content to view at a later date (in case you won’t have Wi-Fi on that camping trip).
• You will be allowed to borrow 4 titles each month
• Video lends for 72 hours
• Music lends for 7 days
• Ebooks, eaudiobooks & comics lend for 21 days
• You are able to access (view/listen to) borrowed content as often as you want during the checkout period and you can return any borrowed title whenever you want.

We hope you enjoy this new service and let us know what you think!

New Catalog System

Library Cooperative Moving to New Online Catalog and Checkout System

The Pinellas County Public Libraries are pleased to announce their change to a new online catalog effective Thursday, March 24, 2016. The new online catalog and checkout system, supported by SirsiDynix, will continue to provide many familiar features and will offer new options for member libraries.

This transition will take place from March 21 through March 24. Over these few days, access to the catalog and patron account information will be interrupted. Patrons will need their library cards in order to check out materials. Library staff will be unable to check in materials, place or fill holds, accept payments or renew materials.

Access to some of the libraries’ databases and electronic resources may also be interrupted during this period.

Loan periods for materials normally due during this period will automatically be extended, so patrons will be able to enjoy materials for a little longer than usual while library staff get up and running on the new system.

Links to the new catalog will be available on March 25; patrons who have saved a link to the current catalog on their personal devices will need to delete the old link and update it. Library patrons will keep their current library cards and passwords.  Patrons will be able to search the catalog, place requests, and enjoy full account access.

Please remember, the Oldsmar Library will be closed on March 25 as we train staff on using this new system.

If you have any questions regarding the transition to the new system, please contact the Library.

New Online Resources

In conjunction with the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, we're happy to share our newest online resources with you!

Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an easy-to-use, interactive online kindergarten readiness solution, offering hundreds of lessons spanning all major academic subjects, providing weekly progress reports and assessments to measure proficiency and learning. Accessible via smart phones and tablets, Miss Humblebee’s Academy offers a safe and secure learning environment, with no pop-ups, ads, or links to other websites.

Developed by the makers of  World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Online allows users to tap into a wealth of reliable information. This resource offers information for all K-12 students and includes databases in Spanish and French. The online content is constantly updated and can provide multimedia resources to further enrich learning

Complete digital copies of your favorite magazines are now available to download for free with no holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download!

The service is provided by Zinio, the world’s largest online magazine subscription service. Using your library card and smartphone, tablet or personal computer, you can gain access to popular magazines like Cosmopolitan, HGTV Magazine, Men's Health, Taste of Home and many more. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and, unlike print magazines, digital magazines don't need to be returned.

Give them a try & let us know what you think!

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 Cloud Library

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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

Resources Review - Novelist

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.

First we'll take a look at NoveList, a comprehensive readers' advisory solution for fiction lovers. It helps you find your "next read" with a variety of easy-to-use tools.

You can access Novelist from this link in the library, and use your Oldsmar library card # to access it from outside the library.

Novelist has book discussion guides, read-alike lists and reading suggestions for all ages.  You can tell it what type of books you're looking for or browse by genre and age group. You can even search by Lexile or limit your searches to only award winners with the Advanced Search options.

Right on the landing page, you'll find suggested read-alikes for recent bestsellers as well as the Keeping Up lists, which let you know what's been released recently in your favorite genre.

We hope you'll give Novelist a try when trying to find your next read and let us know what you think!

Universal Class - new resource for online learning

Have you wanted to try an online course but were turned off by the price? Well, we have a great new product that you can use for FREE to polish up your skills or learn some new ones. Instructions for creating an account are below.

Universal Class offers over 500 online non-college credit continuing education courses on a wide variety of topics:

Accounting -  Alternative Medicine -  Arts and Photography -  Business - Career Training -  Computer Training - Cooking - Crafts & Hobbies -  Finance -  General Education -  Health & Medicine -  History -  Home and Garden -  Homeschooling -  How To / Do It Yourself - Law/Legal/Criminal -  Mathematics -  Medical Billing -  New Age - Office Skills -  Parenting and Family -   Performing Arts -  Personal Care -  Pet and Animal Care -  Psychology -  Real Estate -  Reference -  Religious Studies - Science -  Self-Help -  Social Work -  Special Education -  Spiritual Studies -  Teacher Resources - Terminology -  Test Preparation -  Web Development - Writing Skills

Most classes contain an audio-visual component as well as assignments, quizzes & exams to test your knowledge. You can print out a Certificate of Course Completion for each class you complete.  Classes take between 10-20 hours to complete

• You can browse the catalog, but you must register & create an account with Universal Class before you can begin classes.  You can do this with this link either in the library or outside with an Oldsmar library card.  Please call us at 813-749-1181 if you need assistance.
• You will need to have a valid e-mail address to sign up for courses
• You are welcome to enroll in up to 5 courses at a time
• You have up to 6 months to finish each course
• You have access to your course 24/7 via the Internet & can cover course materials and do assignments on your schedule
• Each course has a real instructor who you may communicate with using e-mail
• There are online message boards which provide opportunities to connect with other students for an authentic classroom experience
• These are non-credit courses and are provided for your personal enrichment. These courses are not intended to be a substitute for any state, government, licensing, or educational requirements.
• Universal Class is accredited as an authorized provider by the International Association for Continuing Education Training (IACET), offering continuing education units on all qualifying courses.

You can read more in this FAQ.

New Mobile App

In addition to our mobile-friendly website (http://www.oldsmarlibrary.org/mobile/mindex.html), Oldsmar Library (along with our fellow PPLC member libraries) is now offering a customized library app: PPLC POP (Pinellas Online Portal).

Want to renew an item or place one on hold? There’s an app for that. Library hours or locations? There’s an app for that. Download an eBook? Find information fast? There’s an app for that, too!

From any mobile phone or tablet connected to the internet you can instantly tap into library resources, search the catalog, check your account, place a hold and more.  Also included is BookLook Mobile, a feature that lets you scan an ISBN barcode to see if a PPLC library owns the title.

To download PPLC POP, visit pinellas.boopsie.com on your mobile device, or go directly to the Google Play Store, iTunes or the Windows App Store.


The library’s mobile app was developed by Boopsie Inc. More than 250 libraries and universities use Boopsie to increase community and campus visibility.

Book Display-Florida History

Interested in local and state history?  The library is featuring books on Florida this summer with the current display on Oldsmar, Tampa Bay & Florida history. The display is located near the magazines and the Garden reading room and the books are available for check-out with your library card.

In additon to the books on display - more Florida books can be found in non-fiction within the call numbers FL 001.9 - FL976. Oldsmar books marked Reference in the PALS Library catalog are for use in the library only - please ask at the Reference Desk (813) 749-1181.

New at the library is a  Florida History guide - free copies are available at the library or print a copy from this link Florida History Guide The guide includes a book list on Oldsmar History, websites and database links.

For more information on Oldsmar History click on the history tab of the Oldsmar Library Website and visit the Oldsmar Historical Society website.

Don't have a library Card? Information can be found here Library Card FAQS or contact the library by phone (813) 749-1178, email or post a question/comment to this blog.

New additions to OneClick Digital downloadable audios

Please click here for a list of the latest & upcoming titles from our OneClickdigital downloadable audiobook service!

OneClickdigital provides access to downloadable .mp3 and .wma files of Recorded Books audiobooks. All are iPod compatible and also work on a variety of other devices.

If you haven't used this resource before, here's a brief introduction.

Sneak preview-Intro to e-Reading

Find out what you need to get started reading e-books. Introduction to E-Reading  is  the topic for the December 11th  computer class with Mark Opyd. The class is from 2:00-3:00 pm in TECO hall at the library and will cover the different devices and software used to read e-books on a computer
or device. There will be a chance to ask questions after the presentation. Free and no registration needed.

Find out more about e-books and other electronic resources by visiting these links: 
Oldsmar Library Resources e-books
Oldsmar Library Blog - Kindle e-books

OneClickDigital - Webinars Available to the Public

Want to learn more about OneClickDigital downloadable audiobooks and have the chance to get your questions answered by a member of their staff?

They are offering a free, public, patron-focused webinar (online seminar) to demonstrate the service’s features. This 45-minute program will include a complete tour of the service and show patrons how to create an account, install the OneClickdigital Media Manager, search for content, manage checkouts, and download and transfer audiobooks to listening devices.

These webinars will be held on:
Tue, Oct 23, 2012      3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Tue, Nov 27, 2012     3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

Pre-registration is required! Please click the above links to sign up.

If these sessions are not convenient, you can check back at on their website for future dates & times.

OneClickDigital - Kindle Fire app now available

Do you have a Kindle Fire? Want great audiobook downloads available instantly?

OneClickDigital, a provider of downloadable audiobooks has new upgrades.

They have officially launched the OneClickdigital app for the Kindle Fire. Users can download the app for free by searching for OneClickdigital in the Android Appstore at Amazon.com

OneClickdigital now offers apps for the iPhone, all Android devices, and the Kindle Fire. App users will be able to access and download audiobooks directly to their device, without having to connect to a computer.

Here are a few other recent enhancements to OneClickDigital:

• The quick search bar is now available from all pages of the OneClickdigital website.
• The preview player now plays from within the Title Detail page, instead of opening a new webpage.

For more information on how to get started with OneClickDigital, please check out their Help Pages or give us a call!