Series Fiction Database

I don’t know about you, but sometimes you get someone who wants to know the order of series of books, and its hard to figure out.  This site was listed on a listerv for me, and I thought I would share.  Its pretty cool and it does printer friendly versions too!

http://ww2.kdl.org/libcat/whatsnext.asp

Thanks to Jennifer for sharing this great resource! 

did you know...

The State Library provides subscriptions to two services that allow library staff to engage in professional development opportunities about leadership, management, communication, customer service, computers/software and technology skills! 

Lynda.com includes a catalog of over 2,800 online courses presented in small chunks of content, allowing staff to take an entire course or zero in to specific content. Mobile apps for iOS and Android allow courses to be viewed on mobile devices offline.

SkillSoft’s catalog includes 450 courses, 1-2 page printable job aids for quick reference, and approximately 3,000 short videos about software and technology skills.

These services are free to library staff, and would be a great way to train for some of your tech competencies skills.  You must create user accounts to access the courses. For more information, visit: http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/education/selfpaced.htm

Please contact Jeffrey Hamilton at 919-807-7417 or jeffrey.hamilton@ncdcr.gov with questions or for assistance.

home grown ebooks from nclive

The Home Grown eBooks collection from NCLive features more than 1200 free, downloadable ebooks by NC Publishers.  Read more about the Home Grown collection in the resource of the week post.  Links to access Home Grown eBooks may be found at the bottom of our homepage under "What's New" and under Online Tools > Books > Digital Books.

mango for librarians

Did you know...Mango Languages has Spanish lessons specifically for librarians?  Head over to our free trial of Mango and learn how to help Spanish-speakers sign up for a library card.  The trial ends July 16th.

library elf discontinued

RPL began using Library Elf at a time when many of the features Elf provided were unavailable to us. As the software we use for our Library Services became more advanced, these features were added and we felt it was unnecessary to continue purchasing a premium subscription for Library Elf.

As customers indicate that they received a notice from Library Elf, please enter their email into TLC and make them aware of the following: 

Email notifications are quick and easy using TLC.  Customers provide us with their email account and the system automatically generates notices on upcoming due dates, past due and arrived holds.

Parents and spouses may share pin numbers or email accounts to enable one or the other to monitor due dates, late fees, or arrived holds.

Using our catalog's home page, customers enter their library card and pin number to create lists, check holds, cancel pending holds and generally monitor their account activity.

Information for our customers will be distributed tomorrow and in the newsletters.  Thank you for helping get the word out!

-Marian

learn4life has changed its name

Learn4Life is now called Gale Courses.  It's still the same great product offering more than 300 online courses to anyone with a library card and PIN--the only thing that has changed is the name.  Remember, we're not offering any computer classes at this time, so please help us promote Gale Courses as an alternative.

zinio is live!

new online catalog: LS2

The following are resources Edward shared in his LS2 class at Staff Development Day:

Training site for LS2 Pac
http://ls2pac.tlcdelivers.com:8080/#

Help pages
http://ls2pachelp.tlcdelivers.com/2_7_1/UserApp/LS2PAC.htm

online tools

Click here to download PDF.

new language learning tool

Check out the newest database at RPL, available under "Online Tools" or "Find it Online" on the library's homepage.  Read more about this new resource here.

the great gatsby

Download the FREE audiobook, The Great Gatsby, available April 19 - April 25 thanks to Downpour.com. Enjoy AudioFile's Listener's Guide to the Great Gatsby, including conversations from the narrator, listening recommendations for Jazz Age audiobooks, and more.

ebook freebie alerts

A patron shared with me a few sites where she learns about free ebooks.  She signed up for the newsletter, which e-mails freebie alerts daily.

Pixel of Ink is a blog that posts free or nearly free ebook deals.  While many are forgotten classics, there is a substantial number of new/popular titles that just happen to be the "deal of the day".

 Book Gorilla is another freebie alert site that offers classics to contemporary books.  They allow you to search/sort by genre and by price (for those that are not free).

goodreads

Have you ever gotten a few chapters into a book and thought, "Hmm, this seems familiar..."  Or, has someone suggested the perfect read only for you to misplace the tiny piece of recycled paper upon which they wrote it?  Sign up for Goodreads, a free online service that helps you keep track of what you've read and what you want to read.  A few extra benefits (beyond keeping all of your to-reads and have-reads organized) are the user reviews, read-alike recommendations, monthly newsletters highlighting new releases of your favorites, and free online webinars that allow you to chat with authors.