Check Out the New Library Catalog!

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On Wednesday, October 26, the Library unveiled a newly designed catalog for the public to use. By November 28, the new catalog will become primary. However, we still will offer a link to the old catalog for patron use until January 2, 2017.

The new catalog has been designed to work well on all screen sizes, from the monitor on your desk to the screen on a cell phone. To see the differences between the old and the new catalogs, visit the InfoGuide at http://ebrpl.libguides.com/NewCatalog.

The new catalog also contains the following new features:

  • Search results will be sorted by relevancy. This means the results you see are more likely to match what you searched for. It currently only works with keywords searches. However for non-keyword searches, it will sort by popularity which should still produce better results than our current catalog which sorts by year of publication.
  • Patrons will be able to temporarily renew their Library card online. If a card has expired, they may click on a button on the My Account page to renew their card for 21 days. This option to renew is only available once the card has expired, and is only available on the account once per year. This means that after the 21-day extension, patrons will only be able to renew their card by visiting a Library in person.
  • Online registration for new patrons will be available. Patrons who find us online but do not yet have an account with us will be able to register for a temporary online card. This card number may be used to access our databases and e-resources and place holds from our catalog. The card number will expire after two months. After that time, patrons would need to renew their account in person and receive a permanent, regular use Library card.
  • Passwords will replace name codes. Currently, when patrons sign into their account online, they must type in their card number as well as their name code. The name code is the first four letters of the last name followed by the first three letters of the first name. Beginning on October 26, all new patrons will use a password to log in to their account instead of a name code. The default password for these new patrons will be their date of birth in the dd/mm/yyyy format. All current patrons will still log in using their name code as their password. All patrons with an email address, current and new, will be able to change their password at any time and reset their password if forgotten.
  • Patrons will be able to add or change their email address from the My Account page.
  • Patrons will be able to add and access linked accounts from the My Account page. This means parents will be able to link their child’s account to their own. They can then use that link to easily renew the child’s items without leaving their account. This requires an email address on all linked accounts.

We’d love to hear your feedback! To let us know what you think of the new catalog, simply click the green button at the top of the new catalog page to leave your comments via the Feedback Form.

Use Newsbank to Really Creep Yourself Out

If you have enough of an internet presence to be reading this blog, you have heard of the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer.” You might have some opinions on it. You might not. Either way, you can find the actual newspaper articles that discuss the case from the comfort of your own laptop with your handy dandy library card and a little digital resource we like to call Newsbank.

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We like to call it that because that is its name.

To find articles on pretty much any newsworthy event, first, pick “USA” from the “Shortcuts” menu at the left side of the page.

Then pick a state. Let’s try Wisconsin, for no particular reason (besides that “Making a Murderer” is set there).

Now you’re ready to actually use the search functions. If you’re looking for a person, like Steve Avery, you’ll want to include his whole name in quotes, like this: “Steve Avery”. Otherwise you’ll end up with results on Steve Avery, and also everyone named Steve, and everyone named Avery. And that’s a lot of people.

If you know the date range you’re looking for, or any of the other options in the drop-down menu, go ahead and put them in. Steve Avery, for example, was originally released from jail on September 11, 2003; you can search for only articles published after that date to focus on the case in the documentary.

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Look at all your search results! They’re so pretty! For this particular example search, you’re also going to get results for Steve Avery, the baseball player – this is a great time to use the “Sort” options in the upper right corner, and get the results arranged by date. This will bring you the most recent news and discussion of the case.

Introducing Artemis

We’re excited to announce a new resource in the Digital Library, Artemis. With Artemis, you can search all these EBRPL literature databases at once, from one search box: Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online, Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, Scribner Writers, and Twayne’s Authors.

Artemis offers speed, convenience, and enhanced search features. Take a look and be a step ahead for next semester!

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Library Apps for Your Smartphone/Tablet

On our Mobile Apps InfoGuide you can see the wide range of free apps you can access with your library card, including language learning and music downloads.

There are apps for Android, iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, BlackBerry and Windows devices that you can download. As the number of apps increases we’ll be updating the guide with the latest arrivals. Head over to our Mobile Apps InfoGuide.

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DigitalLearn.org

DigitalLearn.org offers free and quick computer lessons on the basics. The classes offer step by step instructions and run from 5-15 minutes. Each class is broken down into smaller segments, so if you’re looking to see how to do a specific step you can skip right to it.

Classes currently include Introduction to Email, Using a PC, Using a Mac and Navigating a Website. New tutorials will be added soon! As well as being quick and free, there is no sign up or library card required; just jump right in! When you’ve finished the class you even get a certificate.

DigitalLearn.org

Homework Help

School is back is session, which means catching up with friends and…homework. Don’t panic! We have the information and tools you need to conquer your homework.

Visit The Digital Library and look under the subject list for Homework Help. Our Kids page also has its own Homework Help section. Never get stuck again!

A really good resource that doesn’t even require a library card is HomeworkLouisiana provided by the State Library.  This site, powered by Tutor.com, offers live online help with homework from qualified tutors, Sunday through Thursday 2pm to 10pm. Tutors can help a range of students, from elementary school, high school, GED, college, and everyone in between. On the site you’ll also find thousands of tutorials and study guides which are available anytime.

There is also an Adult Education and Career Center that has live help available, Sunday through Thursday 10am to 10pm.

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ReferenceUSA iPad App

Our go-to resource for finding business and residential phone numbers nationwide is our ReferenceUSA database, but it offers so much more than just that.

It provides powerful research tools and in-depth information on businesses. These include sales figures, number of employees and management directories. With ReferenceUSA you can tailor very specific searches on businesses and consumers. You can access the database here: ReferenceUSA

Now with the ReferenceUSA app for iPad, you can also access these resources on the go. All you need is your library card.

EBSCOhost eBooks and Audiobooks

Did you know that our database EBSCOhost now has eBooks and audiobooks? They have two collections of quality downloadable resources for you.

The EBSCOhost eBook Collection offers a wide selection of mostly non-fiction titles, for both teens and adult age groups. These books are great for homework and research, and you can access them from the comfort of home. You can read them online or check them out and download them for offline use. The EBSCOhost Audiobook Collection is a compact selection of non-fiction audiobooks covering a variety of subjects.

After downloading titles you can transfer them to a portable reader or MP3 player to take them with you. To do this, you will be prompted to create a free MyEBSCO account and it takes just a minute to set up then and you’re ready to go!

Tutorial on using EBSCOhost Ebooks

Tutorial on using EBSCOhost Audiobooks

Literati by Credo Reference

One of our favorite databases has changed! Credo Reference is now called Literati and offers a brand new interface into their wonderful collection of resources.  Literati contains the full text of over 850 reference books and includes images, audio and video.

For many subjects you will also find a ‘Topic Page’ which brings together not only entries from Literati, but also results from our other databases and our library catalog. Literati covers a broad range of subjects, which makes it a great place to start your research. Literati will even create your citations for you! Take a look at the mind map method of searching for a more visual approach.

One of the coolest features of Literati is the ‘Tools’ section which includes specially tailored search boxes for definitions, pronunciations, crossword puzzle/word game solving (we won’t tell), and quotations. Visit the new look Literati and start exploring!