Selena Piro - Tech Tips

How to Access the New York Times for Free

The Upper Hudson Library System is now offering free access to the New York Times. Using a unique code, users can access content including News, Cooking, Games, and more!

Accessing the New York Times

To begin, go to our landing page. From there, you will be directed to a landing page on the UHLS website to enter your library card number.

screenshot of the landing page on the UHLS website showing a header reading New York Times with a text box underneath where you can enter your library card number next to a submit button

Once you’ve entered your library card number, you’ll be directed to a NYT unique link that grants 24 hour access to the New York Times. To access content, you’ll need to create a free New York Times account. If you already have a free account, you can login with that account. If you currently pay for the New York Times, you will be unable to use that account.

screenshot of the screen used to access the New York Times containing a blacked out redemption code.

After you’ve accessed the NYT landing page, click on the Redeem button to continue. Next, login or create an account. If you don’t already have a free account, you can use an email address to create a new account. If you prefer, you can create a NYT account with your Google, Facebook, or Apple account as well.

screenshot of the login screen showing a box for an email address or the ability to use Google, Facebook or Apple account.

After you have either created an account or logged in with an existing free account, you will see a conformation screen:

Your access to the NYT lasts for 24 hours. After 24 hours, you will need access the link on our NYT landing page and login again. To proceed, click the continue button.

Next, you can choose which areas of the NYT you’d like to explore. Once you’ve made your choices, click the continue button on the bottom right.

Sections to Explore & Newsletters

screenshot showing the areas of the NYT you want to explore including news, games, wirecutter, cooking, the athletic and audio.

On the next screen, choose which areas of the NYT you are interested in browsing and click continue.

Continuing on, you can select which NYT newsletters you would like receive via email. Note: the emails are quite frequent. If you don’t want to receive any email from the NYT, uncheck all of the pre-selected choices. Click the View All button in the bottom right of the screen to confirm that all of the boxes are unchecked. If you see a plus symbol that means the selection is unchecked. Once you have made your selection, click continue to proceed.

Next, you can choose which NYT games you may want to play. Once you have made your choices, click continue. If you are not interested in Games, click continue without making a selection.

On the next screen, there is a prompt to download the app. If you want to use your phone, scan the QR code to continue. Otherwise, click the not right now button. Note: users have reported a delay in access when using the app.

Click Explore the New York Times to continue.

From here you can explore the site for 24 hours. Once 24 hours have passed, you need to access the site via the unique link mentioned above. Each time you access the NYT with the redemption link, you will need to go through the process above to choose which sections you prefer, which newsletters you want to receive and which games you like.

If you have any questions, please contact the library or the Upper Hudson Library System.

Discover a New Way to Return and Delete Kindle Ebooks from Your Device

If you’re a Kindle user and regularly use the Libby app, you may have noticed you can’t return your Kindle eBooks early in the same way you may be used to. In order to return a Kindle eBook loan early, you will now need to do it on the Amazon website or Amazon app.

After the eBook has been deleted, the title will still appear on your Kindle devices. Read on to learn how to return a Kindle eBook early and how to delete returned Kindle eBooks from your Kindle.

Returning a Kindle eBook

Start by going into the Libby app or to libbyapp.com from a browser. Next, go the shelf section of the app.

Go the book you would like to return early and tap Manage Loan. From there, tap on Return Early. Next, tap on Return with Kindle.

Screenshot showing the location of the steps mentioned in the directions with manage loan, return early and return with Kindle emphasized.

Next you’ll see an Amazon window pop up. If you are not logged in to Amazon, you will be prompted to log in. There will be a message stating that the digital book has already been claimed. Click on the “return this book” link to continue.

A conformation screen will pop up asking if you’re sure you want to return this digital library loan. Tap on yes.

screenshot showing the deletion conformation page with the word yes highlighted in yellow.

You’ll get a conformation from Amazon the book has been returned. When you go back to the Libby app, you can confirm you have returned the book has been returned. If you don’t complete the return process through Amazon, the book will remain on your shelf in the Libby app.

screenshot showing Libby asking if you were able to return the ebook via Amazon with the option Yes I've returned it in bold and the additional options no, I need help and skip also shown.

Deleting a Returned eBook from Your Kindle Library

Once you have returned the book, the title will still appear in your content library on your Kindle, but you will be unable to open it or read it. When you attempt to open it, you will see an error message prompting you to purchase the book if you want to read it:

screenshot showing a Kindle e-ink with the previously returned books still displayed. Second image shows title not available with the option to purchase.

If you would like to remove it from your library so it doesn’t appear on any of your Kindle devices, there are a couple of ways to do it, depending on if you’re on the desktop website or mobile.

On the desktop website, click on Accounts & Lists in the top right corner, and then click on Content Library:

screenshot showing how to access your content library from Amazon's desktop website.

In the mobile app, tap the three lines in the bottom corner. On the next screen, tap the account icon. In a mobile browser, tap your name in the top right and then tap the see all button next to Your Account:

Screenshots showing how to access your account from the amazon app with the account button, your name and menu options emphasized.

Next, scroll down and then tap on Content Library, and then books:

screenshot from desktop Amazon website showing content library and books highlighted.

From there, scroll down to the book you want to delete and then tap the delete button. There will be a confirmation asking if you’re sure you want to delete the title. Once you confirm, you’ll get a success message the item has been deleted. It will no longer appear on any of your Kindle devices. Please note you have to be connected to WiFi for the changes to take effect.

screenshot demonstrating the delete button and the delete conformation page.

If you have any questions about either process, feel free to call the library or leave a comment below.

Try out hoopla for Great Free Digital Content on Demand

hoopla is a free service the library offers that has all sorts of digital content available for streaming and downloading.

There are many types of digital content on hoopla: ebooks, digital audiobooks, music, movies, TV shows, magazines and graphic novels.

hoopla is available on a variety of devices including iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, a computer, and on your TV through Roku devices, Amazon Fire sticks, and Apple TV devices.

Content on hoopla is always available. There are no wait lists. If you see a title you like, you can borrow it right away. You can borrow five titles per month. The borrow count resets at the start of each month.

hoopla is only available to East Greenbush/Schodack residents, but many libraries in the Upper Hudson Library System offer access as well. If you’re unsure, check with your home library.

Using Hoopla

Navigate to hoopla’s website or download the app from your device’s app store. If you haven’t used hoopla before, click or tap the get started button to register. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll see hoopla’s home screen. Note: the screenshots in this post are from an iOS device, but it should be fairly similar on whichever device you’re using.

The top row has featured content suggestions from hoopla. Next, you’ll see the different content categories. You can tap on any of these categories to browse the different types of content. Under the categories, you’ll see current and recently borrowed items. If you keep scrolling, there are recommendations based on borrowing history, items you’ve added to favorites and various featured content from hoopla.

Books

To browse through the content that hoopla offers, use the navigation toolbar on the home screen.

Ebooks, audiobooks, and comics are in their own categories.

Tapping on a title in any section gives you more details about that title. You can add titles to your favorites list by tapping the heart icon. Scrolling down, you’ll see related authors and published reviews. The title screen shows the lending period and if the item is downloadable.

Books, audiobooks, and comics have a 21 day borrowing period. To borrow, tap the borrow button.

screenshot of a title screen, showing the borrow button, loan period, and favorites icon.

Videos

screenshot showing movies section of hoopla. Titles shown include Talk to Me, The Whale, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

hoopla offers both movies and television series. The section for each is accessible by tapping their respective buttons on the home screen. The top row of each section has featured titles. If you scroll down a bit, you can access a list of genres and collections. Movies and television titles both have a lending period of three days.

BingePasses

To navigate to BingePasses, tap the BingePasses button on the home screen.

BingePasses are entire collections of streaming content. When you borrow a BingePass, it only counts as one borrow.

Some examples of BingePasses include hoopla magazines, which include issues of magazines such as Us Weekly, Reader’s Digest, TIME, and more. Hallmark Movies Now is another BingePass that gives you unlimited access to the entire Hallmark Movies Now on-demand library for seven days. These include movies from the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, and Hallmark Mystery.

BingePasses have a seven day loan period.

Music

To navigate to music, tap the music button on the navigation bar on the home screen. Popular titles are shown first. Scroll down a bit and you’ll be able to browse through all the available genres and collections available on hoopla.

Each title’s page contains the tracks on that album and whether it is downloadable.

Music titles have a seven day lending period.

Accessing Borrowed Content

Your borrowed content can be accessed by tapping the My hoopla button on the bottom navigation bar.

Books can only be read or listened to on the hoopla app (there are no Kindle compatible books on hoopla). Ebooks and comics are automatically downloaded to your device when you borrow them. Content that hasn’t been downloaded is streamed with an internet connection. You can download content to your device by going to the item in My hoopla and tapping download to your device. If a title has been downloaded, you’ll see that as well. You can delete the download if you would like. Keep in mind, if you haven’t downloaded content (aside from ebooks and comics), it will not be accessible without an internet connection.

screen shot of a borrowed item showing that the title has been downloaded.

At the end of an item’s loan period, it will be automatically returned.

My hoopla is also where you access your favorites list.

Kids Mode

hoopla offers a mode to show only kid-friendly content. To turn it on, tap the Kids icon in the top left corner. When you turn on Kids mode, you have the option to set a pin in order to exit back to all content.

Search and Settings

Looking for a particular title, author, or series? Use the search button on the bottom navigation bar.

To change settings, tap on the settings icon on the bottom navigation bar. Here, there is the ability to turn Kids mode on, as well as other settings.

Personal settings allows you to change the email address associated with your account, change your password, hide your history, or only download titles while connected to WiFi. You also have the option to cancel your account.

In Library settings, you can change what library you use to access hoopla. You can also change your library card number.

Notification settings allows you to turn on email notifications or push notifications. Notifications include personalized recommendations and new content alerts.

Tapping on Link a streaming device allows you to link your account to another device such a Roku or Amazon Fire stick.

Conclusion

hoopla offers many types of content, available for free with your library card. If you have trouble logging in or have any questions about hoopla, please contact the library.

Have you used hoopla? Let us know in the comments.

A New Way to Print from Any Device with Princh

Starting March 11, the library will offer a new service called Princh for wireless printing. In the past, we had used a service called PrinterOn.

Princh is accessible on any device including your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Selecting an Item to Print

To begin, visit our printing portal.

Click/tap “click here to select and upload a file” to choose the item you are printing. Accepted file types include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc), Apple’s iWork (Pages, Numbers, etc), images/screenshots and more. Check out the full list of accepted file types here.

After selecting the item you are printing, there are more options.

Screenshot showing the file name of what is being printed. The settings button is next to the file name.

Changing Print Settings

To change the displayed language, tap English in the top right corner for over 10 language options. If you would like to change the number of copies, the color settings, the paper size, or more print settings, click/tap on the blue and white gear icon next to the file name of what you are printing.

Screenshot showing the settings screen, allowing settings such as black and white or color, number of copies, page range and duplex options to be changed.

There are a variety of options available to change including paper size, color or black white white, page range and more. You can also preview the document or remove it if you change your mind about printing it. Also displayed is the total number of pages and cost of the print job. After you have made your changes, click/tap on the green accept button.

Next, click/tap on Accept Terms and Conditions check box and click/tap on the continue button.

Enter your email address to continue. You will get a conformation email once the job has been processed. Use the same email address at the print release station at the library to pay for and release your print job.

After the job has been processed successfully, a status of ready is displayed in the print queue next to the file name.

Screenshot showing item has successfully submitted to be printed.

Once you’ve received the ready conformation, head on over to the print release station at the library, located next to the Reference Desk.

Our printing prices remain the same:

Black & White, single-sided: 15¢ per page
Black & White, double-sided: 30¢ per sheet
Color, single-sided: 50¢ per page

Have you tried out Princh yet? Let us know in the comments.

Learn a New Language with Mango!

The library now offers access to a new language learning program called Mango. Mango can be accessed on a computer or through an app on a mobile device. Note: this service is available only to residents of East Greenbush or Schodack. Not a resident of EG or Schodack? Anyone can use Mango at the library!

There are two different ways to start using Mango. The first is by visiting the library’s landing page on a computer or in a mobile browser:
https://connect.mangolanguages.com/eastgreenbushlibrary/start

Visit the Google Play store or Apple App Store to download the app on your mobile device.

Start Using Mango

When using Mango for the first time, there is a prompt to either login or sign up for an account. Click sign up to proceed.

If accessing Mango from outside of the library, you will also have to enter your library card number. Once you have created your account, choose a language to learn.

Screenshot showing language list, starting with popular languages.

The most popular languages are first. To see a complete list of languages, scroll down. There are many languages to choose from, including both Latin American and Castilian Spanish, Italian, Korean, Russian, Urdu, Greek, Japanese, American Sign Language, and many more.

Navigating the App

Once you have made your language choice, you have the option to access the main learning section, which contains a placement test to gauge your familiarity the language. The learn tab contains the main units, which have five sections: introductions, connections, community, lifestyle, and ambitions.

Screen shot showing a Mango lesson with Italian. There are main units shown: introductions, connections, community, lifestyle, ambitions

To begin, tap on one of the lesson headings. The first time you access this section within the app, there is a tutorial about Mango and the different features it offers. Also in the learn section are specialty units specific to the chosen language.

Lessons and Chapters

Once you’ve gone through the tutorial, you’ll see the lessons within that chapter. Tap each number to get to that section of the lesson. To pick up where you left off, tap the blue triangle icon in the bottom right corner. When you open a chapter, the lessons are downloaded automatically and can be accessed with or without an internet connection. The number displayed next to the downloaded lessons label shows the amount of data the downloaded lessons take up on your device with the option to delete the data. Deleting the data does not remove your progress.

Lessons that have not been downloaded yet will have a black down arrow next to the lesson number. There are also sections with only listening lessons and only reading lessons.

Screenshot showing Chapter 1, divided into lessons.

In the Vocabulary tab, there are Mango curated vocabulary cards or create your own cards for particular words or phrases.

The Review tab contains a personalized review to catch up on your lessons.

To change which language you’re learning, tap on languages in the top left corner. The progress made with previously chosen languages is automatically saved. To access previously chosen languages swipe left or right.

To access more features, tap on the three lines in the top right corner. Here, there are options to edit your profile, change the language you are learning, an option to set up study reminders, and more.

Desktop Version and Mango Movies

The desktop version of Mango is only slightly different from the app. There are still Learn and Vocabulary tabs. The review tab is within the Learn and Vocabulary tabs. On the Explore tab, there is also a feature that is exclusive to the website called Mango Movies.

Mango Movies are videos that contain culture-packed content to help you learn a language. Once you click on play on a title, you can choose if you would like movie mode, which contains interactive content and no interruptions, or engage mode, which allows you to learn more about the dialogue with short lessons and interactive content throughout the movie.

On the subtitles screen, choose whether you want to see no subtitles, English subtitles, the subtitles of the language you’re learning, or both.

In the immersive mode, each scene starts with an introduction to the scene. Next you can view the scene, after that there is a follow up section, and then the option to view the scene again.

Screen shot of Mango movies showing an Italian movie with subtitles in English and Italian.

Another feature exclusive to the website is the translate section. You can access the translator by clicking on tools in the top navigation bar.

Screen shot showing translator on Mango's website.

To change the learning language on the desktop website, click on the name of the language in the top left corner.

Family Profiles

In both the app and the desktop site, Mango offers a feature called Family Profiles. You can add up to five family profiles. This may come in handy if you have children or other members of your household that want to learn different languages (or even the same language at a different pace). In the app, Family Profiles is accessed by tapping on the three lines button in the top right corner and then tapping on Family Profiles. On the desktop site,

Little Pim

In both the Mango app and on the desktop website, there is a section of Mango for younger language learners. Little Pim is especially designed for children aged one to five years old. To access Little Pim on the app, scroll to the left on the bottom black navigation bar. On the desktop website, click on Explore, then click on Little Pim.

Little Pim features videos in the language you have previously chosen when you started using Mango.

Adios, Ciao, Au Revoir

Mango is a language learning program. Mango can be accessed either through a computer or a mobile device. With Mango, you can learn a variety of languages through interactive lessons, movies, flash cards, and more.

Mango is for all levels of learners, from beginner to advanced.

Have you tried Mango yet? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Selena Piro