Tech-Talk is a weekly, technology-focused e-newsletter for professional development for non-techies. It introduces fresh ideas … ways to use technology … to work more productively and communicate very effectively. With a focus on productivity software from Microsoft Office and interpersonal communications, Tech-Talk doesn’t just tell people how to do things, it tells them why … and shows them new ways to make technology work for them.
Tech-Talk arms you with the missing technology (and communications) skills you need to get good grades, better jobs and higher pay. It is digital learning with easy-to-read articles, videos, and other fun stuff with the tips and tricks you need to be competitive in today’s hi-tech world. Some of the topics covered in Tech-Talk include:
There are three ways to access Tech-Talk. The database, the app, and the newsletter. You can access the information in the database and app at any time. Newsletters arrive with a new tip weekly.
Select “Member Login” and enter free-learning as both the user name and the password. This password can be saved.
Articles
To search or browse the database, click on “articles” in the menu. You can then search by keyword or topic, enter a problem to solve, or ask a new question if you haven’t found an article to meet your need. You can scroll down to browse articles in date order (newest first).
Learning Activities
In addition to articles, Tech Talk has tool kits, scavenger hunts for training, one-sheet reference guides, targeted problem-solving, webinars, CE certificates, and so much more. To see an index of all of them, click “Learning Activities” in the menu. Alternatively, hover over it and see a categorized sub-menu.
Search
The search page has the same search options we saw on the articles page, and it also includes titles of the latest 10 articles in each of 21 different categories for quick browsing.
The Newsletter
You can opt-in to the e-newsletter to receive a short weekly email with a productivity tip and a communication tip. Videos and text are both provided. To sign up for the newsletter, go to https://www.tech-talk.com/free-learning-newsletter and fill in the short form. Be sure to mention us as the “sponsor institution.”
Got Questions?
Need help finding or using the database? Installing the app? Subscribing to the newsletter? Ask us in the comments, call the library at 518-477-7476, or email us at eglibraryinfo@eglibrary.org.
Our previous post showed how to login with Libby for the first time, as well as how to check out an item with Libby. Today, we’ll look at how to explore the library collection, how to place a hold, and a guide to navigating through the shelf feature.
The video below demonstrates how to explore what titles the library has to offer, and how to place a hold on an item that is not currently available.
The second video demonstrates how to use the Shelf feature to see what loans you currently have checked out, as well as how to check out a hold that is ready for pickup, and how to check the status of holds that you have already placed.
If you are interested in a more complete how-to guide about Libby, please check out our full how-to post. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comments section.
There is a new streaming service coming December 2, 2019 to the East Greenbush Library! Hoopla Digital is a one-stop-shop for all things digital entertainment.
Hoopla Digital is a service that has access to over 700,000 titles in various formats:
Hoopla Digital is free to any East Greenbush or Schodack resident. If you are a resident of East Greenbush or Schodack and your card is denied, please come to the circulation desk at the library with proof of your current residence.
Hoopla differs from OverDrive because there are no holds or waiting lists. If you are browsing and see an e-book or movie that you want to check out, you can check it out right then and there without having to wait.
You are allowed five checkouts per month. This includes all types of media. The loan period starts from the moment the title is borrowed. Titles will be automatically returned at the end of the loan period and there are no late fees. Additionally, you are able to re-borrow the same title once the lending period has ended. Here are the lending periods for various media types:
e-books/Comics/Graphic Novels – 21 days Movies/Television – 72 hours (some content 48 hours) Music – 7 days Audiobooks – 21 days
This sounds great, you may be saying to yourself, how do I sign up? Well, it’s easy! Starting December 2, 2019, head over to Hoopla’s website or download the app to your device, and create a free account. All you need to sign up is an email address and your library card number.
Once your account has been created, you’re ready to start streaming and/or downloading content. You can view Hoopla content on a computer, your smartphone, and various other streaming devices such as: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Android and Amazon Alexa (smart speaker).
Helpful Tips:
If you check out an e-book, the book must be read within the Hoopla app.
If you are unable to borrow materials and you have not reached your monthly five item limit, please contact the library.
If you have any questions, you can contact Hoopla staff directly via email through the app and they will respond within 24 hours.
On June 1st, the library will launch its new events calendar/room reservation system! We’ve been working hard to find and configure a new calendar for our users that has all of the latest features.
Because switching calendars can be tricky, we decided to coordinate the launch with the beginning of the summer newsletter cycle. Our newsletter came out earlier than usual because of the upcoming holiday, so some of you may be confused by the fact that many of the events we advertised do not appear on our calendar. Fear not! You will be able to register for events as soon as the new calendar goes live. For those of you signing up for events that are available on our current calendar, our staff members will move your registration to the new calendar on launch day.
Stay tuned – we will be posting instructional videos and documents for using the new system the day before we launch.
There is a new mobile app from the Upper Hudson Library System. The app has many neat features including the ability to search for and place holds on library items, access your library account, see scheduled events, contact your local library, and much more.
Getting Started
The app is available for Apple and Android devices. To download the app, open the App Store on Apple devices or the Google Play Store on Android devices and search for “UHLS Mobile.”
When you open the app for the first time, you’ll get a pop-up asking to allow notifications. You will get another pop-up asking you if you’d like to let the app use your location. Using your location makes it easy to locate a nearby library if you are out and about. Once you’ve chosen your notification and location preferences, you’ll be asked to select your preferred library. After you have selected your preferred library, you will get a conformation of your choice.
After choosing your preferred library, you will be taken to the main menu, which lists all the things you can do on the app.
Popular This Week
The first thing you’ll see is a sampling of books that are popular this week. Tapping on “see all” next to the book jacket will bring up a complete list of books that are popular this week, and from there, tapping on a title will give you more information about the book as well as the ability to request it.
Search and Request
The first option on the main menu is “search the catalog.” Tapping on this option will bring you to the search screen, where you can search for library items by title, author, subject, or keyword. You can search by tapping on the top center dialog box and entering your search term.
Once you start typing, a list will appear with items that match your search query. If you tap on a particular title, you will be taken to the Item Details screen. From here, you can see details about the item such as a summary of the item and which libraries have copies of the item available. You can also place a hold on the item by tapping Place Hold. If you choose to place a hold, you will need to login with your library card number.
You can tap back in the top left corner to see your search results or to perform another search. To get back to the main menu, you can tap back again or click the home icon on the bottom left of the screen.
My Account
By selecting My Account on the main menu, you can review your library account or your Overdrive account. To login to your library account, click on login under library account. Once you login, you will then see a summary of your account, including the number of items you currently have checked out and how many items you have requested.
You can tap on Checked Out to get a list of items you currently have checked out. On the list of checked out items, to renew a particular item, tap on the title. You’ll be taken to a conformation screen telling you if your renewal request was successful. Tapping on Requests will bring up a list of your requested items. If an item is ready to be picked up, there will be a message with “status: ready to be picked up” underneath the title, as well as the date it must be picked up by. If the item is not ready to be picked up, you will only see the library branch where you can pick up the item once it is available.
Barcode Wallet
Another neat feature of the app is the Barcode Wallet. If your library has the proper scanning technology at the checkout desk, you can use the app in place of your library card when checking out items at the library. You can enter a library card number along with a label identifying the cardholder for each family member for easy access.
Once a person has been added, tap on their name to bring up their card.
You can also bring up the bar code screen from My Account on the main menu, and choosing view barcode.
OverDrive and Online Resources
By tapping on OverDrive on the main menu, you can download e-books and e-audioBooks. Selecting Online Resources gives you easy access to Flipster (for digital magazines), Gale Virtual Reference Library (for always available non-fiction eBooks), Heritage Quest (for online genealogy research), and Mango Languages (to learn a new language).
BookLook
By tapping on BookLook on the main menu, you can scan the ISBN number bar code on the back of any book. The app uses your device’s camera to scan the ISBN number and then searches the catalog to see if it is available at the library.
Events
If you are interested in upcoming events at the library, choose Events from the main menu. You then have the option to see only East Greenbush Community Library (or whichever library you chose as your preferred library) events or you can view all shared events from area libraries.
Hours
Wondering when the library is open? Tap on Location & Hours to see library hours and directions or to quickly call or email the library.
Social Media Integration
If you want to connect with the library on social media, select Connect with Us from the main menu. You’ll be given a link to the library’s social media pages including Facebook, Twitter, Instragram, Pinterest, and YouTube. If you want to call or email the library directly, choose Contact Us from the main menu. If you would like to view the library’s website, you can quickly access it by selecting Library Website from main menu.
Your Preferred Library
If you want to change your preferred library, on the main menu screen, tap on libraries in the bottom right corner and your preferred library selection will be cleared. You’ll get a message that your preferred library was cleared and if you tap below the conformation message, you can select a new preferred library. If you have the app location set to on, it will list all of the area libraries in order of the distance from your current location.
Have you downloaded the new app? Let us know in the comments.
