Tag Archives: reference

Did you know the Friends of the Library have managed the Library Book Sale for TWENTY YEARS?

WOW! Did you know this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Friends of the Library book sale? This dedicated group of volunteers puts together two fantastic book sales each year, with proceeds benefiting library resources and services. The next book sale is slated for October 5th through 7th. Kudos to the Friends, and thanks for all you do!

Stop by our lobby display to see more photos of the Friends book sales over the years.

Advertisements

Did you know our website has an online resources page?

Nowadays most people understand that the modern library offers much more than books to answer their questions; libraries now often offer access to online resources that would be too expensive for most patrons to subscribe to themselves. But did you know that the Chatham County Library System has gathered our most popular online resources onto one easy-to-read webpage?

Chatham County Public Libraries have over a hundred online resources available for patrons, but a webpage listing them all would be practically unreadable. Instead, we’ve created a webpage listing the categories our patrons use the most (“Business & Investing”, “Computer Skills”, “eBooks”, “Genealogy”, “Health”, “Journal Articles”, “Language Learning”,“Reader Tools”, and “Video”), and we’ve identified our most popular online resources in those categories.

For example, if you want to learn a second (or third) language, you’ll find Pronunciator under the “Language Learning” banner on our Online Resources page. If you want to borrow any virtual materials, “Ebook, E-Audiobooks & Magazines” lists four different resources (eBooks on NC LIVE, e-iNC Library, OneClickDigital, and Zinio) to cover the multiple formats offered by different resources. If you are up for a deep dive, our Online Resources page also provides a link to NC LIVE’s homepage (nclive.org), which offers over one hundred online resources.

To access the Online Resources page on the Chatham County Public Libraries website, point your browser to www.chathamlibraries.org, then look for “Online Resources” in the menu on the left side of the page. Have your library card at the ready; you will probably need it to access some of the resources.

As always, click the “Ask a Librarian” widget if you need help!

Did you know you can schedule one-on-one appointments with our reference librarians?

pinYou’ve probably seen our reference librarians at the reference desk, ready to help patrons who walk up or call with questions. But did you know that you can schedule one-on-one appointments with our reference librarians for up to thirty minutes?

There are many reasons to book some uninterrupted time with a reference librarian. Maybe you just got a tablet for Christmas and want to learn to borrow eBooks or eAudiobooks from the library. Maybe you would like to better understand how to research a topic using the library’s databases. Or perhaps you’d like to learn more about one of the library’s many online resources such as Pronunciator or NoveList Plus.

Whatever the question, give us a call at 919-545-8086 or email us. Let us know when you can visit and what you want to discuss. If it is something we think we can help with, we’ll set up a time to meet.

Remember that you can also chat with a reference librarian online from any page of our website!  Just look for the orange “Ask a Librarian” tab in the lower right corner of the page.

Talk to you soon!

Did you know you can chat with us online?

chat_tabDid you know that our reference librarians are available to answer your questions online?

Need help finding an item in the catalog or an article in a database?  Have a question about interlibrary loan?  Running into problems with eBooks?  We can help with these questions and more!

Just look for the orange “Ask a Librarian!” tab in the lower right corner of any page of our website (www.chathamlibraries.org).  The chat service is available during normal library hours.  After hours, the service is staffed by other knowledgeable librarians from around the state.  When you click on the chat tab during library hours, you’ll see this:

chat_-_Chatham

 

 

(After hours, the screen will display “Ask NCknows.”)  Simply type your question in the box at the bottom, then press Enter on your keyboard to send your message.  You’ll soon receive a response from a friendly librarian.  Give it a try today!

Resource of the Month: Points of View Reference Center

logoPOV_ICLgSifting through the sheer volume of data offered up by cable, broadcast, radio, internet, and print media can feel like drinking from a fire hose.

It can also be difficult to find unbiased sources on controversial topics. Many of us want understand both sides of an argument, and to know the definitions of terms and acronyms taken as understood in other articles. Where can the uninitiated go to get an overview of divisive topics like gun control, religion, censorship, or abortion?

EBSCO’s Points of View Reference Center is a fine place to start. The resource identifies itself as “an interface intended for public, academic, and high school libraries… designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects.”

The site is designed for easy searching and browsing by subject. The bulk of the Points of View Reference Center home page presents main topics alphabetically, with more than 250 subtopics visibly listed under the appropriate main topics. Click on any topic and you will be whisked to a page featuring:

  • an overview of the topic,
  • two argumentative essays (one for each point of view),
  • and critical thinking suggestions to promote informed opinions going forward (and since the site is maintained by EBSCO, you will find a wealth of information at your fingertips).

The Points of View Reference Center home page also highlights the day’s most newsworthy topics in a ticker called “In the News”. They also offer two sidebars: one called “In the Spotlight”, and another aimed at high-school debaters.

To access the Points of View Reference Center, point your browser to NCLive.org. Scroll down and look for the “Current Issues” link. Follow the link and look for another link called “Points of View” (you will be prompted to provide your library card number and PIN).