Kent County Public Library Newsfeed

If you're facing a big exam for school or your career, KCPL has some excellent resources to help you succeed!

All you need is your library card and a computer with internet access to take advantage of Brainfuse and the Testing & Education Reference Center.

Brainfuse
Brainfuse is designed to support a variety of learning needs and styles. Students from kindergarten through college can take advantage of expert instruction (live tutors are available from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.), exam-prep, skill-building resources, and virtual collaboration spaces for group projects.

Are you an adult learner? Good news - Brainfuse is not just for kids! It has an Adult Learning Center where you can get live help to learn how to create a resume, write a cover letter, and use Microsoft Office programs, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. You can also use Brainfuse to study for the GED test or U.S. Citizenship exam.

Testing & Education Reference Center
Need to take a test, find a school, or search for scholarships? The Testing & Education Reference Center is the place to do it! You can complete practice tests for many different exams, including academic exams (GED, GRE, SAT and many others), career exams (ASVAB, Civil Service, NCLEX, and more), and others (U.S. Citizenship). You can also access an extensive library of ebooks to help you study for exams.

If you're planning to head off to college, use the Testing and Education Reference Center to search for undergraduate, graduate, and distance learning programs. Also, check out the searchable database containing thousands of scholarships!

If you're already in the workforce or hoping to find your first job, take a look at the career tools. Use the resume builder to create an attention-grabbing resume. Search for Career and Vo-Tech schools, complete a career assessment to match your skills to different jobs, and browse the career library for information on job searches, interviewing, changing careers, writing resumes and cover letters, and building professional networks.

Ready to try these learning resources?
Here's what you need to do:
1. Visit KCPL's website.
2. Choose the Articles & Info tab from the left-hand menu.
3. Click the link for A-Z List.
4. Select Brainfuse, Testing & Education Reference Center or one of KCPL's other online resources (depending on which resources you are using and whether you are in the library or at home, you may be prompted to enter your library barcode number at this point).
5. Begin exploring! In order to use some of the available features and track your progress when using Brainfuse or the Testing & Education Reference Center, you will need to set up a free account within the program.

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help finding specific information, please let us know. We're always happy to help.

Posted by Library Staff at 05:50 PM | Permalink

If you have a library card, then you have a library account you can access through KCPL's online catalog. This feature, cleverly named "My Account," can be used to set your account preferences, renew items, request items and view holds or fines.

Accessing "My Account"
In order to access "My Account," you will need the number on the back of your library card and a password. If this is your first time logging in, your temporary password should be the last four digits of your phone number. (If you discover that this does not work as your password, please let us know and we will reset it for you.) The first time you log in, you will be asked to create a new password. Library staff will not have access to your new password, but can always reset your password if you have trouble accessing your account. After you create your new password, the system will automatically log you out of your account -- don't worry, this is supposed to happen! When you log back in with your newly created password, you will be able to access your account information.

Setting Preferences
After you log into your account, we highly recommend that you select your notification preferences, which can be done under the Account Preferences tab. The default setting is for notification by both phone and email. You can use the drop-down menu to choose either phone or email as your notification preference. If you prefer double-notification, don't do a thing and you will continue to receive both an email and a phone call when items you have requested are ready to be picked up.

You can also choose a user name for logging in to your account. You may find this makes it easier to use "My Account" since you will then be able to sign in with your user name instead of needing to use your library card number. To change your user name, choose the Account Summary tab and click the "Change" link in the "Username" row.

Renewing Items
With some exceptions, as long as no one else has requested items you have checked out, they can be renewed twice. Some interlibrary loan items cannot be renewed at all and if you have over $10.00 in fines on your account you will be unable to renew. In order to renew items, select the Items Checked Out tab. You will see a list of all the items currently out on your account, their due dates, and the remaining number of renewals. If your items are eligible for renewal, you will be able to check the boxes in the right-hand column and click the "Renew Selected Items" button.

Placing Holds on Items
You can use "My Account" to place a hold on any items you would like to reserve. When you find something in the online catalog that you would like to request, click the "Place Hold" link. If you are not already signed into "My Account," you will be prompted to log in. You can then confirm your notification preferences and choose the KCPL branch where you would like to pick up your requested item.

Reviewing Information
Via "My Account," you can see what items you have requested, suspend hold requests (very handy if you are going away on vacation and don't want to miss the pick-up window or move to the end of the line), activate suspended holds, and cancel holds you no longer need.

You can also use "My Account" to view any current fines that have accrued on your account.

Need more help or information?
We have had some reports that some patrons cannot access "My Account" when using Internet Explorer for their web browser. If you experience this problem, we recommend that you download either Firefox or Chrome as an alternative web browser. If you experience difficulties accessing "My Account" when using other web browsers, clear the cache and try again.

If you continue to run into trouble accessing "My Account" or using any of its features, please let us know. We are happy to investigate, help trouble-shoot, and provide additional guidance. If you have questions, stop by any of our branches or give us a call at 410.778.3636.

Posted by Library Staff at 05:19 PM | Permalink

Did you know KCPL provides eBooks and audiobooks that you can download at no cost and without making a special trip to the library? Thanks to Maryland's Digital eLibrary, all you need is your library card for free access to thousands of titles.

Want to give it a try?

Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit KCPL's website.
2. Choose the eLibrary tab from the left-hand menu.
3. Click the link for Maryland's Digital eLibrary (or choose a tutorial for more information on how to use your eReader or audio player with the eLibrary).
4. Click Login and select Kent County Public Library from the drop-down menu.
5. Enter your library barcode number with no spaces or punctuation.
6. Click the Help tab and read the Quick Start Guide for information on the initial set-up you will need to do prior to downloading items from Maryland's Digital eLibrary. (The initial set-up is very important, so don't skip this step!)
7. Search or browse the virtual collection and begin downloading!

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help with the process, please let us know.

Posted by Library Staff at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that our website is a virtual branch of the library? That means you can use library resources even when we're closed! If you have a valid library card and a computer with internet access, you can check out our virtual collection 24/7 in order to do research or download audiobooks and ebooks.

This month, the spotlight is on GALE Biography in Context.

Looking for information about current or historical public figures? GALE Biography in Context is the place to go! With articles pulled from hundreds of authoritative sources and updated regularly, you can trust that the information is accurate and up-to-date. This is a great resource for settling friendly debates, creating trivia questions, fact-checking, and doing research for school projects.

Want to give it a try? Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit KCPL's website.
2. Choose the Articles & Info tab from the left-hand menu.
3. Click A to Z List.
4. Click Biography in Context. (If you are accessing this resource outside of the library, you may be asked to enter your library card number at this point.)
5. Happy researching!

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help finding specific information, please let us know.

Posted by Karen at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Amazon Kindle users have waited with bated breath for library eBooks to become available for use on Kindle devices. That day is finally here, and Kindle users can join users of Nooks, Sony eReaders, iPads, Smart Phones and other devices in taking advantage of borrowing eBooks for free from your local library. All you need besides your eReader device is your Kent County Public Library card in good standing, some free software (a quick download), and a computer with an Internet connection.

For details on getting started visit the eLibrary page on our Web site, where we have links to a quick start guide and some video tutorials, or speak with a staff member. We may be able to provide some quick tips and hints on the spot, or if your questions require extra time or expertise, we can schedule an appointment to spend some time answering your questions and demonstrating how to get started.

Happy reading!

Posted by Karen at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that our website is a virtual branch of the library? That means you can use library resources even when we're closed! If you have a valid library card and a computer with internet access, you can check out our virtual collection 24/7 in order to do research or download audiobooks and ebooks.

This month, the spotlight is on the Kent County News Archives.

Through KCPL's website, you can browse or search archived editions of the Kent County News from November 30, 2006 to the present.

Want to give it a try? Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the Articles & Info page on KCPL's website.
2. Select Newspapers.
3. Scroll down and choose Kent County News.
4. If prompted, enter your library card number. (Your location--at home or in the library--will determine whether or not you need to do this.)
5. Happy searching!

Posted by Karen at 01:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Have you had a wonderful experience with one of KCPL's librarians? Don't keep it a secret!

The American Library Association, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the New York Times are collaborating to celebrate exceptional librarians. Wouldn't it be great to have a KCPL librarian nationally recognized for his or her fantastic work?

The form to nominate a librarian for the "I Love My Librarian!" award is available online.

Posted by Karen at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This Month Our Online Resources Spotlight Is On:

MasterFILE Premier

This is a great general resource that includes full-text articles from over 1,600 magazines and journals, as well as indexes and abstracts from about 1,000 more!

One of the great things about MasterFILE is that it gives you access to articles from hundreds of publications, including Backpacker, Consumer Reports, Dance Magazine, Dirt Bike, Education Digest, Fast Company, Forbes, Horn Book Magazine, Jet, Military History, Mother Jones, Mountain Bike, New Yorker, PC Magazine, Poetry, Popular Science, Publisher's Weekly, Sky & Telescope, Technology Review, Vegetarian Times, and many, many more!

Check out this list for a full listing of the magazines and journals you can access through MasterFILE.

Want to give it a try?

Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the Articles & Info page on KCPL's website.
2. Scroll down and choose MasterFILE Premier.
3. If prompted, enter your library card number. (Your location--at home or in the library--will determine whether or not you need to do this.)
4. To locate a specific magazine, click the "Publications" link at the top of the MasterFILE homepage, then enter the magazine's name into the search box that appears under the words "Browsing: MasterFILE Premier -- Publications"
5. Happy searching!

Good luck! If you run into difficulties or need help finding specific information, please let us know.

Posted by Karen at 05:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As always, you can continue to request copies of books the Kent County Public Library doesn't own by speaking with a reference librarian. Many times, we can get a copy from another library for you, and we may even consider buying a copy for our local library.

Today we've added one more option. You can now make those same requests for books we don't own, using an online form. Simply click on "Suggest a Title," fill in the information, and click "Send" to send your request to a reference librarian.

But, before you rush to send your requests that way, remember, the simplest way to request a copy of a book we DO own (whether it's checked out or available) is through the "Place Hold" links in our online catalog. So please take a look to see if the title you want is listed there first.

Thanks, and happy reading!

Posted by Karen at 04:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We have lots of new books, audiobooks, movies, music and more showing up at the library every day. So, we have the New & Hot page on our Web site devoted to showing you what's new to the library, what's coming soon, and what's currently on the New York Times Bestseller lists. These lists link directly into our catalog so you can easily place requests for the books you want, and get a call when they're ready for you to pick up at the circulation desk.

The new book lists have been updated today, so now's the time to place your hold. And, if you need any help with your account or placing holds online, we'd be happy to help.

Posted by Karen at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Need to take a test, find a school, or search for scholarships?

The Testing & Education Reference Center is the place to do it! All you need is your library card for free access to:

• over a hundred practice exams -- including academic exams (GED, GRE, SAT and many others), career exams (ASVAB, Civil Service, NCLEX, and more), and others (U.S. Citizenship)
• extensive library of e-books to help you study for exams
• searchable database of undergraduate, graduate, and distance learning learning programs
• searchable database of thousands of scholarships
• professional resume builder

Interested in giving the Testing & Education Reference Center a try?

Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the A - Z Info page on KCPL's website.
2. Select "Testing & Education Reference Center" from the alphabetical list of options.
3. If prompted, enter your library card number. (Your location will determine whether you need to do this or not.)
4. When you select an exam to take, you will be prompted to create a free account so that you can track your progress.

Good luck! And please let us know what you think of the Testing & Education Reference Center.

Posted by Karen at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In case you weren't already aware, library patrons have online access to Consumer Reports reviews and articles online. The library foots the bill so you don't have to. Use the links provided at www.kentcountylibrary.org to get free access to the consumer information you rely on to make informed purchasing decisions. Categories include new and used cars, appliances, electronics, and more.

Start at www.kentcountylibrary.org, click Search, Articles & Info, Magazines, and finally Consumer Reports. You will be asked to enter your 14 digit library barcode with no spaces or punctuation.

From there, you're free to search or browse the articles and reliability ratings. Soon you'll know the top 10 cars and trucks for 2010, what to look for when considering a new digital camera, and more.

Posted by Karen at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Having trouble finding what you need? Puzzled by the library's computer catalog? Sign up now for an introductory lesson on how to search and find what you want! We'll provide the computers and answer all your questions. Sessions are held at the Chestertown Branch, last approximately an hour and a half, and will take place the following Wednesdays in March. To reserve your spot, register online through the links below, by phone at 410-778-3636, or in person at any of our branches.

Morning Sessions (10-11:30 AM)
Wednesday, March 3
Wednesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 24

Evening Sessions (6-7:30 PM)
Wednesday, March 10
Wednesday, March 24

Posted by Karen at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(Chestertown, MD, December 2009) - eAudiobooks are now available at Kent County Public Library through OCLC NetLibrary. Library patrons now have anytime, anywhere access to 2,800 different eAudiobook titles.

eAudiobooks can be accessed and downloaded via the library's Web site, www.kentcountylibrary.org. Click Search > Downloadables > NetLibrary Audiobooks. You can log in through the library's site using your library card barcode.

eAudiobooks are books that have been read aloud and recorded. eAudiobooks are available from notable authors, such as Meg Cabot and Alexander McCall Smith.

"Audiobooks, in the form of cassettes and CDs, have been popular in libraries for many years," said Jerry Keiser, Director of Kent County Public Library. "The ability to download eAudiobooks from the Web is being embraced by long-time listeners as well as new listeners who want material for their portable media devices."

A popular format in many libraries, eAudiobooks allow library users to listen to materials on-the-go. eAudiobooks can be checked out from the library or from a personal computer via the library's Web site, 24/7. Users may check out up to 10 eAudiobooks at a time, and they are automatically returned to the library at the end of the checkout period.

eAudiobooks can be downloaded or played on any desktop, laptop or portable device that supports Windows Media Player version 9 and above. Users can also transfer favorite titles to a wide range of portable devices, including portable music players, portable media centers and more.

Call the library at 410-778-3636 with any questions.

Posted by Karen at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kent County Public Library would like to bring your attention to a great online resource for evidence based information about the flu. There's information for health care providers as well as information for a general audience on treatment and prevention.

So please, take a moment to get the facts on the flu.

Posted by Karen at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For those who like the convenience of live text-based chat, you will be happy to hear that the Kent County Public Library Reference Desk is now chatting. Patrons can type messages that will appear immediately on the reference desk computer thanks to AOL Instant Messenger and Wimzi. As long as there's someone at the desk, you should get an answer quickly and be able to "chat" back and forth. To see this in action visit the "Ask Us" page. We're excited to be able to provide this form of online reference, and hope to be able to answer your many questions. While you're at it, please let us know what you think about this new addition to our reference services. Happy chatting!

Posted by Karen at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Kent County Public Library now has a new and improved online calendar of events. This new calendar allows us to feature upcoming events on our homepage. It also allows you to find events of interest to you by displaying only the types of events you ask to see, according to branch, audience, and event type. It also makes it possible for patrons to subscribe to our calendar of events by email or RSS feed, forward events of interest to friends, and add our events to your own Google/Yahoo/Outlook/Facebook/etc. calendar. Please take a look and let us know what you think! We hope you'll like the new calendar as much as we do and take advantage of its interactive features. And, as always, if you have questions, that's what we're here for.

Posted by Karen at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Swine flu has been in the news a lot lately. If you want to be informed, here's a resource that can get you the information you're looking for. Courtesy of the Kent County Public Library.

Posted by Karen at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Looking for a job? The library can help!

Online Resources

The following resources can be accessed from our web site by clicking Search > Articles & Info > Business & Career.

Career Guidance Center

Visit this resource to learn about the fastest growing, highest paying, and most in-demand jobs, as well as to learn valuable skills including cover letter and resume writing and interviewing skills. And that just scratches the surface of what's offered through the Career Guidance Center.

Business and Company Resource Center and Business Source Elite

These resources provide up to date background information on the businesses for whom you may be applying to work. Don't forget to "do your homework" before filling out those cover letters or attending interviews.

Online Tutoring

Not just for students, Tutor.com also offers resume help through one on one sessions. Just log into Tutor.com from our website as an adult learner and select writing for your subject.

Testing & Education Reference Center

For some jobs, applicants must pass a test for employment . This resource can help you prepare.

Additional Resources

Check out the additional resources available through the State Library Resource Center.

Browsing the Shelves

If you just want to browse, here are some Dewey Decimal numbers to get you started:

Job Seeking: 331.702
Resumes, cover letters and interview tips: 650.14 and 658

Catalog Search Suggestions

Here are some catalog searches you may want to try for quick and easy results:

• Employment
• Resume
• Job Hunting
• Or try searching for a specific job.

Online Job Sites

These websites post job advertisements.

www.monster.com
www.careerbuilder.com
www.usajobs.gov

Still have questions or need help? Don't hesitate to speak with a reference librarian or contact us online or by phone.

Posted by Karen at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since swine flu is a hot topic in the news lately, the Kent County Public Library is happy to point you to some reliable sources of information.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Provides the Citizen's Common Sense Flu Checklist to help you stay healthy. They also provide updates on the swine flu situation locally, and a statewide toll-free line to answer your questions. 1-877-MDFLU4U or 1-877-633-5848.

Medline Plus

Provides links to the information you need to get up to speed on the basics of swine flu, as well as gather more in depth information if desired.

WebMD

Answers to frequently asked questions.

CDC and WHO

Good sources of information for health topics like the swine flu.

Better Business Bureau

Helps you protect yourself against e-mail and other scams taking advantage of the swine flu scare.

ProQuest

Compilation of current news articles on the topic.

Posted by Karen at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Want to see for yourself how the library's renovation project is going? We have photos - quite a few of them actually. We've decided to post them on Flickr for all to view. Click to view our photostream. Not familiar with Flickr or photostreams? No worries. Flickr is a very popular online photo sharing tool, and a photostream displays the photos that have been shared. Just think, you too could have your own photostream on Flickr for free. Meanwhile, stay tuned for more library photos both related and unrelated to the renovation.

Posted by Karen at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's tax time. Here's what we have to offer at the library that could make your life a little simpler.

We have copies of the following tax forms and associated instruction books ready and waiting in all three branches: IRS 1040, Schedules A & B, 1040A, 1040EZ, and Maryland State Booklets

Other tax forms can be downloaded and printed from the IRS Website, Maryland's Tax Site, or Delaware's Tax Site. If you don't have Internet access, printer access, or you need help navigating the sites to find a specific form, we would be more than happy to help you print your forms at the reference desk.

Please note, our library employees are NOT tax professionals and may not provide any tax advice, including recommending which tax forms you may need. If you do not know which forms you will need, please seek the advice of a tax professional before coming to the library to print your forms, or be prepared to do some independent research; we'd be happy to point you to some resources. To get you started, here's the IRS's explanation of when to use form 1040 vs. 1040A vs. 1040EZ.

For tax help, you may want to contact a local tax preparer or learn more about AARP's Tax Aide Program.

If you'll be doing your own taxes, you may find "J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax 2009" to be an invaluable resource. We recommend checking it out or placing a hold early, as there are only three copies currently available, one per branch.

A few other tax related titles you may find interesting include:
"Tax Deductions for Professionals"
"Working for yourself law & taxes for independent contractors, freelancers & consultants"
"Jk Lasser's New Rules For Estate And Tax Planning"
"Lower taxes in 7 easy steps"
"Stand up to the IRS"
"The FairTax book : saying goodbye to the income tax and the IRS"

Posted by Karen at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

To use our online resources, start at our home page (www.kentcountylibrary.org), click on Search, then click on Articles & Info.

Can't view this video clip? You may need to download Adobe Flash Player for free. Click here to view the larger version or click the "Refresh" button in your browser to replay from the beginning. Be sure to tell your friends!

Posted by Karen at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you part of a local book group? Would you like to form one? The Kent County Public Library has a wide variety of titles available as book discussion kits to loan out to book groups. To learn more, see our "Services" page under book discussion kits. The list of available titles has just been updated.

Posted by Karen at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Did you know that many print newspapers, including the Kent News, Star Democrat, and Baltimore Sun are also available online? Did you know there are at least two ways to access those papers online, and that Google-ing the name of the paper or going directly to the paper's Web site may not always be the best way?

On their Web sites, many online newspapers will provide access to current articles free of charge, but older archived articles require a subscription or purchase to view. Some newspapers provide only teasers of current stories free of charge and require a subscription to finish reading those stories.

Enter your local library. We have purchased online access to articles from many local and national newspapers and magazines for your use. In many cases, we can offer full text of current articles AND older articles going back months, years, even decades. All free of charge to you for browsing, searching, and reading.

The only catch? In order to get this access, you have to get to the paper through our Web site, and if you're not in the library, you'll need to enter your library card number. That's it. And it's just so you can show you're one of our patrons, and therefore entitled to this additional access we've purchased.

So, please enjoy browsing, searching, and reading the following, on us:

Kent News
Star Democrat
Baltimore Sun
USA Today
New York Times
Washington Post
Wall Street Journal
and many more

Simply click here, or from our home page click the links to follow the following path: Home > Search > Articles & Info > Newspapers. And please, let us know if you like this service.

Enjoy!

Posted by Karen at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our newly designed and updated Web site is now live online at www.kentcountylibrary.org. Changes include bringing newsletter features to the front page and reorganizing the information throughout the site so it should be easier to find. We hope you'll take a moment to explore our new and improved site. If you need any help or have any feedback to offer, please let us know.

Posted by Karen at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tax forms and publications are now set up on tables at your local library branch. If the form you're looking for isn't there, ask at the Reference Desk and we can print a copy for you from online. Or print your own from the Federal and Maryland tax pages linked from our online tax guide. Please note, we are not tax professionals and cannot offer you any advice on which forms to use or how to fill them out. However, there are services available to help you. Information can be found at the link above.

Posted by Karen at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What's the difference between the Subscription Options?

Subscribing through a feed reader (software or a Web site for reading feeds) is like subscribing by email in that you go to your feed reader's web page to view articles from your subscription like you would go to your email inbox to view articles sent to you. In both cases, you can have subscriptions from multiple sources like the New York Times and the Kent County Public Library collected in the same place and read them in the same way.

Here are the differences. With email you have to wade through spam and unrelated emails to find your articles. With feed readers, you control what articles come and what articles don't within the Feed Reader and you can organize them by their source. This means you will not receive spam within your feed reader and you will never continue to receive articles after you have unsubscribed, like you could (theoretically) with an email subscription. The feed reader gives you control over what comes instead of giving it to the people sending the content. Of course, no matter which option you choose, the library will honor any unsubscription request.

Feed Readers are becoming more and more popular for subscriptions because of these similarities and differences from email. Yet email still has a place that feed readers cannot fill: individual correspondence.

Just like not all Web sites offer email newsletters, not all Web sites offer news feeds for your feed reader. Look for an orange rectangle or square with RSS, XML, Atom, News Feed, etc to see if a Web site of interest offers a news feed. If you click this button or link, it will likely take you to a page with lots of text that may not make much sense to you. It's not supposed to. Ignore the text on the page and copy the Web Address of this page from the address bar into the appropriate place in your chosen feed reader. Congratulations, you have subscribed to the news feed.

Some popular feed readers include Alesti and Bloglines among others. If this option sounds interesting to you, go to their sites and read about them and if one sounds good, sign up. Then come back here for our feed's address and add it to your new feed reader.

For people not interested in using a feed reader, who want their subscriptions going to the same place as their individual correspondence, we offer the option of getting updates by email. Just enter your email address in the subscription box and follow the instructions provided. Each email you receive will have a link to unsubscribe.

Thank you for your interest in subscribing. Happy reading.

Posted by Karen at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We've just added detailed information to our Web site about searching our catalog. Ever wondered why you didn't get the results you wanted, or why you couldn't find something you knew was there? Ever wanted to find a movie or an audiobook and it's buried in a list of books? Curious about more advanced techniques like boolean searching and limiting? Check out the search tips. You may learn something helpful for your future searches. The information is online at http://www.kent.lib.md.us/GoodBooks/searchtips.htm.

Check back later for future tips on finding books on the shelf and what to do when you can't find something in the catalog or on the shelf.

Posted by Karen at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kent County Public Library has just added a new option for searching the databases we offer. Rather than searching only one database at a time, you can now search all our databases and our catalog at once. From the main databases page click on "Search All" to go to our new search interface from WebFeat.

Please bear in mind that it can still be worthwhile to search a particular database if it focuses on a relevant topic because you will be able to more specifically target the information you want. This new feature will be most useful for general interest searches and for searches where you're not sure which database is best.

Happy Searching. :)

Posted by Karen at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We've been working lately on making searching the catalog more user-friendly. You'll note some new tabs, more options, and changes to the look of the search screens and search result displays. Hopefully you'll find the new look to the catalog easier to get around and more useful for finding what you're looking for. We'd love to hear your comments on the changes, as well as any suggestions for future changes. Also, check back here later for some "How to..." information on making the best use of the catalog.

Posted by Karen at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)