Databases Series: Ancestry Library Edition

January 20, 2025January 16, 2025 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello! My name is Rebecca, and I am the Information Literacy Librarian here at the Chester County Library. (You might recognize me as the librarian with the purple hair!) Welcome to a new series here on our blog where every week (or thereabouts) I’ll be introducing you to one of the library’s databases. A library database, for those who are unsure, is essentially just an online resource that the library pays for so that you can access it for free with your library card!

Welcome to the sixth installment in the series! If you missed the previous ones, you can find them here. Today, I will talk a little about Ancestry Library Edition. Many if not most of you have likely heard of Ancestry before, but if not, Ancestry is one of the leading online resources for genealogical (family history) research. Ancestry has 30 billion records from all over the world, from census and immigration data to historical newspapers, maps, photographs, and more. Ancestry Library Edition gets you access to Ancestry’s wealth of information as long as you are on a library computer or connected to the library’s Wi-Fi network.

Pro tip: While you cannot create an account on Ancestry Library Edition, and thus cannot save your research to the website, you can create a free family tree account on the regular Ancestry website, so you can download records from Ancestry Library Edition and then upload them into your family tree on the main site.

Find Ancestry Library Edition on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> A –> Ancestry Library Edition

For more genealogy research, you can also check out HeritageQuest or MyHeritage Library Edition. HeritageQuest is owned by the same company as Ancestry, so you might recognize the user interface; it carries fewer records than Ancestry, but it has the collection of Freedman’s Bank records, which is unique to this resource. MyHeritage Library Edition is a genealogy resource provided for free to all Pennsylvania library card holders through the State Library of Pennsylvania; it has 20+ billion records and is available in 42 languages. Find HeritageQuest by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> H –> HeritageQuest. Find MyHeritage Library Edition by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> M –> MyHeritage Library Edition.

Databases Series: Mango Languages

January 13, 2025December 31, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

This post is number five in the series! If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here. Continuing on the theme of New Year’s resolutions, I figured this would be another good resource to mention, specifically for those with “learn a new language” on their 2025 resolutions list. This resource is Mango Languages.

If you know of Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, or Babbel, then you’ve essentially got the measure of Mango Languages, except with Mango you get full access with your library card without having to pay any fees for premium content. Mango offers lessons in over 70 world languages and more than 20 English courses for second language speakers. In these lessons, you will find not just basic vocabulary and grammar, but also specialty courses that offer a range of culturally specific topics. Lessons can be downloaded for offline access, and you can access the program through your internet browser or the app. Create an account to save your progress, or access it as a guest if you just want to try it out for the day.

Find Mango Languages on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> M –> Mango Languages

For more language learning, you can also check out Transparent Language Online, a resource provided for free to all Pennsylvania library card holders through the State Library of Pennsylvania! Find Transparent Language Online by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> T –> Transparent Language Online.

Databases Series: LearningExpress Library

January 6, 2025December 31, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello and Happy New Year! My name is Rebecca, and I am the Information Literacy Librarian here at the Chester County Library. (You might recognize me as the librarian with the purple hair!) Welcome to a new series here on our blog where every week (or thereabouts) I’ll be introducing you to one of the library’s databases. A library database, for those who are unsure, is essentially just an online resource that the library pays for so that you can access it for free with your library card!

This post is number four in the series. If you missed the previous posts, you can find them here. This week, I will be talking about LearningExpress Library. Now that 2025 is here and we’re all making our New Year’s resolutions, I’d bet that some of you have at least one resolution on your list along the lines of “learn a new skill,” “improve an old skill,” or “pass such-and-such exam.” Raise your hand if this is you!

Well, LearningExpress Library can help you with these things and more! It supports those looking to improve core academic skills, pass a high school equivalency test, prepare for college, explore careers, join the military, study for occupational certification tests, become a U.S. citizen, and much more. Learning centers contain practice tests, interactive tutorials, microlessons, e-books, articles, and flashcards. To access the learning centers, simply follow the link on our website and create an account so that you can save your progress.

Find LearningExpress Library on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> L –> LearningExpress Library

Happy learning!

2025 Reading Challenge! January

January 1, 2025December 31, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

An image of a post-it on a blue background with the text "January: A cozy read" written on it along with an image of a cute, steaming coffee cup.

Welcome to the first month of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries’ 2025 Reading Challenge! The challenge is open to all readers reading at a Young Adult or Adult level in any format.

Each month, there will be a new reading prompt to follow. The reading challenge prompt for January is “A cozy read.”

Need inspiration for what to read? Check out a few suggested reads below! See the full list on our catalog here. Make sure to also visit the library to explore our interactive book display.

If you need even more inspiration for books to read or listen to, feel free to request Personalized Reading Suggestions or check out the NoveList Plus database.

No registration is necessary to participate in the challenge. To get started, simply pick up a physical tracking log at the Reference Desk or print one out at home using the link provided in the Resources section of the Reading Challenge page at https://bit.ly/CCLReadingChallenge2025.

Happy reading!

The book cover for "Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human" by Carlos Whittaker.

The book cover for "Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop" by Hwang Bo-Reum.

Databases Series: Morningstar Investing Center

December 30, 2024December 27, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

This post is number three in the series! If you missed last week’s post, you can find it here. This week, I’m going to introduce you to Morningstar Investing Center. For those of you who are investors, you might already know of or have heard of Morningstar. Morningstar is a resource that provides trusted, unbiased research, expertise, analysis, and portfolio-building tools aimed at helping all levels of individual investor. You can find authoritative information on companies, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and stocks alongside its other features aimed at helping you grow as a hands-on investor and active trader. For those just starting out, check out Morningstar’s Investing Classroom, which offers courses either in text or in video on various investing-related topics, from stocks, funds, and bonds to retirement and lifestyle planning and more.

Find Morningstar Investing Center on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> M –> Morningstar Investing Center

*Please note that the library’s subscription only allows for a limited number of concurrent users. Please sign out when you’re not actively using it to allow others to access the resource.

Databases Series: Comics Plus

December 23, 2024December 11, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Last week I went over NoveList Plus. If you missed that post, you can check it out here! This week, I’m going to tell you a bit about one of our newer databases: Comics Plus. Comics Plus is a resource that offers unlimited access to thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga from a wide range of publishers, including BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Europe Comics, Fantagraphics, Image Comics, Kodansha, Papercutz, Yen Press, and dozens more. For those of you who are used to reading eBooks on Libby, Comics Plus will be a nice change as there are no holds, no wait lists, and no borrowing limits. Download the mobile app to your device or go to the website on your browser. Just log in with your library card, and you’ll have access to the whole collection!

Looking to get your kids set up with Comics Plus? The full collection includes some graphic content, so be sure to check out our curated collections for children or teens as well as Comics Plus’s Age-Appropriate Guidelines.

Find Comics Plus on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> C –> Comics Plus

Databases Series: NoveList Plus

December 16, 2024December 23, 2024 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

First up, we have NoveList Plus. NoveList Plus is what us librarians call a Readers’ Advisory resource. Readers’ Advisory is a service offered by libraries and other organizations that involves suggesting books to readers. We use NoveList to help us out, for example, when someone asks us for suggestions for books in a genre outside of what we normally read, or when we’re looking for a book or author that’s similar to another book or author.

But it’s not only a resource for us; you can easily use it, too! NoveList excels at connecting readers with books that match their reading preferences and moods. Check out its appeal mixer, which allows you to browse by various appeal category combinations, or look through some pre-mixed combinations of appeals. View lists of award winners, popular genres, audiobooks, books that have been made into movies or TV shows, and more. Find resources for your book club, genre guides, articles, read-alikes, and featured content for kids of varying age groups. Looking to find the next book in a series, a list of all the books written by your favorite author, or the publication date for a yet unpublished book? You can find those on NoveList as well!

Play around with it, and maybe you’ll find your next favorite read!

Find it on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> N –> NoveList Plus

March KClub Meeting

March 8, 2022March 5, 2022 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Been watching K-Dramas for years and want to meet new K-Drama lovers? Love BTS but don’t know much about Korean television? Break out the kimchi and join us to watch an episode of one the hottest Korean shows, then pop onto a Zoom call to chat about the show, the newest Korean music, and Korean culture – all from the comfort of our own homes.

On March 13, from 3:00pm – 5:00pm, we will be watching the pilot episode of “Tale of the Nine-Tailed.” Lee Yeon, a nine-tailed fox with the ability to transform into a human form, spends his days eliminating dangerous supernatural beings while also searching for the reincarnation of his lost love. Nam Ji-ah, a television producer, works on a show that searches for proof of the existence of supernatural beings. When Lee Yeon’s unsavory half-brother takes an interest in Nam Ji-ah, Ji-ah might just get that proof she needs – plus so much more than she bargained for.

Ages 16+

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and viewing instructions. Register on the event calendar here.

For questions, please email us at: ccljtc@ccls.org.

February KClub Meeting

February 9, 2022February 7, 2022 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

On February 13, from 3:00pm – 5:00pm, we will be watching the pilot episode of “W: Two Worlds.” “W: Two Worlds” tells the story of the clash between two worlds – the “real” world and a parallel universe set within a webtoon. Kang Chul, main character of the webtoon, is a self-made millionaire with a tragic past. Oh Yeon-joo is a cardiothoracic surgeon resident and daughter of the webtoon’s illustrator. When her father goes mysteriously missing, she goes looking for him at his office and gets dragged into the world of the webtoon just in time to save Kang Chul’s life. Part thriller, part romance, part urban fantasy, this is a great drama for celebrating this year’s palindrome date, Twosday, as well as Valentine’s Day.

Ages 16+

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and viewing instructions. Register on the event calendar here.

For questions, please email us at: ccljtc@ccls.org.

December KClub Meeting

December 6, 2021 ~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

On December 12, from 3:00pm – 5:00pm, we will be watching the pilot episode of “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.” If you like rom-coms with a good “childhood friends to lovers” trope, this might be the drama for you! This coming-of-age series follows the trials and mishaps of a group of college athletes as they follow their dreams and fall in love along the way. Join us for a fun, fluffy, feel-good drama for the holiday season.

Ages 16+

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link and viewing instructions. Register on the event calendar here.

For questions, please email us at: ccljtc@ccls.org.