The Families First Coronavirus Response Act created new temporary paid sick leave and paid Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) programs that are 100% reimbursable by the federal government. The effective date of both programs is April 1 and they expire on December 31, 2020.
Category: Adult Resources
SCORE seminars rescheduled as webinars through Chester County Library
SCORE of Chester and Delaware Counties has rescheduled two of their previously planned programs, now to be delivered virtually. Click the links below for more information and to register.
5/6, 2-3:30pm – How to Create “Killer Content” for Social Media and Your Website
5/11, 1-2:30pm – Blogging for Business
For more virtual programs being offered by Chester County Libraries, visit our calendar.
Find a Good Book to Read (Part 3 of 3): Reading Ideas by Genre
Are you a fan of historical fiction, mystery, romance, science fiction, or another book genre? Would you like some new ideas for what to read next based on your favorite genre?
Here are a few resources to help you find reading ideas:
NoveList Plus: Start here to find reading ideas by genre! Access NoveList Plus through the Library by visiting chescolibraries.org, selecting “Tools and Research” from the ribbon of choices at the top of the page, selecting “All CCLS Databases,” and then NoveList Plus. Enter your library card number when prompted.
Once you’re in NoveList Plus, there are a few ways to find ideas by genre:
- Under “Recommended Reads,” on the left-hand side of the NoveList Plus homepage, hover over a broad genre category to choose from related lists. Select a list of interest to view title suggestions, and then click on a specific book title to read a book description, professional reviews, and more.
OR
- Hover over “Browse By” at the top left-hand side of the NoveList Plus homepage; select “Genre” to peruse new and popular titles by genre. Below each broad genre, click on “Explore [Your Genre]” for more related lists.
NextReads: Sign up to receive free monthly or bimonthly NextReads emails loaded with great book suggestions by genre or subject area. Sign up here, or view the NextReads Archives here.
Beyond great library resources like NoveList Plus and NextReads, there are many additional resources for finding book ideas by genre! Here are just a few:
Multi-Genre
The Reading List (from America Library Association/RUSA CODES): The Reading List highlights outstanding genre fiction in eight genres: “adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and women’s fiction.” Scroll down the page to see current and past lists.
Mystery/Thriller
Agatha Awards: Honoring “the Traditional Mystery, books typified by the works of Agatha Christie.” View current nominees here, or select “Agatha Award History” to see past winners.
Cozy Mysteries: Find “cozy” mystery reading ideas by theme, place, and much more!
Edgar Awards: Presented by Mystery Writers of America, and named after author Edgar Allen Poe. View 2020 Nominees, or visit the Edgars Database to search current and previous nominees, or view by category.
Science Fiction
Hugo Awards: “Awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy…run by and voted on by fans.” Hover over “Current/Past Hugos” to view award-winners.
Nebula Awards: “The Nebula Awards® are voted on, and presented by, active members of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.” Hover over “The Awards” to search awards or view them by year.
Romance
RITA Awards: Romance Writers of America awards for “excellence in published romance novels and novellas.” Scroll down the homepage to click on “Current Winners” or “Past Winners.”
And finally, while not technically a genre, here’s just one resource for finding audiobook listening ideas:
Audiobooks
Audie Awards: “Each year the Audio Publishers Association honors the best titles in audio publishing.” Scroll down the page to link to current and past honorees.
Earlier this week, we discussed Author Read-alikes and Title Read-alikes. No matter which approach you take, we hope that you find good ideas for books to try.
Enjoy exploring, feel free to contact us with your Novelist Plus or other questions, and happy reading!
Play Jackbox Games With Us
Join us to play Jackbox Games and socialize with other gamers virtually.
Free basic computer tutorials at DigitalLearn.org
With so much of our world transitioning from face-to-face interactions to virtual interactions, you may find yourself needing to brush up on some computer skills. DigitalLearn.org, a resource put together by the Public Library Association, has short, easy-to-follow tutorials on topics that range from navigating websites, using Microsoft Word, using cloud storage, online healthcare resources, online job searching, and more. These tutorials are completely free and do not require an account to access them. Simply click the link in this paragraph, select a tutorial, and click “Start Course.”
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
PUA provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to qualifying individuals who are otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable state law, except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related reasons, as defined in the CARES Act. Benefit payments under PUA are retroactive, for weeks of unemployment, partial employment, or inability to work due to COVID-19 reasons starting on or after January 27, 2020. The CARES Act specifies that PUA benefits cannot be paid for weeks of unemployment ending after December 31, 2020.
For more information and to file a regular unemployment claim, click here.
Free webinar: Interviewing from Home
Codecademy is offering a free webinar on Interviewing from Home tomorrow, Friday, April 24 at 10:00 am. Register here.
Computer Skills Training
Chester County Library now has online instructions for Basic Microsoft Word and Excel available for you.
While the library cannot currently provide our popular in-house classes and 1-1 tutoring sessions, we can provide you with our Basic Microsoft Word and Basic Microsoft Excel instructions. These are instructional documents only. You will need Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft Excel available on your computer to follow the instructions.
We miss you and we hope to be back soon with in-house workshops. We are in the process of developing virtual computer training. Please stay tuned. We hope these instructional documents will help with brushing up your skills or help you learn something new!
If you have questions related to Microsoft Office, staff from John W Jacobs Technology can try to help you. Please email us your questions to ccljtc@ccls.org. We will respond your emails.
Also, check the following resources:
Ancestry.com is Now Available for Free
To access Ancestry remotely through May 31st, you’ll need to:
- Log into your library account by clicking “My Account Login” on www.chescolibraries.org
- Once logged in, you’ll see a link at the top of the landing page that says “Click here to access Ancestry.com remotely.”
If you need help with accessing your online library account, please contact us.
Virtual Program: Libby: Ask Me Anything
Maybe you’re finding yourself with more free time now that all of your social events and outings have been canceled. Maybe you just need a break from it all. Either way now might be a great time to pick up a good book, and we still have you covered with our digital collection on Libby.
If you’re new to Libby, need a refresher, or have a specific question, join us on Friday afternoons at 3 PM for virtual learning sessions. Registration is required.
A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants 2 hours before the program starts. Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link. You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.
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