CCLS/CCL Board Meeting

~ Jenna P ~ Leave a comment

The Board of Trustees of the Chester County Library System/Chester County Library are hosting their monthly board meeting as a hybrid offering. If you have always wanted to attend a meeting but haven’t had the time, this is your opportunity. Please click on this link at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 21 to join the Chester County Library System Board Meeting virtually; or attend in person at the Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton. The Chester County Library Board Meeting will immediately follow. Find the Chester County Library Board Packet here.

If you are a person with a disability and wish to attend this meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to observe or participate in the proceedings, please call Chester County Library’s Administration Office at 610-344-5600 or email ddadoly@ccls.org to discuss how we may best accommodate your needs.

Databases Series: Mango Languages

~ 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!

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.

Chester County Library Trust Speaker Series Kicks Off on January 29th with Jim Zervanos

~ mkolb76 ~ Leave a comment

We are thrilled to announce that the Chester County Library Trust Speaker Series will kick off on Wednesday, January 29th, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm in the Struble Room at Chester County Library in Exton with Philadelphia-based author and teacher, Jim Zervanos.

That Time I Got Cancer: A Love Story,  is a memoir by Jim Zervanos, detailing his unexpected battle with cancer and its profound impact on his life and relationships. The narrative begins with Zervanos experiencing alarming symptoms that lead to a life-threatening diagnosis, compelling him to confront his mortality and reevaluate his connections with loved ones. The book delves into the spiritual dimensions of Zervanos’s journey, emphasizing his reliance on faith, mindfulness, and the support of friends and family.

1.8 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year; 16 million are living with cancer. Jim hopes his story about love and relationships, and not wasting time on negativity will provide hope for patients and their families—not to mention the countless friends and coworkers impacted by life-threatening illnesses. He also advocates for medical professionals to adopt “Narrative Medicine,” promoting the value of the patient’s personal story as part of the holistic clinical picture.

That Time I Got Cancer: A Love Story, is lauded for its honest and heartfelt depiction of a life-altering experience and offers readers a profound exploration of love, mortality, and the human spirit. Kirkus Reviews describes it as “a precise, moving, and expertly crafted remembrance,” highlighting how the experience redefined Zervanos’s relationships and perception of life. Register at https://bit.ly/CCLTrustSeries-ZimZervanos. This event is sponsored by the Chester County Library Trust. To find out more about Jim’s story, check out this 60-second YouTube teaser, edited and produced by The Patient Story, which has 165,000 views; and this longer 20-minute video featuring an interview with Jim, with photos, and compelling footage to tell his full clinical story.

Databases Series: LearningExpress Library

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment
The logo for Learning Express Library, which is text that reads "EBSCO Learning: Learning Express Library"

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!

Financial Wellness Month

~ mstrano ~ Leave a comment

Join Chester County Library in celebrating Financial Wellness Month! Observed throughout January, we take the month to reflect on our financial wellbeing and take intiative to prepare ourselves for the new year. To participate in this month the Business Center is hosting two programs:

Sustainable Retirement: Keep your Nest Egg Intact:
Planning for a long and fulfilling retirement goes beyond just saving—it’s about creating a sustainable income that lasts. In this seminar, we’ll dive into strategies for protecting your nest egg, minimizing taxes, and optimizing withdrawals to avoid common pitfalls that cause retirees to run out of money. Join us for expert insights into building a stress-free retirement plan designed to last.

This program is hosted and presented by Zach Halvonik, Retirement Planning Advisor at Premier Planning Group.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Information for Taxpayers:
Get ready for tax season with the Chester County Public Library! Before you book an appointment with a tax preparer please join us for this information session. IRS certified volunteers provide free tax preparation for low-income tax preparers, but before you file you want to ensure you have all the right information. This presentation will describe the service and what information you need to bring to have your tax returns completed. 

Please register for these events and pave the way for your financial success!

2025 Reading Challenge! January

~ 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.
The book cover for "All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriot.
The book cover for "The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches" by Sangu Mandanna.
The book cover for "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers" by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
The book cover for "A Psalm for the Wild-Built" by Becky Chambers.

Databases Series: Morningstar Investing Center

~ 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!

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.

December Releases

~ asandovalcclsorg ~ Leave a comment

Movies

TV Shows

Music

Audiobooks

Briefly Perfectly Human – Alua Arthur

Databases Series: Comics Plus

~ 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!

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

~ 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!

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