Databases Series: BookFlix & TrueFlix

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment
The BookFlix and TrueFlix logos.

Hello!  My name’s Rebecca.  For those who haven’t been following this series, 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 this 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!

We have officially come to the end of this databases series!  Except for future updates, when we add or remove resources, this will be my last post for this series.  So, last, but certainly not least, I will talk about our two big children’s literacy databases: BookFlix and TrueFlix.

Scholastic’s BookFlix pairs classic video storybooks with related nonfiction from trusted Scholastic imprints.  This engaging resource for children in grades pre-K through 3 will help early readers develop and practice essential reading skills and introduce them to a world of knowledge and exploration.  Each BookFlix unit includes a video of a classic children’s story; a related nonfiction text presented in an eBook format; interactive educational games related to the specific pair; profiles of the author and illustrator of the story on which the video is based; editorially selected, age-appropriate Web links related to the pair topic; and suggested teaching activities created specifically for each fiction/nonfiction pair.  A number of pairs are available in Spanish!

TrueFlix leverages the award-winning True Books content to help students hone literacy skills, build knowledge of subject-area content, and cultivate 21st Century Skills through the inquiry process.  All of the True Book titles are supported with related content and primary sources featuring videos, audio, images, and text.  Each TrueFlix title includes a streaming video that engages the student and introduces the topic; a flipbook version of the True Book with page-turning and read-along features, chapter tabs, and vocabulary terms identified and defined; related content that provides opportunities for further research and reading across a variety of text types; a lesson plan with teaching activities that are tied to the specific content of that TrueFlix topic; a project goal and ideas or questions on how to kick-start research; a 10-question multiple-choice quiz and a Word Match game based on the important words included in each title; and related Web links to help further extend learning, broaden the content area, and provoke further research.

Find BookFlix on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> B –> BookFlix (POWER Library)

Find TrueFlix on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> T –> TrueFlix (POWER Library)

This is the final post in this databases series!  If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.

Chester County Library Will Host Local Author Showcase on May 18th

~ mkolb76 ~ Leave a comment

The Chester County Library is excited to host its annual “Read Local!”—now in its second year—a celebration of local creativity featuring authors and illustrators from Chester County and neighboring areas. The event will highlight a wide range of books and genres for both children and adults.

According to April Nickel, Youth Services Director at Chester County Library, the event aims to spotlight local talent—particularly authors and illustrators who have recently self-published or published through independent publishers. These participants submitted applications to share their work with the community, offering a unique opportunity to discover local voices and creative projects. While some of the featured titles may not meet the library’s collection development policy, the event serves as a platform to connect these creators with the public.

The Read Local! showcase will feature more than 30 local authors and illustrators, each with their own table inside the library to display and sell their books. Visitors are invited to engage directly with the creators, explore their works, and learn more about their creative processes.

This open house-style event will take place on Sunday, May 18, from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Chester County Library, 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, PA. Admission is free and no registration is required.

Free for All: the Public Library!

~ mkolb76 ~ Leave a comment

A screener and discussion at Henrietta Hankin Branch Library

To kick off this year’s Summer Reading program, Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS in partnership with Henrietta Hankin Branch Library and WHYY will host a screening of “Free for All: The Public Library,” followed by a discussion led by a panel of special guests.  The discussion panel will feature Chester County Library and Henrietta Hankin Branch Director, Jenna Persick, and Branch Manager, Carey Bresler, together with Michael Skay, President of the Chester County Library System Board of Trustees. “Free for All: The Public Library” tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who created a civic institution where everything is free, and the doors are open to all.

The public library is one of America’s most valued yet endangered institutions.  Director Dawn Logsdon travels the United States, discovering historic and modern-day figures, especially women, who contributed to the library’s integral position within democracy. “Free for All: The Public Library” chronicles the evolution of the nation’s public libraries, tracing the battles over who can enter, what belongs there, and who makes these decisions, while exploring how public commons are defined and defended.

WHAT: 5:00 pm refreshments and activities; 5:30 pm a FREE preview screening of “Free for All: The Public Library” followed by a community discussion.

WHEN: Thursday, June 5th, 5:00-7:30pm

RSVP: To register, click here.

Doors will open at 5:00pm for participants to enjoy pizza and light refreshments as they take part in activities designed to get everyone thinking about what has made public libraries important in their own lives. Participants can also enter a raffle drawing for family passes to Longwood Gardens. The screener will begin at 5:30pm. After the screening, our guest panelists will host an engaging and interactive discussion about how public libraries shaped the country and continue to be a sanctuary for Americans everywhere, despite the threats to funding the civic institution has faced in recent years.

“Free for All: The Public Library” had its debut on April 29, 2025, on PBS and the PBS app. For more information, visit Independent Lens.

About Indie Lens Pop-Up

Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most. Learn more at pbs.org/indielenspopup.

About INDEPENDENT LENS INDEPENDENT LENS is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Park Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts. Stream anytime on the PBS app. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens.

Databases Series: Research & Reference

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello!  My name’s Rebecca.  For those who haven’t been following this series, 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 this 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!

We’re nearing the end of this series, but I still have a couple more important topics to cover, the first of which is research and reference databases.  We have a number of research and reference databases both through us and through POWER Library targeted towards various age groups and covering a wide range of subjects.  These are useful for doing research, completing school papers or projects, homeschooling, or otherwise finding authoritative sources.  I will go over each of them briefly here:

Academic Search Main Edition (POWER Library):  This database includes full-text and peer-reviewed articles in subjects such as biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, religion, and theology.

Gale eBooks:  We currently have two Gale eBooks collections, one through POWER Library and one through CCL.  These collections include reference titles in the arts, biography, business, education, environment, general reference, history, literature, medicine, nation and world, science, and the social sciences.  CCL’s collection includes the Business Plans Handbook series.

GreenFILE (POWER Library):  GreenFILE offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment.  Its collection of scholarly, government, and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.

IN CONTEXT: Middle School (POWER Library):  This database includes reliable and trusted information on a variety of topics to support middle school student research for government, U.S and world history, geography, literature, sciences, and social issues.

Kids InfoBits (POWER Library):  Elementary students in kindergarten through grade five will find age-appropriate content covering a broad range of educational topics such as animals, arts, geography, health, literature, people, social studies, technology, and etc.  Content is continuously updated and provides interesting and important facts with connections to current and past events.

Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (POWER Library):  This database indexes a number of journals, books, research reports, and proceedings in subjects such as librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more.  Coverage in the database extends back as far as the mid-1960s.

MasterFILE Premiere:  This database provides subject overviews, full text for magazine articles (including Consumer Reports Magazine and Consumer Reports Buying Guides), an image collection, and AP clips. (Please note that we will no longer have access to this database after June of this year, so use it now while you can!)

ONEFILE: High School Edition (POWER Library):  Secondary school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political science, sports, and environmental studies.

Science Reference Center:  Perform research from hundreds of full text science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other reliable sources.  View high-quality science images from sources such as UPI, Getty, NASA, National Geographic, and the Nature Picture Library.

SIRS Discoverer:  This database provides coverage in areas including history, health, language arts, math, science, social studies, and technology.  All newspaper, magazine, and reference book content is 100% full text, editorially-selected, and indexed from publishers such as Britannica, World Book, Rosen Publishing Group, Enslow, and ReferencePoint Press.

Teacher Reference Center:  Teacher Reference Center provides indexing and abstracts for 280 of the most popular teacher and administrator journals and magazines to assist professional educators.

Find these databases on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases

This post is number 21 in this databases series!  If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.

2025 Reading Challenge! May

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment
An image of a post-it on a blue background with the text "May: A book set in Asia or the Pacific Islands" written on it along with a silhouette of a hibiscus flower.

Welcome to the fifth 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 May is “A book set in Asia or the Pacific Islands.”

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 "Dragonfruit" by Makiia Lucier.
The book cover for "Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son" by Homeira Qaderi.
The book cover for "Hula" by Jasmin Iolani Hakes.
The book cover for "Taiwan Travelogue" by Yang Shuang-Zi.
The book cover for "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui.
The book cover for "Blue-Skinned Gods" by SJ Sindu.

Databases Series: Auto Repair Source & Small Engine Repair Source

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello!  My name’s Rebecca.  For those who haven’t been following this series, 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 this 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!

Today, I’ll be talking about two resources provided to us through POWER Library.  You might have noticed me mention POWER Library in other posts before this, but I realize today that I’ve never told you what it is.  POWER Library is a collection of resources provided by the State Library of Pennsylvania to all residents of Pennsylvania.  As long as you have a library card for your local library (and, if you’re reading this, you likely have one through the Chester County Library System), you have access to POWER Library resources.

The resources that I will talk about today are Auto Repair Source and Small Engine Repair Source.  Both of these resources are meant to assist you in repairing your own machines so that you can skip the repair shop, save some money, make your machines last longer, and maybe even learn a new skill while you’re at it.

Auto Repair Source provides accurate, authoritative, and up-to-date service and repair info for thousands of vehicles.  The information is sourced from the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and includes step-by-step repair information, diagrams, maintenance schedules, parts and labor estimates, service bulletins, and recalls.  Simply enter the year, make, and model of your vehicle and engine type, then click into the part you want to address and view the information.

Small Engine Repair Source provides detailed repair guides for all types of small engines, from ATVs, boats, motorcycles, and snowmobiles to more household machines like generators, lawn mowers, and more.  The repair guides offer assistance with routine maintenance (tune-ups, break service, etc.) as well as extensive repairs such as engine and transmission disassembly.  Use the search bar to search by product type, brand, model/engine type, specific area of model/engine type, and model numbers, or browse the topics lists.

Find Auto Repair Source on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> Auto Repair Source (POWER Library)

Find Small Engine Repair Source on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> S –> Small Engine Repair Reference Center (POWER Library)

This post is number twenty in this databases series!  If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.

Career Resources at the Library

~ mkolb76 ~ Leave a comment

Mock Interviews, Career Counseling, & Professional Headshots

(EXTON, PA)— Join the Chester County Library & District Center Business and Career Librarian, Mikaila Strano, as we introduce new resources and services to our Business Center. The Chester County Library is introducing three new career programs held in-person at the library. The first is a mock interview service in which patrons can request an appointment with a volunteer to practice for an upcoming interview. Whether it’s your first time job seeking or you’re just looking for extra practice, consider setting up an appointment today. Our volunteer will interview a hiring manager, so have a prepared resume, dress to impress, and bring questions! The volunteer will also provide written feedback so you can assess and perfect before the big day. If you don’t have a resume, consider joining the library’s monthly Resume and Job Search Workshop held in partnership with PA CareerLink as a hybrid event.

The second new service, which is in partnership with our career advisors, is PA CareerLink Office Hours, held every Tuesday from 12 pm-3 pm in the Reference Department. Patrons are encouraged to drop in during this time to speak with a CareerLink representative about what programs and services are available to adults and young adults. Tap into individualized services for access to career counseling, adult training funds, youth incentives, and employer events.

Finally, our latest service is a professional headshots event which will take place on May 12th from 10 am-12 pm in the Struble Room. Whether it’s for a LinkedIn profile or a business website, you’ll want this photo to be the first thing potential employers or customers see when they look you up. After the photo is taken, you will be emailed a digital copy that you can upload to your choice site with the confidence that your professionalism will shine through. Please ensure you have a working email address so that you can access these photos once they’re sent. This is also a drop-in event, but interested attendees are encouraged to register via the library’s event calendar to ensure their contact information is submitted prior.

The mission of the Chester County and Henrietta Hankin Branch Libraries is to provide informational, educational, and cultural services to the residents of Chester County so that they may be lifelong learners. The Chester County Library & District Center is located at 450 Exton Square Parkway, Exton, PA. For hours or more information, visit our website at https://chescolibraries.org/tools-and-research/business-and-career-center/

April Releases

~ asandovalcclsorg ~ Leave a comment

Movies

TV Shows

Music

Audiobooks

Databases Series: Newspapers

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello!  My name’s Rebecca.  For those who haven’t been following this series, 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 this 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!

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to our Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Times, and News for You newspaper databases.  Today, I’m going to introduce you to the last of our newspaper databases: AP Newsroom and ONEFILE: News. 

AP Newsroom is relatively self-explanatory and simple to use.  It is news and photos, both current and historical, from the Associated Press as brought to us by EBSCO, a popular library resource company.  You can search by keyword, filter by type, or browse the collections available on the homepage.

ONEFILE: News is a database with over 3,500 different newspaper publications aggregated by Gale, another popular library resource company.  You can use the search bar to search by keyword if you’re looking to read articles about a particular topic, or, if you’re looking to read articles from a particular publication, go to the Publication Search and type in the name of the newspaper.  If ONEFILE: News carries the publication, you will see it pop up.  For example, ONEFILE: News carries The Washington Post from January 1, 2014 to current.  Click on the name of the newspaper, click on the date of the issue you want to read, and then all the articles from that issue will show up in a list of titles.  Simple click on the article you’d like to read, and it will provide the full text.

Find AP Newsroom on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> AP Newsroom (POWER Library)

Find ONEFILE: News on our website by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> O –> ONEFILE: News (POWER Library)

This post is number nineteen in this databases series!  If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.

Databases Series: Driver’s Education

~ rmanuel191 ~ Leave a comment

Hello!  My name’s Rebecca.  I’m back again, and for those who haven’t been following this series, 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 this 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!

Today’s resource is slightly different in that it’s a free resource that we have listed among our databases because we’ve found it to be an excellent, in-demand resource for those of you looking for help passing a driver’s exam.  This resource is driving-tests.org.  It contains practice tests, handbooks, video simulations, and more for car, commercial, and motorcycle driver’s license exams in all 50 States as well as the District of Columbia.  Just choose your state when you first click the link, toggle to the test for which you’d like to study, and begin.  You can also download the handbook for your exam directly from this resource; just scroll down towards the bottom of the page to find it.

Find Driving-tests.org by going directly to the website or by going to chescolibraries.org –> Tools and Research –> All CCLS Databases –> D –> Driver’s Education – Practice Tests and Handbooks

This post is number eighteen in this databases series!  If you missed the previous installments, you can view them here.