We have recently created video tutorials that cover the basics on how to use our catalog.
If you’re used to finding your next item to borrow by just browsing the shelves in person, or if you’re used to requesting holds through the help of staff, or if you’d just like to find the best keywords to use for catalog searches, then these tutorials will be perfect for you!
All you need is access to a computer or tablet or a smartphone, and access to the internet — plus — the thought that you will definitely get the hang of it, after trying things on your own!
The tutorials are presented in an FAQ kind of label, as these are frequently asked questions here at the Livingston Public Library.
Short but paced comfortably, the tutorials use plenty of examples, pointing out key areas and useful features. As with most videos, playback can be changed to faster or slower speeds by clicking on the gear/settings icon on the lower corner of the screen.
So far, we have published titles such as How to Place a Hold Request on an Item (a step that makes borrowing all the more convenient), How to Search the Catalog for Books (to help you with online browsing, and to note the useful subject areas), How to Search the Catalog for Movies (which stresses the importance of using keywords that the catalog system recognizes), and How to Check the Availability of an Item (for those i-want-this-item-now days).
We’ll make more video tutorials in the next few weeks! Lined up are topics on managing your notification preferences, checking statuses, renewing items, and more. So stay tuned for these FAQ tidbits, to learn more about how to use our library resources.
The tutorials can be found in our Library’s YouTube channel, so it’s very much accessible to anyone. You can go directly to YouTube.com, then search for “Livingston Public Library”. Or you can go to our website, livingstonlibrary.org, scroll down to the foot of the page where our social media links are, click on the YouTube icon, and that will take you directly to our Library’s channel where you can see all the videos our Library staff have created for you to enjoy.
We have also published the video tutorials through our website, livingstonlibrary.org, along with the others we have on our digital collections, and online a-z resources. Where exactly in our website? You might not have noticed it, because they’re tucked in a side panel. Just look for a green vertical tab or button on the far right of the screen labeled, you guessed it… Tutorials! If you click on that, it’ll bring out a screen, with a full list of tutorial titles to choose from. Hope you’ll enjoy these gems as well!
And in case you, our dear reader, are now quite at ease online — doing these bits of the borrowing process by yourself — perhaps you might know someone who could benefit from these videos? If so, please keep them in mind! You’ll hear about these tutorials too on The Livingston Library Podcast, L-town Radio‘s October 2020 track, at soundcloud.com! We’re spreading the word!
All the Staff here at the Livingston Public Library would like our beloved patrons to be able to avail of our Library’s collections, and services. And so with these tutorials, we’d like to help you take care of steps that might be preventing you from enjoying our resources a bit more… all available for your review!
— Janea Agbayani, Technology Department Library Specialist
For more information, visit: www.livingstonlibrary.org/resources-az/.
For other topics, themes, and resources suggested for lifelong learning pursuits, visit our blog under the tag: Keep On Learning.