Database Spotlight

Today we’ll go over two of the many online resources (http://www.kslib.info/librarians/eor.html) made available to all Kansas residents free of charge by the State Library of Kansas and by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Mango Languages

Have you ever wanted to learn another language but haven’t had the opportunity, time, or money to do so? Now you access Mango Languages, using either your browser or the app available for your phone or other device. Mango is an online language learning program that offers sixty-one foreign language courses for English speakers and courses to learn English from seventeen different languages. On the lighter side, there is even a course in learning to speak like a pirate.

Most of the courses offer a choice of either basic lessons to teach simple, practical skills for common, polite conversation situations in only a few short hours, or complete lessons, which teach in-depth and comprehensive language and grammar skills. You can create a username and password to be able to keep track of your progress or just click on start learning to browse through the available courses.

LearningExpress

LearningExpress offers practice tests, courses, and eBooks which are arranged by categories or Learning Centers geared toward certain age groups or interests:

• Elementary School
• Middle School
• High School
• College Preparation
• College Students
• Popular Software Tutorials
• GED Preparation
• Workplace Skills
• Occupation Practice Tests
• Skill Building for Adults
• U.S. Citizenship
• Recursos para Hispanohablantes
• Computer & Internet Basics

Using the Learning Centers, a person can find help with Math, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, Writing, Logic and Reasoning, Science, Statistics, Trigonometry, Vocabulary and Spelling, Writing and Grammar, as well as preparation for many standardized tests. Are you studying to get your CDL or studying to take the Electrician's License Test? There’s help for that too in the Occupation Practice Tests learning center.

The Job & Career Accelerator is also available through LearningExpress. It offers help with searching for a job, writing a resume, writing a cover letter, learning basic computer skills, learning a computer program, filling out a job application, and exploring careers.

Both of these databases can be accessed by visiting the library’s website, lmlibrary.org, or by going to http://www.kslib.info/librarians/eor.html. If these links don’t work for any reason, you can also access the databases using your Kansas Library Card, which is free to any Kansas resident and can be obtained from any library in Kansas.

3M Cloud eBook news and updates

• The 3M Cloud app is now available for Kindle Fire through SlideME.org

If you have a Kindle Fire and wish to check out library eBooks from 3M Cloud, it has now gotten much simpler. Before the app was only available through Google play (which Kindle Fires can’t use). Now it is available through SlideME.org as well.

To install the app, turn on the ability to "Download apps from external/unknown sources" under "Settings", go to SlideMe.org in your web browser on your Kindle Fire, search for "3M Cloud Library" and install the app.

• The 3M Cloud app now works with VoiceOver.

The Apple mobile app now is fully functional with VoiceOver, which means that visually impaired patrons have access to the 3M Cloud eBooks library on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. For more information see visit the http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks/3m/3mnews.html

• Digital Book Request Form If there is an audiobook or eBook that you wish was in our digital library collection, you can fill out a Digital Book Request Form on the Kansas EZ Library website (http://www.kslib.info/digitalbooks.html). You’ll be notified if the book is available for purchase, but please realize that some publishers are unwilling to allow their digital books to be purchased by libraries.