Covid-19 has changed many things, including the way we shop. Rather than go from store to store to look and compare, we now turn first to our computers. Sometimes, we complete the entire purchase without ever laying eyes on the item we’ve just bought.

While online shopping is great for many items, when it comes to major purchases like computers, appliances or cars, buying sight unseen is much more daunting. That’s where Consumer Reports can help.

A non-profit organization dedicated to educating and protecting consumers, as well as testing products for quality, CR’s monthly print magazine and subscriber website are trusted sources of accurate product information.

Algonquin Area Public Library District is proud to offer Consumer Reports’ online database to our card-holders. To find it, start at aapld.org and select the Virtual Library drop-down menu. Choose Online Resources. Here, you’ll find an alphabetical list of all the databases the Library offers. Scroll down to Consumer Reports Online, click the link and enter your AAPLD library card number. From here, you can search articles and ratings for thousands of products.

If you’re not an Algonquin library card holder, you can access Consumer Reports Online at our public computers at the Main Library on Harnish Drive, and at the Eastgate Branch.

Issues of the print magazine from the current year are kept with the periodicals at both the Main Library and Eastgate, and are available for check-out, except for the current month’s issue. You’ll also find print copies from the last two years and the current year behind the Adult Services Reference Desk at the Main Library. These are for in-library browsing only.

Want to know more? Give us a call or reach out on chat. An Adult Service staff member will be happy to help.

Taking to the road or sky this summer? Don’t forget to stock up on e-books, e-audiobooks, digital music, video and more from AAPLD!

Digital resources are easy to use, easy to access, and won’t clutter up the car or load down your luggage. If you haven’t used our digital collections before, vacation time is the perfect opportunity to give them a try. You’ll find everything from escapist beach reads to thought-provoking non-fiction, plus materials for kids and teens. In addition to e-books, choose e-audiobooks for listening on the road or in flight, without having to keep track of CDs. We also offer collections of films, and digital music.

Our Digital Collections page has tutorials and links to your favorite app store. Download the correct app for your digital device, enter your AAPLD card number, and enjoy entertainment on-the-go.

Ebooks, eAudiobooks, and more

Libby/Overdrive– Download up to 15 items per month with your AAPLD library card. Libby offers ebooks, eaudiobooks, and magazines for adults, teens and kids. The extensive collection includes the latest fiction and non-fiction, classic literature, and graphic novels.

Hoopla– Download up to 15 items per month, with no holds, no waiting. Just click and borrow! Hoopla’s collection includes e-books, e-audiobooks, and more.

Axis 360– Download up to 5 items per month. Browse the Axis 360 collection for best-selling fiction, non-fiction, e-books and e-audiobooks, for adults and kids.

Indie Author Illinois– Discover up and coming independent authors writing adult and young adult fiction and non-fiction. There’s no waiting for a title, and books can be checked out for as long as you like. However, you must be in the state of Illinois to access this collection.

Digital Audio and Video

In addition to books, Hoopla also offers CDs, movies, and television series, including selections from AcornTV, home to many popular British and Australian series.

Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films, including award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and world cinema. Check out up to 10 items per month. The Kanopy Kids collection offers unlimited streaming of TV classics like Sesame Street and animated storytimes from award winning books.

Freegal offers access to about 15 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists and over 40,000 music videos. In total, the collection is comprised of music from over 40,000 labels with music that originates in over 100 countries. There is no software to download, and there are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions. You can enjoy unlimited streaming and download up to 5 songs per week.

Feeling stressed? Then you’ll love the latest Big Library Read selection, “The Art of Taking It Easy” by psychologist, comedian and author Dr. Brian King.

The Art of Taking It Easy is a practical and hilarious book that encourages readers to embrace humor as a way to reduce stress and live a happier, fuller life.

In his book, King defines stress, discusses it’s origins and how it impacts our bodies and brains. His practical approach offers ways to deal with everyday stress, and other conditions such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, hypertension and obesity, that occur as a result. But what sets The Art of Taking It Easy apart from other books on this topic is the author’s humor, memorable stories and life-changing tips and instructions gleaned from his personal experience.  Read a sample here.

“I wrote The Art of Taking It Easy to put my insights on stress management on paper, so my
daughter, Alyssa, who is now three, can use them one day. Of course, in the process I wrote a book that can be enjoyed by anyone,” said King, in an interview with Libby/Overdrive, sponsors of the Big Library Read.

The Big Library Read is the world’s largest digital book club, with over 20,000 libraries participating. Between April 5 and April 19, library card holders can download copies of The Art of Taking It Easy with no waiting. After reading, check out the discussion questions (click here to download) and share your thoughts on The Big Library Read discussion board. And join the Professional Book Nerds podcasters for a free live conversation and Q&A session with Dr. King, Tuesday, April 13, at noon, central. Click here to register.

If you haven’t used Libby or Overdrive previously, install the free app to get started. You’ll find instructions here. Download your copy, join the fun, and master the fine art of taking it easy!

Your favorite RB Digital magazines now have a new home on Libby!

Starting March 31, RB Digital magazines will  no longer be available, so to read your favorite magazines, you’ll need to visit the Libby digital reading platforms. Libby is user friendly and easy to navigate, but if you haven’t used it before, never fear!  We’ll walk you through the process to find your magazines’ new location within the app.

Starting out

If you’re new to Libby, begin by downloading the free app to your mobile device. You’ll find it at all major app stores. If you prefer to read on your desktop or laptop, you can also go to https://libbyapp.com/  The website works just like the app.

When you open Libby for the first time, you’ll be prompted to locate your home library and enter your card number. Remember, if your library card was issued by a library other than AAPLD, you’ll need to enter that library as your home library, even if we’re the library you use most often.

If you have Libby installed on one device and want to sync it with another, simply open the app on the first device and tap the Libby logo in the upper right corner. This opens the menu to locate your library and enter your card number.

Kindle users should click on the Read Books With button to select Kindle.

The Get Some Help button allows you set your language preference to read in a language other than English, manage notifications, and more.

Finding the Magazines

At the bottom of the screen you’ll see three buttons:

Library- allows you to browse the entire Libby collection

Middle- takes you to the book you’re currently reading.

Shelf- this is where you find your check-outs and account information.

To find the magazines, Click the Available button at the top and then Magazines on the following page

What’s new? Takes you to a drop down where you can select the New item you want including, New in Magazines.

What’s popular? Takes you to a drop down where you can select the most popular items, including Popular Magazines.

What’s available? Takes you to a drop down where you can select Available Magazines. For our next examples, we’ll use this option.

Borrowing a magazine

The Magazine page shows magazines grouped by title. To see them by category, click “more” in the description box at the top. This will open a drop-down menu that is organized by category.  Select a category and browse available magazines.  The page will show the current and most recent editions.

The little rectangle/plus sign symbol to the right of each magazine’s name is the Borrow button.

To borrow the current issue, click the Borrow button at the top of each magazine title group.  To see inside before you borrow, click on the cover. A new page will open that will show the table of contents and other information about the issue.  Use the Borrow button to borrow the magazine.

Past issues can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking the downward facing arrow. When you find the magazine you want, click the cover for the table of contents, or use the Borrow button to borrow the magazine.

Magazines you’ve borrowed will appear on your Loans shelf. To read the magazine, click Open in Libby.

Reading Your Magazine

Click or tap the right side of the screen to advance pages. Click or tap the left to go back.

Tap READ THE ARTICLE for a reader friendly view.

To open more options, such increasing font size or changing the background color of the article tap the middle of the screen. The icons at the top allow you to zoom in, change the font size or background, search within the magazine, or mark your place.

To exit the magazine, select the Back button.

Magazine check outs are for 14 days, and there’s no limit to the number of magazines you can borrow. Your magazine loans do not count toward your book check-out limit. Still have questions? Give the library a call and ask for an Adult Services staff member.

There are plenty of reasons to learn a new language. Plans for a trip abroad, communicating with a new friend or family member, making yourself more valuable at work, even boosting brain health! Studies have shown that bilingual people process information more efficiently, and learning a second language as an adult can help stave off cognitive decline.

Though Covid might have delayed your travel plans, right now is an excellent time to learn a language. Whether you’re brushing up on your skills, or starting from scratch,  your library is a great place to start!

Our world language resources include books, audiobooks and an online language learning platform called Mango.

Our world language print collection includes study guides for popular European, Asian, South American and Middle Eastern languages, American Sign Language, plus books to help you learn Latin, Hebrew, Old English and even decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

We offer dictionaries, pocket-sized, visual and comprehensive, and also phrasebooks to help you learn the language as it’s spoken in casual or business settings.

Language learning is a natural fit for audiobooks, and our collection of audio courses include Berlitz, Living Language, Fodors and Drive Time. Turn commuting, housework, or treadmill time into a daily language class, that’s both fun and productive.

Explore more of our Language collection by clicking here

If you prefer working with an online resource or an app, Mango is for you! Mango offers lessons in over 70 languages, and English As A Second Language lessons for speakers of 20 different languages. Each language has multiple lessons divided into categories, some have bonus listening and reading lessons, and there is also a collection of world-language films with breakdowns of each line of dialogue. You’ll find these under Mango’s EXPLORE tab.

To get started, download the free Mango app from your favorite app store, or log-in through our website and create an account using your AAPLD library card number. Not an AAPLD cardholder? Check with your home library to see if they subscribe to Mango. But our print and audio materials are available to reciprocal borrowers, so please stop in and browse, place a hold online, or give us a call. ¡Nos encanta ayudar!

To commemorate Black History Month 2021, AAPLD is proud to offer a series of four thought-provoking TED talks, presented by leading Black authors and historians.

The Black History On Your Own Time series runs through the month of February, and there’s no registration required. To watch a talk, simply click the links below, or go to our online program calendar and select a Friday date in February to find that week’s edition. (You don’t have to watch the talks on Fridays, though).

When you’ve finished watching, answer a couple of questions about the talk to be entered into a drawing to win a copy of  Barack Obama’s new book, “A Promised Land.”

Pulitzer prize-winning author Wilkerson talks about the Great Migration and its influence on society today. The topic of Wilkerson’s best-seller,  “The Warmth of Other Suns,” the Great Migration brought southern Black cuisine, culture, religion, and music to northern cities, and gave rise to a generation that transformed those cities through hard work, and the search for a better life.