eResources 101 Volunteer University 2017

This evening you’ll learn… What ARE eResources? What’s available? How can I find them? How can I get help? You’ll also get to meet my zoo…

A couple of things to remember… Don’t be afraid of eResources – play around and find out how they work Don’t think you need to learn everything – find your comfort zone Have fun!

Learn the concepts, not the details. Everything changes -- Learn the concepts, not the details.

Librarians Love Lingo! And we particularly love to tack ‘e’ onto everything to make it digital!

So… What’s the difference between eBooks & eMedia and eResources & eLearning?

eResources eBooks/eMedia eLearning

The line between these is blurry, and will get more blurry as time eBooks/eMedia eBooks eAudiobooks Streaming/Downloadable Video Streaming/Downloadable Music eMagazines These are like the things you would traditionally check out of the library. You check them out, consume them, and return them. eLearning Research Databases Online Classes Online encyclopedias and dictionaries Online newspapers This is what we traditionally call “Databases”. They are resources where you go with a particular information need, search, get information, and then leave. The line between these is blurry, and will get more blurry as time goes on…

A Word or Two About Formats A format is simply a computer file that can be read by a particular kind of computer. There are a number of different formats that are relevant in eBooks & eMedia. The most relevant of those are: EPUB PDF Kindle MP3 Proprietary Vendor Formats

EPUB Open Standard Format, works on most devices Reflowable Text Progress is tracked by location or percentage EPUB Small screen like a smart phone Large screen like a tablet

PDF Like taking a picture of a page Original page layout is maintained Good for Graphic-heavy books No reflowable text Not great for small screens PDF

Proprietary Vendor Formats Kindle Amazon’s proprietary format eBooks are linked to a personal Amazon account Only available to library patrons through one vendor - OverDrive Proprietary Vendor Formats Total Boox, Hoopla, Axis 360, Safari, Books 24x7, OneClickDigital, and Zinio offer their own platforms for reading. The books are most likely EPUB, PDF, or html, but that’s “behind the scenes”, so we don’t really care exactly what they are.

MP3 Standard format that works on nearly every device that supports audio.

Why does it have to be so complicated? Constantly changing technology Multiple vendors with different apps, formats, and capabilities Standards that are still being developed Publishers that are concerned about losing sales – they negotiate agreements with vendors that don’t make things easy for us! Digital Rights Management (DRM) – publishers’ way of limiting/managing use.

So, what have we got and where can I find it? eResources live in two places on our website: The eLearning page and eBooks/eMedia page Tour of eLearning Go to www.sjpl.org/elearning Show how the main page is laid out Show the categories Show process of going through the Proxy   Tour of eBooks-eMedia Go to www.sjpl.org/eBooks-eMedia Show how the page is laid out. Talk about the categories and how we divide eMedia Talk about the major vendors Apps v. streaming Newsletter Tour of Help Go to www.sjpl.org/ebooks-emedia Go to Help tab Talk about the way it’s laid out Talk about getting started Talk about getting help from vendors Talk about getting help from us. Chat Phone Email form

Where can I find help? That’s easy… Lets take a look at them now.

Commit 15 minutes everyday to look at one eResource. Your Assignment: Commit 15 minutes everyday to look at one eResource. By the time you get to the end, you’ll be familiar with everything we offer.