Library News 2019-2020
Summer Reading Resources
posted Jun 18, 2020, 1:16 PM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Jun 18, 2020, 1:31 PM ]You have many resources available to you for summer reading. Here's a quick rundown of our favs:
Arlington High School. Our new membership to the Commonwealth eBook Collections on Sora includes thousands of great e-books and audiobooks, and not just for school. Download the Sora app or visit this site and enter code masslibma to get started. Psst, waitlists for popular items may shorter here than on Libby!
Robbins Library. Robbins is offering a new summer reading challenge for teens. You can get a temporary library card online while the physical library remains closed. Then use Libby and Hoopla for e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and more (you can borrow up to 3 items on Hoopla per month). Robbins will be opening for contactless pick up of physical books beginning on July 1 (yay, follow their website for more info) as well as purchasing additional copies of AHS summer reading titles for Libby (woohoo).
Boston Public Library. Anyone who lives, works, or studies in Massachusetts can register for a BPL eCard and access most of their online resources from home. You can access the BPL's collections on OverDrive (or through the Libby app) and Hoopla (with 10 more items per month). Audiobooks and digital magazines are available on RBdigital. See their Using Online Resources FAQ for more info and helpful video tutorials on all these services.
If you need help getting started please don't hesitate to reach out. Finally, our AHS READS community on Google+ remains a place we can share what we're reading with each other, so please consider joining us there!
Getting Started with Sora
posted Jun 18, 2020, 12:58 PM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Nov 12, 2020, 8:30 PM ]We are SO excited to introduce a new e-book and audiobook collection for AHS students and staff on Sora (OverDrive). The Commonwealth Ebook Collection is a shared digital library of over 16,000 titles across all grade levels and interest areas with new titles added each month. As members of this consortium, administered by the Massachusetts Library System, we will have access to a much larger collection than we could afford to purchase on our own, and with OverDrive Advantage we can even add titles a la carte just for AHS.
If you already use Libby through the public library, Sora will look VERY familiar, as both are OverDrive apps (what Libby is to public libraries, Sora is to schools). In fact, you can even ADD your public library cards* to Sora to access all of your content in one place.
Watch this two minute video for a quick introduction. Then get started with these simple steps:
Install the Sora app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or go to https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma.
In Sora, enter setup code masslibma (or choose MLS Commonwealth eBook Collection), then choose Arlington High Staff or Student and sign in with your Google account.
Browse the Explore tab and borrow a book. Your book will open so you can start reading right away.
Close the book and go to your Shelf to see all your books. From there you can tap Open Book or Open Audiobook to read or listen to the book. Tap Options to renew or return the book, get to your notes and highlights, add libraries, and more.
We hope you will share our enthusiasm and if you have any questions about getting started please don't hesitate to ask!
Let's Go to the Museum!
posted May 5, 2020, 9:43 AM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated May 5, 2020, 9:45 AM ]Smithsonian Magazine has a great article on Ten Museums You Can Virtually Visit.
If you're feeling stuck at home, take a (digital) trip to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid where you can see masterpieces by Titian, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Picasso and DalĂ, or a curator-led tour of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul?
Okay, if you need me, I'll be strolling the Egyptian antiquities wing at the Louvre.
Ask Your Librarian: Office Hours, Email, & Appointment
posted Apr 14, 2020, 1:33 PM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Apr 14, 2020, 1:33 PM ]Although the building is closed, your school library is still here for you. In addition to online resources and help by email, we will be offering open library office hours for all students and staff from 11am to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning immediately. The Google Meet link will be sent out by email. Some things you can ask about include recommendations for good books to read for school or just to pass the time, finding high-quality information sources for your assignments or enrichment activities, and how to access digital books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and more while the libraries are closed. We hope to see you online!
New York Times Access
posted Apr 14, 2020, 12:04 PM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Apr 14, 2020, 12:05 PM ]Did you know you can get FREE access to the New York Times website through Robbins Library? It's easy and will work even after the current crisis ends. Just visit this link for a free code. Click "Redeem" and log in or create a free account (with a parent or guardian's permission) for 72 hours of unlimited basic access to NYT.com. For another 72 hours, return to the link as many times as you like. Visit the databases page at Robbins Library or this FAQ from the Minuteman Library Network for more info. You can also use this form to request a temporary card from Robbins Library during the closure.
EBSCO E-Books Are Here!
posted Jan 24, 2020, 5:00 PM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Feb 28, 2020, 1:35 PM ]As second semester begins, we are excited to share a new e-book resource for AHS students and staff: eBook High School Collection from EBSCO. This is a collection of more than 11,000 e-books across all subject areas, including history, language, literature, science, and technology. Content is continually being added and refreshed. These books also allow unlimited simultaneous users, meaning that your entire class could use the same book at the same time!
Check it out today! Our institutional username and password have been emailed to students and staff and are available at the Database Passwords link on our website.
You can also create a personal account which will allow you to check out and download these e-books to read on your computer or mobile devices offline, save your place, etc. To do, so you need to be logged in as an individual user. The easiest way to set up your personal account is to use Google Sign In, which has the added benefit of no new passwords to remember. Just go to https://search.ebscohost.com and click on Sign In at the top right, then select Sign in with Google. If you are at school, that's all there is to it. From off-site you will need to enter our username and password first. With a personal account, you'll only need to enter our school credentials to re-authenticate once a year.
Intergenerational Book Club
posted Sep 12, 2019, 8:36 AM by Stacy Kitsis [ updated Sep 12, 2019, 8:41 AM ]All are welcome to join the Intergenerational Book Club for our first meeting of the year. We will be reading BOSTON GIRL by Anita Diamant and eating delicious treats generously sponsored by FoodLink. Books are available at the Robbins Library and the Media Center. Hope to see you there!
