The Free Card Worth a Million Dollars | Local News

FAIRMONT – Friends of the Marion County Public Library gathered at the Monroe Street Main Library on Saturday for the group’s annual open house.

In an effort to inform Friends of the latest services available in the library, Programming Librarian Liz Butta gave a detailed overview of the services.

With a library card, patrons have access to thousands of benefits online.

One of the popular apps described by Butta is Hoopla Digital. Customers can download or stream e-books, e-audiobooks, comics, movies, TV shows, and music.

Most of the programming can be accessed by first going to the library’s website, www.mcpls.org, then selecting the application on the site that offers the desired program.

“Kanopy is our great movie borrowing platform,” said Butta. “It has a children’s version with traditional children’s content. There are a ton of documentaries, and that’s also where you’ll find Great Courses, ”said Butta.

“You can just search for outstanding courses and that will allow you to see the collection,” she said.

“The big courses alone – the courses – if you buy them, they’re extremely expensive,” said Juanita Edge, chair of the Marion County Public Library board of directors. “We use them with our Lifelong Learners program at Pierpont[Community and Technical College], and they’re extremely expensive, ”Edge said,“ but they’re very good. “

“It’s something that people pay – they pay a monthly subscription like they do with Netflix,” Butta said. “But we make them available to you. It is a truly wonderful resource.

“A lot of people don’t know we have Consumer Reports,” Butta said. “You don’t have to buy the magazine, you don’t have to pay for an online subscription. Just click on the link on our site, and if you’re looking for a new refrigerator, go. And it’s not just the reviews, but all the articles as well. “

One of the library’s apps, Universal Class, offers classes on “tons of different topics,” Butta said. “From auto repair and baking, to vocational training and animal care, there are tons of different topics. If you want to learn a new skill, there is probably a course for it.

Another app available on the library’s website is Language Learning, where customers can learn to converse in 100 different languages ​​for traveling abroad.

In terms of consumer information, there are medical databases available to “search for drug information, as well as medical charts and medical magazines.” If you’ve been to the doctor and he said something to you that you don’t quite understand, you can come here and find reliable resources to help you, ”said Butta.

A popular topic for residents of Marion County is genealogical research. Several major information sites are available free to library card holders, including “an encyclopedia focused specifically on West Virginia,” Butta said. “You can find monuments and historical sites here.”

Heritage Plus is another genealogy fan favorite, where “you can find old census records, obituaries and bank statements,” said Butta.

After the meeting, members of the Friends of the Library Board of Directors spoke about the extent of information and help available to patrons. “That library card is like having a credit card,” Edge said. “Only you don’t have to pay.”

“I knew a lot of them because I use Hoopla,” said Friends of the Library treasurer David Sturm, “but I didn’t know all of those things were there. “

“I’ve hiked a lot, but it’s good to see the big picture,” Sturm said.

It all starts with the library website, www.mcpls.org. You can choose between two links to access these different databases. The first is that you can start with the link that says “digital resources” and then scroll down to the drop-down menu.

“If you’re having trouble with any of the apps, contact us,” Butta said. “I’m the person who helps people get established with their apps. Let us know – that’s what we’re here for.

The Friends of the Marion County Public Library is a voluntary, non-profit organization made up of people who recognize the vital role the library plays in the community.

Most of the fundraising is done through the ongoing used book sale which takes place every Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lower level of the library at 321 Monroe Street.