New Glasgow – Library users will have a new, user-friendly website at their fingertips this weekend.
Fern MacDonald, manager of the Pictou Antigonish Regional Library’s virtual library and digital collection, says the new version of the site will highlight the online services the library has to offer, as well as providing all catalogue information on the page.
The home page will highlight all upcoming programs in that are coming up in the next few weeks, she added.
“It will also feature our digital projects, sites we’ve created on local history, our e-books, and our youtube channel,” explained MacDonald. “We have more options and we’re making things front and centre for people.”
One of the new features is a new e-book done by the library, Sheena’s Garden, an English-Gaelic tale told in both languages. Penned and illustrated by a woman from Antigonish, parents and children can click through the story and learn the Gaelic words for things grown in the garden.
The site will also feature Tumblebooks for children, which are little e-book stories for kids. The books are read aloud for young children and are highly animated, talking picture books.
The library has also subscribed to the A-Z Map service, which offers everything from your basic street map to antique, geology and fault line maps.
“Every kind of map you could ever want,” MacDonald said.
The site will see some further upgrades in a few month’s time, added chief librarian Eric Stackhouse. In May, all of the libraries across the province will begin subscribing to a new e-book service, where users can borrow an e-book, download it to their e-reader, and enjoy for up to three weeks.
“There’s a little inscription code on the download, and after three weeks, poof, it’s gone,” Stackhouse explained. “A lot of older classics are being done on e-books, but also some best sellers.”
It’s not going to replace traditional books – it’s just another way to get people to read, he added.
The library is also on Twitter now, he added.
“People can sign onto our Twitter and see information about our programs,” Stackhouse added.
The website can still be accessed at www.parl.ns.ca.
