North Olympic Library System Expands Access to Online Resources

While all North Olympic Library System (NOLS) facilities are currently closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, the Library’s online resources remain available and changes continue to be made to expand those services and access to them.

Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library Edition, a service normally only available from within library branches, can now be accessed from home by anyone with a NOLS library card through at least April 30. Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online family history resource, offers instant access to hundreds of years of history in billions of historical documents and millions of historical photos from all over the world.

Hoopla

NOLS has temporarily increased the checkout limit on Hoopla to 10 items per month, up from the regular 5 items per month. Hoopla is an online service that all NOLS patrons can access for free after creating log-in credentials associated with a NOLS library card. Hoopla offers thousands of TV shows, music albums, movies, and audiobooks for instant streaming and download. Hoopla can be accessed from an internet browser, or an app can be downloaded on phones, tablets, TVs and other streaming devices.

Free Access with Library Card

NOLS offers free access to numerous other resources that normally require a subscription fee for an individual to access on their own. These resources include:

• Chilton Library provides quick online access to repair, maintenance and service information on vehicles.

• ConsumerReports.org enables consumers to make better purchasing decisions on the products they are shopping for.

• HeritageQuest assembles genealogies and local histories on towns and families from all 50 states as well as Canada and the British Isles.

• Lynda.com has over 6,000 online courses with more than 130,000 instructional videos geared toward business, technology and creative fields, with new courses added weekly.

• NewsBank is a comprehensive news product that includes more than more than 11,000 news sources from around the world. This collection features 143 sources from Washington State alone.

• Novelist helps users find new books based on titles they have read, authors they like, or on topics of interest. It includes categories for adults, teens, and children.

• ProQuest features a mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers with wide range of popular academic subjects.

• TeenBookCloud is a streaming service with a digital collection focused on middle school and high school readers. It offers people of all reading levels access to a robust collection of eBooks, enhanced eBooks, audiobooks, graphic novels, and more.

• SIRS Discoverer is a multidisciplinary database for elementary and middle school learners, researchers, and educators.

• The Washington Anytime Library offers a wide variety of eBooks and audiobooks to download to your computer or device.

Library Cards

NOLS library cards that expired within the past 6 months or were set to expire before June have been temporarily renewed through June 1 to prevent interruptions to service.

If you don’t have a library card, you can register for a temporary account online at www.nols.org/library-card. Accounts created online expire in 3 months but can be renewed for 3 years once you are able to visit a NOLS branch. Accounts created online can access all NOLS online resources.

Wi-Fi

During the closure, the Library’s public Wi-Fi will be available 24/7.

Library Wi-Fi can be accessed outside the building at all NOLS branches, including in areas of the parking lots. Wi-Fi users are requested not to block fire lanes.

For more information about the Library’s online resources, visit www.nols.org/online-resources, call the Library at 360-417-8500, or email Discover@nols.org. Additional information about the Library’s response to the COVID-19 emergency can be found at www.nols.org/covid-19.

Senior Assistance

Senior Information and Assistance, located at 481 5th Ave., is helping by appointment only to limit traffic in the office.

Call 360-374-9496 ext.2 to make an appointment and someone will be answering the phone during usual hours 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.