Showing posts with label Oakland Public Library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oakland Public Library. Show all posts

Monday, March 2, 2015

Week 5: Hey! Wanna Learn Another Language for Free? Try Transparent Language & Pimsleur's


Transparent Language online is a powerful language learning resource offering instruction in more than 80 languages plus English. Learn basic language skills or dive into more extensive language instruction all at your own pace. Transparent Language Online uses multimedia activities that instruct all four language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as social media resources to meet the needs of any learner. It includes beginner English courses for speakers of other languages and an immersion course for intermediate level English learners.  The free companion mobile applications for Apple & Android Devices allow you to take your language learning on-the-go.

Exercise:  Go to Transparent Language and create an account.  Log in.  From the drop down menu at the middle top, how many forms of Japanese can you learn from this database? 

OneClickDigital –  Pimsleur's foreign language e-Book titles.

Dr. Pimsleur's Method® has been trusted for 50 Years by U.S. government agencies, diplomats, corporations, and anyone who wants or needs to learn to speak a language quickly and effectively. Everything about the Pimsleur Method has improved with age, making it the most reliable way to learn a language.  Our e-Books of Pimsleur’s titles are located in our OneClickDigital database.  Here is a video explaining how to download e-Audiobooks from OneClickDigital.


Exercise:  Go to OneClickDigital and register (You need a computer that can connect to the internet.)  Create an account.  Log in.  Now search for e-Audiobooks about learning Spanish.  How many titles can you find?




Monday, February 9, 2015

Week 2: Zinio & Freegal - What Are They? & What Do They Have In There For Me?

Here's Zinio:

Zinio is the world's largest newsstand. It offers full color, interactive digital magazines for your enjoyment. Browse the library's collection of popular titles with no holds, no checkout periods, no fines, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download!

Mobile apps — Read magazines on 95% of today's mobile devices including all iOS (Apple), Android, Win8, and Kindle Fire/HD/HDX.

Current Issues of Magazines— New issues are released simultaneously with the print edition. Many are available before they arrive at the library and are ready for immediate download.

Back List — As OPL's collection grows, so does the digital backlist for checkout and reading.

Easy browsing and checkout — Browse  OPL's collection of titles one at a time, search for your favorite magazines by title or use the convenient category feature to find new magazines which meet your interests.

Manage your collection — Using the personal account you create, you will have the opportunity to checkout magazines and read them instantly on your computer (both PC and Mac) or access the content on a portable media device. (Note: viewing options, including the ability to download or view the content while online, may differ based on the device and/or magazine publisher).

No limit permanent check out — Check out as many issues as you want and keep them in your account as long as you wish.

Watch the Zinio tutorial by clicking HERE

***First: you need to go to Zinio.com to sign up for your own free account.***

Assignment:  Download the Zinio App. (or, if not on a tablet/smart phone: just read using your computer browser) and then look at this week’s issue of The New Yorker.   Which poets are featured in the issue?

And now for Freegal:

Freegal is a downloadable music service from your library. All you need is your library card number and a PIN. Freegal offers access to about 3 million songs, including Sony Music’s catalog of legendary artists. In total the collection is comprised of music from over 10,000 labels with music that originates in over 60 countries. 

A download usage counter is located in the upper right corner of Freegal music.com displaying your weekly allotment. For instance, 1/3 means that you have a weekly limit of 3 downloads, and you have used 1 of those downloads. The download counter resets each week at Monday 12:01 AM (Eastern Time, USA).The site is set up to browse or search for your favorite music or artist. You can use the navigation at the top of the page to browse by keyword, artist, or album; or you can simply use our advanced search page. Freegal Music also offers a collection of Top Download lists on the homepage where users can browse a variety of music selections.

For use on a mobile device:  download the Freegal App. If you have an Apple device (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch), you will be able to download the Freegal App by doing a search for “Freegal Music” in the Apple iTunes App Store.  If you have an Android phone or tablet, you will be able to search for “Freegal Music” in the Google Play store. A Freegal App for Kindle Fire/HD/HDX can be downloaded from GetJar or SlideMe.org.  If you are on a laptop or PC, simply download songs onto your computer.

Watch a Freegal tutorial by clicking HERE

Assignment:  Login to your account on Freegal using your library card.  How many downloads can you get this week and how much time do you have for streaming music?