Off the Shelf: New ways to access online resources at NOLS

Have you wondered when your ancestors arrived in the U.S. and how they got here? Need a non-biased review for that new TV you’re considering buying? Wish you could reference an electrical diagram while performing car maintenance? Want to strengthen your technology skills?

Your library can help! The North Olympic Library System hosts more than 15 different online resources, most of which you can use right from home. NOLS online subscriptions contain information from magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals and specialty websites and are available to the community free of charge.

Just a few of the exciting and popular resources that NOLS offers free access to are Ancestry.com, Chilton Library, Microsoft Imagine Academy and Consumer Reports!

To access these resources, visit www.nols.org and click on “Online Resources.” Here you will find a newly revamped webpage with improved usability to make finding what you need as easy as possible.

In addition to the online subscriptions which NOLS purchases for free community use, the Online Resources webpage also contains carefully reviewed lists of highly useful websites.

All of the online resources are categorized by subject, making it easy to find multiple related resources.

When accessing NOLS-provided online resources from home, you will need to log in to your library account using your library bar-code number and password.

Ancestry.com

With a smart search technology, a wealth of learning resources and a worldwide community of family history enthusiasts, Ancestry.com can help you discover your roots and tell your family story. Start searching billions of records and discover your family’s story! You are able to search through Federal Census’, military collections, immigration records, directories and much more. Here you will find records such as documents, indexes and even images!

Ancestry.com is available for in-library use only.

Chilton Library

The Chilton Library provides quick online access to repair, maintenance and service information on seven decades of a broad range of vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. The content is updated on a monthly basis, ensuring the most advanced and up-to-date information available.

The Chilton Library allows users to obtain vehicle specific information including repair procedures, recalls, vehicle maintenance schedules, wiring diagrams and much more! You even can download the Chilton Library app to your mobile device, to take this information on the go.

Microsoft Imagine Academy

The Microsoft Imagine Academy provides a platform for people to learn and improve their technology skills. Here you will find more than 400 free online courses and resources that are now available to NOLS patrons. Classes range from computer basics such as navigating the web to advanced subjects such as SQL Server and Microsoft Dynamics. Popular courses cover the basics of Office 2013 and 2016, Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

These digital literacy courses help students learn the essential skills to begin computing with confidence, be more productive at both home and work, stay safe online and take advantage of new career opportunities. Free certificates of completion can be downloaded at the conclusion of each course and official Microsoft Certification and testing also is available.

Consumer Reports

ConsumerReports.org enables consumers to make better purchasing decisions on the products they are shopping for. Whether you’re looking to find the best deal on a TV or researching the top-recommended used vehicles, Consumer Reports provides ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice for thousands of products and services.

Accessing Consumer Reports this way allows you to simply browse various highlighted topics or enter a product into the search field.

For more

If you have questions about how to use these resources, call or visit your closest NOLS Library or email Discover@nols.org. The library is always open at www.nols.org.

Kate Radigan is public communications coordinator for the North Olympic Library System.