MCPL opens the door to research, books, and more

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

There will be plenty of books to look through at the Moore County Public Library this month.

The library’s October book sale is underway, with another sale day set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at 17 Majors Blvd. Folks can browse the tables, find something to take home, and support the library while they are there.

But before you leave with an armload of books, ask the folks behind the desk about the ones you can borrow without carrying anything at all.

October is Computer Learning Month, and MCPL is using it to help local residents get better acquainted with the Tennessee Electronic Library, or T.E.L., and Libby, the app that lets library users borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and other digital materials.

If you have never used either one, the library can help get you started.

Start with T.E.L.

The Tennessee Electronic Library is one of those resources a lot of people have access to without ever thinking much about it.

It can help a student working on a school project or someone trying to trace an old family name. It also gives users access to reliable research tools, reference material, newspapers, magazines, and other resources without having to sort through page after page of search results.

For Moore County residents, the easiest place to start may be right at the library.

Stop by MCPL and ask for a T.E.L. tutorial. Library staff can show you where to look and walk you through how the system works, especially if you are not all that comfortable digging through online databases on your own.

You do not have to know which button to push before you walk through the door.

Then there’s Libby

Libby is for the reader who likes the idea of having a library book handy without making a trip to the library every time.

The free app lets MCPL users borrow digital books and audiobooks on a phone or tablet. Once the app is set up and connected to your library card, you can browse available titles, place holds, and download books to read or listen to later.

An audiobook can ride along on the drive to work. If you finish a book after supper and want another one, you can go looking from the couch instead of waiting until the next morning.

And unlike the paperback that disappears under the truck seat, the digital copy takes care of itself when the loan is up.

If getting the app downloaded and connected sounds like more trouble than it is worth, that is another good reason to stop by MCPL during Computer Learning Month. The folks there can help you get it going.

Books on the table, more on your phone

There is something fitting about the Moore County Public Library talking about digital books during the same month it is holding a good old-fashioned book sale.

Some folks still want a book in their hands and a place to mark when they call it a night. Others would rather put in a pair of earbuds and listen on the way down Highway 55. Plenty of readers do a little of both.

MCPL is still the place where you walk in and find a book on the shelf, but the shelves no longer tell the whole story. So while you are looking through the October book sale, take a few extra minutes before you leave and ask about T.E.L. and Libby.

You might walk in looking for one book and leave with a whole lot more library than you knew was there.