LIBRARY OFFERS NEW INFORMATION RESOURCES

Kinston – The Neuse Regional Library is pleased to announce new information resources that are available through NC LIVE, a state-funded information service offering a variety of electronic collections of full-text newspapers, encyclopedias, literature, genealogical documents, journals, and magazines.  New resources for 2006-2008 include downloadable audio books, slave autobiographies, genealogical materials, practice tests, and high-quality art images. 

Patrons may download over 1,000 audio books from NetLibrary.  Available titles include books by North Carolina authors such as Jan Karon, best sellers such as Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, and the classics.  The NetLibrary files can be listened to on personal computers or on devices such as portable music players, portable media centers, Pocket PCs, and select smartphones that operate Microsoft Windows Media Player v9 and above, Musicmatch Jukebox v8.2 and above, or Nullsoft Winamp v5.  Apple iPods are not compatible with these files due to software incompatibility.  Audio book checkout is a free download that automatically expires after 21 days; NetLibrary allows one renewal.

American Slavery, a composite autobiography, presents patrons with access to slave narratives that can be searched by narrator name, master name, subject (such as “Africa” or “Bible”), interviewer name, and county.  Patrons can investigate North Carolina slave narratives simply by using the search tool and entering the state name. 

For geneaology enthusiasts, HeritageQuest is an ancestry database that Neuse Regional Library has previously provided, but is now offered through NC LIVE.  Patrons can trace family history and American culture in HeritageQuest’s growing collection of family and local history books, Federal census records, and history periodicals.  Patrons who enjoy researching family history may also explore “North American Women’s Letters and Diaries,” providing access to over 150,000 published and unpublished documents.  

Students and adult learners who are facing academic or licensing tests will find the the help they need to pass from the LearningExpress Library.  This resource provides an interactive online learning platform of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help patrons with immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of results.  Subjects covered include Advanced Placement, GED, cosmetology, citizenship, and skills improvement.