Online Resources Available at Your Fingertips

 In our mission to ensure we have free and easy to access resources for our patrons, we have online tools available to help students, teachers, job seekers, and many others. We have online tools from test prep to world books online, and if you do not see what you are looking for on our website then one of our librarians will be happy to help direct you in the right direction.

Highlighted Online Tools

ACT and Other Test Prep Resources

From the ACT to the ASVAB test we have you covered with practice tests to study guides. Some may require you to log in with your library card and pin.

Magnolia 

If you are needing to write a research paper here is the tool for you. Magnolia provides a large collection of newspapers, periodicals, reference books, journals, etc.

Mississippi DMV Practice Tests 

This DMV tool gives you access to practice tests if you needing your permit or driver's license. It also provides tests and manuals for cars, CDL, and motorcycles.

Job Resources 

By going to this tool you will see many links that will take you to websites to find jobs or books about how to find a job.

Freegal 

By using your library card to log in you will have access to 5 free music downloads a week and stream playlists for 3 hours each day.

Rocket Languages 

Needing to learn a new language for work or just for fun? Rocket Languages offers 15 different languages including American Sign Language.

Full Collection List and Links

• ACT and other Test Prep Resources
• Auto Repair Source
• Business Source Complete
• Consumer Health Complete
• (Mississippi) Driver’s Education Program Practice Tests
• Explora for Student Research
• Flipster
• Free Legal Resources In Mississippi
• Freading
• Freegal
• Gale Virtual Reference Collection
• GCFLearnFree.org
• Healthy Hometown Library
• Heritage Quest
• History Reference Center
• Job Resources
• Learning Express Library
• Literary Reference Center
• Local/State/National/International News & Weather
• MAGNOLIA
• Mississippi Digital Library
• Mississippi Encyclopedia
• NoveList Plus
• Resume Builder
• Rocket Languages
• Storyline Online
• VIN Decoder
• World Book Online
• Website Links by Dewey Decimal Classification

Traveling for the Holidays?

Every trip I take requires plenty of reading material to carry along. After all, you never know when you might get a chance to read and you certainly don’t want to be stuck reading labels, assembly instructions, and so forth. I like to take at least several books, an audio or two, and several magazines. Sometimes I need an extra bag just to tote all this necessary stuff. See?

With the advent of eBooks, eAudios, and eMagazines, I have to confess that I still prefer to put my hands on the book or the magazine. There’s just something about the experience of holding the book in your hands and turning the pages (sometimes quickly) that electronic devices just do not equal. A year or so ago, though, I had an “AHA” moment. I was traveling light and decided to try the CMRLS Axis 360 and Flipster apps for my reading/listening needs. I downloaded an audio and a book from the Magic Wall, then I went to Flipster and found a magazine to download. The great thing about this download was I could get all three items where I could read/listen while offline. Who knew you could have access without an Internet connection? Well, you can! The other great thing was IT WAS FREE.  Using my library card, there was no cost to borrow all these items.

So off I went on my trip with just my iPad as my reading buddy and guess what? I found happiness and joy reading on an electronic device plus my load was much lighter. Did my discovery cause me to abandon my old friend, the book? No. Never. But I have found a balance to the book vs. eBook question because sometimes it is just more convenient to have the electronic version of my current read. I’ve been known to have the book checked out and the eBook as well and trade back and forth. 

The holidays are coming up and many of us will be traveling to visit family and/or friends. If you haven’t tried any of our free electronic books, audios, or magazines, experiment on your next trip. Download an item or two and give them a whirl. You might find, like me, that it’s a wonderful complement to your reading pleasure. To access these items, all you need is your library card. Go to our website, www.cmrls.lib.ms.us and click on the “Digital Library” tab. You will see the link to the Magic Wall for eBooks and downloadable audios and Flipster for downloadable magazines.  Give it a try this holiday season…then let us know what you think. 

New Library Service Announced

New Service Announced

CMRLS Introduces Flipster^®, a New Way to Access Digital Magazines

~ The One-Stop-Shop for Digital Magazines Allows Library Patrons
to Browse the Latest Issues of the Most Sought After Magazines ~

Patrons of CMRLS Libraries can now access their favorite digital magazines using Flipster from EBSCO Information Services. Flipster is a next-generation magazine service that allows people to browse digital versions of the latest issues of popular magazines, courtesy of the library.

There are more than 30 titles in the collection; including People, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Southern Living, Country Living, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Family Tree, Flex, Car and Driver, Essence, Ebony, and many more. Personal subscriptions would cost hundreds of dollars, but now everyone in the 4-county area has access to these titles. View the magazines on any online device; or download to Android™ phones and tablets, Apple^® phones and tables, and Kindle Fire tablets for offline reading anytime, anywhere. The Libraries also offer free Wifi.

Flipster offers an easy, browse-able reading experience. Users can browse magazines by category as well as perform searches for specific periodicals. An online newsstand provides a carousel of the most recent issues, as well as a carousel of all issues allowing for quick access to magazines. The table of contents contains links for quick access to articles of interest and hotlinks within magazines are hyperlinked, opening in separate tabs when clicked. In addition, there is an option to zoom in and out for better readability.

“This is one more Library service that makes information available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Log in to Flipster and other Library services with your Library card barcode number and your Library comes to you,” said Dorothy Vance, CMRLS Public Relations Coordinator. “We have downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, music, and now magazines. Numerous databases can be accessed from anywhere; these are credible, peer reviewed books and journals; just what is needed for homework or personal research.”

Contact your Library staff at any of the CMRLS Libraries; or visit online at cmrls.lib.ms.us to learn more about accessing the library’s digital magazines through Flipster.