New and improved online resources and upgrades to the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library online catalog and circulation software system will make it even easier to take advantage of the 24/7 virtual Briggs Library.

Coming soon, when patrons use the library’s online catalog, either at the library or from home at www.briggslibrary.com (or briggslibrary.org), they will see a new and fresher looking catalog, complete with pictures of book covers, patron ratings, book reviews, genre browsing and the ability to keep a record of items people are interested in and easier management of the patron’s Briggs Library account.

Software upgrades are also in the works that will soon allow people to search for and request items from other Ohio libraries in our region while searching the Briggs Library catalog.

More news on this service will be forthcoming.

Briggs Library, along with other Ohio libraries and in partnership with the State Library of Ohio, has recently added the online language learning software, Mango Languages, which will allow patrons to study French, Spanish, Japanese and other languages from their computer using a headset and microphone.

Just click on the Ohio Web Library button or the Mango Languages button on the Briggs Library home page.

Briggs Library is also now offering ebooks, audiobooks and other digital download materials through a joint project with the State Library of Ohio and 74 other Ohio libraries through the Ohio eBook Project.

Patrons will find materials that can be read or listened to on a variety of devices including computers, mobile phones and MP3 players and free downloadable software to operate them from trusted sources such as Adobe and Amazon Kindle.

To access eBooks and audiobooks, go to the Briggs Library website and click on the eBooks button on the right-hand side of the page. You will be redirected to the Ohio eBook Project web page where visitors will sign in by choosing Briggs Library in a drop down menu under “project members” and entering a 14-digit library card number.

Patrons can still take advantage of this service if they have no or slow Internet or WiFi connection by using one of the download stations at a Briggs library branch. Bring a device and a USB cable.

If individuals haven’t already tried them, don’t forget to use Briggs Library’s other online resources available only to those who have library cards.

These include Learning Express Library for skills building and professional test preparation and practice and the Ohio Web Library for trusted reference resources and articles not available for free from other online sources.