On the Same Page: Reedsburg Public Library’s apps for readers on the go
Reedsburg Public Library customers will be happy to know that an upgraded LINKcat app is now available for download to mobile devices. LINKcat is the shared online catalog of the South Central Library System used for searching for materials, placing holds, renewing items and managing accounts. Three other library related apps, Libby, the mobile version of Wisconsin’s Digital Library, Hoopla for electronic books, music and movies, and Beanstack, are also available through the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Android devices.
Through the LINKcat app, avid readers will now have the library at their fingertips! After downloading the app, scan your library card with your device to bring up your Dashboard. From there you can view current items checked out, holds and any fees. From the “checked out” screen you can easily renew materials. Use the search bar to look for items by title, author and subject, and place holds on individual titles.
Newly added features of the updated app include tabs to search for nearby libraries, and the option to link family members’ accounts to your own. You can even scan a book’s ISBN barcode to find copies of the item in the South Central Library System, a handy feature if you find yourself in a store seeking an alternative to purchasing a book. You can also connect with South Central Library System’s reference sources from the LINKcat app as well as Wisconsin’s Digital Library.
Wisconsin’s Digital Library also has its own app version called Libby. Wisconsin’s Digital Library is a shared, statewide collection of ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video and now even magazines, available to all Wisconsin public library card holders free of charge. After the Libby app is downloaded, you will be asked to identify your geographic location, choose your library system, and enter your library card number. The app screen you see looks much like the one that you would find on your computer’s browser. A number of books can be found in the “always available” category for instant download and reading.
Hoopla is offered by the Reedsburg Public Library just for our library users. The books, videos and music you’ll see in the app are all available for free checkout on your device and you can check out up to five items each month!
Once you have completed reading or listening to a title, why not enter it on Beanstack? The Beanstack platform is used by Reedsburg Public Library to manage the Tails and Tales adult and youth summer reading challenges. Again, after downloading the app, you will be asked to identify your library and enter the username and password you have created for your family. The Beanstack app allows you to enter books read and make progress on your reading challenge anywhere, even on vacation!
If you have questions about the LINKcat, Libby, Hoopla or Beanstack apps call the library at 768-READ (7323) or email info@reedsburglibrary.org.
