Gay's Guide to the Library: Part two - What stuff can I check out and how do I look for it?

Gay's Guide to the Library: Part two - What stuff can I check out and how do I look for it?

So you have your library card and now you want to check stuff out, but you aren’t sure what the library has. 

That’s what Gay’s Guide is for!

Today I’m going to talk to you about some of the collections our libraries have and how to search for them. First let's talk about searching. 

How do I look for stuff to check out?

One of the cool things to know about the Champaign-Urbana library system is that they share a library catalog, so you can search through the Champaign Public Library catalog, or The Urbana Free Library catalog, and you can see stuff at both libraries. 

This is an awesome thing, but it’s also something to watch out for, because you might head to Champaign thinking book two of your favorite series is over there, only to find that the book you were looking at was actually over at Urbana. Here’s how you should use our catalog if you know the name of the item of you are looking for: 

  1. Search for your item on either website. If you don’t know the exact title (but you remember most of it or think you do), I recommend confirming the name first by searching on DuckDuckGo, and then putting that into the library’s catalog search to find the item (book or movie or CD, etc.).

Champaign Public Library’s catalog site looks like this:

The Urbana Free Library’s catalog looks like this: 

  1. Click on the result of the item you want and scroll down to the “Find it” section to see which libraries have the item. Note: Champaign Public Library also has two locations: Champaign Public Library and the Douglass Branch Library! 
  1. Pay attention to the “library” column on the left to see where the copy of the item is located. 
  2. You will notice in the center column is “shelf location”: that tells you what floor it is on and what section. If you can’t find it, that’s a good thing to tell the librarian, for example “it said ‘1st floor - new books’.” 
  3. Before you walk to the shelf to get the item, check the “status” column on the right to make sure that it says “In.” That means that it is currently in the library and you can check it out. If it says “on hold shelf” that means someone else already has it on hold. “Out” means it’s already checked out. 

What stuff can I check out? 

So now you know how to search for a particular item using the search bar, but what kinds of things can you check out? 

Below is not an exhaustive list of what is available in Champaign-Urbana through our libraries! There is even more that I didn’t have space to mention here, including digital resources I'll talk about in a future Gay’s Guide post.

Books

This is the one you probably know, but you may not know that the libraries have books you can check out in many different forms. They have them available in print of course, but you can also check out eBooks to read on a ereader like a Kindle, a smart phone, or on an iPad. You can also check out audiobooks and listen to them on your phone, which can be awesome for road trips or jobs where you can listen while you work. They also have audiobooks on CD if you prefer that format. 

Champaign Public Library even has Kindles for checkout that come pre-loaded with eBooks of a certain genre or theme, like new releases, or book club picks.

Movies

Plan a fun movie night at home with DVDs from the library available for checkout, or stream a movie using Hoopla or Kanopy, both of which are available to Urbana and Champaign cardholders. 

CDs

If your car still has a CD player, take advantage of the library’s CDs! 

Technology

Our libraries have technology available for checkout. Technology at each library varies and it usually needs to be checked out through your home library. 

Champaign Public Library offers Chromebooks and iPads with data plans, as well as hotspots for checkout to adult CPL cardholders. The Urbana Free Library also offers Chromebooks and hotspots. 

This technology tends to be on a waitlist so call ahead and get on the holds list for it. You will need a library card to do this. If you don’t have a library card, you can always use the computers in the library! 

Library of Things

On the subject of technology, did you know that The Urbana Free Library has an amazing Library of Things with tons of items for you to check out? The Productivity Collection includes cool technology like a metal detector and photo digitizer. They also have a Crafts Collection which includes sewing machines and even a lap loom, a Music Equipment Collection with instruments for adults and kids, Board Games and more!

Stuff for kids

Finally I didn’t want to neglect to mention that both libraries have many extra resources available for checkout for kids! Usually I am shy about approaching a desk, but I really recommend approaching the children’s desks at our libraries if you want a better sense of what they have available. You can let them know more about your child’s age, interests and needs, and get matched with the best resources. The  libraries in CU have so much available to get kids excited about reading and learning! 

Coming up, our next Gay’s Guide will explain how you can use library resources to help with your journey to get a job!