Archive | December, 2020

What All the Hoopla was about for our Patrons in 2020

30 Dec

Twenty-twenty has been an interesting year to say the least.  Our staff has recommended a variety of resources to help get through what was a tough time for most of us.  I wanted to end the year and take a look back at what our patrons have been enjoying during this unprecedented time by looking at the top check outs we have had in Hoopla. They included everything from a bestselling thriller The Last Flight to classics like Little Women.

Top ebooks for Adults
We ran a short story book discussion of stories from Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman throughout the early months of the pandemic on Discord.  We appreciated everyone who joined us for some great conversation and helped make the ebook the most checked out of 2020. 

Also popular this year with our patrons was The Alice Network, Keeper of Lost Things, and The Last Flight. 

The most popular digital audiobook was Unfu*k Yourself.

Top Children’s Books
When during the previous election our library held a Kid’s Pick for Story Book Characters for President there was no controversy, Pete the Cat won by a landslide.  And kids clearly would reelect him again this year, since the most popular kid’s book from Hoopla for 2020 was Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly and James Dean. 

Also popular were Dragons Love Tacos, How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow, Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

Popular books for teens included Monday’s Not Coming, Little Women, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Hunger Games.

Popular Television Shows
Mystery series are always an enjoyable distraction from what is going on in the world and in 2020 they saw lots of viewership. The most popular this year for patrons and also a staff favorite was Death in Paradise with the most popular episode being Season 1 Episode 6.  Also popular with our mystery loving fans were Mr. Mercedes, Queens of Mystery, My Life is Murder, and Agatha Raisin.

Kids enjoyed lots of cartoons including The Amazing World of Gumball, The Loud House, Bubble Guppies, and We Bare Bears.

Popular Movies
Popular movies tended to be comedies and romances this year.  The hilarious, What We Do in the Shadows, a mockumentary about vampire roommates took top spot. 

Other popular films were Love on the Rise, Sliding Doors, and The Joy Luck Club.

We hope in 2021 you continue to enjoy a variety of ebooks and streaming media from Hoopla and our other great eresources; our virtual library is there for you 24/7.  Happy New Year from all of our staff; we hope it will be a better one for you all!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Head of Information and Digital Services

Tags: ,

Looking for a New Hobby for the New Year?: Birdwatching

23 Dec

The pandemic has changed us in a lot of ways. Some of us have become aware of the things we took for granted, some of us have experienced a great shift in our priorities, many of us have gone through great grief and anxiety. This period has been very unsettling for me, but one positive thing it brought me has been a new appreciation for nature. 

When we began quarantining way back in March, I began paying more attention to what was out my window. I noticed birds that I had never seen before. Where had they come from? How come I had never noticed them before? Suddenly, I found myself interested in birdwatching. 

When you get a new hobby, you often get obsessed with finding new information on the subject, and the library has a ton of resources for this pursuit in particular! 

On Kanopy, Birders: The Central Park Effect is a great look into activity of birdwatching. Kanopy also has a very informative series entitled The National Geographic Guide to Birding in North America, which is part of The Great Courses. This means you won’t spend any credits watching videos from this series! 

The Bird Watching Answer Book, available on eBCCLS, is a great resource if you’re starting out with backyard birds and feeders. Then, hop onto Hoopla for an enormous variety of resources! A few titles you can check out from Hoopla include The Birds of New Jersey, The Warbler Guide, Birdsong for the Seasons, Identifying Birds of Prey, and that’s just the beginning of it! The Hoboken Library also carries the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, which is a wonderfully illustrated and enlightening field guide. 

Birding has really helped me get my mind off of these stressful times and it has made me feel more connected to our planet than ever before. If you want to give it a try, a lack of resources is no excuse. The library’s got you covered! 

Written by:
Sam Evaristo
Circulation Assistant, Grand Street Branch

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries