In recent years public libraries have adapted and expanded rapidly to meet the changing needs of their communities. One of the ways we do this is by offering books and other resources through our websites.

With your Northampton Area Public Library card you have access to eBooks, audiobooks, interactive storybooks, online classes, health information, resume help and even car repair instructions, all free of charge.

One of the newest additions to our online resources is the Tumblebook Library, a collection of chapter books, animated picture books, puzzles and games to help children learn. BookFlix, which is similar, pairs classic video storybooks with nonfiction eBooks to reinforce reading skills. It is accessible to early readers, reluctant readers and English language learners. BookFlix is part of a larger statewide database called Power Library. (Pennsylvania Online World of Electronic Resources).

Power Library includes full-text magazine and journal articles, newspapers, a major encyclopedia, plus photographs, pictures, charts, maps and reference material for people of all ages. A complete list with descriptions can be found on our website's home page. You'll also find links to the World Book and Physician's Desk Reference databases.

Some of the most popular Power Library resources are Auto Repair Reference Center, Associated Press Images and the Health & Wellness Resource Center.

Within the Auto Repair Reference Center you can search by year, make and model to find everything you need to fix your car.

AP Images contains photographs, audio files and graphics. It includes more than 1 million current and historical photos, with photographs of the latest news as it happens.

The consumer health resource provides information on a full range of health-related issues, from current disease and disorder information to coverage of alternative and complementary medical practices.

Other databases provide access to thousands of news and educational sources. EBSCOhost and OmniFile are great for articles from magazines and journals, and InfoTrac Newsstand has articles from more than 1,100 newspapers. SIRS Discoverer is a general reference database for beginning learners and reluctant readers with articles and images from more than 2,100 newspapers, magazines and government documents, along with more than 9,000 educational weblinks. SIRS includes Science Fair Explorer to help students find exciting science fair project topics and quickly connect to age-appropriate project guides.

For those looking for even deeper knowledge, we also provide online courses through Universal Class. More than 500 courses are available for free. These are non-credit courses and are provided for your personal enrichment. Subjects include science, math, history, office skills, parenting, computers, hobbies, pet care, cooking and many more.

You can enroll in up to five courses at one time and you have up to six months to finish each. You can access your course anytime on the Internet and attend class and do assignments on your schedule. Each course has an instructor with whom you can communicate using email. This is a great way to explore new skills on your own terms.

If you'd like to use your skills to find employment we provide a link to Job Gateway, the state's premier job-matching tool. When you are ready to apply, use Cypress Resume to create professional resumes in minutes. There is no need to compose anything, simply type in basic information about yourself and the task of writing concise, descriptive statements is done for you. You can also prepare custom cover letters for free online – or come in and we will help you get started.

Looking for a good book? We also provide free audio and eBooks through the Valley Downloadable Library at http:// valley.lib.overdrive.com. These books work with the Kindle, Nook, iPad and many more devices. Check books out at your convenience from home. If you need some help getting started we have staff members available by phone or in person to answer all your questions.

All of this is available right now. Go to our website at www.northamptonapl.org and get started. If you would like help using these resources come to the library or call us at 610-262-7537. There's "always something new" at the Northampton Area Public Library, online and on Laubach Avenue!