PCC Library Blog

The library is pleased to announce the addition of Saddleback Educational Publishing's Illustrated Classics! These captivating graphic novels bring timeless stories to life with vibrant illustrations and accessible storytelling. This series is perfect for English Language Learners and Emerging Readers. At just 64 pages, they are designed for quick, enjoyable reading, while still featuring key phrases and memorable quotations from the original classics. Currently, there are 25 titles to choose from, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Treasure Island, and The Three Musketeers. Check one out today; you can find them on the YA shelf near the Graphic Novels.

Twice a year, Films on Demand (library database) removes titles that have been discontinued. Titles are removed because producers have lost rights to distribute a title or have found the material to be out of date. 

ATTENTION INSTRUCTORS! If you have links to any Films on Demand content in your Moodle course(s), please check the list below to see if your film has been discontinued. Titles will be removed from the collection on or about June 30, 2025. The library has no way of knowing who has linked to films, so it is up to you to check its status.

• Discontinued Films Report [Excel File]

If you have any questions, or you find that a video you use has been discontinued, but you still want to use it, please contact Leigh Russell, Library Director (lmrussell086@my.pittcc.edu) or Angela Davis, Librarian (asdavis688@my.pittcc.edu). We will help you figure out if the film is available from an altnerate source or help you find a possible replacement. 

NOTE: The Films on Demand database is provided by NC LIVE. It is not a product purchased by PCC Library.

There are so many new books and magazines to choose from right now! We have a fresh batch of print books that have just hit the shelves along with several new additions to Flipster (TIME, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, etc.). Not to mention that Dogwood Digital is constantly growing with new fiction, non-fiction, comics, graphic novels, and even test prep and study guides. 

The only problem is that there aren't but so many hours in a day. Head on over to our What's New guide to get all the details.

Happy Reading!

May the 4th Be with You! 

To our Star Wars fans, we wish you a happy Star Wars day (May 4th). The ComicsPlus database includes many Star Wars stories both new and old. 

Speaking of things that are new… see What's New at the library for May!

The Pitt County Schools Early College High School Battle of the Books (HBOB) team is building quite the legacy. Each year, these very busy students somehow find the time to read multiple books in order to compete against the the other high schools across Pitt County. It's like trivia, but all the questions come from a list of 16 books! Students must be familiar with the books and have the titles and authors memorized. This year's team came in third place. This was no easy task, and we are very proud of their hard work and dedication! Reading for the next competition (that takes place each spring) begins as soon as the previous competition is done. You can visit our HBOB page for the current reading list. Keep up the good work! Go Wolves!

The ECHS 2024-2025 HBOB team placed 3rd in competition on March 31st, 2025, at South Central HS. Pictured are Brianna Barnes, Austin Ju, Phoenyx Leaks, Gabriela Washington, Anna Cauthon, Celia Bansah, Jamaria Barrow, Victoria Wright, and Amanda Diaz. Coaches (not pictured) were Evan Schmoll (PCC Library), Natasha Martin (ECHS), and Angela Davis (PCC Library). 

PubMed is a free web-based interface for searching MEDLINE, which is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) premier bibliographic database that contains millions of references to journal articles in life sciences, with a concentration on biomedicine.

• PubMed searches across several resources: MEDLINE, PubMed Central (PMC), and Bookshelf.
• You can go directly to PubMed online, find it on our database list, and on some of our research guides. 
• If an article is not available in fulltext from PubMed, PCC Library may have the article in one of our databases, or you can request an article through our interlibrary loan service.

Check out these PubMed tutorials…

• PubMed Online Training
• User Guide
• NLM PubMed Tutorials (YouTube Playlist) 

Did you know…?

You can see all of PCC library’s health resources on one page. Need help searching? Ask us!

You have access to many online practice tests and study guides to help you prepare for allied health and nursing exams.

PrepSTEP*

You can access both LearningExpress Library and PrepSTEP College from the same interface. 

There are study guides and practice tests for:

• ATI TEAS
• Nursing: NCLEX-RN, Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide Certification, NCLEX-PN, etc.
• Dental Assisting
• Medical Assistant Certification
• Occupational Therapy Assistant Certification (COTA)
• Radiologic Technologist Certification
• Respiratory Therapist Certification (TMC)
• Surgical Technologist Certification
• EMT Certification
• Paramedic Certification (NRP)

If you need to brush up on basic math and reading skills, basic computer skills, workplace skills, and more, PrepSTEP and LearningExpress Library have got you covered! 

*Online Access: PCC students and staff should use their myPittCC login credentials. Community library card holders can get a username/password from a librarian. 

 

How to Access PrepSTEP

PrepSTEP

Provides access to both LearningExpress and PrepSTEP. Includes practice for the TEAS test, ACT, SAT, NCLEX-RN, licensing exams, developmental math and reading skills, basic computer skills, workplace skills, and more. Getting to PrepSTEP content . . .

1. From the LearningExpress Library homepage, click the menu icon (which they call Product Launcher). 
2. Click PrepSTEP College.
3. If the page is stuck on “Loading,” try refreshing the page or clearing the browser cache. 

 

Below are just a few of the new things that are now available. Check out our What's New guide for more details on what is new for Spring 2025!

Print Books

Welcome back from the holiday break! We have a few new things to share . . .

• There are new print graphic novels, YA fiction, and nonfiction books about A.I., as well as many new additions to Dogwood Digital, ComicsPlus, and Flipster.
• An additional large study room is now available for booking on the 2nd floor (Room 214).
• The VR room has been relocated to 219.
• NC LIVE has provided access to a new database that provides primary sources related to the Indigenous Peoples of North America.

Get the details on our What's New for January 2025 page.

New Collection Development Librarian! 

• Evan Schmoll is not new to us, but her role in the Library has changed! She is now in charge of acquiring and cataloging new materials for the Library. She will still be your primary contact person for setting up Library instruction (for now). Please congratulate Evan on her new role!

Update: PCC Library DOES NOT CURRENTLY have a print subscription to The Chronicle of Higher Education (as of November 2024). 

Access Online via Library Databases

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) and Opposing Viewpoints (Gale) include access to full-text articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education between 1999, and the present. However, there is a publisher imposed 30-day embargo on adding full text to these databases, so you will not be able to access the most recent issues.

Use Academic Search Complete

Quick Link: Go directly to the Academic Search Complete Chronicle of Higher Ed. Publication page (view by year, volume, issue, etc.).

Step-by-step instructions for getting to the publication page:

• Go to the PCC Library homepage (opens in a new window).
• Click Databases.
• Click the letter "A" then choose Academic Search Complete. You will be prompted to login with your myPittCC username and password.
• Once the database is open, click Publications in the top navigation bar.

• Skip the top search box on the next page. Look for the text box in the Publications section.
• Type Chronicle of Higher Education in the search box.
• If not already selected, click the radial button next to Alphabetical. 
• Click Browse.

• Click the link for Chronicle of Higher Education. 

• From this next page, you can choose to view articles by year, issue, etc. 
• There is also a Search within this Publication link that will allow you to search by keyword.
• The Full Text section lets you know what dates are available as full text and whether or not there are any publisher embargoes.

Use Opposing Viewpoints

Quick Link: Go directly to the Opposing Viewpoints Chronicle of Higher Education Publication Page (view by year, volume, issue, etc.).

Step-by-step instructions for getting to the publication page:

• Go to the PCC Library homepage (opens in a new window).
• Click Databases.
• Click the letter "O" then choose Opposing Viewpoints. You will be prompted to enter your myPittCC username and password.
• Click Advanced Search.
• Click Publication Search.
• In the search box, start typing: The Chronicle of Higher Education. Click the title when you see it appear in the drop-down menu, or continue typing the complete title in the Publication Search box.
• Click Search.

• Click the link for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Click the drop-down menu to view issues from a particular year.
• Use the Search Within Publication box to search for articles on a topic.

If you can't find the article that you need, or you are having trouble navigating the database, please do not hesitate to ask a librarian.