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!
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
Call Number: F Han
Tells the story of a friendship between two women while powerfully reckoning with a hidden chapter in Korean history…
Call Number: HM 851 .B75 2024
How did we become a world where facts - shared truths - have lost their power to hold us together as a community, as a country, globally? How have we allowed the proliferation of alternative facts, hoaxes, even conspiracy theories, to destroy our trust in institutions, leaders, and legitimate experts…
Call Number: LC 212.2 .E95 2025
Why don't our schools work? Ewing tackles this question from a new angle- what if they're actually doing what they were built to do? She argues that instead of being the great equalizer, America's classrooms were designed to do the opposite - to maintain our inequalities…
E-Books & Audiobooks in Dogwood Digital
Atomic Anna by
Dogwood Digital: Audiobook
In 1986, nuclear scientist Anna Berkova is asleep in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl's reactor melts down. The energy surge accidentally sends her through time…
In 1986, nuclear scientist Anna Berkova is asleep in her bed in the Soviet Union when Chernobyl's reactor melts down. The energy surge accidentally sends her through time…
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by
Dogwood Digital: eBook & Audiobook
In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths…
In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths…
Want more? Titles new and old are constantly being added to Dogwood Digital by community college libraries all over the state. Learn how to access Dogwood Digital.
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!
You can now view entire issues with images of the The Atlantic Monthly online through the Library's subscription to Flipster. It includes full issues from May 2014 to the present.
View digitized versions of select magazines: Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, Entrepreneur, Popular Mechanics, and Consumer Reports.
Need help using Flipster? Take a look at our Flipster explainer page.
POP-UP Library
The PCC POP-UP Library for the Early College High School is held on Thursdays during lunch in the Multipurpose Room. This is an opportunity for students to visit with a PCC librarian, request, renew, or check-out library books, and get research help. Of course ECHS students can get help anytime by visiting the Library's ASK US page or by coming to the Library in person.
When the librarian comes over, they will have a selection of books available for check-out, but you can request specific books be brought over. Complete the POP UP form and let us know what you need!
The Films on Demand database includes some titles produced by UNC TV.
To find them . . .
- Go to the Films on Demand database via PCC Library's databases page. Log in with your myPittCC credentials.
- From the Films on Demand homepage, click Advanced Search.
- Under Select Type of Content, use the drop down menu to select Custom Videos.
- In the Choose Filters section, use the Producers drop down menu to select UNC TV.
- Click the Search button.
PCC instructors can now provide easier online access to high school, continuing education, or other types of students in their areas needing to study and prepare for things like the GED, TEAS, HiSET, ACCUPLACER, EMT, CDL, ASVAB, CLEP, ACT, SAT, NCLEX-RN . . . and so many more.
The Library can provide you with a custom link (or set of links) that you can pass along to your students, leading them to the exact tutorial, practice test, etc. that you want them to complete with fewer steps.
For example . . .
Students in a Pharmacy Technician class through Con Ed, can be sent a custom link (or set of links) from their instructor that allows them to directly access very specific modules. The student clicks the link and is taken directly to the login page for a specific practice test, tutorial, learning center, etc.
How is this better?
The custom links remove the extra steps of having to click the database link, login through the proxy via myPittCC (or with a generic proxy username/password), then spend time searching the database and sifting through the various results to find the exact test or tutorial that they need.
Why create an account?
Personal accounts make it so you can save your progress and return to finish later. The first step is to click "Sign In or Register to Begin." To create an account, enter a valid e-mail address and create a password. A student ID and course number are NOT required and the e-mail does not have to be one from PCC. Next time, just sign in and pick up where you left off.
Try it! 
Here are just a few examples of custom links that do not require you to login via the usual Library Online Database Access page, so that you can see how it works.
- ExCPT Practice Test 2
- Cosmetology Practice Exam 1
- TEAS Mathematics Practice Test 1
- Skeletal System Game
- Career Prep Center: Build Workplace Skills
- Core English Skills Center
There are literally thousands of individual tests, tutorials, study materials, and learning centers for which we can provide custom links. To see what's available, click the PrepSTEP link below, and when prompted, login to myPittCC. Create your own personal account to take tests, access tutorials, etc.
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.
What's next?
We can create the links for you, or we can show you how to do it on your own. Contact Angela Davis (asdavis688@my.pittcc.edu) to get started.
Here's quick run-down of what's new in the Library for April 2024. For all the details, visit our What's New page.
Children's Books Online
The Comics Plus database now includes a huge collection of children's picture books. Topics include weather, using American Sign Language, diverse families, healthy lifestyles, manners, fiction, colors, cultural holidays, shapes, history, science, and much more.
NOTE: This database includes resources for all age levels, from Pre-K through adult.
New Print Books
Many new books have come in through our leased book program through McNaughton. They are currently on display on the 1st floor across from the Circulation Desk. Come check these out before they disappear. From romance to biography, there's a little bit of everything included in this latest haul.
Flipster Digital Magazines
You can literally flip through the pages (online) of the latest issues of National Geographic, Entrepreneur, Popular Mechanics, and Consumer Reports.
Artificial Intelligence: AI
AI ChatGPT, OpenAI, GPT-4...and the list goes on. What's all of this stuff anyway, and how can you learn more about it? That's easy! Visit our new Artificial Intelligence research guide and you'll find more than you ever wanted to know.
Dogwood Digital Library
This resource is shared among many NC Community College libraries across the state and new e-books and audiobooks are constantly being added. Learn more about Dogwood Digital and how you can access this growing collection of fiction (and even some nonfiction!) titles. Additionally, you'll find a growing number of comics, graphic novels, and manga as well.
Library Catalog: Evergreen
We have changed over to an entirely new library system called Evergreen.
What does this mean for you?
- An updated look and more robust search features when searching for items located at PCC Library.
You may not even notice a difference, but just in case you do, the images below provide some guidance. You will find Library Catalog search boxes in all of the usual places and they function very similarly to what you are already used to. Enter a keyword or phrase, then click the Search button. If you find something you are interested in viewing, click the title.
The title page will show you more details about the book along with the call number, shelving location, and status. If the status is "available" then the book should be on the shelf. As always, a library staff member will be happy to help you locate items in the Library.
Learn how to . . .
- Place holds within the new catalog
- Renew your checked-out items
- To log in to the Library Catalog, you will need your PCC ID number and the last four digits of the phone number you used when setting up your library account. If you don't know this, or need to update your information, contact the Circulation Desk at (252) 493-7350 or pittlrc@email.pittcc.edu. If you don't have a library account, you complete the form online to start the process.
New Login System for Library Databases
What does this mean for you?
- A newly designed login screen when attempting to access Library databases.
- You will be prompted to login with your myPittCC credentials whether you are on campus or not. If you are already logged into the campus portal, you will not have to re-enter your credentials.
- A slight change in how you log in to databases from off campus. You will use your entire myPittCC e-mail address as your username and your same myPittCC password.
- If you experience any interruption in service, please Ask a Librarian for assistance.
- Instructors! Please take a look at how to update database links in your online courses so that student access is not delayed. We can help you with this! Contact Angela Davis at asdavis688@my.pittcc.edu
AI tools are not library databases. AI tools lack the curated precision of traditional databases but can provide quick answers and facilitate exploratory research. Some AI tools can assist in locating sources, but library databases remain the most reliable repositories of authoritative and scholarly information. A number of AI tools are paired with databases, or there are other forms of overlap, so it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms and content available through a tool or database. To ensure you are using the right tools and resources, ask a librarian.
Databases
Databases, such as library catalogs and scholarly databases provided by EBSCO, ProQuest, and Gale, are structured collections of information designed for precise retrieval and accountability. They are built with indexing, categorization, and metadata to ensure that users can locate specific resources, such as peer-reviewed articles, books, or data sets. Their reliability stems from the curation of content by experts and the use of standardized search mechanisms. Database users benefit from gaining specific knowledge of search techniques, such as Boolean logic and subject headings, which can be supported by consultations with librarians.
AI Tools
AI tools, such as natural language processing models and machine learning algorithms, are dynamic systems designed for a multitude of purposes. For the tools designed to locate sources of information, their methods for locating those materials or ensuring quality may not be readily transparent. Their strength lies in their adaptability and power to interpret natural language, making them accessible to users without specialized search expertise. However, most AI tools cannot guarantee the accuracy or source of their output.
AI Tools Integrated into Databases
Several library databases are now incorporating AI tools, which essentially act as a research companion with AI-powered suggestions and insights. They enhance the user experience by combining the precision of traditional database systems with the dynamic capabilities of artificial intelligence. Their services range and may include:
Examples include:
Learn more about AI by exploring these research guides: Artificial Intelligence and Student Guide to Generative AI
Attribution: The content used in this post is from Artificial Intelligence: AI Tools vs. Databases and has been used with permission from Mary Rubin, Lily Dubach, and Lauren Kehoe, librarians at UCF Libraries. It has been modified to incorporate information specific to Pitt Community College.