The Hidden Resource:
You may be familiar with many of the materials that you have access to at our library, such as books, CD's, audio-books, magazines, and DVDs. But are you familiar with the array of resources that are available electronically? Do you know what an electronic resource is? For those of you who are willing to take a journey into the vast world of electronic resources, this blog series is for you.
Chilton Library - How to find it
Car maintenance is a subject that all reference librarians get asked about. Often people are looking for the Chilton repair manuals which can range from easy-to-carry paperback manuals, to huge textbooks that are as heavy as boulders. These books are most often not in stock for patrons who are looking for them and need them for immediate checkout. But reference librarians also know of the wonderful Chilton Library database, which is available through our LiLI database access. One of the things I like the most about this database is that you do not need a library card to access it, you just need to know where to find it! Begin by typing lili.org into your search engine. You will be able to access the entire collection of databases that LiLI houses. Since we are just looking at one resource, you will click on "Chilton Library," which shows up under "Most Popular Databases." You will be prompted to enter your zip code and city, then directed to the Chilton Library home screen.
Maintenance and Repairs
The home screen shows a menu ribbon along the top and a vehicle selector on the left side. On the right side of the screen, it shows some information about Chilton Library's most popular features. For maintenance and repair, we will be using the vehicle selector on the left side of the screen. To bring up details on any car, select the year, make, and model from the drop down menu that appears under each section. One you pick out your car details, you can choose from repair, maintenance, labor estimating, or bulletins/recalls. There are so many items available for you to explore about your vehicle, whether you are looking for diagrams, or maintenance schedules, or parts that you need to repair broken sections. The bulletins and recalls section is helpful and shows the date that the bulletin was posted, the details for the models affected, and the different ways you can diagnose your vehicle for various issues.
ASE Test Prep
For those who are preparing to take the Automotive Service Excellence Test and would like to utilize online practice exams, Chilton Library has these available. There are 13 practice tests available, and they are all multiple choice practice tests. You can choose an answer option on the left side of the quiz and when you are finished, you can check your answers or reset the quiz. The online practice tests mimic real testing, providing "only a high level assessment of overall readiness to pass an ASE certification exam," according to the instructions. You can repeat the tests as many times as needed, and then move on to the next area when you are ready.
Help? User Guide
While this blog to the database is a brief introduction, and highlights only the more basic functions available, there is a more extensive help option to refer to. Under the menu ribbon in Chilton Library, there is a "Help" tab, and when you click on it, there is a more extensive user guide available. One of the best ways to get more familiar with any website or online database is to practice using it yourself, so have fun exploring and understanding the different functions each time you use it! I love to go in and do research on my own vehicles, especially exploring the pages that pertain to maintenance schedules. Often at the library we have mechanics or patrons who are working on their own vehicle maintenance. They come in looking for books on their vehicles and we refer them to this online database, showing them how to use the basic functions of the site!
Need Help?
Not everyone is comfortable or familiar with online databases, and that's where your local librarians can help. Come in and use our computers or WiFi, and if you get stuck or need help getting started, you can ask the reference librarian and we can assist. Or, if you think you will need more uninterrupted, one-on-one help, then book a tech tutor appointment, and we can work with you individually. We like to encourage as much learning and hands-on experience as possible, so come with your notes, prepare to take more notes, and we can guide you through it so you can feel comfortable working on your own!
If you'd like to learn how to use Chilton Library on your own, check out this tutorial on Niche Academy.
Up Next: Niche Academy
Niche Academy is a wonderful instructional tool available on our library website. Here you can learn how to do a variety of things, such as how to use Pinterest and how to navigate through Windows! Stay tuned for an overview of this helpful section on our website!