Getting into the Holiday Groove!

If you're like me, you'll be doing all of your holiday shopping online this year. But how to replicate that once a year experience of hearing nothing but Christmas music everywhere you go?

The library has you covered with Freegal and Hoopla!


Freegal allows each card holder five downloads a week of DRM free MP3s. Classics as well as new popular hits are available here. From the solemn to the outright raunchy, you will find something for everyone. My personal favorite for an adults only party is A Very Big Freedia Christmazz, but if you want to go a more "traditional" route, Freegal also has jazz (Christmas Dream by Aaron Bing is lovely), country (White Christmas Blue by Loretta Lynn), and even children's music. The best part about Freegal is that you get to keep these MP3s for as long as you'd like. There are no "check outs," just your 5 weekly credits!

New for patrons this year is Hoopla, with its massive collection of Christmas music and movies. While you don't get to keep the movies and music you borrow from Hoopla, you also never have to worry about late fees. Just check out and download the music to your device, and it's yours for 7 days. If you love an album so much, you want to hear it all season long, you can check it out again with another one of your free monthly credits. With Hoopla, you will never have to wait for an item to become available and you will never have a late fee!

Finding Your Veteran Ancestors with Fold3

100 years ago today, World War I officially ended. Since 1926, the United States has celebrated this day as Veterans Day, a day to honor those who served in the United States military. Service in the military has touched the lives of millions of families and has left a significant paper trail extremely useful to those researching their ancestors. 



Fold3 Library Edition by Ancestry provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. This continually-growing collection contains millions of records from world-class archives.




Click here to watch the video Finding Your Military Veterans on Fold3 to learn more about searching Fold3's archive, including looking for enlistment records, casualty records, and draft cards. This video explores not only how to find these resources in Fold3, but also how to use them to further your genealogical research. 

Creativebug is LIVE!

Creativebug is LIVE!

The newest addition to the many resources that Terrebonne Parish Library offers its patrons is FREE, unrestricted access to the Creativebug streaming service.

 Including over 1000 classes on subjects such as art, sewing, baking, quilting, and much more, Creativebug classes are taught by professional instructors and artists.

Lessons contain lists of all the materials you will need to complete your project, a section for chatting with the instructor and other participants, and often contain the pattern for your project (yes, even sewing patterns!).

How to Set Up Your Creativebug Account

1. Visit creativebug.com/lib/mytpl
2. Enter your library card number and PIN

(Your PIN is your six digit date of birth. Ex: 010186 for January 01, 1986)

3. Create an account with your first name, last name, email address, and password.  

4. You are finished! You will now only need your email address and password to log in to Creativebug.

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What's All the Hoopla About Hoopla?

You may have heard a funny new word floating around at your library. It's been a whole lot of "Hoopla" here and there at our branches, and for good reason! 

Our newest option for ebooks, audio books, comics, TV, music, and movies is Hoopla Digital. Hoopla allows streaming as well as downloads via their app. A very convenient Roku app makes viewing Hoopla content on your TV a breeze. 

Here's the most important info you need to know about Hoopla: 

How Do I Get a Hoopla Account? 
Simply visit MyTPL.org and click on the large "Hoopla" banner. You will be brought to a page where you can go through a one time account creation process. Thereafter, when you visit Hoopla through the library's homepage or your app, you will be able to sign in with your user name (email address) and password and you won't need to remember your library card number.

How Many Items Can I Check Out? 
You can check out an unlimited number of items at a time, but you are limited to five total items for the month.


How Long Can I Have Them Checked Out? 
TV/Movies: 3 days
Ebooks/Audiobooks/Comics: 21 days
Music: 7 days

Will I Be Charged a Late Fee, or, Can I Renew My Items? 
There are NO late fees and NO renewals on Hoopla. However, items are available to multiple users at a time, so there are NO wait lists! If you aren't done with your item, feel free to check it out again. It will cost one of your monthly download credits. 



Do I Get to Keep the Music/Movie/TV Show/Book?
No, these are just borrowed items, and they will no longer work once your loan period expires. 

Remember, if you have any more questions about Hoopla or any of our library's services, never hesitate to call us at (985) 876-5861, extension 2.

Relive the '90s with Salem History Digital Reference

Remember the 90s? 

You may, or may not, remember the 1990s. You may have been too young, or too busy, to realize what was going on around you. In those ten years, America changed drastically, and you may have missed a few things. If you'd like a refresher (or an introduction) to the politics, entertainment, and cultural movements of that last decade of the 20th century, Salem History has a resource that will provide just that.

In The Nineties in America, you can read about Beanie Babies, The Spice Girls, and Garth Brooks, but you can also read about the Lorena Bobbitt case, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and drug use. The entire three volume set is available for perusal in person at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library, and is available digitally 24/7, at your fingerprints in the Salem History database on MyTPL.org. With over 600 articles and 1,300 pages of content, including photos, illustrations, and graphs, this is a fantastic resource for research as well as casual interest reading.

Gale Legal Forms: Free Legal Forms for Louisiana

 Since Louisiana still uses the Napoleonic Code to inform its legal proceedings, Louisiana law is unique in the United States. Are you looking for a legal form, specifically one that is appropriate to Louisiana law? Though the library can't offer legal advice (we are librarians, not lawyers!), we can offer you the forms for free. 

Gale Legal Forms Library is a database from US Legal Forms. Categories of legal forms available include the following: 

Don't know where to look? A search function makes finding the correct form less intimidating. Sample searches are provided to get you started. In addition to forms, a limited amount of legal information is provided in the "Legal Q&A" section.

Do you need legal advice or free legal aid? Another site you may consider is LouisianaLawHelp.org. A project of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, the website provides links to free legal help for low income residents as well as current legal information from law professionals. Though this site is not sponsored by or related to the library, it is a fantastic resource and a great place to start before heading to Gale Legal Forms Library to find the appropriate legal form for your situation. 

ASVAB Prep @ MyTPL.org

Looking forward to a career in the military? The ASVAB test may be a major factor in determining your future. Terrebonne Parish Library has several always available resources to help you prepare. In our Gale Virtual Reference Library database, you will find 46 practice tests, ebooks, and subject reviews available 24/7 with no checkout required. All you will need is an active Terrebonne Parish library card. 

Highlight, save, and make notes in this virtual textbook. You can even print out or email pages for offline review. 

Another database, Learning Express Library, houses additional e-texts and practice tests. Four full books and 9 practice tests are available free of charge, 24/7, with no checkout required. Just create a free account with your Terrebonne Parish library card, and your work will be saved as you progress through the ebooks and tests. 

Mind Your Business @ the Library

Working for yourself is the dream for many, but it is a long, hard road to get your own small business of the ground and to keep things running smoothly. As you may be aware, a business owner never has a day off. It can be a struggle just to find accurate information on the process of becoming a business owner, insuring your business, and hiring and managing your employees. But, as always, your Terrebonne Parish Library has you covered!

In the "business" section of our "databases by name" page at MyTPL.org, you will find a handful of tools which will help you at every step along the way, from writing your business plan to maintaining your corporate records. One of the easiest to use is the Small Business Reference Center, hosted by EBSCO. 

Featuring tutorials, videos, documents, and full text ebooks from NOLO, a leading publisher of legal books for the lay person, almost any question you have regarding the process of building and maintaining your business can be answered with the materials available in this database. A state specific "start up information" page of the database provides vital statistical information by state, such as demographic data, fastest growing cities, and licenses/permits; all information that you will need to plan and execute your professional vision. 

There are no holds or requests necessary. All of the books are available 24/7 to multiple users. You can even save and print PDFs from the database and the ebooks in it. And of course, it is all free, funded by your Terrebonne Parish Library. 

Looking Back with America's Historical Newspapers

Newspapers may be considered passé in today's society, often just an annoyance to be thrown immediately into the recycling bin or saved up for lining the table at your next crawfish boil. But in times past, they were an essential way of learning what was happening in your community, around the country, and around the world. If it was important, it was in the paper. And now, newspapers from the past are an essential tool in learning about what shaped the lives of those who came before us. 

Here at Terrebonne Parish Library, we are fans of the printed word. We subscribe to various papers in print, including The Advocate, The Times Picayune, The Houma Courier, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and several more local and national publications. But these are sources for learning about what is happening now. Where should you look for historical newspapers? 

Terrebonne Parish Library subscribes to two databases which are extremely useful for historical research: America's Historical Newspapers and Newspaper Source. Both are available for free, 24/7, at mytpl.org/reference. All you need is your active Terrebonne Parish library card. 

 America's Historical Newspapers has a very simple search functions, so if you are looking for a specific topic, you can type in a word in the text box, just like you would in Google. From there, you can narrow down your results with several filters such as dates, newspaper titles, and location. 

You can also choose to get more specific results by using the "advanced search" function at the beginning of your search to find combinations of words. This is helpful when you are searching for a topic that is very specific. 

For example, I did a search for "Terrebonne Parish" and "yellow fever," which yielded only three results; However, these results were extremely relevant to my search. 

Viewing the newspapers inside of America's Historical Newspapers is even easier than reading them in print. Your search terms will be highlighted in your results. You can zoom in and out on the tiny font, making it much easier to read than regular print. You can also download your results to a PDF and email it or print it out, so keeping track of your research is easy. 

EBSCO's Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full text for more than 40 U.S. & international newspapers. The database also contains selective full text for 389 regional United States newspapers. In addition to newspapers, this source contains the full text of television and radio news transcripts from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, NPR, and more. Use EBSCO's multiple search filters to find the content you want quickly and easily.

 Both of these databases provide a wealth of information to researchers, both professional and amateur. If you would like help learning to use databases, consider attending a class with Reference Department staff, or as a librarian for a demonstration. We are always happy to help someone discover the past with our fantastic historical resources! 

American Presidents in Salem Online

Curious about the lives of the United States presidents? Wondering what their greatest accomplishments were, and their biggest pitfalls? Perhaps you just want to reminisce about your favorite past commander in chief. Salem History, an ebook collection  by Salem Press and provided for you by Terrebonne Parish Library, is available to you 24/7 in its entirety.


























Each article provides extensive information about all 43 past American Presidents, including a list of their cabinet members, their vital statistics, and lengthy narratives about their lives before the presidency, their accomplishments and major decisions during their term(s), images, suggested reading, and more. Every entry also includes a link to help you cite the article, email, or print it. If you are writing about the presidents, or just curious, this is an invaluable resource for students and enthusiasts alike.

Juneteeth Resources

June 19th, or "Juneteenth," is the largest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. However, it is not nearly as well known or widely celebrated as other holidays. If you would like to  learn more about the history of the holiday, and about African American history in general, the Terrebonne Parish Library has a plethora of free resources available at your fingertips, 24/7.

A great place to begin is with the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL). To access GVRL from our website, select "Research" then "Databases by Name" and scroll down to the "G's." Withing GVRL, you will find titles such as the American Civil War Reference Library, a collection featuring five volumes of Civil War history. 

Also in GVRL, The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture has a fantastic article on African American food traditions that features a sidebar on Juneteenth, explaining its cultural significance in the African American community:

Works such as The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, and Gale Encyclopedia of Multi-Cultural America, all available in full online through Gale Virtual Reference Library, feature significant information on African American culture, history, and traditions from various sources. 

Gale Virtual Reference Library is available for free, 24/7, to anyone with an active Terrebonne Parish Library Card. No check outs are required; simply log on from MyTPL.org and enjoy unlimited access to these titles and dozens more.