There are numerous ways to compile reading and movie lists, but Aspen provides a convenient solution where you can view your list and order items all on one page. Want a list of dinosaur books for a future classroom unit? Done! Want a list of your favorite authors books? Done! It's time to learn how to create lists in Aspen and explore the possibilities. It is not too difficult, I promise! Let's learn how to create a list, reasons you would want to create a list, where to find your list after creation, and how to share it with your friends/students/even your enemies!
How to Create a List in Aspen
Making lists in Aspen is quite simple! First, log in to Aspen through the library website. For detailed instructions on logging in and using Aspen, check out this earlier blog Unlocking the Power of Aspen.
After logging in, it's time to add items to a list. In this example, I want to include the book The Green Mile by Stephen King in my new "Stephen King!" list.
I will use the search bar to locate the item I need. Once I find the right book, I'll click the "Add to List" button located after the book's description, highlighted here in red.
Aspen will now ask me to select a list to add this item to. I have the option to use the "Choose a List" dropdown menu to pick an existing list, or I can click the "Create a New List" button, highlighted in red. Since I haven't created my Stephen King list yet, I'll click the "Create a New List" button.
Aspen will now display a new popup window titled "Create New List." In this popup, I can name my new list, add a description, and choose to make my list public by using the access toggle. When you create a list, the access will always be set to Private unless you change it here. We will explore this access setting further in just a bit.
I have decided to name my new board "Stephen King!" I could include any description I want, but for now, this will simply be a list for my favorite author's books, so I won't add a description at this moment.
After finishing, I'll click the "Create List" button located in the lower right corner of the popup window. A new popup window will appear confirming "Added Successfully."
Why should I create a list? The reasons are endless!
Here are some suggestions to help you begin!
For my own personal use:
I might use lists to track my favorite authors.
Catch up on a book series that I haven't finished because I was called away to another book.
I might organize my TBR list by genre so when that historical fiction itch hits, I have plenty of options.
Perhaps I want to create seasonal lists to easily find my next spooky book or horror movie, or a Christmas romance or Hallmark film when the season arrives.
Or maybe I have created a list of all my favorite gardening resources! It's a collection of all the books I frequently consult for research, conveniently located in one place for easy access and ordering!
As a parent:
I can create lists for different topics that are important to me. For instance, I might create a potty training list with board books to read to my toddler. I could gather books about death and dying for when a loved one passes away. I wish I had been aware of all the different books that explain and help children understand how to deal with all of their emotions when my kids were younger!
I had a child who found math challenging, so perhaps I could compile a list of math resources for them.
Both of my children were avid readers, and I struggled to keep them supplied with books! I could make a TBR list for each of them to simplify finding new books and ordering them in.
For our teacher/homeschool friends:
Create lists for any subjects you need to study in class, whether it's a unit on Dinosaurs, World War II, Outer Space, or independent reading in your Sci-Fi class. You can make a list for each topic! Plus, you can reuse the lists each year and add to them as needed. Additionally, we'll soon discuss how you can share these lists with your students!
Where Can I Find My Lists?
Once my list is created, I can easily access it by clicking on my name above the search bar. My login name, R.DEAVERS, is highlighted with the first red circle. Clicking on it opens a drop-down menu with various options. About halfway down the menu, you'll find the "Your Lists" link. Before selecting that, I'd like to mention the "Reading History" link. If you've allowed the library to save your reading history, you can click here to check if you've read an item before. Keep in mind that your reading history is only accurate from the time you consented to have it recorded.
After clicking on the "Your Lists" link, I can begin exploring my lists. I'm going to select list the third list to access my TBR List (To Be Read List) so I can order a new book because I really NEED one! Here, you can see that my TBR List contains 14 titles—if only that number were actually so small! Additionally, I can view when I created the list and when I last updated it.
Once I'm in my TBR list, I can browse through it to choose my next read. From this list, I can do several things. If I decide to read The Resort by Sarah Goodwin next, I can see from this screen that the book is available in three formats: regular print, downloadable audiobook on hoopla, and e-book on hoopla. At the bottom, there's also a brief summary of the book in case I've forgotten what it's about since adding it to my list—entirely possible!
I've decided to get this book from our library, but unfortunately, it's currently checked out. I can place a hold on it by clicking the "Place Hold" button, which I plan to do. While waiting for the physical copy, I'll check out the e-book version on hoopla by clicking the "Check Out hoopla" button. This way, I have a version to read until I receive the physical copy. If it were summer, I would download the audiobook on hoopla to listen while gardening.
How Can I Share My List?
With my list now created, I want to share it with a few people. To do this, I need to make sure my list is set to "Public". First, I'll open the "My Favorites" list and find the blue "Edit" button circled here in red. This will open all the details related to the "My Favorites" list. Here, I can change the title, add a description, and switch the access from "Private" to "Public".
With my list set to "Public," I can select the URL at the top of the screen (highlighted here in blue with the red arrow pointing to it), right-click, and copy the "My Favorite list" link to my clipboard. If I wish to share it with my best friends, book club, English class, or even my enemies (hey, they need reading recommendations too!), I can simply paste that link into an email or text message.
That's a wrap! As always, if you have any questions about using Aspen or any of our Library eResources, staff members are always here and more than willing to help!
By the way, I did catch that I have a few items overdue... even staff members are guilty! I returned the items I was done with and I renewed the rest straight from the Share Mobile App on my phone! To learn more about the Share Mobile App check out the Share Mobile App page on our website!
Until Next Time Library Friends!
The Vespasian Warner Library is located at 310 N. Quincy St in Clinton, IL 61727
Contact us by phone, 217-935-5174, by email library@vwarner.org, or drop in and say hello!