Local library programs - free! :)

[Tradd]

The fall brochure for my local library came today, and I finally looked very closely at the programs. I just signed up for a bunch - several are lectures on some local history stuff.

But the best part are the FREE computer classes! My Excel skills are a bit beyond basic, but I wanted to know more, especially since if I switch jobs, I'll need more than what I've got. Whatever I know has been picked up on the job. Each class is 90 minutes. The basic one covers formulas and charts, the advanced class gets more complicated.

There's a basic PowerPoint class, too. I've never used PP before at all.

There's a Saturday morning resume workshop, also free, where the workshop presenter will do a one-on-one review of your resume and how to improve it.

What does your library offer?

[Miss Cellane]

Wow, that's great.

My library doesn't offer any classes at all. There's a lecture series, and a family-friendly classical concert series, and a local singer/musician/storyteller series, and a family-friendly movie series. Most of those are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. And of course, there's a ton of stuff for children--summer reading clubs and story hours and the like.

I wish they did offer some classes. Any computer courses around here are at the community college and cost a couple of hundred dollars each.

[iris lilies]

Wow, that's great.

My library doesn't offer any classes at all. There's a lecture series, and a family-friendly classical concert series, and a local singer/musician/storyteller series, and a family-friendly movie series. Most of those are sponsored by the Friends of the Library. And of course, there's a ton of stuff for children--summer reading clubs and story hours and the like.

I wish they did offer some classes. Any computer courses around here are at the community college and cost a couple of hundred dollars each.

You all in New Hampshire do not believe in taxation. I am of two minds about that--I need a basic public library of 100,000 items. Even in this day of electronic media, I need 100,000 volumes to scan. To peruse the shelves. I need to touch and feel 100,000 volumes.Yes, I use the word "need" even though I will not actually touch 90% of the volumes.

Yet, DH and I are talking about moving to New Hampshire. Only Manchester would meet my criteria of 100,000 volumes in one place.

So I need to carefully think about this, and I really do not want to live away from a city of size, anyways.

...and on topic, I don't need the public library to show me computer skills but it's great that it has those classes. My library offers tons of things through Lynda.com and it's great.

[try2bfrugal]

We have free passes for many of the local attractions. In the last year we went to an art museum, a science museum, garden, zoo, air craft carrier and more all with the library passes. It was one our best frugal finds.

We also borrow books and DVDs. They have audio books but not too much of a selection. I buy a lot of used books at their fund raising sales.

I need to check into the in person and Lynda.com classes and see what they have.

[Miss Cellane]

You all in New Hampshire do not believe in taxation. I am of two minds about that--I need a basic public library of 100,000 items. Even in this day of electronic media, I need 100,000 volumes to scan. To peruse the shelves. I need to touch and feel 100,000 volumes.Yes, I use the word "need" even though I will not actually touch 90% of the volumes.

Yet, DH and I are talking about moving to New Hampshire. Only Manchester would meet my criteria of 100,000 volumes in one place.

So I need to carefully think about this, and I really do not want to live away from a city of size, anyways.

...and on topic, I don't need the public library to show me computer skills but it's great that it has those classes. My library offers tons of things through Lynda.com and it's great.

Well, we do have taxes. There's the property tax, which I believe is one of the highest in the country. And the "sin" taxes--restaurant meals, tobacco and alcohol. We just don't have an income tax or sales tax. Yet.

Part of it is just the lower population and fewer large cities and towns. For comparison, the state of NH has roughly twice the population as the city of Boston. The greater Boston area has roughly 7 times the population of NH. No matter what the taxes, if you are collecting them from fewer people, there's less money.

My city is in the top 10 population-wise in NH and it has less than 30,000 people.

Fortunately for me, the library may be small, but they do interlibrary loans cheerfully. And they do have museum passes--I'd forgotten about those.

But what I really want to know is how you can find out how many volumes a library has? My library's website doesn't seem to have that info.

[iris lilies]

...But what I really want to know is how you can find out how many volumes a library has? My library's website doesn't seem to have that info.

I guessed, based on population size of cities. Manchester is very likely to have more than 100,000 volumes. Other, smaller cities in NH are very likely to have less than 100,000. It's the population cut. I've been studying population size of NH towns.

Past experience has shown me that cities of population 50,000 with well funded libraries have 100,000+ volumes. I lived in 3 college towns in a row with pop 50,000. College towns like their libraries.

There is a library directory that lists this kind of thing but it's not available on the web that I can find, it's one of those secret sources only librarians can access.

[KayLR]

Our library system offers some computer classes, but they're all during the day---doesn't help me much.

They have alot of stuff for kids--after school Lego clubs, etc. They also have some Spanish language conversation groups which I've been tempted to attend to try and brush up.

One thing they have on Wednesdays at lunch time which I think is pretty neat is a story time for adults. They have a staff person who reads short stories aloud and you can sit there and eat your lunch while listening. They're really fun! It's fun being read to.

[razz]

IL, what I am hearing is that the # of actual books is decreasing as the increase in audiobooks and ebooks take their place. The number of titles will stay the same. I may not agree with it but that is the future, I am told.

I just checked with my library after a friend told me that the branch is offering MS courses this summer only. I need to learn a lot more about MS Excel and got the last opening before the summer program stops. Usually, it is only info on ebooks that is offered.

[Tussiemussies]

After reading this thread I decided to see what my library has available. Some nice knitting groups for different levels of expertise. They also have a group that either knits or crochets for charity. Lots of wonderful children's programs too. Glad you reminded me to check my library. Thanks...

[SteveinMN]

There's a lot (http://www.sppl.org/events-and-classes) going on (http://www.sppl.org/services) at our libraries, though with a city population around 200,000, one would expect that. In looking at the list, I was not aware there was homework help or notary services available at our libraries...

[chrissieq]

My neighborhood library has programs through the county system - master gardeners, world music, programs about world history - but specific to our site, we have once a month Lego Saturday where the head librarian has brought in her son's massive collection and kids can build for hours! We have a read to a dog day once a month where trained dogs and their owners volunteer for a few hours on a Saturday to have kids read to the dogs. We have a poetry slam once a year. We have a valentine making party each February where families make a valentine for someone in the care center down the street and then make as many as they want for family and friends. There is a library sponsored book group that meets at a near by park. Like most libraries, there is once a week story times - 2 different based on age range. There is always a puzzle on a table by the computers so those waiting for their turn can help complete the puzzle.

[AmeliaJane]

Per the library-size issue--it seems like a lot of libraries now are part of county or regional systems where you can borrow throughout the system. So when I lived in PA, the library I used was very tiny, but I could borrow through the extensive county network which was well over 100K volumes. So I would make sure to check that statistic.

In my current city, it really depends on the branch. Some branches have four book groups, some have none. There is an extensive series of computer classes and plenty of story hours, summer reading programs for kids, etc. Part of the problem is that although the system has come back partially from cutbacks, the hours are still not as extensive as some places I have lived. Most branches only are open one evening a week, and although most of the Saturday hours are back, only the biggest downtown branch is open Sunday (which is not a neighborhood where people go on the weekends, so I don't get it). Overall, it limits the hours of programs for working people.

[Miss Cellane]

I guessed, based on population size of cities. Manchester is very likely to have more than 100,000 volumes. Other, smaller cities in NH are very likely to have less than 100,000. It's the population cut. I've been studying population size of NH towns.

Past experience has shown me that cities of population 50,000 with well funded libraries have 100,000+ volumes. I lived in 3 college towns in a row with pop 50,000. College towns like their libraries.

There is a library directory that lists this kind of thing but it's not available on the web that I can find, it's one of those secret sources only librarians can access.

Iris Lily, I found this website: http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/lds/public_library_stats.html

If you check tab 16, which is Chart 17, of 2012 Selected Data Comparison Tables, you will find the holdings count for most of the public libraries in NH.

My town doesn't quite make your cut, with just over 90,000 volumes, but there are six cities which do. In addition, if you live in Durham, Lee or Madbury, you can use the UNH library for free. All other state residents must pay $60 a year to check out books (you can go and read to your heart's content in the building for free). Keene also has enough books in their public library to make the cut, and residents can also use the Keene State College Library.

[iris lilies]

Iris Lily, I found this website: http://www.nh.gov/nhsl/lds/public_library_stats.html

If you check tab 16, which is Chart 17, of 2012 Selected Data Comparison Tables, you will find the holdings count for most of the public libraries in NH.

My town doesn't quite make your cut, with just over 90,000 volumes, but there are six cities which do. In addition, if you live in Durham, Lee or Madbury, you can use the UNH library for free. All other state residents must pay $60 a year to check out books (you can go and read to your heart's content in the building for free). Keene also has enough books in their public library to make the cut, and residents can also use the Keene State College Library.

Then there are several towns I could move to in NH!

[artist]

You all in New Hampshire do not believe in taxation. I am of two minds about that--I need a basic public library of 100,000 items. Even in this day of electronic media, I need 100,000 volumes to scan. To peruse the shelves. I need to touch and feel 100,000 volumes.Yes, I use the word "need" even though I will not actually touch 90% of the volumes.

Yet, DH and I are talking about moving to New Hampshire. Only Manchester would meet my criteria of 100,000 volumes in one place.

So I need to carefully think about this, and I really do not want to live away from a city of size, anyways.

...and on topic, I don't need the public library to show me computer skills but it's great that it has those classes. My library offers tons of things through Lynda.com and it's great.

I'm also in NH... Nashua. Our library has overed a lot over the years. Computer classes, resume building, networking, knitting classes, chess club meetings, movie nights (adult) movie night (kids), concerts in the summer (the jazz concert the other night was wonderful), book clubs, museum passes, an decent art and media center and they have a section for hanging local art.