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 going on 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...