Music, Mercy, Magic, and More at Ruidoso Public Library this December

Sharon, Corey, and the Friends of the Library have organized quite a slate of festivities for December.

Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, December 10, at noon, ENMU's Choir shares carols.  Then, Wednesday, December 11, at 1:30 pm, Jamie O'Hara presents a magic show for all ages.  Next, on Thursday, December 12, at 4pm, enjoy more music on French horn, when Sharon and three friends fill the library with corno carols.  We wrap up this week on Friday, December 13 (oooooo!) at noon, with Lou Ann Ellison as she sings carols with her piano.

Photo at Jamie's site

The "mercy" in this post's title is very important.  December is Book Amnesty at Ruidoso Public Library.  What is Amnesty?  In our case, it means we are forgiving overdue fines on long lost books *when* you return them in good condition at Ruidoso Public Library this month.  Please tell your friends.  Maybe they have not been to the library in years because they lost a book once and could not pay off the item to clear the library card and account.  Hopefully, the book has turned up, in which case, bring it to the library and and we can probably waive the charges.

Sharon offers prizes to promote the Mango Language learning program.  Log on with your library card, learn a seasonal greeting, then visit the library.  When you greet any librarian by saying that phrase, you may enter your name for a chance at a prize.  You may only enter once per day and you will need your library card number to help us update your phone number, in case you win!

More in store next week, too!  Check the calendar, What's Happening, or this blog next week.

Map your favorite book!

Image from Lucius Beebe Memorial Library on flickr

Have you read a book and wondered what the location really looked like?  In my case, I did not read Tony Hillerman's Jim Chee mysteries until after I had lived south of Gallup and Grants for several months and moved away from the state for a couple of years.  Yet I found having the personal knowledge of the towns, distances, and local quirks contributed depth to my appreciation of the novels.
In my mother's case, when she read Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch books, she wondered how many places were based on a real place.  As luck would have it, another fan of the books shared that thought and made a Google map to answer.

If connecting a story to real places catches your fancy, you might also be interested in the Placing Literature project here: http://placingliterature.wordpress.com/page/2/ .  This project focuses on books set in Duluth, New Haven, and San Francisco (see their site for the reading list).

If you are interested in following walks through well-known towns and titles, Ruidoso Public Library has three: one for Santa Fe, another for Dickensian London, and one on Hemingway's Paris.

Armchair travel connects exotic locales and literature without leaving the comfort of home (or the public computers at the library!).  I found a Google map of St. Petersburg, Russia, including photos of locations from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment (available online to read or listen to).  Comment below, email the library, or call us if you would like to find a map connecting a specific author, book, or city through literature.

Opportunity to learn your iPad or earn your GED at ENMU

Coda Omness of ENMU-Ruidoso will teach a class, "Navigating the iPad" from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on October 22.  You must bring your iPad and sign up in advance.  Call ENMU-Ruidoso at 575-257-2120 or visit them (the same parking lot as Lawrence Bros. Supermarket) to reserve your seat.  Many visitors at the library ask for this type of instruction, so I am happy to let you know this class has arrived!  Learn the basic settings, some apps, and how to explore your device.  There is a $35 fee, though it is only $29 for Lifetime Learning Academy (students over 55 years).

To learn about other pending community or continuing education classes, visit their online Fall Schedule at http://issuu.com/enmuruidoso/docs/fall_2013 .

FinishTheGED.com

The GED® Test is modernizing.  As of January 2014, the exams will be computer-only.  Cera (at New Mexico Workforce Connections, 575-258-1730) organizes the classes to prepare you for these exams.  The GED® training occurs at different times of day, depending on what works for your schedule or how well you can discipline yourself to work independently.  During the next few months you may still prepare for some of the topics with printed materials available at Ruidoso Public Library, or online, including a tutorial on what computer skills you may wish to practice before the test day.  FinishtheGED.com explains many details.  The Prepare tab on this page includes the computer skills tutorial and sample questions.  This video below (also available here) explains how the calculator has been built into the computer test.

If you need a little more convincing (or more information to share with someone looking into GED® credentials, the following are straight from the horse's mouth.

Attention GED® test-takers: Increase your chance of success. Adults who take the GED® test on computer are finishing faster and scoring higher. People say that testing on computer is “easier,” “less stressful,” and “simple.” Try the GED® test on computer risk free—we’re so confident you’ll like it that if you don’t pass your first test, you’ll get a free voucher for the next one.

Visit GEDtestingservice.com/riskfreeGED to see if you qualify.

 Learn More:

• • Free Test on Computer Tutorial: Preview how the GED® test on computer works right now. You can click through questions and practice using the system.
  • Locate Nearest Test on Computer Site: Like the GED® test on computer? Find the site nearest you by selecting the “Test on Computer” box and entering your zip code in our online locator tool.
  • Register and Schedule Online: With testing on computer, you can get your GED®test scheduled today with our easy-to-use online system. Get started today!

Your future is calling. With the GED® test, you can answer the call!

If you’ve already started the GED® test, you’re almost there. The current version of the GED® test is expiring at the end of 2013 and your scores will expire too if you don’t finish and pass the test by then. If you act soon, you won’t have to re-take the parts of the test you’ve already passed.

Don’t feel prepared to finish the GED® test? Don’t worry—we can help! Even with your busy schedule, you can prepare, plan, and succeed.  The GED®  test and preparation materials are also available in Spanish.

Passing the GED® test is a key to opening doors to college, a better job, and the respect you deserve. Don’t miss this chance to turn one small step into your next big opportunity! Finish your GED® test by the end of 2013 and earn your high school credential.

Free audiobooks this summer!

I hope you recall SYNC from last summer.  If it is new to you, here is a great opportunity to catch up on classics and current titles. I'd love to hear your experiences from the last two summers in the comments below.

As you may have experienced while downloading audiobooks from the library, you usually have only two weeks to listen to it.  The SYNC summer titles are different.  The publishers are giving away open copies.  The hitch is: you can only download that week's title during that week.

Luckily, you can receive a text message (SMS) reminder on your phone to know when each new title becomes available.  Last year I programmed reminders in my email calendar.  This year, I may try the texts.

Last year, I really enjoyed The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud, read by Simon Jones, and Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, read by Khristine Hvam.

Here's the schedule for this summer, beginning May 30 [which means you still have a day or two to catch the first titles!].

You will need the Overdrive software or app to play the audiobooks.  You may want to download them on a computer in case you want to listen to several of them (again!) later.

Remember, ebooks count for summer reading at Ruidoso Public Library.  Comment below or on this blog's Summer Reading Program page to tell Cheryl and Kari Dawn which books you downloaded to read or listen to.  If you are under 13, ask your parent or guardian to help with an email address.

Languages: Now available at Ruidoso Public Library

Ruidoso Public Library’s latest offering is Mango Languages.  This is a fun, flash-card way to learn languages.  The graphics are flashy and sharp.  There are men and women speaking each word, phrase, or sentence.  You can repeat each card, lesson, or section as often as you wish.

These have been a hot topic at the library this winter and spring.  Biblical Hebrew is popular with theology students.  Kids can learn how fun languages a”RRRRR”e in the Pirate section.  Try out a section before your next trip.  You may learn the basics (hello, goodbye, thank you) or jump to sections on restaurants or directions.

Mango Languages are on the library’s webpage.  Look for the bright green banner (seen above).  A duplicate link is available from the e-branch tab.  Use your library card number to log in from home or your smart phone or tablet.  

This is the complete listing of languages on offer:

Arabic (Egyptian, Levantine, or MSA)

Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin)

French or French (Canadian)

Greek (modern, Ancient, or Koine)

Hebrew or Biblical Hebrew

Spanish (Latin America or Spain)

German

Croatian

Czech

Danish

Dari

Dutch

Farsi (Persian)

Finnish

Haitian Creole

Hawaiian

Hindi

Icelandic

Indonesian

Irish

Italian

Japanese

Korean

Latin

Norwegian

Pashto

Pirate

Polish

Portuguese (Brazil)

Romanian

Russian

Slovak

Swahili

Swedish

Tagalog

Tamil

Thai

Turkish

Ukrainian

Urdu

Vietnamese

English as a Foreign Language is available for speakers of:

Spanish

Russian

French

German

Arabic

Polish

Italian

Greek

Brazilian Portuguese

Vietnamese

Turkish

Korean

Cantonese

Mandarin

Japanese

Jennifer wants you to know: "If you are an advanced speaker, I recommend the lessons on learning English.  I spent a happy hour digging through the meaty sentences explaining to Russians how Americans expect small talk about the weather.  I may try the Ancient Greek sometime—I have a poster from Homer’s Odyssey I hope to read."  

Mango Languages are very convenient.  You are not stuck in front of a computer.  Apple and Android apps are available.  Language, like math, benefits most from doing a little bit every day.  Continue a lesson during lunch, review phrases while waiting in line, or use it as a trivia game while you await your order at restaurant.  This video demonstrates:

help your student write with these handy guides

Recently, a friend described her daughter's writing assignment at school.  This mom was at a loss for how to help with the research and writing, without taking over the assignment, from the student or the teacher.  Luckily, several options are available through Ruidoso Public Library.

If you have time to stop by, we have books (!) not just on content, but on the writing and research process, though these are often grade-level specific, especially for upper grades.

If you, like most parents I meet at the library, are down to the last weekend before you hear there is any paper at all, no fear.  While we do close at 4pm on Fridays and 2 pm on Saturdays (and Children's closes 30 minutes earlier), we have several resources available 24/7 via internet and your library card number.

Where to begin? Research, as I am learning at school myself, is a conversation. As students, we are late to the party and have to catch up by reading.  After some general reading, pick a few topics of interest and look for them.  Remember to try synonyms to find more references.  After more reading, begin to think about what you have read. Most important of all, ask questions about who wrote the information (and whose voice is not yet heard), question whether that information fits with what you know, and then look for information to answer your questions.

Depending on the teacher and assignment, writing about the whole process (and what you learned to try instead next time) is a great step in learning.  Even if it is the last weekend, there is time to look, read, rest and think, and repeat on Saturday and Sunday.

You are not alone, either.  If the links below fail, find the Magazines or Opposing Viewpoints links from the homepage's e-branch tab (and Children's page, too!).  Inside Junior Edition, Kids Edition, Student Edition, or Kids Infobits (depending on your student's age/level), look for Teacher Toolbox.  Luckily, they all have the same feature.  The Toolbox page offers several lessons and links to handouts you may print out.  For example:

How to Make a Concept Web
How to Write a Topic Sentence
Make an Outline
Cite a Source
Build an Argument
Write a Conclusion
How to Judge Information (encyclopedia v. magazine v. web)


 

If in Opposing Viewpoints, find Resources, in the black bar.  Scroll to the bottom for Students: Tools for Getting Started and Wrapping Up.

Preservation Week @ Your Library

The fourth annual Preservation Week (April 21-27, 2013) happens across the country at academic, public and special libraries. Activities include lectures, presentations, demonstrations and workshops, as well as three free Preservation Week-sponsored webinars.

New for Preservation Week 2013: a preservation advice column – Dear Donia.  What “Dear Abby” was to personal relationships, Dear Donia will be for all your preservation conundrums!  

How do I store my grandfather’s letters home from the front?  

What should I do to preserve my family color snapshots that are fading? 

How can I preserve my child’s baby quilt made by her great-grandmother?  

To launch the column on Friday, April 26  at 11 am EST, Donia Conn will host a one hour live chat  to help answer your preservation questions.  In the meantime, feel free to send Donia questions via the Preservation Week’s Facebook page.

If you are interested in quick tips to get started with your own heirlooms, start here. If videos are are in order, several are available here, from cockroach invasions to water damage.

Recognizing the critical role libraries play in preservation, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) in partnership with the Library of Congress and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is proud to bring Preservation Week to libraries across the country. This national awareness campaign was developed to promote the understanding and importance of care for personal and community cultural heritage collections, such as books, documents, photographs, textiles, paintings, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts.  ALCTS is a division of the American Library Association.

Also in Universal Class:Education (GED or Home schooling)

Remember Daylight Savings Time begins next Sunday, March 10.  The clocks "spring" forward one hour.


  
Images from Universal Class

While the name Universal Class tries to express itself fully, today's blogpost digs into the school-age focused options, simply to clarify.  Some of the courses are designed to involve both parents and children or teachers and students, rather than ask kids to enroll and work online directly.  Some courses are targeted at older students or non-traditional students approaching the GED from many different levels of experience.

You are welcome to try any class; age is no object.  Whether your interest or need is for science, mathematics, grammar, history, or another language, I hope you find something useful.  This is not the complete list, by far; peruse other options here.

ABCs of Algebra
Algebra 101
Basic Math 101
ABCs of Geometry

ABCs of English Grammar
English Composition
Basic Research Skills
Essay Writing 101

ABCs of Physics
Biology 101
Astronomy 101
Chemistry 101

Geography 101
American Civil War 101
American Revolutionary War 101
American Government
American History Review
Ancient Civilizations 101
Economics 101
Economics 201

Computer Basics 101

ESL Basic Grammar
ESL Basic Writing Skills

First Grade Curriculum 101
Second Grade Curriculum 101
Third Grade Curriculum 101

GED Test Preparation

More in Universal Class: Health

Maybe you visited the Village's health fair last month?  The library had a table loaded with flyers and posters and bookmarks on the different ways the library can help you understand and explore health issues.  If you didn't, this blogpost is an excellent alternative because much of the same material is below.  As a library, we are not health experts and cannot advise.  We can connect you with the county health office [575-258-3252], the state's nursing hotline [ 1(877) 725-2552], or other reliable sources of information.  As with legal questions, please visit us at the library and let us know if you would like a little more privacy (such as the Archive Room) to ask your questions, or reach out to us through email.

Outside of the articles, nursing specific, and direct-from-the-government's National Institute of Health tutorials, videos, FAQs, and guides, the library provides you access to classes to explore health topics, too.  As mentioned in earlier posts, these classes are free to you, start whenever you are ready, and go as fast or slow as you need.  There may be videos to watch or text to read online (or print and keep for later reference).  The instructor may suggest other sites for further exploration and assignments to help you apply the new knowledge.

This is a list of the more health-focused courses among the 500 available.  Each is a link to open the course (you will need your library barcode number and your email to create an account in order to start).

Yoga 101

Weight Training 101

Weight Loss Management 101

Anti Aging Techniques

Lifetime Wellness

Meditation 101: Learn How to Meditate

Natural Skin Care

Nutrition 101

Therapeutic Bathing 101

Wellness Coaching

Reiki 1st and 2nd Degree

Emotional Healing

Energy Healing

Healing Affirmations 101

Homeopathy 101

Chakra Clearing

Depression Management

Aromatherapy 101

Stress Management 101

Do you ask the BIG questions? Plus some timely announcements at the bottom

[Edit note: class links below are now correct and lead to Ruidoso Public Library's subscription so you may take the classes on us.]

© Nevit Dilmen [CC-BY-SA-3.0  or GFDL ], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are interested in exploring questions of a religious or philosophical nature, the library is a great place to start.  Beyond the books or DVDs we can loan you, we have several self-paced online courses, free for you to fit into your schedule, 24/7. Whether your preference is New Age or Biblical, experiential or logical, there's at least one course that might interest you.

By Charles Dana Gibson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

As with the business courses, there is an entry class on how to take online courses for novices which teaches you about email, adding an attachment, commenting on another's post, etc.  You may have several friends to share with and might want to request the conference room at the library to watch, learn, and discuss the materials together.  If so, please email, call, or stop in at your convenience; we'd love to hear from you.  Sharon and Jennifer have tried some of these online classes, if you want to talk about specific features of the process or material.

Here's the long list of possible topics:

World Religions 101

Islam 101: An Introduction

Judaism 101: An Introduction

Buddhism 101

Christianity 101: An Introduction

Bible Stories

Angel Healing

Angels 101: History, Religion, Spiritualism and You

Wicca 101

Tarot Cards 101

Magick Basics

Numerology 101

Working with Your Animal Allies, Teachers and Totems

Chakras 101

Cosmology 101

Crystal Therapy

Reiki 2nd Degree

Reiki Essentials

Reiki Attunements

Reiki Hand Placements

Spiritual Counseling 101

Haunted Places 101

Metaphysics 101

Philosophy 101           

Astrology 101

Auras: Viewing, Identifying, and Understanding

Become a Reiki Master

Chakra Clearing

Chakra Meditation 101

P.S. If you heard about the JAVA update that led to a security problem January 12, some updates are available.  For directions on how to uninstall older versions of JAVA and where to install the current patch (JAVA 7 update 11)

P.P.S. If you missed the movie, Forks Over Knives, last Tuesday, you can still catch the flick (online at hulu for free or by checking out the DVD at the library) and read some analysis of the science here.

P.P.S. The library is closed today, Monday, January 21.  We will open tomorrow at 9 am.

Do you run a business? Or think about it?

[Edit note: on January 30, 2013, I edited all the class links in the bottom list to open inside the Ruidoso Public Library's subscription so you can get the free access with your library card number now. My apologies.]

Ruidoso Public Library is full of resources specifically selected for a community like Ruidoso or Lincoln County, where new businesses, small business, home-based or online businesses are the heart of our economy.  Whether you are an employee, the manager, or an owner, the library has *Free* classes that you can take at your convenience.  The next several posts will explore different sets of courses, including health, homeschooling or GED preparation, New Age/Spiritual/Religious Studies, Writing, Law/Legal, and many different hobbies.  Over 500 courses are available, and I won't describe them all, but if something takes your fancy, feel free to stop by the library for assistance, if the links don't work, or to let us know about a subject that is missing.

Before I list courses, I will try to explain how this works.  The library subscribes to Universal Class so you may log in with your library card number, for free, anytime, day or night, any day of the week.  If you have not done much online, one of the first things to do is learn how to take an online class.  These courses have videos to watch and listen to, or just read the text articles/lectures.  Each section may take from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on how new the material is for you, and how many of the supplemental links you explore.  There are assignments, quizzes, and exams, which are graded.  At the end, there is a document you may print or email as proof of the time you spent.

What does this mean for you?  As an employee, it might help you feel more confident making phone calls or facing difficult customer situations.  As a manager, assigning a course might help you provide employee development or address a specific safety concern.  Maybe you are desperate for a pay raise, but need some strong evidence to prove how you are applying yourself in ways to help the company.  These courses require the self-discipline to apply yourself, but you can do all the segments at once, or spread out over days and weeks (up to six months).  Outside of your time, they are free.  And if you don't have the home computer/internet thing yet, you are welcome to use the public stations at the library.  This is a slow time of year and we can help you get started on the computers, though you do need an email address to create your Universal Class account.  If enough people comment below, or call the library, I can look into a class on creating your first email account, too.




For employees looking to improve their resumé or support a request for an increase in pay:
Interview Skills
Customer Service
Personal Protective Equipment
Work Place Safety
Waiter or Waitress Training
Telephone Skills and Quality Customer Service

For managers' skill sets:
Payroll Fundamentals
Marketing for Small Business
Employment Law Fundamentals
Personal Protective Equipment
Work Place Safety
Worker's Compensation
Understanding Business Administration 101

For business starters/owners:
Small Business Guide
Pet Sitting
Home Business Guide
Daycare
Start a Concierge Service

Of interest to all types:
Sexual Harrassment Compliance
Bookkeeping and Accounting for all
Accounts Payable Management
Accounts Receivable Management
Anger Management
Assertiveness Training
Confidence Building
Negotiation Skills
Dealing with Difficult People
Retail Business 101
Creating an Effective Sales Team

More from the library's homepage

Special seasonal note: The library director, Corey Bard, welcomes you to donate canned items for Lincoln County's Food Bank.

Ruidoso Public Library's homepage is the place to start if you are wondering:

What is happening at the library?

The bar of tabs on the homepage

Near the top of the page, you will find a bar of tabs, similar to the tabbed, manila folders of filing cabinets and yesteryear.

The second tab, from the left, reads, "Calendar."  This tab will show you a calendar of events scheduled at the library.  Here you can find whose art is on display, when the program begins, and a short summary of what the event might include.

You can subscribe to updates about events and receive emails whenever an event is added or changed.

You can also scroll back in time to recall a past event or artist, too.

Another option for looking up current events at the library is the next tab, "Library News."  Clicking on the tab itself will open the library's blog, which you are reading here.  Moving the mouse over the tab without clicking will display a menu of options: Newsletter, blog, new titles, and What's Happening.

This is Sharon's forte.  Sharon Stewart builds the Newsletter each month, pulling together the times, places, and descriptions of events to give you fair warning for planning.  This is the same newsletter available to pick up, printed out, at the front desk, or you may already receive it from Sharon in an email.  If you would like to sign up with Sharon, her email is under the Contact Us tab.  Sharon used to build a spreadsheet of new titles each month, but our new online catalog does that with book covers, too!

Finally, Sharon creates the flyers announcing each individual event and saves them under the What's Happening menu option.  These are PDF files you are welcome to print yourself in case you know someone or someplace that might need a reminder or be interested in attending.

A re-introduction to our homepage's resources: the Reference tab

I've noticed myself blithely clicking through the library's homepage, hardly noticing what has changed.  As staff at the library, I ought to be acutely aware of the resources at hand.  So, to re-acquaint myself, I will take you, dear reader, with me on a trip through the library's homepage.

Libraries are all about order and sequence, but this time I will hop around the tabs instead of starting on the far left and working to the right.  Or maybe I just want to start with the Reference Tab.  Allons-y!

The bar of tabs on the homepage

When your mouse hovers on the Reference Tab, two options appear: Ancestry and ABE/ESL students.  The Ancestry option works inside the library building; it takes you to our subscription for Ancestry Library Edition, which is similar to Ancestry.com.  Look up a name, learn how to interview a relative to preserve family history, or connect with other potential family.

The ABE/ESL option stands for Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language.  This tab suggests some fee and a few free sites to support anyone preparing for the US Citizenship Exam, GED, or California's Distance Learning Project.

When you click on the Reference Tab, the screen displays a plethora of link options, in fact 23 groups! Here is a brief overview of the categories:

About Computers (how-to classes from the very basic to the mildly advanced)

Business & Finance (small business beginnings to stock market information)

Consumer Information (Ruidoso's Chamber of Commerce and links to the federal government)

Create Free e-mail (most of these sites require a cell phone with text-messaging to get started anymore)

Education (how to start homeschooling, find money for college, or create a citation for your paper)

Elections (see where your precinct is, where to vote, request an absentee ballot, read the League of Women Voters or Project Vote Smart's interviews with candidates, sample ballots when available)

Fast Facts (what you used to ask the librarian for: statistics, local facts, safety recalls, or almanacs)

Federal Student Aid (guides to the FAFSA--often required for students to work in college)

For Seniors (local health services, NM's Aging & Long-Term Services Dept, and Social Security info)

Health (Doctor Finder, travel updates, and scientific or medical journals)

Jobs (State and Federal job listings and help sites; information for career seekers/changers)

Language (quote dictionaries and dictionaries for all ages)

Legal Forms (Bankruptcy, divorce, contract examples, and basic assistance)

Lincoln County Libraries (find Capitan, Corona, ENMU, public schools, and digital libraries in the county)

New Mexico Facts (Cities, maps, tourism, genealogy and government links)

New Mexico Law Library (more forms, regional court specifics, statutes, and municipal codes)

New Mexico Links (MVD's driver's manual, oral history projects, and fun sites)

People (find people, phone numbers, businesses, or census data)

Reading Suggestions (social networks for book lovers, a database of all mystery books ever, find which book is next in a series, or find a suggestion to try next)

Research (encyclopedia, more genealogy, maps, other municipal codes)

Tax Help (state and federal websites and forms and how to file in other states)

Village Emergency (where to register your physical address with the village or county to hear about evacuations or frozen pipes on your cell phone while you are out of town)

Other (look up ZIP codes, the World Fact Book, and read about jobs and salaries in the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Dept of Labor)

Was that too much for one blog-post?  Probably.  If you find a broken link, please comment below or send an email to the library.  I check them every year, but that may not be often enough these days.

#8: What happened to Reference?

One library stand-by is The Reference Collection:
the maps,
encyclopedias,
NADA guides for car prices, and
almanacs.
Ruidoso Public Library still carries these.  Luckily many are available online 24/7.  Personally, I still like a printed atlas to identify a trip destination or plan the route and what side trips to include.  Then I can check Yahoo, Mapquest, or Google for the shortest route and turn by turn directions.  (Can you tell I don't have a GPS?)
Ruidoso's greatest need for maps was highlighted this summer during the Little Bear Fire.  For future, INCIweb has the latest news as a direct feed from the Incident Command Post.  The Southwest New Mexico Weather site also provided timely map resources.  If your computer can handle it, GoogleEarth (works on iPads, too) can open the maps and images as they are released by federal or state agencies.

Photo by Surya Prakash SA at Wikimedia Commons

We have several encyclopedias, most are subject specific (such as Native American Tribes, Music History, Popular Music, or Children/Students).  If (like most people) this is a last minute school assignment, these resources are online: GALE (many academic journals; use your library card number to access), Opposing Viewpoints (articles, books, and pictures about several angles of each topic; also requires card number), and   GVRL (a whole e-book-shelf of encyclopedias, from animals to environment to history).  These online resources are published by the same companies that make the print books, but for money-reasons put the materials online instead of printing them out anymore.  If your teacher said, "No online resources," please have him or her call me, Jennifer Stubbs, at the library (though if this is a last-minute assignment you may not have time to call?).

Are you looking to buy or sell a car?  We have the current issues of the NADA appraisal guides.  If you can't get here, Kelley's Blue Book Values and Edmund's have gone digital, too.

Finally, we have almanacs:
The Old Farmer's Almanac,
The World Almanac,
Time's Almanac, even
Llewellyn's.
Or if you need the 2am Sunday morning access, GALE (above) has The World Almanac and Book of Facts, though it may not be as easy to thumb-through. (That link may not work as GALE requires your card number to log in.)  The Old Farmer's Almanac is also available online, as is The Farmer's Almanac.

image at Wikimedia Commons

#5 Children's programming and materials

Cheryl's Teddy Graham Racers

Ruidoso Public Library is honored to have Cheryl Volosin as Youth Services Supervisor and Kari Dawn Kolander on our Children's Services Team.  This pair packs energy and enthusiasm into every activity, plan, and presentation.  Our Summer Reading Program is off and running with different themes for each week's activities.

click to view larger version of Summer Schedule

Cheryl and Kari Dawn are go-to gals for questions about how to incorporate more reading into your kid's, or kids', daily schedule.  We have audiobooks to help those not yet reading at their peers' level.  Listening to a book still adds new vocabulary--if you note it and practice the new word.  Audiobooks can really help with attention spans if the child can move around or play a little while listening; perhaps drawing a picture about that part of the story.  In a different side of attention spans, audiobooks can engage all the riders in a long car trip, whether discussing what just happened or guessing what comes next.  Audiobooks are also helpful for undiagnosed dyslexia as they keep literature fun and attainable while the system catches up. 

Our children's department has a growing graphic novel collection.  Graphic novels may contain as many words as early reading books and stretch the reader's visual literacy.  This means learning how to interpret a picture, especially to gain context from the background images and to interpolate events between frames.  I think of graphic novels as a gateway--to reading.  Our Kids' catalog is built upon the same principles: Scout displays images rather than words to help our youngest visitors find books of interest.

Ruidoso Public Library has resources for home schooling, too.  You and your student can access online, anytime, free classes from spelling to writing, science to math.  Khan Academy provides free tutoring recordings in maths, science, economics, and test preparation.  

Overdrive is now available; this means you can access, on your computer or download to many different devices and players, kids' ebooks and kids' e-audiobooks.  

I can't end this post without plugging our Pre-School Story Time, Wednesdays from 10:30 to 11:15.  Kari Dawn, Cheryl, and occasionally Jennifer, bring two or three picture books to life.  Each week has a theme followed by a similar craft project, geared toward 2-5 year olds.  Anyone with a pre-schooler, who can sit still for 15 minutes, is welcome.

#4: Electronic or Digital Materials & Access

By Pete unseth [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

Millennia ago, libraries held scrolls.  A few centuries ago, the scrolls became quartos, folios, and palimpsests. 

via Wikimedia Commons

Today and tomorrow, library buildings provide the people, tools, and access to information that has left the physical world due to costs or access limitations.


Ruidoso Public Library joined New Mexico Library To Go (a group of libraries on Overdrive) just last week.  Now you may download a book (ebook or e-audiobook) for a few days onto most devices or play them on your computer.  Nook, Sony, Kindle, Kobo, mp3 players and iPods, among others, are welcome.  Most devices are supported, though older models and some newer ones may not work.  


These books are available in different file formats, from epub to pdf, .azw to .wma or mp3.  That alphabet soup explains which files will work on which devices.  It also indicates the current confusion and changing nature of ebooks and e-audiobooks.  This is an ever-changing landscape of ereaders and sound systems, which continues to learn and offer new opportunities to test out.  


At Ruidoso Public Library, we can help you find articles, encyclopediae, books, or recordings on many formats and on many topics, for many age-groups.  We have non-fiction (or reference books) and fiction. We can show you projects releasing free books to the world, such as Gutenberg Project or Librivox.org where volunteers put the files of public domain titles online, to read or listen.


Currently the books you can access through Overdrive may not be the latest or most popular because the publishers do not release everything electronically.  Other titles are available in files locked with "DRM" (digital rights management) in an attempt to stop piracy.  This means you may not have a book at the same time as another user, and may only access the file for a few days. Some files require plugging your device into a computer to download while others may transfer over WiFi.  In future this may mean you cannot download the title at home, in the evening, but only at the library, during open hours.  


If you are ready to sample something digital please ask at the library.  We may not be able to demonstrate everything at the library (our public computers run Linux, which is not supported by Overdrive), but if your laptop works on wireless, we can guide you through the basic download and installation process.  We do not touch your computers (due to liability issues); please think of it as your learning opportunity instead. 


What is your perspective on ereaders?  Have you tried one (a friend's, at the store, an app on your phone)?  How about audiobooks? (This link will have 2 free audiobooks each week starting June 14; one classic and one new young adult.)  Have you seen our weed identification, gardening, or Chilton's Automotive Manuals online?