Please remember that the library will be closed Saturday, May 24th through Monday, May 26th in observance of Memorial Day.

We will re-open on Tuesday, May 27th at 9 am.

 



Lincoln The Constitution and the Civil War Exhibit will be going up on Wednesday, May 28th and will run through July 11th. We will have four talks in June.

Tuesday, June 3rd at 1 pm. Director Corey Bard will be discussing the life of Mary Lincoln.

Thursday, May 29th at 6pm is the kick-off our summer music program with an outdoor concert featuring Jones & Miles, an "eclectic mix of Folk, Rock, Irish, and Punk" music. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy!



Monday, June 2nd is the official start of the Summer Reading program! Stop by and register if you have not done so already. You can find the calendar of activities on our website in the children's calendar located as a link under the main calendar.



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.

Finally in Universal Class: Hobbies, Writing, and Legal Issues

 
Images from Universal Class

So far I have been focusing on what the library's subscription to Universal Class has to offer businesses, students, employees, and individuals concerned about health.  This week is all about fun.  Perhaps your hobby is listed below. If not, no worries; dozens more are listed here.  Please read this post about how to sign up for Universal Class.

Dog  Training
Bird Watching

Card Games

Freshwater Fishing 101

Couponing 101

How to Ebay 101

Babysitting
Sewing 101

Pie Baking 101

Cake Decorating

Floral Arrangement 101

Candle Making

Genealogy 101

Feng Shui 101

Introduction to Gardening
Introduction to Music Appreciation
Journaling and Memoir Writing 101
Photography 101
Poetry Writing 101

Wedding Crafts and Projects
Wedding Planning 101

And this wraps up my series of  posts exploring the free-to-you classes available through your public library's homepage.  Thanks for sticking with me!

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

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.

County Fair Time

Next Monday is the first day of the Lincoln County Fair.  If you (or your kids) made something this past year, you can enter it from 4pm until 7pm, Aug. 6, in Capitan.  This year's Summer Reading Program prompted many participants to create potential entries.   

There are open contests for kids under 16, another category for 16 year olds and over, and a Senior category, 65+.  If you have made it, there is a class to enter it.  There's a class for crayon (by subject), bread dough (did anyone make a dragon?), wearable art (t-shirts or shoes), any sculpture, a decorated book or scrapbook.  If you have a last minute, bake a pie, preserve some fruit, or simply display your garden's finest (or biggest) gourd, pod, or flower.  

As you have to pick up your entries Saturday, why not make a day of it?  There's a stick horse race, a costume class for a variety of haltered animals, and a pet show.  If you just finished the Doggie Fashion Show, show off your outfit to a new crowd--OR--if your pet is non-canine, here's a chance to show your goat, llama, cat, etc.

Image from  https://sites.google.com/site/wolfeshowpigs/pastwinners 

The county fair's auction on Friday night is a chance to shop-local and support local kids (contribute to their college funds).  You don't need an empty freezer to bid: you may donate your purchase to charity.  There are fruit pies for sale.  You may join a bidder's pool and decide how to share out your purchase, or simply donate money to help these 4-H'ers recuperate the project's costs.

Finally, #9: Magazines and Newspapers

The last element of the library I wish to reintroduce covers the magazines and newspapers.  Ruidoso Public Library offers about two dozen magazines to enjoy at the library (or check out last week's or last month's issues to enjoy at home for three weeks).

Some titles include:
Time,
Newsweek,
Mother Earth News,
Sew News,
Smithsonian,
Glamour,
Cowboys & Indians,
New Mexico Magazine, and
Texas Monthly.

On the newspaper side, The Wall Street Journal and New York Times (Sunday) are available, as are Ruidoso's Free Press and the Ruidoso News.  The Albuquerque Journal, Barron's, USA Today, NM Wildlife, the Lincoln County News, and Enchantment can be read at the library, too.  We receive these through the mail so they may be a little late and the newspapers do not check out.

Online you may access academic journals, not just for research, but also to keep current in your field.  For more recreational reading, the same links provide access to:
Bon Appetit,
Backpacker,
Booklist,
Bike Magazine, and hundreds more such as
Cosmo,
Country Living,
Cricket, or
the Economist.

Online access to the Albuquerque Journal, Roswell Daily Record and Las Cruces Sun-News are also available from the library's homepage (under the e-branch tab: NM Newspapers, enter your library card's barcode number when prompted).  While these online experiences may not be a colorful or browsable as the real thing, they may be more readable or accessible when fonts or print are problems.  The online magazines allow you to download audiofiles of each article for listening; or you may choose to listen to the mp3 while the website highlights each word.  Once you have found the article of interest, the website will translate it into several major languages.

Finally, for the smartphone crowd, these magazines and journal articles (including Chilton's Automotive Manuals) are available on a free app for Android and Apple devices.

#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.

#2: What to read....what to read next....what to try while waiting

Possibly earliest photograph of a tornado

Libraries are a great resource for something called "Readers Advisory."  That's not a warning about looming dangers in a book, as in Tornado Advisory.  It is a spectrum of answers for the dreaded question, "What to read now?"  On one hand, this can be a rhetorical question, not expecting a real answer; on the other hand, it can become a great conversation over days or years of careful give-and-take between a patron's reactions to books read and a librarian's careful research into similar (or different) books to attempt.

To help librarians help you there are a few things to add after asking, "What shall I read next?"  These include:
1. several books you have read and liked (and maybe want more of),
2. a few books you did not like (and why),
3. what sort of book, story, character, or feeling you are in the mood for next.

Please don't think of it as homework, though the more thought placed in the answers, the more reliable a librarian's research into what titles to suggest may become.  If you want to delve into the analysis of books, this is where plot, character, setting, and pacing come into play.  As every person reads a book through a different life-lens, these analyses are not set in stone.  Each book may have several different "appeal factors" (genre, setting, pacing) and you see the one that interests (or disgusts) you at that time.

Sometimes I prefer a book that emphasizes pacing.  This may be Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Other times I can appreciate a book that explores, without any hurry, the internal monologue (see: Atonement by Ian McEwan).

Whether the sense of place, frenetic pacing, complex and dynamic characterization, or just what everyone else is reading is your cup of tea, ask a librarian--but be prepared for a conversation rather than a Google-fast result.

If you prefer the DIY (do-it-yourself) approach, there are many websites that can help as well.  For mystery fans, Stop, You're Killing Me! can help you recall your favorite character's author, or authors who write similarly to your favorite author.  If you prefer to know beforehand whether a book has mature language (or just how much), various aspects of romance (or how much from hand-holding to well beyond kissing), violence (implied or explicit and how much), and many more aspects look to All Readers.  With either site, look up books you have already read to see what volunteers have posted about them.  That way you will know what terms to look for (or avoid!) in searching for new possibilities.

Ruidoso Public Library hosts the World Premier of Camp Capitan, a local playwright's introduction to a CCC camp in the county and life during the Great Depression.  Two shows, Thursday, May 31, 10:30 am and 7 pm.

Preserving family heirlooms

Bookmark by ALA

Public libraries are occasionally confused with archives.  The first serves today's public, their needs and some wants.  An archive preserves artifacts of history with a specific topical, regional, or chronological focus.  You can be your family's archives.  April saw the American Library Association's Preservation Week, which collected a variety of programs (recorded for you to catch up on now or later) and resources to answer your questions on how best to ensure today's objects are available for future generations of your family.  These are some basic tips (check out the Preservation Week webpage for details).

Preserving Your Treasures

Quick Preservation Tips

Here are a variety of simple, practical actions to preserve your personal and family collections:

•          Handle with a clean, gentle touch

Protect your treasures from dust, dirt, oil, food, and other hazards by handling items carefully, with clean hands.

•          Store safely in stable conditions

Protect your treasures from light, harsh temperatures, and humidity.   Learn what storage options are right for your collections.

•          Foresee and avoid risks

Assess storage and display surroundings for potential problems like water, pests, mold, and breakage.  Relocate your treasures or take other measures (for example, put items in protective containers) to reduce risks.

•          Make a copy

Copy treasures like photographs, newspapers, and letters when possible and appropriate. Store the original safely and use the copy.  Digital copies allow treasures to be easily shared, but remember digital items need preservation, too.

•          Ask a professional

Seek professional advice before trying at-home repairs or cleaning treasures yourself.

•          Visit a museum or archives

Consult an archivist for great resources and additional tips on how to preserve your treasures.

•          Pass it on!

Share your treasures with your family and community. Your heritage is their heritage

Free Museum Entrance for Military Families all summer

Photo by Freefoto.com

Thanks to the Blue Star Museums program by the National Endowment for the Arts, state-run museums and historic monuments offer free admission to military members and military families, Memorial Day through Labor Day, 5 September.

The following museums are participating:
the Museum of International Folk Art, 
Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, 
New Mexico Museum of Art 
the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, all in Santa Fe; 
the Museum of Natural History & Science 
the National Hispanic Cultural Center, both in Albuquerque; 
the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo; 
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces; 
and six historic monuments statewide – Jemez, Coronado, Lincoln, the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, El Camino Real International Heritage Center and Fort Selden.


Thank you to the men and women who serve in all the branches of our military and to their families for their silent service, too.

Free Classes through Ruidoso Public Library

That's right: FREE
  by 

“I'm excited about Universal Class because it offers continuing education classes that are relevant for our whole community -- from learning more about a hobby, to improving job skills, to increasing knowledge. Universal Class will enrich our patron's lives,” said Beverly McFarland, Library Directoer at Ruidoso Public Library. “At a time when budgets are tight, this service is a way that we can offer hundreds of continuing education opportunities to our customers. In the first week, I was able to share the relevance of Universal Class courses at existing programs for homeschoolers, community businesses, and genealogists.”

Available through Ruidoso Public Library, Universal Class offers learners a unique online education experience. With real instructors guiding the learning, students enjoy a measurable learning experience that helps them master and document their educational goals.  Other features include:

 Engaging video-based lessons

 Collaborative learning environment

 Graded lesson tests

 Certificates of achievement

 Continuing Education Units for selected courses

With a growing catalog of over 540 courses, Universal Class is committed to providing affordable and high quality online training.  

Universal Class offers courses in Exercise and Fitness, Entrepreneurship, Arts and Music, Home and Garden Care, Cooking, Computers and Technology, Health and Medicine, Homeschooling, Job Assistance, Law and Legal, Parenting and Family, Pet and Animal Care, and more.

About Universal Class: Universal Class, Inc. [also known as UniversalClass™ or UniversalClass.com™] is an education technology company that provides online services to schools, corporations, organizations, educators, and students throughout the world. It aims to advance intellectual exchange in teaching, research, and service with its technology and belief that education should be affordable to all people of all cultures. 

Look for it under the e-Branch tab on our homepage.