The library will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.@Two Continues Adding ServicesWhen library patrons step out of the elevator into the @Two Digital Learning Center, they are greeted with a wide array of computer options, technological advances and learning opportunities. Free classes include Adobe Photoshop Elements, job skills, resume basics, the CLAN catalog, library databases and social media, as well as several classes taught in Spanish. Most of the basic classes have availability for up to nine people, while instruction using the more advanced technology, such as the Adobe applications, accommodates six. Signing up for a class is easy. Visit the Carson Library home page, www.carsoncitylibrary.org, and click the link under News. Interested folks will find a description of each class and an online registration link. Another registration option can be found at www.bookeo.com/carsoncitylibrary. Because equipment, software and trainers’ salaries are funded through grants, participants are asked to take brief surveys regarding computer skills levels and class effectiveness. One perk involving a 10-15 minute survey on computer skills: a card for 10 free prints, either in color or black and white. Classes on Tuesday, Jan. 22, include “Beginning Word” at 12 p.m., “Internet Search and Databases” at 3 p.m. and “Job Searching” at 6 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 24, classes include “Job Skills” at 12 and “Computers for Beginners” at 3 p.m. The beginning computer class will also be taught at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24.Pre-loaded KindlesAlways on the cutting edge of technology, and striving to provide patrons with the latest and greatest methods to read, the library has recently introduced 11 pre-loaded Kindles for check-out. Some cardholders prefer to read on e-readers, others want to try a Kindle before making a purchase, and still others want the benefit of large print options the device provides. Inter-Library-Loans are expensive and take quite a bit of time, so two Kindles are available specifically for that purpose and books can be downloaded per request. The library has four Kindles loaded with adult popular fiction and non-fiction (”Threat Vector,” by Tom Clancy, “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand, “The Song of Ice and Fire Series,” by George Martin and “Wild,” by Cheryl Strayed to name a few); one Young Adult Series (series such as Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Ranger’s Apprentice and Twilight); and one containing juvenile materials (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Magic Tree House, and The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as books by Gordon Korman, Garth Nix, and Erin Hunger). One Kindle will be dedicated to business materials and will be housed at the BRIC, and two will be available through BranchAnywhere at the Boys & Girls Club during the summer reading program. Like regular books, Kindle packets are available for four weeks and can be renewed if there is no hold. Replacement costs for materials in the packet will run up to $200. For general information, please ask at the Reference Desk. The devices circulate from the Library Card Desk downstairs and are subject to a loan agreement found in the packet.BRIC: Social Mediain BusinessThe BRIC continues its series, Highway 101, with a look at social media as it relates to business. Several classes focus on different applications for such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the largest professional network on the Internet. Call 775-283-7123 or email the BRIC at www.carsonbric@gmail.com to enroll in one or all of these free classes. • LinkedIn for Business meets from noon until 1:30 Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the BRIC. LinkedIn has more than 187 million members worldwide and allows business partners, job seekers, and employers access to blogs, online profiles, websites and other valuable resources.• Facebook for Business meets noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and highlights ways to use Facebook as a fundamental marketing tool. • How to Create a Website Using Free Online Tools gives information necessary to create a simple website in class, and meets noon-1:30 p.m. Thursday.• Social Media 101 – Introduction to Social Media features Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and meets noon-1:30 p.m. Jan. 30. Book SuggestionsRachel March, Adult Collection manager recommends a work of fiction and a YA series adults might also enjoy. According to Ms. March, “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach “is a great American novel set in the worlds of academia and baseball — one of the rare books that I can see myself re-reading in the future!” The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is a young adult urban fantasy, and the first book is entitled “City of Bones.”Deputy Library Director Tammy Westergard, has “practically memorized” “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?” by Seth Godin. In this highly competitive job market, Godin suggests “Lynchpins” figure out what to do when there's no rule book and create for themselves a unique, valuable niche in today’s marketplace.According to Technology Trainer Sena Loyd, she has been so busy with the new @Two Center, she has not had time to read conventionally. Consequently, her favorite read is not a book, but rather an app: Flipboard, both Android and iOS phone and tablet systems.Special PresentationSpeaker: Dr. Gino Giudice will give a presentation about Fort Bragg and Mendocino California on 6 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium.
