Things about the Library you didn't know

Our Howard County Library is truly one of the best things about living in Howard County. I remember the library of the town of my youth as being a very different place. That library only had books that were donated by the town residents. Needless to say many of the books were too old to be relevant to a student doing a school paper.

Have you wondered what it would be like to read a book with an e-reader? You don't have to spend a couple of hundred dollars to find out. The library now has e-readers you can borrow. The library has purchased 60 Barnes and Noble Nooks to lend out. The money to purchase the Nooks was provided by the Friends of the Library. More on the Friends later.

Interested in finding a book club? The library can help you find one. Just contact your local branch to find one.

Interested in recording your oral history? Established to gather and preserve the collective memory of the county, This is Your Life began in the spring of 2007 with Oral History Technique classes at the Library. These classes taught participants how to collect oral histories and were based on the Smithsonian Folk Life Oral History Guidelines. Since then, more than 90 oral histories have been collected and archived.

At this site, you can listen to podcasts of oral histories and find Library classes on related topics such as genealogy and creating and preserving family histories. You can also read reviews on recommended books, discover upcoming events, and link to other sites.

To listen to specific podcasts, click on names listed under Recent Posts on the left navigation bar.

If you or someone you know would like to be interviewed for this project, please contact Lois Sanders at 410.313.7791. All interviews are recorded and archived. Interviewees receive a copy of their interview.

Want to check out the latest Consumer Reports report before making a large purchase? The library can provide you access online to those reports. Spend some time exploring all the resources at their website.

Need help with homework? Students who have a question about solving an algebra equation or formulating a thesis statement for an English essay can get live homework assistance and connect to what they really need - a tutor who can walk them through finding the solution to their problem. The service is available seven days a week from 2:00 pm through 11:55 pm, Eastern time. Students, Kindergarten through twelfth grade, and adults seeking to improve their skills, can use the service as often as they wish and receive help in math, reading, science, social studies, English/language arts, and writing.

Finally as I mentioned earlier the Friends of the Library is your way to pay back to library all the great resources it provides us. Having recently joined the Friends and attending one of their Board meetings I can say that their is no more worthy organization in our community than our library.