A new year brings new possibilities and the Dr. Eugene Clark Library is excited offer a wide range of resources, programs and services to help you kick off the new year.
AARP will again provide free tax preparation assistance at the library on Thursdays from 9am-12pm by appointment only from February 5 though April 9. Please call or come by the library to schedule an appointment. No walk-ins will be accepted. The library also has tax forms available across from the circulation desk.
In conjunction with Work Force, the library will host a Job Fair on February 12 from 9am-1pm.
Looking for some enriching adult programs for the new year? Coffee, Tea and Read Book Club on the first Thursday of the month from 6-7, Adult Craft Night on the last Thursday of the month from 6-7 pm, and Senior Bingo on the first Thursday of the month at 1:30 pm might be what you’re looking for. .
The preschool story hour meets on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and introduces young children to early literacy. Children’s coordinator Christine Moreno includes songs, stories and crafts in every session. Some of the upcoming storytime topics are National Children’s Dental Week, Valentine’s Day, the Lunar New Year and Homes. A bilingual Storytime is offered the third Saturday of the month at 10am. The newest Bluebonnet books and Lone Star books along with many others are available for reading in the colorful children’s area.
Homework Help and librarian mentoring for kindergarten through 5th grade is available Monday – Thursday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 pm. Students receive help from library staff and volunteers along with free access to school supplies, computers, and online research tools.
The Teen Room provides a comfortable setting for teens to read, do school work, visit, or use a computer. Teens can chose from the TAYSA list and other young adult books. Middle Schoolers can find the Lone Star books just inside the children’s area.
Many online services including ebooks and audiobooks, digital magazines, databases and more are available for free with a library card. If your New Year’s resolution was to learn a new language, then the free Mango App is perfect for you. Sora, a special collaboration between schools and libraries, allows students to access a wide-range of e-books and audio books. You can also stream movies and award-winning films and documentaries at home with Kanopy, research ancestors with Ancestry.Com or read a bestseller book through Overdrive.
Stroll by the second floor windows and you’ll find displays of New York Times Best Sellers, National Book Award winners, Book Club favorites, Romances, Biographies and more. A few of the new books are:, Hungry happens, Mediterranean:100 Healthy, Simple recipes-Stella Drivas, Nobody’s Girl: a Memoir of surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice-Virginia Giuffre, Dolly Parton, star of the show- Dolly Parton, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History-Andrew Sorkin, The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons disguised as a Memoir-Roy Wood Jr.,The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny-Kiran Desai, Boleyn Traitor-Philippa Gregory, Clown Town-Mick Herron, and Heated Rivalry -Rachel Reid.
Looking for a lovely setting to read, study or use a computer, than the historic Clark building is a perfect spot. Essence National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, Southern Living, Vogue and Texas Monthly are just a few of the magazines available along with local area newspapers and the Wall Street Journal. Reference books, local history, DVD’s, music CD’s and audio books are also found in this part of the library.
If you want to brush up your tech skills, Mark Diaz in the second floor technology center is ready to help you. Creating a resume , online Job Search, Internet Basics, and Intro to Excel are just a few of the free courses offered in the technology center.
Love the Library and want to help with programs and meet new friends? The Friends of the Library will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, February 24 at 6pm. There will be a short social time with light refreshments before the business meeting starts. The budget allotting funds for preschool story hour, spring break activities, the Summer Reading Club, Books for Babies, Mini Con, Adult Crafts, the Book Sale, A Christmas to Remember in Lockhart and more will be discussed and approved. Also a few new officers will be elected. All members and those wishing to join or learn about the Friends are welcome encouraged to attend.
Library Director Bertha Martinez and the dedicated library staff are always ready to offer assistance or answer questions. A current library card is required to use a computer or check out a book. Information about library activities or services can be found in the monthly News and Events guide located at the circulation desk. You can also call the library at 512-398-3223, go to the library’s website or visit the library at 217 S. Main Street.
Mary Eisenberg