Library notes

By Mary Eisenberg

The Dr. Eugene Clark Library is ready for the new year. Whether it’s making a take home craft, connecting with fellow book lovers in a book club, playing bingo with friends, taking your child to story hour, learning a language, researching your ancestors, completing your GED, finding the perfect book or writing a resume, the library has something for everyone. 

AARP will provide free tax preparation assistance at the library on Thursdays from 9am-2pm by appointment only from Feb. 6 though April 10. Please call or come by the library to schedule an appointment. The library also has tax forms available. 

Some of the free adult programs and classes offered each month are: 

•Coffee, Tea and Read Book Club, first Thursday, from 6-7 p.m. 

•Adult Craft Night, last Thursday from 6-7 p.m.

•Senior Bingo, first Thursday, at 1:30 p.m.

•ESL classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1-3 p.m. 

•GED classes on Wednesday, from 1-4 p.m. 

The preschool story hour meets on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., introducing young children to early literacy. Children’s Coordinator Christine Moreno includes songs, stories and crafts in every session.     

    A Valentine party is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 12. 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 through Thursday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. 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 schoolwork, visit, or use a computer. Teens can choose 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 E-books and audiobooks, digital magazines, databases and more, are available for free with a library card. Patrons can learn a new language with the Mango app, stream movies at home with Kanopy, acquire free E-books and audiobooks from their school with Sora, 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 include: Martyr, by Kavel Akbar; City of Night Birds, by Juhea Kim; Creation Lake, by Rachel Kushner; Stars, by Tommy Orange; Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney; Wind and Truth, by Brandon Sanderson; On Freedom, by Timothy Snyder; Patriot, by Alexei Navalny; Cher: The Memoir, Part One, by Cher; and Countdown 1960, by Chris Wallace.

The historic Clark building is a beautiful setting to read or study. 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.

The Friends of the Library will hold its annual meeting on Monday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. 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. All members, and those wishing to join or learn about the Friends, are 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.