Check It Out at the Gilmer Library!

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The Gilmer County Library has an abundance of printed books which is news to no one. Audiobooks, periodicals, scholarly databases, and genealogical research materials are also available. No matter what your interests are, most likely your local library will have some materials on your favorite topic or have books you enjoy reading just for fun. Printed materials are at the core of the library world, but these are not the only things you can find at your library. The Gilmer County Library offers patrons more than books because our patrons ask for more than just printed books. In the next few paragraphs, we will highlight a few specific services the Gilmer County Library offers its patrons. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous, and the advent of Wi-Fi allows us to be a mobile society. The Gilmer County Library has offered free Wi-Fi for the last 4 years though many patrons are unaware of this service. Offering free Wi-Fi to our patrons allows them to access the Internet anywhere in our building while using their own devices.

The Gilmer County Library owns over 40,000 books in its collection, and while this can appear to be an overwhelming quantity, sometimes the library may not have the exact book you are searching for. Your regional library system, Sequoyah Regional Library System, has access to over 300,000 books and we can even search beyond our regional library system. If you are in need of a particular book or magazine article and you cannot find it locally, please give us a call because we probably can borrow it for you.

Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? The Gilmer County Library can provide you free access to Pronunciator. Pronunciator is a terrific language learning tool and Library Journal proclaims it’s “Top-Shelf Instruction.” Pronunciator provides foreign language instruction for over 80 languages. It allows you to learn at your own pace and even children can use Pronunciator. You can practice at home or on the go with their mobile app, and all you need to access this wonderful tool is a library card.

Lifelong learning is not just a buzzword but a necessity. Advanced requirements in and of the workforce is a continuously expanding whether it be an educational requirement or computer skills. The Gilmer County Library can assist you with these endeavors in several different ways.

LearningExpress Library is a premier database, accessible through GALILEO, specializing in training for passing a GED exam or other standardized tests. If you are a high school student needing to practice for the SAT, or ACT, LearningExpress Library is an indispensable tool to help you with your preparation. If you are a college graduate and have aspirations of graduate school, LearningExpress Library can guide you through GMAT or GRE preparation. LearningExpress Library also boasts a robust career center and offers instructional guides in computer related skills. If you need to bolster your job or life skills, the Gilmer County Library strongly encourages you to utilize LearningExpress Library.
Maybe online learning is not for you and you prefer a more personal touch to instruction. The Gilmer County Library offers free computer classes every month. The classes we offer differ every month but they normally include: basic computer skills, Internet skills, how to use Microsoft Word and Excel, and social media. We also offer hour long labs where you can work with staff members to learn and resolve issues that may not be ordinarily covered in our classes. These classes and seminars are adaptable so if you have a suggestion for a class not currently being offered, please let the Gilmer County Library know what you have an interest in, and we can work to accommodate your request.

Life is not all work and no play. At the library, we offer a bevy of fun programming options you may check out in this column on a weekly. Two of the more unique programs currently being offered are the Monthly Movie Series and the Gilmer County Master Gardeners’ programs. The Monthly Movie Gilmer County Library selects is typically not a mainstream, blockbuster type show. We select movies that are critically-acclaimed, award winning documentaries. These movies are a great change of pace to the run-of-the-mill, predictable Hollywood movie.
If your passion is gardening, planting flowers, or horticulture in general, you will want to take part in the Gilmer County Master Gardeners’ expert programs they host throughout the year at the Gilmer County Library and other venues. All Master Gardeners must be certified through a University of Georgia Extension Office but only after completing very specific training programs. Their purpose is “to help educate others through horticultural programs and projects that benefit the community. Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers bring the latest horticultural information and practices from the world of research to their communities’ landscapes and gardens.” Sheri Dorn, UGA Extension Horticulturist.

The Gilmer County Library and its staff adore books, and how they can enrich our patrons’ lives. But the Gilmer County Library is so much more than books. It is a place where you can learn a foreign language, computer code, discover new gardening techniques, and so much more. In 2015, resolve to begin a new journey to learn something new, and the Gilmer County Library is a great place to start your journey.

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