Think you're making full use of the services your local library offers? You may not be--here are six lesser-known services available at virtually any Tennessee library:
1. Teaching you a new language
The divide in digital language learning is pretty wide. On the one hand, software like Rosetta Stone provides all the tools necessary—and costs around $500. On the other, free websites exist for learning everything from Spanish to Esperanto, but their overall usefulness is hit-or-miss. Enter the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL, tntel.info), which this year added Gale's PowerSpeak Language tool to its vast array of holdings.
PowerSpeak is a multimedia language learning center with an available (but not required!) sign-in feature. It offers lessons in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean, along with English for speakers of Spanish and Mandarin. Rumor has it that other languages are being considered as well. The only downside is that this is a Flash-based system, so i-device users are out of luck.
In addition to TEL's offering, R.E.A.D.S. provides audiobook and eBook texts which can be downloaded from home, and the library's print collection also includes print and audio texts for a multitude of languages.
2. Providing safe technology for your children
My pre-reading daughter is pretty tech-savvy, and I've seen hear tear her way through YouTube without even being able to activate the voice search system. So it's safe to say I'm a little frightened of what she can find on the Internet. The solution turned out to be simple, and it just took a little help from TEL.
The TEL4u portal (tel4u.org) is designed with K-5 students in mind. I added a bookmark to my browser, set my homepage to something that requires reading and isn't link-intensive (Google worked just fine), and my daughter now has a safe Internet portal. While this solution doesn't preclude parental supervision, I rest easy knowing that she's much less likely to find something age-inappropriate when my back is turned.
TEL4u combines links to kids' sections of standard TEL databases (World Book's Early World of Learning is great!) with links to safe sites like PBS Kids and National Geographic for Kids. It's good for entertainment as well as research for elementary school projects.
Many libraries also carry CD audiobooks, Playaway audiobooks, and Playaway View video players for children. These devices can help keep kids entertained on long road trips, and they're educational to boot.
3. Helping you keep up with your field of interest
The idea of the library as a repository of old books is outdated. While many of these books still grace the shelves, libraries have found ways to keep up with the times. Print magazines and newspapers have their place in the buildings, but a vast treasure is available online.
Gale databases available through TEL provide current periodicals, including trade journals, newspapers, and news and entertainment magazines. Many of these are current to the previous issue, and most contain full-text articles. Considering the cost of buying an annual subscription to many of these periodicals—and getting little or no access to the archives—there's no real reason not to take advantage of this service. Gale's PowerSearch even offers to add search results or publication updates to an RSS feed or a regular email. It's just like getting it delivered to your computer.
4. Learning your family history
Interest in genealogy has spiked recently, spurred on by online databases likeancestry.com. Many Tennessee libraries offer in-house access to Ancestry, but several resources are available regardless of which library you call home. ProQuest's HeritageQuest Online database, available through TEL, brings millions of census records and other sources to you for no charge. The state has also partnered with Ancestry to place certain Tennessee records online and open to state residents.
While online searches are great for starting, though, a good genealogist knows that some things are only available in print. Libraries around the state have holdings relating to their area, and many hold manuscripts that have never been indexed and do not exist anywhere else in the world. If your heritage ever took a turn through Tennessee, the library local to the family home should be a stop on your search.
5. Studying for that police officer exam…or ASVAB…or SAT…or…
A core value of the local library is assisting in the education and welfare of the community. But most patrons only take advantage of the educational benefits while in school. Library shelves are full of books to help adults with math or reading, and study guides for common tests like the GED, ACT, and ASVAB are among the most-bought books for libraries.
Of course, these books are also among the most-stolen in libraries. Digital versions are available on TEL, through the LearningExpress Library. This database offers current test prep materials in both eBook and online course formats, all available 24/7. A simple sign-up is required, but it's worth it for study materials ranging from 4th grade math and reading through post-graduate placement tests. Professional certification preparation is available as well, in fields such as cosmetology, medicine, real estate, and civil service.
6. Helping write your résumé
Gale's Career Transitions database is one of TEL's newest tools, and it provides several tools for those between jobs or looking to improve their careers. One of the best tools available is a free online résumé creator. Creating an account is optional, but it provides the ability to make changes to a résumé from anywhere with access to Career Transitions (which includes anywhere in Tennessee).
Many library computers also include Microsoft Word, which also has a résumé wizard available. For those unfamiliar with this program, many libraries also host computer classes, providing needed skills to anyone in the community for free.
TEL resources available at tntel.info
R.E.A.D.S. materials at reads.lib.overdrive.com
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