Sorry We’re Closed (But Not Really)

April Everett Rowan Public Library

This has been one of the harshest winters we have experienced in the Southeast in recent years.  Crippling ice storms, record cold temperatures, and heavy snow fall has certainly interrupted our daily routines.  But rather than being a glass-half-empty person, I’m going to challenge you to make the most of these winter blues.

As I write this column, the library is actually closed due to inclement weather--but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all that the library has to offer.  If you have an internet connection, you have access to ebooks, eaudiobooks, evideos, downloadable music, digital magazines, articles, online classes, and so much more.

The library subscribes to NCLive, which offers free access to thousands of audiobooks, ebooks, and videos for streaming.  There are also hundreds of thousands of articles you can read or do text-to-audio and listen instead.  Since NCLive tends to be heavy on the non-fiction, those in need of an escape may be more interested in NCDigital Library, which offers thousands of popular materials in the form of downloadable books, audiobooks, music, and videos.  There’s even a collection of Disney read-along ebooks that are always available and offer interactive fun for children learning to read.

If magazines are more your style, the library recently obtained a subscription to Zinio, the world’s largest electronic newsstand.  With a collection of more than 50 magazines including Do it Yourself, Good Housekeeping, Interweave Knits, Popular Photography, and Oprah Magazine, you’re sure to find a magazine to inspire creativity.

Need something to listen to while you’re cleaning the house or shoveling snow on the sidewalk?  Check out OneClick Digital, which offers you free access to downloadable audiobooks on a variety of topics, including language learning, history, biography, classic literature, and more.  These audiobooks are compatible with most iPods and WMA compatible MP3 players.

If you are looking for more of a challenge, browse our Learn4Life course catalog, which boasts more than 300 instructor-led online courses covering anything from digital photography to beginning guitar; software help to medical transcription.  Click on a course to look at the syllabus, read more about the instructor, find out course requirements, and read student reviews.  Each course lasts six weeks and is available to you free of charge with your library card.  The next session of courses begins February 19^th.

Don’t have an internet connection?  We’ve still got snow day fun covered!  Right now the library is sponsoring several contests as part of our 411 Community Read this year.  Grab your camera and snap a few photos to submit for the Photography Contest, open to students and adults (submissions accepted March 9 – April 9).  Or, put together a “shelf room” that mimics one of the scenes from our Community Read book, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  You can create a shelf room using household items (shoebox, glue, craft papers, etc.).  The project can be completed as individual or as a family, with cash prizes awarded to each.  For children and teens, there’s also a Hidden Picture coloring contest with cash prizes.  If you haven’t already, pick up entry forms at any library location.

While there are few things more comforting than snuggling up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book, the library of 2014 is so much more than our brick-and-mortar walls can hold.  So when you run out of reading material and are still snowed in, remember your library card gives you access to so much more.  Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org to discover all the places you can go with your library card from the comfort of your own home.