By Emilee Shake, Staff Writer
In this current economic climate when all the talk is of budget cuts and job losses, many believe absurd to expect anything for free. But Teresa Heidenreich disagrees.
“It’s all free,” said Heidenreich, the Carnegie Public Library director.
September is National Library Card Sign-up month, and the Carnegie Public Library is encouraging everyone to sign up for a free library card.
“Where else can you go to get free entertainment and free classes these days?” Heidenreich said.
A library card gives all patrons free access to a collection of movies, CDs and books for adults and children.
All of the fall programming for adults will kick-off this month. The programs are open to everyone and will include educational, entertainment and special interest classes.
“One of our employees, Barbara, is an avid bird watcher and is going to share her expertise in a program called Birds of Indiana,” Heidenreich said. “And Rick, another employee, used to be a travel agent, so we’re doing a travelogue.”
Technology will be the focus of several programs. Classes on internet basics, online job searching, Microsoft Word and resume writing will be offered in hopes meeting the needs of those in the community.
“Many people still don’t know how to use the internet,” Heidenreich said. “We really want people to realize we offer that as a service to them, and we’re here to teach them how to use it as well.”
Though it is not necessary to possess a library card for participation in programs, it’s encouraged.
Obtaining a library card is painless: take a current identification document with a name and address to the library. Though, there are some requirements. One must live within Washington city limits, and if one is under the age of 16, a parent is required to sign for the card. Any child in the first grade or 6 years of age or older is eligible for a library card.
“We also have supporting townships,” Heidenreich said. “Bogard, Steele, Elmore, Veale, and Washington townships pay a contractual fee for their citizens to use the library.”
In conjunction with the National Library Card Sign-up Month, the Carnegie Public Library is instating a fine and overdue amnesty for the month of September. Any patron with a late fee balance can call or visit the library and the charges will be cleared. Patrons with outstanding items can return them without paying late fees. The goal of this program is to regain lost material.
“We think we’ll get a lot of things back,” Heidenreich said. “It also helps out those people who come in to get a library book, and it’s been checked out for a long time.”
Heidenreich and the employees at the library are striving to meet the needs of the community and are succeeding as library visits have increased 15 percent from last year.
“We want the community to realize the valuable resource that we are,” Heidenreich said. “We have a fantastic staff that is very educated, and we want to give our expertise back to the community in the way of information and services.”
Free Class at the Carnegie Public Library
Sept. 3 — Basic Internet, 1 p.m.
Sept. 14 — Online Job Searching, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 — Bath and Blenheim Palace, England: A Travelogue, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 — Proposal Writing/Foundation Directory Overview, 10 a.m.
Sept. 22 — Genealogy 101: Beginning Genealogy, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 — Basic Internet, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 — Resume Writing Using Microsoft Word, 11 a.m.
Oct. 3 — Birds of Indiana, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 — Genealogy 102: Intro to Vital Records, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 14 — Online Job Searching, 2 p.m.
Oct. 20 — An Overview of Microsoft Word 2007, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 — Genealogy 103: Intro to Court House Records, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 — Scary Ghost Stories with Stephanie Holman, 6:15 p.m.
