Database of the Month: Career Cruising

Searching for a career? The library has a new database that can help you. Career Cruising is a brand new database offered by the Louisiana State Library that offers all the information you need to start on a new career path. Career Cruising features information on just about any career you can imagine from a waste collector to an aerospace engineer.

This database is a comprehensive career guide designed for individual, self-directed use, suitable for people from age 11 to adulthood. You can use it to:

1. Find careers that match your interests with Career Matchmaker
   


2. Get the inside scoop on any career with in-depth profiles, multimedia interviews and an on-the-job PhotoFile
   


3. Learn about the education and training options available
   


4. Create a Portfolio to save career exploration progress and build a professional-looking resume
   


5. Find work search hints and tips in the Career Cruising employment guide and thousands of job postings using the Career Cruising job search tool
   

To get started with Career Cruising now, click the link below to go to our online database page and click “Career Resources.”


http://mytpl.org/databases.html

If you're interested in learning about Acadian culture, either because you share the same heritage or want to learn more about the rich culture of the area, the library has a presentation on this interesting subject. On June 24th at 6pm, Mr. Leryes Usie will be giving a presentation at the Main branch library titled Acadian History, Culture, and Deportation: From Acadia to Louisiana. The program will include a slide presentation by Mr. Usie. For more information, call our reference department at 985-876-1733.

Teen Movie Showing

Attention Teens! Looking for something to do this summer that’s fun and free? The Main branch library has just the thing for you: 7 free movie showings with free refreshments! All the movies are shown in the second floor D.E. room at 2pm and free popcorn and drinks will be given to all those in attendance. All you have to do is show up! Check out the schedule below.


1. The Blind Side - Saturday, June 5th @ 2pm



2. This Is It - Saturday, June 12th @ 2pm



3. (500) Days of Summer - Saturday, June 19th @ 2pm



4. Avatar - Saturday, June 26th @ 2pm



5. Invictus - Saturday, July 10th @ 2pm



6. Advantureland - Saturday, July 17th @ 2pm



7. Sugar - Saturday, July 24th @ 2pm

Go High-Tech at Your Library!

For anyone who still views their local library as a dusty room full of outdated books, here is a wake-up call about how your library’s connection to technology can help you access your reading material.



Place Books on Hold

Want to place a book on hold without coming into the library? Here’s how!

If you’re looking for something to read, the library has made it even easier for you to get what you’re looking for. Just find what you want to read on our website via our online catalog and place the item on hold online by clicking either the “REQUEST” or “HOLD REQUEST” button. Once the book is ready, the library will call you and all you have to do is pick it up! It’s that easy. At the main branch, you can even go through our drive-thru to check-out your book. Of course, for those of you who still prefer to place holds over the phone, you can always call any of our branches and ask that a book be put on hold for you.

http://aqua.terrebonne.lib.la.us%228080/#bookriver
http://tess.terrebonne.lib.la.us/pac.opac

E-Books

If you really can’t get out, the library can get books to you via our website. By going to our E-Library webpage, you can search our titles of audiobooks, e-books, music, and videos, find the title you’re interested in, and download it. For free! All you need is a library card and a computer, IPod, or MP3 player. Visit the link below and start browsing now!

http://terrebonne.lib.overdrive.com/8578EC73-4C88-4007-8EB6-C1D3BDC1DE97/10/397/en/Default.htm

April 24, 2010 is our annual Teen Job Fair here at the Main branch library. From 9 a.m. to Noon, teens can speak with representatives from businesses about summer employment. Remember, no shorts of flip flops; you may be interviewed on the spot.

To register or for more information, call 876-1733.

Jubilee Jambalaya Writers’ Conference

It's that time of year again! Time for the annual Jubilee Jambalaya Writers' Conference!

The 2010 Jubilee Jambalaya Writers’ Conference & Book Fair will be held on Saturday, April 10th at the Main Library. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for registration. It will feature discussion sessions on writing and publishing poetry and prose by professional authors, agents, editors, and publishing company representatives.

For more information or to register, call Lauren Bordelon at 876-5158, email jubileewritersconference@yahoo.com, or visit the website at http://www.jubileewritersconference.org/

See below for a breakdown of the Conference Schedule.

Time/Description

8:00-8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:20 Presentations

1. Meet the Editor and Agents
2. Writing a Cinematic and Poetic Novel: Cookie and Me
3. "Writing and Marketing Christian Nonfiction"

9:30-10:20 Presentations

1. The No Bull**** Bio: You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You!
2. Ready, Aim, Fire: Creating a Career Plan That Will Shoot You to the Next Level
3. Let Your Mind Fly: How to skew pieces toward different genres (Be prepared to write!)
4. Two Poets/One Project: A REading from Call and Response
5. "Marketing via the Internet"
6. 10 minute Agent Appointments

10:30-11:20 Presentations

1. Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experience (non-fiction)Excavating your Personal Life: Embracing Pitfalls and Pleasures of Life as Married Writers
2. "Jubilee Presents LA Poet Laureate"
3. Talk to Me! Narrative and Dialogue: Balancing the Two
4. Keeping It Real: True-to-Life Teen Characters in Make-Believe Settings
5. A Baseball Novel made for Hollywood

11:30-1:00 Lunch and Keynote
1:00-1:50 Book Fair/Author Signing & Contest Winner announced
2:00-2:50 Presentations

1. Bite Me! Vampires, werewolves, leprachauns-creatures of the night (except now they wear Ray Bans, Prada, and walk around at all hours!)
2. "Panel: Ekphrastic Poetry: Writing for the Eyes"
3. Creating Three Dimensional characters (2 hours)
4. CSI and Police Procedures for Writers (2 hours)
5. My Virtual Experience with e-Books
6. Reserved 10 minute Editior Appointments

3:00-3:50 Presentations

1. The More Things change, the More They Stay the Same: Why Word of Mouth Is the Core of Your Promotional Plan
2. Spark to Polish: Tips o Writing's Art and Craft
3. From the Other Palette: A Workshop on Ekphrastic Poetry Writing
4. Creating Three Dimensional Characters- Continued
5. CSI and Police Procedures for Writers- Continued
6. Plotting for proposal
7. 10 minute Agent Appointments

4:00-4:50 First Page Workshop
4:50-5:30 Last Call for Book Fair/Author Signings
5:00-6:00 Sunset/Wine and Cheese Social

Learning Express

Learning Express is a database offered by your library that features preparation for just about any exam or skill you want to master. You can use this database to review basic skills, prepare for exams, and take practice standardized tests. All for free! Plus, your practice tests are scored immediately so there’s no waiting involved. Learning Express offers preparation in the following categories:

Elementary School
Middle School
High School
College Preparation
College Students
GED Preparation
Job Search & Workplace Skills
Jobs & Careers
Skill Building for Adults
U.S. Citizenship
Recursos para Hisanohablantes (Resources for Spanish-Speakers)

Learning Express also features preparation for popular exams like ACT, SAT, GED, Civil Service, CDL, EMS, Nursing, and Teaching, just to name a few. To find out more about Learning Express, visit our website (www.mytpl.org), click on “online databases” to the left, and choose “Learning Express.” You can create an account, track your progress, and before you know it you’ll be on your way to learning the skills you need now! If you need assistance using Learning Express, feel free to call us at 985-876-5861 and we will be happy to walk you through the database over the phone! Or, you can text any question on any topic to 66746, start the message with "mytpl" and we will answer your questions via text message.

Women's History Month

“In a world where there is so much to be done,

I felt strongly impressed that there must be something

for me to do.”

Dorothea Dix (1802-1887)
Social reformer

March is Women’s History month! It’s a time of year for us to celebrate women’s accomplishments in history and how they have affected our lives today. The National Women’s History Project has named this year’s theme: “Writing Women Back into History.” For more information about women’s history, take a look at some of the links below and learn how women’s achievements have shaped your life.

More information:

National Women’s History Project

womenshistorymonth.gov

Library Books about Women’s History

Find your Family Tree at the library!

Here at the main branch, we have a whole room dedicated to genealogy research. Our collection focuses on the local area, especially Terrebonne Parish, but we have plenty of books on almost every other state. Some of our most popular resources include South Louisiana Vital Family Records (nicknamed the “Father Hebert books”) which are fabulous for looking up early birth, marriage, and death records. Also, we have Terrebonne Parish census records, indexed obituaries, cemetery records, and microfilm images of Terrebonne Parish newspapers back to 1855.


You should also take advantage of two very useful online databases: Ancestry.com Library Edition and Heritage Quest Online. Ancestry.com can only be used in the library and features searchable marriage, death, military enlistment, and census records from all U.S. states as well as other countries. Heritage Quest Online consists of U.S. census records, local histories, and book searches. It can be used in the library or at home using your library card number.



Once you begin your research, the library provides several charts to use. In particular, we have 3 Generation Pedigree Charts, 6 Generation Pedigree Charts, and Family Group Record Sheets (which includes siblings). So, if you’ve ever considered mapping out your family tree, the library has everything you need to get started!

Need a place to study?

With the holiday season over for a while, many of us are looking ahead to midterm exams and of course those dreaded cram sessions. Fortunately, the library can help you get on the right track by providing the perfect setting. The main library has several study rooms where you can meet to study with a group. You can book a room for up to 6 people for free. All you need is a library card. To do this you can come in and ask to reserve a study room at the reference desk or you can call and reserve one over the phone at 985-876-5861 ext. 201 or 202. Our study rooms are equipped with tables, chairs, dry erase boards, wireless internet, and electrical outlets for your laptop.

For those who prefer to study alone, the library has a Quiet Study room. Quiet Study is perfect for any individual who needs a quiet place to read or write. You don’t need a reservation to use the Quiet Study room; you can walk in anytime. The room is full of tables, comfy chairs, and a lot of windows. Like the study rooms, it has wireless internet access and laptop plug-ins.

Happy Birthday Thomas Edison!

February 11th is Thomas Alva Edison’s birthday! This American inventor and scientist is most famous for his invention of the incandescent light bulb. However, he also invented the phonograph, motion pictures, and created one of the first research laboratories in modern science. In his lifetime, he was issued over 1,000 U.S. patents, the most the U.S. patent office has ever issued to any individual. He also received patents in over two dozen other countries. All while struggling with hearing loss since he was 15 years old. To read more about Edison’s accomplishments, check out the sites below or visit your library for some enlightening reading material.

More information:

Thomasedison.com

Timeline of Thomas Edison's life

Books about Thomas Edison at your library

Houma Parade Schedule 2010

You asked for it, and now here it is! This is the schedule of Mardi Gras Parades that will roll in Terrebonne Parish. The Main Library will close at FIVE O'CLOCK for those parades highlighted in red. The entire library system will be CLOSED completely on Mardi Gras Day.



Friday, February 5th
6:00 pm, Krewe of Hercules (Houma)

Saturday, February 6th
Noon, Bayou Tee Callou (Chauvin)
6:30 pm, Krewe of Aquiruis (Houma)

Sunday, February 7th
12:30 pm, Krewe of Hyacinthians (Houma)

Friday, February 12th
6:30 pm, Krewe of Aphrodite (Houma)

Saturday, February 13th
6:30 pm, Krewe of Mardi Gras (Houma)

Sunday, February 14th
12:30 pm, Krewe Terreanians (Houma)
Following Terreanians, Krewe of Tut (Houma)
2:00pm , Krewe of Montegut (Montegut)

Monday, February 15th, Lundi Gras Day
6:30 pm, Krewe of Cleopatra (Houma)


Tuesday, February 16th, Mardi Gras Day
11:00 am, Krewe of Houmas (Houma)
Following Houmas, Krewe of Kajuns (Houma)
4:00 pm, Bonne Terre (Montegut)

This Day In History: The Challenger Explodes on Liftoff

"The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them."--Ronald Reagan

Twenty-four years ago today, the space shuttle Challenger exploded on liftoff high over the Atlantic Ocean off of Cape Kennedy. All crew members on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed in the accident. It was the first time American astronauts had been killed in flight, and it effectively shut down the space program for two years while its safety was investigated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The space program continues today in spite of and because of the sacrifices of the Challenger crew.

More Information:

Books About the Challenger Accident That Can Be Found in the Terrebonne Parish Library


President Reagan's Speech to the Nation Regarding the Challenger Accident


The Challenger Crew: Official NASA Biographies

Exciting Upcoming Programs

This week, the library is having two programs at the main branch which come at the perfect time of year. Wednesday at 6:30pm in the Large Meeting Room of the Main Library, there will be an identity theft program titled “Protect Your Identity: Be Yourself …Or Someone Else Will!” The program will teach you how to protect yourself from identity theft, which can be especially useful information to many of us during tax season. This hour-long presentation will be given by Margaret Burlew of the LSU Ag Center.



On Thursday at 6:00pm, the library will hold its 2010 Financial Aid Workshop. Presenters include the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance and the U.S. Military. Representatives of the Terrebonne Parish Library will discuss TOPS, private & military scholarships, filling out FAFSA, and test preparation strategies. As the end of the school year draws near, this program can help high school students get ready for the years to come. You can register for the program in advance by contacting the reference department at 985-876-1733, ext. 202.


For even more information on the topics mentioned above, feel free to explore some of these links:

FTC’s Identity Theft Website

The U.S. Dept. of Justice Identity Theft Website

Federal Student Aid

Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance

Haitian Relief: Don't Be Scammed

If it falls upon your conscience to donate money to help out in Haiti--Haiti, after all, has some complex and fascinating historical ties to Louisiana--below are some links that might make giving a bit easier without having your money end up in the pockets of some huckster:

Partners in Health/Zanmi Lasante--donate here.

American Red Cross--just click the "radio button" next to "Haiti relief."

It's possible to donate to the Red Cross via text; to donate to the Red Cross, text the word "Haiti" to the number 90999.

The International Committee of the Red Cross

United Nations World Food Programme

Yele Haiti--Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean's organization.

To send $5, donors can text "Yele" to the number 501501.

Catholic Relief Services

If you or someone you know has family members in Haiti, you may be able to find out more by calling the U.S. State Department's Haiti Hotline at (888) 407-4747. Call volume has been heavy, so callers may hear a recorded message or end up on hold for a while.

VITA 2010

FREE TAX HELP FROM VOLUNTEERS

The Volunteer Income Tax Association will be at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library from Tuesday, February 2nd, through Tuesday, April 13th, to help you file your tax form at the following times:

Tuesdays: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(NOTE: VITA will NOT be at the library on Saturday, April 10th or Tuesday, February 16th.)

This service is primarily for the elderly and low-income filers.

Those Wanting VITA Assistance Must Have:

- All W-2 and 1099 forms for 2009.

- Driver's license or other photo ID.

- Social Security cards for everyone in the household.

- Birth dates for everyone in the household.

- 1099-INT forms showing interest earned on bank accounts.

- The name, address and tax ID or Social Security number of child-care providers for child-care credits.

- 1099-G forms that show unemployment payments.

- SSA-1099 forms showing Social Security payments.

- Pay records from jury duty.

- W-2G forms for gambling or lottery winnings.

- Those who wish to have their tax refunds directly deposited into their checking accounts or payments to the IRS drawn directly from their accounts must bring a voided check that includes a routing number and bank-account number.

For more information about VITA, contact Jennifer Gaudet of Catholic Social Services at 985-876-0490.

Tax Forms 2009 Online...And At The Library

The IRS is kind enough to send out tax forms and instructions this time of year, guaranteeing that the merry highs of the holiday season are tempered somewhat by some sober reality.

You can pick up forms at any of our branches, or you can download and print PDFs of the forms from the IRS website. To make it easier, here is a link to the IRS Tax Form Index. Remember, "f" stands for "form", "i" stands for "instructions" and "p" stands for "publication."

And by the way, if you need any help from the IRS regarding ordering forms or filling your forms out, you can contact them by telephone at 1-800-829-1040.

Winds and Words of War

From now until March, the Terrebonne Parish Library's Main Branch at 151 Library Drive in Houma will host a travelling collection of 40 authentic World War One recruitment and propaganda posters. The collection, titled "The Winds and Words of War" will be housed on the first floor and features posters urging Americans of all stripes to "do their bit" to win the war. Included is the famous "I Want You" poster with Uncle Sam pointing directly at the viewer.

The Winds and Words of War, which premiered at the San Antonio Public Library, is made possible by the Stumberg Foundation, The Tobin Endowment, the City of San Antonio Veteran’s Affairs Commission, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Also, on Febrary 24th at 6:30 PM Trisha Dubina, a graphic design instructor at Nicholls State University will give a talk on "Early American Graphic Design." Ms. Dubina will give her presentation in the distance education classroom on the second floor of the Main Library.

Call Lauren Bordelon at 985-876-5158 ext. 234 for more information.