The library is pleased to offer a new video series designed to educate and entertain called “Becoming a Magician”. This successful, self-guided course is free. It teaches students ages 8-80 enough magic to do a 30-minute performance and includes, along with teaching the magic tricks, acting and storytelling skills so the performance is fun and entertaining. Props needed for the course are ones most people already have at home or can be purchased at the local dollar store.
The course was tested in ten Vermont communities and was well received by both libraries and students. “The course is wonderfully designed and not only teaches the magic in a marvelous way, but the performance and storytelling skills make the tricks come alive” states a librarian from Vermont. “There are so many things a librarian can do with this course.” A mother of two who accessed the course through their local library said “My son and daughter performed a magic show for their grandfather whom they had not seen in person for months because of the pandemic. They have missed each other terribly. He kept shouting, ‘I can’t believe it, this is wonderful, how are you doing this?’ He was astonished. What you taught them has already brightened one person’s life.”
Teachers, Tom Verner and Janet Fredericks are founders of Magicians Without Borders (www.magicianswithoutborders.com) and have traveled to over 45 countries bringing love, laughter, magic and hope to hundreds of thousands of refugee and orphan children in many of the most war-torn parts of the world.
Resources provided by
the Vermont Department of Libraries to All Public Libraries:
Universal Class
More than 500 online
classes ranging in topics from writing skills, software programs (including
Adobe and Microsoft programs), to science, html, and graphic design. There’s
something for everyone! Though classes are not for college credit, they are led
by a real instructor with whom you can communicate by e-mail. Courses allow you
to proceed at your own pace, working on assignments anytime, day or night.
Access – Go to Universal Class and use your library card number to login and create an account.
Learning Express
Learning Express library
is a deep and broad tool that has something for everyone! It covers elementary
school homework help, prep for the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam,
nursing and medical testing prep, job interview and resume writing, computer
skills, SAT, LSAT, and GRE test prep, to interactive tools to help someone
choose a career. It can help someone choose a pathway in life or provide the
tools to get a better job.
Access – Go to the Learning Express Library Click on Sign /In Register in the upper right corner. Click on New User to start New User Registration. Your institution (Greensboro Free Library) will already be filled out. Fill in the rest of the form and click Register at the bottom of the page. Thereafter you will sign in with the user name (your email address) and password you entered.
Vermont Online Library
Covering everything from newspaper articles to DIY car
repair, the Vermont Online Library (VOL)
can help with any topic. Available for free to all Vermonters, VOL has options
for all ages from elementary school through adult. You can even use it to read
current articles from the NY Times, Washington Post, the Economist, and more.
Access – Use the Vermont Online Library your library’s website. It will ask if you share your location; if not, login with your library card number or a password (ask library staff).
Free Resources:
The Daily Hazen Link
Learn about what’s happening at Hazen Union at The Daily Hazen Link. This link also gives you teacher’s weekly class plans, ideas on what to do while school is closed and when students can pick up meals.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library
offering free universal access to books, movies & music, as well as 418
billion archived web pages.
The site offers
thousands of public domain ebooks for free use on any device. Because they are
public domain, they are typically limited to items published before 1924, but
that still includes a wide range of classics.
Access – Go to Project Gutenberg and download free ebooks in a variety of formats
LibriVox
This site offers public domain audiobooks recorded by
volunteers for free use on any relevant device. Like Gutenberg, they tend to be
items published before 1924.
Access – Go to LibriVox and download free audiobooks.
TumbleBooks
This site offers is a collection of animated talking
picture books, read-alongs, ebooks, quizzes, lesson plans, and educational
games. They recently announced its online products would be available for free
to all public libraries until at least August 31.
Access go to www.TumbleBook Library.com for K-6 children’s ebook database Username: tumble735 Password: books
Available through some Public Libraries (Please
contact your local library for availability):
RB Digital
RB Digital allows you
to check out ebooks and digital audiobooks to your phone, tablet, or other
drive. Just like print books, there’s a checkout period, and only one person
can have a book at a time.
Access – Install the RB Digital app, or go to https://vermontstate.rbdigital.com/ . You’ll need your library card number to enter a username and password when setting up your account. Call the library (802-533-2531 for your username which is your library card number.
