Free Computer Classes

Have you been wanting to get onto the Information Highway, but didn't know how?

Have you been having difficulty filling out those online job applications, because you don't feel comfortable with a mouse?

In these difficult economic times, we are seeing more and more community members coming to the library needing help with their computer skills.

So the Mountlake Terrace Library is happy to once again offer its popular series of computer classes for the very beginner. Class size is small, so students get personal attention, and it's a nonjudgmental atmosphere where you will feel safe asking questions. Hey, we were all beginners once.

"Computer Basics" teaches basic mouse skills and navigation on the computer screen - scrolling up and down, clicking and dragging with the mouse, using drop down menus, exiting programs, etc.

"Internet Basics" teaches the three ways to find what you need on the Internet.

Instructors share lots of tips and tricks during the classes and are there to answer questions about individual computer problems.


Pre-registration is required. Call or visit the library to sign up. All classes take place before the library opens and begin at 8:15am.

Class Schedule

Computer Basics
Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Nov. 7, Dec. 5

Internet Basics
Sept. 15, Sept. 29, Oct. 13, Oct. 17, Nov. 10, Dec. 15, Dec. 19

And if you need help setting up a free email account, make an appointment with a librarian at the library for one on one help.

Teen Digital Photography Scavenger Hunt

This Saturday from noon-2pm we are having a really fun program for teens

Teams of two or more friends can take part in our wacky and fun digital photography scavenger hunt. They will be given a list of things in the Mountlake Terrace Community to track down and photograph. The first teams to complete the list (or teams with the highest number during the time limit) will win a prize! Funded by the Friends of the Mountlake Terrace Library.

I did one of these last summer, and it was SUPER fun. Tell any teens you know about it!

Why We Need Librarians

Ever since the advent of the Internet, there has been the sentiment that books and librarians would no longer be needed. After all, everything was free and available on the Internet, right? Wrong. Contrary to popular belief, not everything is on the Internet and not everything is free. It would be impossible to digitize all of human knowledge. And even if we could, how would you make sense of it all?

The Internet provides access to a wealth of information, that is true. But the Internet is a disorganized, unregulated place. You can type some words in Google and get results, but can you tell the reliable information from the unreliable?

Anyone can put something on the Internet. There are people out there who will do just about anything to get your attention. Type .com by mistake, instead of .org or .edu at the end of an Internet address, and be afraid, be very afraid. Some commercial enterprises buy addresses hoping you will make that mistake and end up on their web page, rather than the one you meant to go to. Librarians are trained to help you avoid that and make sense of what you find and lead you to the reliable sites, whether you use the Internet all the time or are a beginner.

Yes, Google is amazing, and I give it its due. But a librarian is a trained professional on duty in a library to help anyone and everyone with his or her information needs no matter what their skill level. A librarian will welcome you with a smile, patiently work with you to formulate your question, if needed, and help you evaluate your search results, so you are getting the best information possible. And we do our best to make sure you are satisfied before you leave the library.

Can Google do that?

In these trying times, we have been busier than ever. We help the newly unemployed fill out job applications and set up free email accounts. We put newcomers in touch with classes that will help them with their English. We provide free programs, DVDs and other materials for families who might no longer be able to afford to go out or rent movies. We help senior citizens practice needed mouse skills so they can email their grandchildren. We provide homework help and exam proctoring for students.

Can Google do that?

Librarians also protect your right to information by providing all sides of an issue and your privacy to seek whatever information you wish.

Can Google do that?

Don't get me wrong. The Internet, and Google in particular, have certainly made a librarian's life much easier. I can remember endless hours of searching in old newspapers and volumes of reference books for a fact I can now pull up on the Internet in seconds.

And that leads me to another reason you need librarians.

I can't tell you how often a library customer comes to me looking for help and tells me he or she has already looked on the Internet. I quickly do a search and find the information and the customer says, "How did you do that?" I just smile.

I want to say is, "This is what I do. I am a Librarian."

Twilight fans unite!

How passionate are you about Twilight?

Which book is your favorite?

Team Edward, or Team Jacob?

Come to the Mountlake Terrace Library next Wednesday at 4pm, August 19th to watch the movie and then take part in a spirited debate over which is better the movie or the book, werewolf or vampire boyfriends, and much more!

Wear a costume or Twilight clothing for a chance to win the DVD!

Why We Need Libraries

If someone were to ask you why we needed libraries, what would you say?

Would the answer come easily to you?

You might say, they provide free computer access. You might say, they have books and DVDs I can check out for free.

But here is some food for thought:

Libraries safeguard our freedom and keep democracy healthy.
Libraries are ready when they are needed, ready to enrich our minds and defend our right to know, just as other institutions protect our safety and property.

Libraries break down boundaries.
Libraries provide free family programs and lead outreach programs that teach citizenship and develop multilingual and multicultural materials for their patrons. Libraries service the homebound elderly, institutionalized individuals, the homeless and the blind and hearing-impaired.

Libraries level the playing field.
By making all its resources equally available to all members of its communities, regardless of income, class, or other factors, the library levels the playing field. Once users have access to the library's materials, they have the opportunity to level the playing field outside the library by learning to read, gaining employment, or starting a business. In this current tough economy, libraries are seeing firsthand how this is playing out. Community members are using us more than ever for help finding work or to check out books or other materials they can no longer afford to purchase.

Libraries return high dividends.
What do Gallo wines, the I Can't Believe It's Yogurt chain and billboard-sign giant Metromedia have in common? Libraries made millionaires out of each of these companies' grateful owners by providing crucial start-up information when they were no more than wannabe business titans.

Libraries make families friendlier.
The American family's best friend, the library, offers services guaranteed to hone coping skills. Homework help, parenting materials, after-school activities, summer reading programs, outreach -- like the families they service, libraries everywhere are adapting to meet new challenges.

Libraries offer sanctuary.
Like synagogues, churches, mosques and other sacred spaces, libraries can create a physical reaction, a feeling of peace, respect, humility, and honor that throws the mind wide open. But why? Perhaps it is because in the library we are answerable to no one; along with our private thoughts, fantasies, and hopes, we are free to nourish what is most precious to us with the silent companionship of others we do not know.

Libraries build communities.
Community building means libraries link people with information. Librarians have become experts at helping others navigate the Internet. Before there was talk of cyberspace, there were libraries, paving the way for the superhighway.

These are just seven of many reasons why we need libraries which I have taken in part from a 2000 revision of an article that appeared in American Libraries in December 1995 - "12 Ways Libraries are Good for the Country." (And yes, I have permission)

If you would like to read the entire article Click Here

What about you? Why do you think we need libraries? How has the library impacted your life?