Digital Library

Improve Your Computer Skills

In our modern era, computers have seamlessly woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. From business operations to personal tasks, these machines have become indispensable. For many, this transition happened so rapidly that they felt left behind. If you’ve ever felt daunted by the prospect of navigating the digital realm or simply wished for a clearer understanding of how your devices work, then the computer basics course from Universal Class is tailor-made for you.

By the culmination of this course, you won’t just be a user; you’ll be an informed and confident navigator of the digital world. Whether you aim to apply these skills in a professional setting or simply wish to enrich your personal experiences, this foundation will serve you well in our increasingly digitized society.

Universal Class is a free programme available from your local library. You can choose from hundreds of free online courses to enhance your personal development goals. Pop into your library today to find out more.

Explore the Lote4Kids App

Have you explored the Lote4Kids App yet? It’s a huge hit with users of all ages! The app’s intuitive design and ad-free, secure environment make it a favourite on iOS and Android devices.

Don’t miss out – download the app today from the Apple Store or Google Play. Once you have the app it couldn’t be easier, simply find your library, enter your barcode and dive into exciting stories and activities!

Make Language Learning Fun

Picture Card Books are the latest innovation from LOTE4Kids, to help children learn language in an enjoyable way! These bilingual resources are available free of charge for you from your local library.

An initial series of 30 Picture Card Books has been created for Chinese Simplified (Mandarin) and English, with illustrations by digital artists and voice-overs by native speakers, to provide children with a new and contemporary learning journey. Lote4Kids will release new Picture Card Books in 2-3 languages every month, so stay tuned!

Picture cards are a powerful tool in making language learning accessible and enjoyable for children. By focusing on topics that are directly relevant to their lives, these visual aids not only facilitate vocabulary building but also foster a deeper connection with the language being learned. As children grow in their language abilities, the scope of picture cards can expand, paving the way for a lifelong journey of language exploration and learning.

So pop into your local library today to find out more about this fantastic free resource.

Join The Language Competition

Compete with library patrons all over the world this summer!

It’s simple. Log in to Transparent Language Online for Libraries. Pick any (or many) of the 130+ available languages.

Learn as much as you can during from July 26 – August 11. The 3 library patrons with the most learning time in that window are our medalists!

Medalists win Amazon gift cards for themselves (plus a $100 gift card for their library):

🥇1st place: $150

🥈2nd place: $100

🥉3rd place: $50

That’s it! TLO will announce and email the winners in August.

Now some “fine print” stuff:

Only library patrons using Transparent Language Online for Libraries are eligible. Individual subscribers or users sponsored by any other organization are not eligible, sorry!
You must have an email associated with your account (either your username or entered in your user profile) so we can contact you. No email in the account = not eligible to win.
Learning time = time spent doing lessons, refreshing Learned Vocab, or doing Practice activities in Transparent Language Online on web or mobile.
The contest runs from 12:01am EST on July 26, 2024 to 11:59pm EST on August 11, 2024. Only learning time completed during that time will count.
We will select the winners based on learning time completed, but reserve the right not to choose a specific user for any reason. Winners will be announced by August 30, 2024 and contacted by email. Failure to reply to the email within 7 days forfeits the prize and a new winner will be selected.
Prizes are Amazon gift cards amounting to $150, $100, and $50 respectively, and a $100 gift card for the associated library. If the winning patrons and/or libraries are not in the US, we will try to accommodate their local currency. Applicable exchange rates will be applied.

Manchester MegaCon is Coming

27 – 28 July 2024

With the Manchester MegaCon just around the corner, you may want to immerse yourself in some Manga to help you prepare for this great event.

Explore Comics Plus®, the totally free service where you can access thousands of digital comics, graphic novels, and manga. The collection includes popular and award-winning titles for every age range and interest.

If you would like to get yourself ready for Manchester, why not pop into your local library and ask about Comics Plus®

Time for a Career Change?

We have all been there – you enjoy your summer holiday and then have to go back to a job you are no longer enjoying. Thoughts about a change of career enter your head.

If you are looking for a new path, then Universal Class is a great starting point. You can explore a myriad of different courses to get a better understanding of different career paths and discover whether you will enjoy it and even more importantly whether you have an aptitude for it. These courses are absolutely free of charge – simply visit your local library to get signed up.

Simple to use, you select the training course you would like to study and off you go. The summary tells you how long each course will be and gives you an overview of the course and lessons. Submit ‘homework’ and a ‘live’ tutor will review, and provide feedback and results.

There are hundreds of free courses to choose from, like ‘Accounting101’ for example;

Course Overview:

This extensive online course, “Accounting and Bookkeeping 101”, is meticulously crafted with the novice in mind. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a professional seeking to broaden your financial literacy, our course offers a comprehensive exploration into accounting, ensuring you grasp the essential foundations. Designed for those with little to no prior knowledge, our modules delve deep into fundamental principles, illustrated with rich examples to aid comprehension.

Get Great Green Fingers

The summer is upon us and finally the weather is improving. Being able to spend time in the garden is great, but it also means you notice how much your garden needs some attention.

Why not take a free course in Landscaping to help you learn how to make the most of your outdoor space. Universal Class is a great free service available from your local library. Offering hundreds of courses to choose from, which you can study from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. Courses like ‘Landscaping101’ for example;

From Canvas to Masterpiece: Learn to visualize barren plots and aging yards as opportunities waiting for your transformative touch. Equip yourself to reimagine and reinvigorate these spaces into lush, captivating sanctuaries.
Laying the Blueprint: Dive deep into design principles. From harmony and color to proportion and lines, decode the secrets of creating balanced, eye-catching layouts.
Foundations of Assessment: Every space narrates a story. Learn to listen. Determine the underlying needs, the core purpose of the landscape, and chart out the journey from concept to creation.
Strategic Planning: Translate visions into actionable steps. Be it choosing to collaborate with professionals or taking a DIY route, our comprehensive modules encompass it all.
Common Pitfalls & Their Evasion: Mistakes can be expensive. Acquaint yourself with common errors in landscaping and arm yourself with strategies to sidestep them, ensuring a smooth-sailing project execution.
Maximizing Existing Potential: Not every space needs a complete overhaul. Sometimes, enhancing existing elements can work wonders. Learn the art of optimization and rejuvenation.

Visit your local library today to find out how you can get started with Universal Class.

UK Election Looms

Politics can be a minefield at the best of times, but leading up to elections everything goes even more crazy. Trying to keep on top of all the latest articles and news can be a hard and confusing slog.

By using PressReader you can easily search for ‘UK Politics’ and immediately see all the articles from hundreds of different publications, delivered in a convenient and easy to read format.

In addition to newspaper articles you will also find a wealth of magazines, so you can delve deeper into their targeted articles commenting on the Election. Incredibly, this is a totally free service from your local library!

Get ready for the Olympics

Excitement is building for the up coming Paris Olympics, starting on Friday 26th July 2024 and running until 11th August 2024.

If you are lucky enough to be able to attend this fabulous event, a little knowledge of French will be a huge benefit. You can learn all the basics you need to travel around Paris totally free.

Pop into your library and ask them about Transparent Languages Online, a great way to learn languages from the comfort of your own home.

Make your trip to the Paris Olympics easy with a grasp of the french you need to get around the city, order food, arrange accommodation or buy tickets.

A New Gamified Experience with LOTE4Kids

Transform your children’s learning experience with the new dynamic, interactive Weekly Learning Dashboard from LOTE4Kids.

A self-driven progression and reward system which encourages your children to set their own goals and challenges.

Key benefits;

Allows children to track their progress and set goals
Encourages reading and self-guided learning
Creates a heightened sense of achievement

By integrating scoring, awards and rules of play into their activities, children are motivated to build and maintain good learning habits while expanding their horizons. So now it has never been easier to support and encourage your children – simply pop into your local library and ask them about LOTE4Kids today.