Share this:

If you are still trying to decide to switch health care plans or whether you can before Feb 15th – here is a great list of frequently asked questions about the Health care marketplace and basic facts about the Washington Health Benefit Exchange.  Locally there is a list of certified assisters at the Whatcom Alliance for Health Advancement

Share this:

Attention readers,

Our library blog has moved! Please follow us at our new location by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you on our new site!

Share this:

The library has lots of ways to practice and learn a new language.  Our newest program allows you to use your mobile device of choice!

Try our new language learning course – create an account with your Burlington Public Library card number, remember the password and account info, download the app if you want to use a mobile device and take advantage of the fun and interactive courses on Pronunciator!

 

Share this:

Don’t forget, the Author “Closing the Food Gap”, Mark Winne will speak Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Burlington Public Library.

For the rest of the Skagit Reads programs

Tuesday 11 a.m. at the Burlington Public Library

Tuesday, November 4
“A Place at the Table” Exclusive screening for Mount Vernon High School,
Sharon Thornberry, Oregon Food Bank Executve Director will speak to students after the film.
Lincoln Theater, 7 p.m.
$10 admission, a fundraiser for Community Action

Author Presentation
Closing the Food Gap author Mark Winne will give a historical review of the book and a progress report on the issues of hunger and food insecurity.
Anacortes Public Library, 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 5
“A Place at the Table,” Documentary Film Movie Screening,
Concrete Theatre. 7 p.m

 

Share this:

Learn about this year’s ballot, find voter registration forms and remember to vote!  The library always has information resources (books, articles, data, statistics) on issues plus there is a new website with fact checking capabilities called the LivingVotersGuide.org.  Stay informed and Vote!

Share this:

If you are planning to take the SAT, GRE, GED or other career qualifying exam, click here to practice the exams using the Testing & Education Reference Center. Your library card allows you to spend time focusing on the tests and sample questions to prepare you for the best scores! You can take the tests over and over again to get it just right!

Testing & Education Reference Center

Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC) is designed to help students — in high school, graduate school, and specialty school and beyond — make their future education decisions easier. TERC is provides easy access to information on colleges, technical schools, practice entrance exams, and certification and professional license exams that show students what to expect and how to prepare for — and excel at — the next level. Plus, the resume Builder and Virtual career library make TERC perfect for job seekers by providing specific examples and tips for the job search. It also provides provides a vast collection of information on two- and four-year institutions across the United States to help students (and parents) screen potential schools.  This resource is available in the library or from home 24/7.  Contact us if you need help.

GED®
HSPT (High School Placement Test)
ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam)
SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test)
SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admission Test)
SHSAT
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
MAT (Miller Analogies Test)
ACT
Academic Skills Question Banks
Mathematics, Grades 6-8
Mathematics, Grades 9-12
Reading, Grades 6-8
Reading, Grades 9-12
Science, Grades 9-12
Writing, Grades 6-8
Writing, Grades 9-12
AP (Advanced Placement)
AP Biology
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP European History
AP Human Geography NEW
AP Macroeconomics
AP Microeconomics
AP Physics B
AP Physics C
AP Psychology
AP Spanish Language
AP Statistics
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP U.S. History
AP World History
COOP (Cooperative Entrance Examination)
GED®
HSPT (High School Placement Test)
ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam)
SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test)
SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admission Test)
SHSAT
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
MAT (Miller Analogies Test)
ACT
Cosmetology
Barbering
Nail Technology
Esthetics Fundamentals
Esthetics Advanced
Massage
Firefighter Exam
Law Enforcement Exams
Border Patrol
Corrections Officer
Court Officer
Parole Officer
Police Officer
Police Promotion
Probation Officer
State Trooper
Medical/Nursing Exams
Medical Assistant Course
NCLEX-PN
NCLEX-RN
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
CLEP
DSST
Ethics in America
Introduction to Computing
Management Information Systems
Principles of Supervision
Substance Abuse
PSAT
SAT
SAT Subject Tests
Biology E/M
Chemistry
French
Literature
Math Level 1
Math Level 2
Physics
Spanish
U.S. History
World History
International Tools
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
TOEFL Reading Comprehension
TOEFL Vocabulary
TOEFL Writing and Grammar
TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)
TOEIC
U.S. Citizenship
Accountant/Auditor Exams
Accountant/Auditor
ACT WorkKeys
Reading for Information
Applied Mathematics
American Foreign Service Officer
Basic Computer Skills
Microsoft Windows 7 NEW
Microsoft Word 2010 NEW
Microsoft Excel 2010 NEW
Microsoft Access 2010 NEW
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 NEW
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)
Postal 473/473-C Exams
Postal 710/711 Exams
Real Estate
Caseworker
Court Officer
Parole Officer
Probation Officer
PRAXIS I
Treasury Enforcement Agent

Share this:

Under A Flaming Sky by Daniel James Brown

It isn’t very often we have over 5 holds on a non-fiction book so we have ordered an extra copy of “Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown.  This title has been on the best-seller list for months.

For those of you who are waiting, several of us agree it is worth the wait. If you also liked Timothy Egan’s “Big Burn” you may also want to read “Under a Flaming Sky”, an earlier title by Brown.

All three are historical narratives with good stories of improbable survival, triumph and tragedy.  They serve to keep us aware of our tentative hold on life and humanity.

-Karen

Share this:

Mark Winne’s Closing the Food Gap – Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty (c 2008)

The book “Closing the Food Gap – Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty” is Skagit Libraries community reads book for the month of October.  It involves everyone in reading, discussing, debating and analyzing the same book.

In this case, the book is about food, health and social policies that have shaped the way we eat, work and live.  Skagit County’s economy is very dependent on agriculture.  There are 1074 farms in Skagit County according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture though that number has decreased since 2007.  But there is an active effort to encourage fresh, safe, sustainable and healthy food crops for all of our residents by various agencies, small farms, small distribution, processing and retail sales businesses.

Author, Mark Winne’s book describes his career as a community food activist dedicated to improving social policies that advocate healthy fresh meals especially for those whose incomes make it hard for them to afford.  It includes a history of food programs for the poor as they evolved – both governmental and non-profit – with discussion of what works and what hasn’t. He will be visiting Skagit County – dates tba.

Pick up a free copy of the book at your local Skagit library and join in on the discussion at our several scheduled events!

Skagit Reads event schedule updates

Food Day, October 24th, 2014 is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food.

Skagit Reads Schedule of Events

 

 

Share this:

Discovery Burlington History at the Library

Tuesday evening, Sept 16, 7 pm
Burlington Public Library Community Meeting Room
820 E Washington Ave

Learn to find Burlington historical places, people, events, buildings, houses, dates, using the library and other new resources – print and online.  Also learn about the new Hub History Digital Collection of online photographs and documents for learning history.

Bring your questions and share your history stories with the Burlington Historical Society group for a fascinating trip back in time here in Skagit County.

Reference Librarian and local historian Karen Prasse will talk about finding the hidden-in-plain-site resources for history.

The program is sponsored by the Burlington Historical Society

For more information call 360-757-4757

Share this:

Ciro Raygoza, 3, is the proud recipient of a Mongoose bike donated by the Mount Vernon Wal-Mart for the Burlington Library Summer Reading program

Ciro Raygoza was one of 322 children who registered for the free Summer Reading Program, Fizz, Boom, Read, at the Burlington Public Library.

Each week, his family faithfully read to Ciro and filled out raffle tickets.
One hundred twenty-one (121) children completed the eight-week reading program and were eligible for a complimentary paperback book.

2014 Burlington Library Summer Reading Program

Share this:

The Washington Anytime Library (aka Overdrive) has some new checkout options for you!  See below:

 

Suspend a hold 

You can now “suspend” a hold on Overdrive. When you do this, you continue to move up the waiting list for that title, but the system won’t fill your hold until your suspension period is over. For example, you’re getting close to the top of a waiting list for a popular title, but you’re in the middle of reading another book, you might want to suspend your hold to make sure that you won’t receive the new title until you are ready for it.  There are more details on Overdrive’s website.

Automatic Borrowing

You can also turn on “automatic borrowing” when you place a title on hold.  This way you have the option to have titles automatically check out to your account when it becomes available.  Again, you can learn more about this feature from Overdrive.

 

-Karen

Share this:

Janis Joplin found her inspiration reading about the blues in her local library

The Library of Congress has been working to digitize interviews that broadcaster Studs Terkel did with prominent musicians.  There is a lot of fascinating material in this collection, including interviews with Oscar Peterson and Bob Dylan.

The one that caught our interest, though, was Janis Joplin talking about how she was inspired by Bessie Smith and other blues singers, and how she “started reading books on the blues that I found in the library.”  Take a listen:

 

Thanks to the Library of Congress and its partners, you can find a number of Studs’ interviews, with musicians and other notable interviewees, available for streaming online.