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The Geiger Counter: Explore a world of learning at the library

 

Don’t know what to do this weekend? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Pull up a seat to the counter, and I’ll tell you about everything that’s hot and happening.

I love being a journalist because I learn something new every day. I then spend my free time to learn even more.

Naturally, the Summit County Library is the go-to resource for continuing one’s education, whether they are a kid or an adult.



Physical books naturally come to mind, yet the best part, especially in the second year of a pandemic, is that a multitude of resources are just a click away. I’ve known about checking out digital books on Libby or watching movies on Kanopy before, but over the summer, I learned about other offerings while doing the library’s reading challenge. It led me to dig deeper into various programs with virtual meditation and yoga classes. I also discovered that the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance puts out virtual tours on Facebook, and I watched one of Frisco Historic Park & Museum’s lunch talks.

It seems like each time I log onto the website, I notice there’s a new tool to play with. Online newspapers have expanded to include the Wall Street Journal. Creative outlets now include Prenda to teach kids, or curious adults, how to code.



“We consider our website our fourth library,” said Sarah Hulsey, operations manager for the library. “Having a well-rounded collection on here is pretty important.”

Hulsey said the pandemic has been a factor in deciding what becomes a digital resource for the public. For example, Consumer Reports can now be read online rather than requiring an in-person visit. Folks suffering from wanderlust have the opportunity to check out AtoZ Food America to explore countries from their own couch and make local cuisine.

CreativeBug allows people to be artistic with projects such as sewing, knitting and more. I’m not the craftiest person, but I could probably be persuaded to learn how to work with leather or metal for jewelry. I already did the quarantine baking fad, so why not pass the time with other hands-on hobbies?

What excites me more is the inclusion of Rosetta Stone. The software was advertised nonstop on television when I was growing up, though the appeal was lost on me. However, seeing how it’s been years since my three years of high school Spanish, when a major accomplishment was translating a children’s book, I’d like to brush up on my skills.

According to Hulsey, a hidden gem is the Universal Class courses. More than academic lectures, the service teaches people about hundreds of subjects. A unique aspect is the lifestyle-oriented classes that teach about bartending, calligraphy and even how to run a dogsitting business. The classes count as credit for colleges, too.

All of these resources are available simply with a library card. If there’s a program you wish to see available, the library is open to suggestions, as well.

Jefferson Geiger is the arts and entertainment editor at the Summit Daily News.

What I’m Reading

‘Caveat Emptor’ By Ken Perenyi

You won’t become a master art forger after reading this book, but Ken Perenyi’s memoir on how he fooled experts in the art world is enlightening. Not only does he copy the strokes of Martin Johnson Heade, James E. Buttersworth and others impeccably, but he writes how he uses various materials to make a painting appear older than it is.

Taking place in New York in the ‘60s and beyond, part of it reads like a beatnik novel of artists like Perenyi, Andy Warhol and Peter Max mingling in Greenwich Village. Then it transforms into a tense caper involving the mafia and the FBI reminiscent of the movie “Catch Me if You Can.”

Perenyi has become such a great forger that people will now expressly purchase his fakes rather than an original. As the name implies, just make sure to triple check which is which before pulling out the pocketbook.


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