Category : Adults
Vision to Learn
**ALL SLOTS ARE CURRENTLY FULL**
This summer, The Gwinnett County Public Library System, in coordination with Vision To Learn, will offer
vision screenings, eye exams, and, if necessary, glasses for your child. These services are free and will be
provided at NO COST to you.
Quality vision care is an important component of education; students that cannot see often struggle to learn to read, to see the board, and to succeed academically. During the course of this event, your child will be screened. If your child fails the screening, a trained and licensed Optometrist will then perform a basic eye exam on your child, and will prescribe glasses if appropriate. You will be informed if your child may need follow-up care.
Eye screenings and exams will take place between 9:30am to 3:00pm at the following Gwinnett County Library facilities:
**ALL SLOTS ARE CURRENTLY FULL**
Monday, July 15 – Lilburn Branch **FULL**
4817 Church Street, Lilburn, GA 30047
Tuesday, July 16 – Centerville Branch **FULL**
3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville, GA 30046
Thursday, July 18 – Lawrenceville Branch **FULL**
1001 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Tuesday, July 23 – Norcross Branch **FULL**
6025 Buford Hwy, Norcross, GA 30071
Wednesday, July 24 – Buford Branch **FULL**
2100 Buford Hwy, Buford, GA 30518
Friday, August 2 – Snellville Branch **FULL**
2740 Lenora Church Road, Snellville, GA 30078
Space is Limited. No walk-ins will be accepted.
You MUST pre-register via email form or by registering at your local library.
For more information, call 770-978-5154. To register a child for the free eye screenings, please register using the application forms below, or head to your local library for registration help.
Lawrenceville Application Form
GCPL Digital Resources
1000 Books B4 Kindergarten
ABC- CLIO: American Government
ABC-CLIO: American History
ABC-CLIO: World Geography
ABC-CLIO: State Geography
ABC-CLIO: World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras
Ancestry Library Edition ( only available within Library)
Annals of American History
Beanstack
Biography in Context
Business Source Complete
Career Online High School
College Planning GCPL Guide
Consumer Health Complete
ConsumerED.com
Digital Library of Georgia
Driving Test
eBooks on EBSCOhost
Enciclopedia Moderna
Escolar Online
Explora for Elementary
Explora for High School
Explora for Middle School
Flipster
Foundations Center
Gale Courses
Gale Legal Forms Library
Gale Literature Resource Center
Galileo
GCPL Guides
Global NewsStream
Google News Archive (US & International)
Heritage Quest
Homework Help – Elementary School
Job and Career Accelerator
Learning Express Library
Learning Express Library- Espanol
Lynda.com
Magazines & Newspapers
Mango Languages
MasterFile Elite
MedicLatina
Morningstar
New Georgia Encyclopedia
Newspaper Source
Novelist K-8 PLus
Novelist Plus
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
OverDrive eBooks & More
OverDrive en Espanol
OverDrive for Kids
Oxford Dictionaries Online
PressReader
Reading at Home
Reference USA
Sesame Street eBooks
Treehouse
TumbleBooks
Value Line
Romance Scams
Submitted by Jon Freeman
Valentine’s Day may have already passed us by this year, but people can fall in love year round. When it comes to love and romance remember to guard your wallet as well as your heart – and be aware of romance scams. A romance scam is when a new love interest says they love you, but they really just love your money; and they may not really be who they say they are. The Federal Trade Commission says: “Romance scammers focus on single people, often older adults who might be more trusting. Widows and widowers, LGBT elders, and isolated single adults are common targets, but scammers look for anyone eager for a new relationship. Romance scams can happen in person, but often happen online through social media or dating websites and smartphone apps.” According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the following are warning signs of a romance scam: 1. A new love who lives far away asks you to wire them money or share your credit card number with them — even if they say they’ll pay you back. 2. Your new romantic interest asks you to sign a document that would give them control of your finances or your house. 3. Your new sweetheart asks you to open a new joint account or co-sign a loan with them. 4. Your new darling asks for access to your bank or credit card accounts. For more information on managing your money click on the link to access the GCPL Personal Finance Guide
What’s Happening at Grayson: French Club
Submitted by Grayson Branch Staff
Grayson Library’s French Club (facilitated by Ijaaz Kingston and Khojasta Ghulam Hussain) is designed to complement Trip Elementary School’s Dual Language Immersion program with a focus on social and conversational French outside of an academic learning environment. Since Trip’s DLI students are mainly taught Science and Math in French, they don’t get much practice in social aspects of the French language and culture; therefore, our French Club aims to supplement that. We provide them an opportunity to socialize with each other in a relaxed, fun environment and get that needed practice. In the French Club, we cover a theme each month and have a mini-lesson, games, songs, and other activities based on that monthly theme. We design our programs for two sets of groups from Trip Elementary, grades K-2 and 3-4 so the kids in each group are on a similar French language proficiency level.
We also offer several “Conversational French” practice programs aimed at the parents of DLI students to help them learn basic conversational French. They can communicate with their children in French at home. These programs give parents an opportunity to get familiarized with GCPL’s resources to help them learn and/or practice French, such as Mango Languages, Tumblebooks Library’s French section, as well as our French collection and some outside resource.
Pets and Plant Toxicity
Submitted by Angela Moore
Spring is here, and with it come the beautiful blooms that make the season such a delight for the senses. But if you share your home with pets, there are a few things you should know before you put that gorgeous bouquet out on your coffee table!
Curious pets may like to nibble on plants, which may seem harmless enough — but there’s more to fear than just the destruction of your centerpiece. Lilies in particular are highly lethal to cats: even very small amounts of ingestion (part of a leaf or petal) or contact with the pollen or water from the vase can cause acute kidney failure and death. Despite the danger, less than 30% of cat owners are aware of lily toxicity, and thousands of cats are sickened or killed each year as a result. And while lilies are among the most serious dangers for our furry friends, many other common blooms can cause a health issues for both cats and dogs, ranging from upset stomach to organ failure and death. So before you bring home that bouquet, check out the ASPCA’s list on plant toxicity to make sure you’re not putting your pets at risk.
For more information about lily toxicity in cats — and some suggestions for safe alternatives to brighten up your home — check out this link, and help spread the word. You just might save a life!
What To Do With Gift Cards You Don’t Want
Submitted by Jon Freeman
Were you given a gift card recently that you don’t want? Perhaps you were given a gift card for your birthday or some other occasion (like over the holidays), and the gift card is to a place or company that you don’t buy stuff from regularly. In fact, you seriously doubt that you will ever end up using it. The result could be your gift card never gets used. You may have more than one unwanted gift card like this, and you are unsure what to do about it. Did you know that you can take that gift card and sell it for cash?
According to David Pogue’s book, Pogue’s Basics: Money – Essential Tips and Shortcuts, there are websites where you can sell your unwanted gift cards for cash. You will not get full value for them, but you will receive a lot more than zero – what you would get if an unwanted gift card stays in a drawer forever. Pogue says that you could get 65 to 90 percent of the card value in cash. Here are some card exchange websites Pogue mentions in his book where you could sell gift cards: cardcash.com, raise.com, cardpool.com, and giftcardgranny.com.
You could be in a very different position. You don’t have a gift card you want to sell, but you would like to buy a gift card at a discount. You can use some of the same websites mentioned previously in this article to buy discounted gift cards other folks are selling. Pogue recommends doing this when you want to buy a gift card for a restaurant or store because you can buy gift cards for less than face value. He says, “If you’re in the market for a gift card, it’s like free money.” David Pouge’s book, “Pogue’s Basics: Money – Essential Tips and Shortcuts”, can be checked out from the Gwinnett County Public Library in book or ebook form. You can access more money management resources by visiting the GCPL Personal Finance Guide.
The Cosplayer’s Checklist
Submitted by Sarah Brubaker
Want to dress up like your favorite character from a movie, TV show, or book? Cosplay is an exciting hobby, and there are lots of factors to consider before creating your first costume.
The first step is choosing a costume that suits you and the event you’ll attend. When you have an idea in mind, ask yourself:
Where will you wear your cosplay?
Is the costume easily recognizable?
Do you resemble the character, or would you have to modify your appearance in order to fit the profile (eg: wearing a wig)?
How comfortable will your costume be (think about shoes, mobility, and temperature)?
Once you’ve decided which costume you want to wear, then you have to either buy or make it. If you’re going to make your cosplay, there are some additional considerations:
Are there any pieces that you would purchase pre-made, or will you make it all from scratch?
Can you find a tutorial from someone else who has made this costume?
How much will it cost to buy the components?
How long will it take to create?
What skills would it require to make?
Once you answer these questions, you can decide if this costume is right for you and make a plan of action. It’s best to start a cosplay at least a month before an event, especially if you’re making any part of it yourself. If you’re looking for more resources, these can get you started:
The Hero’s Closet
The Costume Making Guide
Epic Cosplay Costumes
Steampunk and Cosplay
Guide to Finances after Fifty
Submitted by Jon Freeman
Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz’s book, The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After Fifty, answers different important questions people in their fifties or older who are retiring soon or are already retired may have about their finances. There are a total of 50 questions and answers given in the book. The Q&As cover a range of topics like things to do when retirement is ten years away, what to do with your finances as you transition into retirement, maximizing what you get from social security and medicare, life in retirement, and estate planning. There is a glossary of financial terms in the back of the book as well.
There are a variety of questions the book provides answers to, and here are just a few examples:
“I’m 50 and haven’t started to save for retirement. What can I do?”
“How can I save for my kids’ college without derailing my retirement?”
“The stock market has me spooked. How should I invest as I get closer to retirement?”
“Can I keep contributing to my retirement accounts indefinitely?”
“Should I be debt free before I retire?”
“What should I do with my 401(k) when I leave my job?”
“My kids are grown. Do I still need life insurance?”
“Should I take my pension as a lump sum or monthly payments?”
“Should I buy an annuity?”
“Now that I’m retired, how should I manage my money to make it last?”
“Does a reverse mortgage make sense?”
“When should I file for Social Security benefits?”
“My husband has no interest in our finances. How can I get him involved?”
“I have a child with special needs. What can I do to make sure that she will always be taken care of?”
“I want to create an estate plan. What do I need?”
10 Delicious Foods Great For Your Heart
Submitted by Alexandria Ducksworth
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concluded 610,00 people die of heart disease annually in the United States alone. Risk factors include lack of exercise, poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, and obesity.
You can prevent heart disease by incorporating more physical activity and the right foods into your daily diet. These foods benefit your heart by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), clearing artery plaque, and decreasing inflammation. Here are 10 delicious foods great for your heart.
1. Apples
2. Asparagus
3. Avocados
4. Chia seeds
5. Dark chocolate (80% and higher)
6. Grapefruit
7. Pomegranates
8. Purple potatoes
9. Tomatoes
10. Yams
Check out GCPL’s digital resource Consumer Health Complete to learn more about how you can take care of your body. Remember: Always talk to your doctor for the best advice on your health.
You deserve a long life with a happy, healthy heart!
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