Routes to Recovery Has a New Home
Routes to Recovery, our guide to local and online resources for those needing services related to substance abuse as well as the professionals and loved ones providing support, has found a new home at routestorecovery.org. While we’ve discontinued support of the Routes to Recovery app on iOS and Android, the new website version hosts all of the same content and still features smart device compatibility, and we will continue to develop the website for the foreseeable future.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]The Economic Power of Libraries
What is the economic power of libraries? Studies show that libraries return $5 into your community for every $1 invested.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Homework Help and Live Tutoring for Free
Brainfuse HelpNow is an all-in-one suite of tutoring services designed for a wide range of academic needs whether it’s tackling a tough homework problem, mastering a particular topic, or writing a paper, brought to you thanks to the Lake Placid Education Foundation of the Adirondack Foundation. HelpNow services include expert academic tutoring and self-study tools to empower users to study at their own pace or collaborate with peers and teachers. Students access live, on-demand academic help and state-aligned skills building lessons from expert tutors. With HelpNow, tutors and students communicate in real time in our online classroom by typing, drawing, and marking-up lessons and web content. Plus, students can use our secure file sharing feature in the writing lab to submit writing assignments to our writing tutors any time of the day. The Brainfuse full-service test center offers practice tests for all levels in math, reading, and writing as well as college preparatory tests – including the SAT.
Get started by clicking here and entering your library card number.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Making Music With RiverJack Z
Have some fun “Making Music with RiverJack Z” this summer! Sixteen area libraries will be hosting this free songwriting workshop for children and families. RiverJack Z (a.k.a. Jack Zucchini, the guitar-playing singer/songwriter from The Zucchini Brothers) will guide participants through the craft of songwriting by composing and recording a song that is uniquely their own. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate in this event that is fun for the whole family.
Each library will receive a high-quality audio file with the song to share. Participants will also be provided with an art activity that will be created at the event or sent home as a make-and-take project. The workshops will be held in outdoor spaces as an added precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Gnoming Around Event
We invite residents in Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties to participate in our “Gnoming Around” event for a chance to win a prize bag. Our bookish gnome will travel to 20 member libraries starting May 5th. He will visit each location for about a week, so watch for his appearance outside of your local library. To be entered for a chance to win a prize bag, just snap a picture with him and post it on one of our social media pages (facebook.com/cefls or @cef_librarysystem) or send it to info2@cefls.org and we’ll do it for you. One winner will be selected from each location.
The prize consists of a drawstring bag containing a variety of goodies including a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut for ages 12 and under, a single scoop of ice cream from Stewart’s, a decorative mini clipboard, and more! We would like to express our appreciation to Pizza Hut and Stewart’s Shops for their generous donations.
The gnome’s itinerary will be: Dannemora Free Library, Wead Library in Malone, Lake Placid Public Library, Keeseville Free Library, Paine Memorial Free Library in Willsboro, Belden Noble Memorial Library in Essex, Keene Public Library, Wilmington E.M. Cooper Memorial Library, Au Sable Forks Free Library, Peru Free Library, Rouses Point Dodge Memorial Library, Mooers Free Library, Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center, Plattsburgh Public Library, Saranac Lake Free Library, Wadhams Free Library, Hammond Library in Crown Point, Black Watch Memorial Library in Ticonderoga, Schroon Lake Public Library, Keene Valley Library Association, and Chazy Public Library.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]OverDrive Staff Training
OverDrive – our provider for ebooks and e-audiobooks and the developer of the app Libby – allows you and your staff to learn about their platform at your own pace. Check out the Library Staff Training website for on-demand webinars and how-to videos so you can be better informed to assist your patrons in taking advantage of this online resource.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Summer Reading Workshop 2021
Graphic Design in Canva – Sarah Spanburgh
Agenda – https://cefls.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Summer-Reading-Workshop-2021-Agenda.pdf
Canva – https://www.canva.com/
Pixabay – https://pixabay.com/
Library Giving Day templates – https://librarygivingday.org/campaign-tools/#toolkit
Leaving Our Fingerprints on History

This is an invitation to share your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone has a story to tell and these accounts provide insight into daily life during these challenging times. You are a witness to history. By collecting your stories, we are adding to the historic record. Just as we relied on information about the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1917-1918 to inform our response to COVID-19, future generations may benefit from understanding what we experienced.
How can you get involved? All you have to do is answer some questions about the challenges of the pandemic, how your life has changed, ways that you’ve adapted, etc. Feel free to share it with your friends, family members, and neighbors! The more people who participate, the better understanding we’ll have of the impact of COVID-19.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Southern Adirondack Library System for providing the opportunity to participate in this important project.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]Learn More about the COVID-19 Coronavirus
There’s a lot of information swirling around regarding the latest coronavirus spreading throughout the world. But where can you find reliable information on the topic? Head over to our guide at cefls.org/coronavirus to get the most up-to-date information on the virus along with the best tactics on how to reduce the spread.
[CLICK TO READ MORE]The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth
You already know that not everything you read on the Internet is true. But where can you go to find out whether an article is accurate or not? The folks at MakeUseOf have written up the excellent piece entitled The 8 Best Fact-Checking Sites for Finding the Unbiased Truth.
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