-- Tu Biblioteca Hoy Programs at Denver Public Library Help Family Succeed --

Marissa Escarcega, of Denver, is a mother of three who enrolled in the free programs of " Tu Biblioteca Hoy" Basic Computer Skills of the Denver Public Library classes earlier this year.

She made the decision after her sons Marco Escarcega and Jonathan Quintero started working as Craft and Computer Assistants at the Denver Public Library's Ross-Barnum Branch. Mario Escarcega, her oldest son, also works at the branch as a part-time Circulation Clerk.

Will Smith teaches the class in English and translates everything into Spanish when there are any Spanish-speaking students. Marissa says that when Smith is teaching in English, she understands, "But when he repeats what he's taught in Spanish, I get a better understanding of it all."

The classes are on a six-week rotating schedule with two classes that cover the mouse and the machine, two classes that cover the Internet, and two classes that cover e-mail and documents. Smith teaches at three branch libraries and typically presents the first two classes as an introduction to computers, Windows, the mouse, and word processing. He presents the next two classes as an introduction to Internet capabilities using

1) the Denver Public Library website ( http://www.denverlibrary.org) and

2) Google, Wikipedia, and Craigslist. In the last two classes, students create e-mail accounts and start sending practice e-mail messages to each other.

Escarcega is one of the many students who attend Smith's Basic Computer Skills classes and appreciates his method that she has decided to keep attending the classes even after completing the full six-week course. Many students continue visiting the Library's computer classes to help hone their skills. Sometimes they start attending mid-session and like to learn what they may have missed.

"It's like a big reunion!," Smith said. I love seeing students who have completed a course return to further explore and learn it's a great feeling, and I find it helpful to refer to my former students as I begin working with new classes - they're living, breathing testimonials.

Before attending the classes, Marissa says that she was only familiar with the WordPad program where she could write and print a document. She would sometimes lose a document and not know what to do.

Now, she knows that if she accidentally deletes a document, she is still able to retrieve it. She has also familiarized herself with Internet searching on Google, creating and retrieving saved documents on Microsoft Word, searching for books on the Denver Public Library's Web site, watching videos on YouTube, finding street addresses on Mapquest, and posting advertisements on Craigslist for her company, which offers cleaning services.

"Another website I'd like to learn to use is Myspace," Marissa states with a smile, "because my niece is always there."

Many parents who attend the Basic Computer Skills classes have said that one of the reasons why they would like to learn more about computers is so that they can monitor what their children are doing online. Also, they would like to be able to help their children or grandchildren if they need assistance with homework.

Depending on the DPL branch location, the final class will be ending the week of June 21, and re-starting the week of September 2. The computer classes are taught at the following branch locations:

Ross-Barnum (720-865-0145), Hadley (720-865-0170),
Woodbury (720-865-0930),

Blair-Caldwell (720-865-2401), Ford-Warren (720-865-0920),
Montbello (720-865-0200), and Hampden (720-865-0185).

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.