Tag: first2know

By: Ann Marie Megoulas

¿Estudiarás español? Est-ce que tu vas étudier le français? Transparent Language Online can help. What is Transparent Language Online? It is an immersive, interactive language learning database available to all Pennsylvania residents through POWER Library, Pennsylvania’s portal to online library resources.

With Transparent Language Online, you can learn any of the more than 120 languages offered. Included are multiple dialects of commonly taught languages like Spanish and French, English for speakers of more than 30 languages, and American Sign Language.

Transparent Language Online’s language learning experience is fun, engaging, and effective. Each course offers a leaning path consisting of lessons, activities, and practice with listening, speaking, reading, and writing or typing. A strategic review system keeps track of your progress and provides motivation to keep you moving forward. Want to keep a record of that progress? Just sign up for a free account. To do so, you will need to supply a username and password, enter your email address, and agree to Transparent Language Online’s Terms of Use.

Not willing to create a free account? No problem! You can still use Transparent Language Online by selecting the “Continue as a guest” option. As a guest, you’ll have access to all the same lessons and courses. What you won’t have is the ability to keep a record of what you accomplished during your guest session once it ends. Exploring Transparent Language Online as a guest, however, can be a fantastic way to become familiar with what this resource offers. It allows you to explore without the hassle of remembering login details. If, as a guest, you later decide that you want to keep a record of your progress, Transparent Languages Online gives you the opportunity to create an account before you end your guest session.

So, where can you find Transparent Language Online? One place is on The Library’s research webpage: https://www.dcls.org/research/. Just visit this page and scroll down through the alphabetic list of databases until you find it.

Another place to look for the Transparent Language Online database is on POWER Library’s e-resources webpage or on POWER Teens. Start by visiting the POWER Library website. Click on the “List all e-resources” link under “Find,” or on the “POWER Teens” link at the very top of the homepage and browse through their list of e-resources. Below is an example of POWER Library’s Transparent Language Online link:

(Note: For easy access, links to the POWER Library e-resources page and for POWER Teens are available on The Library’s Research webpage.)

Whichever way you find it, within minutes you will have what you need to begin learning a new language anywhere, any time that you choose. Transparent Language Online is available for use on nearly all internet-connected computers, phones, or tablets, and mobile apps that provide offline and hands-free modes are also available.

Transparent Language Online offers lessons to meet the needs of learners of all ages and abilities, even children. For young users, Transparent Language Online offers six KidSpeak courses featuring English, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Spanish (Castilian), Italian, and German. Each of these courses use animations and more than 40 interactive activities, puzzles, and songs to teach kids foreign-language words and phrases. They are perfect for kids age 6 and above. An easy way for kids to find the KidSpeak courses is to use the POWER Kids link on The Library’s Research webpage. The POWER Kids portal displays colorful links for each of the featured KidSpeak courses there.

So, whether you are young or old, a beginner or an experienced language learner, give Transparent Language Online a try. It is free and easy to use. Buon apprendimento.

By: Rachel Miller

Christian Maximilian Wilkerson, often referred to as Max, is a 17-year-old Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 77. He enjoys reading, playing video games, and talking with his friends. Max often visits the East Shore Area Library to attend library programs, check out books, and more recently, visit the teen gaming section.  This year, as a project for Boy Scouts, Max created a seed library at the East Shore Area Library that has been a big success with many community members who visit that library.  

How did you get into Boy Scouts and how has your experience with that impacted you? 

  I got into Boy Scouts when I was in first grade, they were offering Cub Scouts.  I went to the first meeting, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve made a lot of friends that I still have now. I think my life would have been very different without the Boy Scouts. It’s the code that Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts live by has really shaped the way I interact with people because it tells me that I need to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent, as well as doing my duty to God and my country. 

What inspired you to make the seed library at your own library? 

I got the idea for it in Florida because there’s a seed library at my grandparent’s library, and didn’t think we had many of those in PA. I thought it would be really cool if I could bring it to the East Shore Dauphin County Library and pay them back for all the books they’ve loaned me for the past 17 years. 

What was your process for putting the seed bank together? 

First, I had to research different containers to use. Originally, I was going to find one of those card catalogs that libraries used to use, but I found out they were $4,000 a pop. So, I scrapped that idea and went to Amazon to look at some cabinets that were a little smaller. I found the ones that are at the library today for about $75 each. Also, talking with Maria Lagasca (Public Services Director) about what size and what exactly the library wanted for this definitely helped a lot with the decision-making process.  

Then I researched the different seeds and the types of seeds that would work best. Later in the project, we found out there are actually regulations on seeds that can be distributed. You can’t bring in your own seeds that you took from your garden, which forced me to adjust what you could do with the seed library.  Stauffers of Kissel Hill made a very generous donation that allowed me to purchase a lot of seeds for the seed library’s original stock. 

I also would like people to buy seeds and if they still have the packages, bring them to the seed library because it needs restocking. Last time I was there, I noticed there were a lot of people who actually took out seeds. It was amazing to see all the people that wrote their phone numbers and names down, but the seed library does end up needing to be restocked. I would be very appreciative if people got that going, so it didn’t fizzle out. 

What advice would you give to any other young people who want to do a similar project to benefit their community?   

Looking around and seeing the needs in the community definitely helps find a project. Do the research. Make sure you budget correctly. Keep working no matter what setbacks you have. Just keep moving forward, and don’t give up. 

By: Dwana Pinchock

Can you tell us about the program that you’ll be doing at The Library?

The title of the program is Written Proof. It’s a six-session program. What the students will be doing is coming up with an idea, processing it, and turning it into a finished product. As an author myself, I have four published poetry collections, so I’m super familiar with the process of getting [an idea] where it needs to go. We will go through a bunch of different exercises to bring out the best material we can from the students. Also, I’ll be dropping jewels on them (no pun intended) that they can use throughout the rest of their lives as writers.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to poetry?

I’ve been a writer for quite some time now. I would say for my whole life, but professionally, just for the last decade or so. I’ve been going through my own process of being a writer.

I’ve always used writing as a form of communication. I used to like to rap like my brother. My older brother was a rapper. Both of my brothers were into music in their own way, so I was kind of inspired by that.

What music artists touched you the most?

I was inspired by Tupac. He was my favorite rapper at the time. So, the stories that he would tell, the way he would tell them, the honesty of it all, it made me want to do more research on people like him. I can’t say I grew up as a student of poetry, but he was speaking on things that I was so familiar with. I didn’t feel like anybody else understood me that well. When I found out he was a poet, I thought, “Wow. You know, he does it a little bit of everything!”

A lot of us come to poetry through lyrics first. You don’t realize it while growing up. At a certain point, it’s like, “Wait a minute! These words are creating a picture! It’s creating a story in a shorter version rather than a whole novel.”

As a kid, I didn’t look at [song lyrics] as poetry, but when I look back, that’s how poetry found me. It gets straight to the point. A lot of my poetry is framed that way. Since I was young, sitting around reading huge paragraphs was not for me.

When did poetry become your mode of expression?

Poetry was like therapy for me, because I was one of the kids who was angry all the time. I would hold a lot of things in and the only way that I could even it out was through the writing process. That’s how poetry, came about. Those were my influences, but I remember specifically, I used to be a pen pal with my brother. My brother was locked up as a teen.

We always had a decent relationship, and I remember a specific letter he wrote me. He always would give me advice. He’s three years older, and he always tried to steer me away from the street and things like that. He found a creative way of giving me advice by sending me a letter. I read the letter, but I didn’t pick up on it at first. When I went back over the letter and read the advice, I noticed it would all kind of rhyme. It all came together. It wasn’t much. It wasn’t a rap. There was no music, but it was cool. You know what I mean?

Where do you find inspiration for your poems?

I draw inspiration from everyone and everything, and maybe in a small way or a big way. Mostly, just being in the community, paying attention to politics, but not getting immersed in it. Just knowing what’s going on. A lot of my writing’s influenced by these things. Also, past experiences, where I see myself and where I want to go. I’m also inspired by my mother and her drive. Conversations with the average person, a drink of coffee, a walk…

I’m just inspired by the writing process. it changes constantly. You know what I mean? I figure that when I write these poems, they should be honest and they should be to the point, and you have a short amount of time to get a point across. I like to utilize each line. Each line leads into a story and paints a picture. And the more we work at it, the better we are with our pen, our paintbrush, whatever instrument we use to create this art.

Are there certain themes you tend to explore more than others in your work?

I cover a lot of things, but I think it always leads back to self-discovery and, who I am as a person, as a man, outside of what I’m supposed to be.

Do you have a specific routine or ritual for your writing process?

Yes. I like to have coffee. Lots of coffee. No sugar. A little bit of cream. I love being in a coffee shop. A lot of the work I’ve done, happened in the area downtown: Denim Coffee, Midtown Scholar, Little Amps, even some of the storefronts and some of the restaurants. I sit there for hours to just write because for me, being in the midst of things is inspiring.

I can go close myself off into a room, but when I’m out in the elements, things are different. I’m in tune with the rhythm of that day or that moment. I look at poetry like you’re either capturing a moment in history or a moment in the present. I feel like a good poet can do that, and I try my best to do that.

Why do you think libraries are important spaces for young poets and artists?

I would say the library is just a safe space. You’re surrounded by so many stories, so much knowledge. As a kid, I frequented the library, and I would get lost there. I’m kind of still doing the same thing. I’m just using coffee shops now, but the library, I would say, played a major part in finding the type of peace that I can find on my own. As writers, we need to have some type of peace so that we can process our thoughts, and the library provides that. If you can get to the library and have it as a part of your routine growing up, it’ll never leave.

If you are interested in joining Davenport’s program this June and July, please visit our events page for more information and registration.