Learn about the Paranormal Online

Central Library is hosting new computer classes that not only help patrons hone their computer skills, but also further their knowledge on how to find information on a specific subject.

One subject that was taught on Saturday, October 18th is fitting for the Halloween season: Learn About the Paranormal Information Online. Attendees learned about where to find a variety of paranormal information as well as finding advice from research organizations and parapsychologist on how to investigate hauntings coupled with critical thinking skills. Many websites covered in the class included ghostly photographs and testimonials via video, audio and podcast on true ghost accounts, near death experiences, poltergeists, psychic phenomena, electronic voice phenomenon (digital or tape recording of spirits apparently communicating), and other unusual phenomena. Since there is no sure answer to what is really going on when paranormal activity occurs, the websites provided for the class help open minds to all the different types of phenomena, theories and speculation to what may be really happening behind the bangs in the night, ghostly visions, unusual sounds, and extra sensory perception.

Some highlight websites from the class:

About.com - Paranormal Phenomena
http://paranormal.about.com/mbody.htm
Finding paranormal phenomena on About.com's, is a good way to start, and find a large variety of paranormal information which includes famous ghost photographs, electronic voice phenomena recordings, and video footage.

Ghost Village: ghost research, evidence, and discussion
http://www.ghostvillage.com/
Ghost Village is dedicated to providing ghost research, evidence, and discussion from around the world. They welcome and explore all viewpoints, from the skeptical to the religious, and from the scientific to the metaphysical.

Mike Daniels – Psychic Science
http://www.psychicscience.org/
Find some free educational and educational-entertainment resources for parapsychology, psychical research and mind magic. Site includes a host of audio and video documentaries from popular paranormal specialists and investigators.

Parapsychological Association
http://www.parapsych.org/
The Parapsychological Association, Inc. (PA) is the international professional organization of scientists and scholars engaged in the study of ‘psi’ (or ‘psychic’) experiences, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, remote viewing, psychokinesis, psychic healing, and precognition. The site also has a links to Online Psi (psychic) Experiments.

International Association for Near-Death Studies, Inc.
http://www.iands.org/
IANDS explores the near-death and near-death-like experiences, their effects on people’s lives, and their implications for beliefs about life, death, and human purpose. IANDS does not subscribe to any particular interpretation of the near-death experience.

Check the library's event calendar for future computer classes at Central Library.

by Tuula Laine

Great Press!

The annual budget dance the state, county, city, and library authority engage in often has staff in the dumps. There are funding cuts, fewer ways to economize, and many services we'd like to offer if we had more staff. So, when an article like this beautiful one in the June issue of "Inside the City" is published, it reminds us to pick up our heads and see the bigger picture: in spite of the apparent setbacks, we have managed to come a long way since the days of our childhood, and the romanticized memories of libraries as banks of card catalogs, old books and "Shh-ing" librarians. (It also includes a great quote from one of Central's children's librarians.)

Truly, the library has moved into the digital spere, and, in addition to all the online services mentioned in the article, we are also helping our users move there. Central Library offers free computer classes on Wednesdays, and other branches have also begun offering them as well. In fact, the array of classes will be expanding in the fall. Keep an eye out for the announcements.

And we couldn't do as much for our public without our Friends. The Friends of the Sacramento Public Library and the individual Affiliate Friends of our branches provide resources for programming, materials purchases, volunteers to help at the branches, and lots of moral support. Special thanks to McKinley Affiliate Friends for the great press this month!