Free A&M International Library Workshops Give Area Residents Informational Edge

Texas A&M International University's Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library will be offering a series of seven workshops on a variety of government documents and databases to help area residents mine timely information that will help them with work, school and daily living.

The workshops will be held in Killam Library room 206 from 6 to 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public. The first workshop is scheduled Thursday, Oct. 25 and will focus on the US Census 2000.

Rodney Webb, director of the Killam Library, said it was important to share resources with the community.

"We're very excited to help area residents investigate the wealth of information available at Killam Library in the government documents collection. This initiative supports our mission as a Federal Depository Library to share these government information resources not only with students and faculty at A&M International, but also with the community as a whole," Webb said.

Joshua D. Been, government information librarian, will teach the workshops and help area residents utilize the government documents and databases at the library.

Been explained that the information is useful for more than academic research.

"People will be able to find practical information, such as government grants and student internship opportunities. Anyone who is interested in gaining an edge in business should participate in the Census 2000 workshop as well as the International Business/Trade workshop," he said.

Pamphlets describing the workshops will be distributed on the A&M International campus, at the Laredo Public Library and Laredo Community College's Yeary Library. They will also be provided to local government organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Local Planning Board.

Dates and description of each workshop are as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2001 -- Census 2000. Area residents will learn to navigate and utilize the Census 2000 data. Entrepreneurs will discover how to obtain marketing and demographic data to strategically target markets. Individuals can also learn how to investigate their community, neighborhood or school district and compare it to others across the country.

Friday, Nov. 15, 2001 -- Mapping Government Data Using ArcView. Students and corporate members can learn how to utilize the vast array of government statistics, including demographics, economic, educational, and health data to create maps, useful in school and corporate reports. Participants can print out their maps, up to three feet by three feet, on the library's new plotter.

Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002 -- International Business/Trade. Companies and area residents will learn how to mine government documents to discover information that will help them with international business and trade with Mexico and other countries. Participants can learn about trade laws, regulations, statistics and much more.

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002 -- Summer Government Internships. This is a chance for area students to learn about government internships. Internships allow students to gain practical work experience and discover if a particular field is of interest to them.

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002 -- Government Grants. Participants can locate and obtain Federal and Texas grants available to individuals and institutions. Grants are funds that do not have to be paid back and are available for education, employment training, housing, urban development, and the environment, among others.

Thursday, March 28 2002 -- Federal and State Laws. Attendees will learn how to research and navigate the many laws that affect us all everyday.

Monday, April 15 2002 -- Environmentalism. Participants will discover environmental programs, world statistics and projections about the environment, and resources where people can voice their opinion.

For more information, please contact Been at 326.2119, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 109 or email: jbeen@tamiu.edu.

Killam Library hours are Monday -Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m, and Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu