Free Classes at the Library

The Crawfordsville District Public Library would like to invite you to explore our free classes and programs. We have several opportunities to help you build your skills, increase your knowledge, and fulfill your curiosity.  

If you feel lost around computers and wish you knew more, join us on Tuesday evenings at 6 pm for our Tech Tuesday Beginner Computer Classes. The classes rotate between four different sessions each month. The first Tuesday of each month is Excel for Beginners, which explores how to create simple spreadsheets. The second Tuesday is Word for Beginners where we’ll learn how to create and save documents, and the third Tuesday is PowerPoint for Beginners, where we’ll learn how to create simple slideshow presentations. Finally, if you need to learn how to begin navigating a computer, join us for Computers for Beginners on the fourth Tuesday of each month. We will learn the parts of a computer, how to use a mouse, how to navigate a keyboard, and how to organize files.  

If you already have a basic understanding of these programs and want to dive in a little deeper, we have classes for that, too! Our new Intermediate Tech classes are for those wanting to expand their current knowledge. These classes take place on Sunday afternoons at 1:30 and also rotate between different sessions, beginning with Intermediate Excel, Intermediate Word, then Intermediate PowerPoint. The last Sunday of this month on March 30 is a session on creating a simple expense tracker in Excel. Tracking your spending can help you better control your money, meet your financial goals, detect and prevent fraud earlier, and reduce money-related stress. Using Microsoft Excel, we will create a simple, but effective expense tracker. 

All computer classes take place in Meeting Room E in the lower level of the library, which houses our laptop lab. Here you can get hand-on computer practice while following along with the instructor. The laptops used in these classes were funded by a grant from the Montgomery County Community Foundation. To ensure enough laptops are available, please register to attend these free classes on our website’s calendar or by calling us at 765-362-2242, ext. 3. You can attend the entire series of classes or just pick the ones you need. 

Another educational series we offer for adults and families is our Library Naturalist series, which typically meets on the third Saturday of the month. This year we will go on several hikes and explore a variety of nature topics. We have a Lichen Appreciation Hike on March 22 and a Moss Discovery Hike on April 19, both at 10 am at the Brickyard Nature Park (759 Concord Rd). These hikes are a wonderful opportunity to get outside and learn about our local environment. 

We also have opportunities to grow your gardening skills! This month we are hosting a special Gardening Series on Tuesdays at 6:30 presented by the Master Gardeners of Montgomery County. Join us on March 18 for Sensational Succulents with guest speaker Anne Sipahimalani and March 25 for Cooking with Garden Herbs and Preservation with guest speaker Amanda Marciano-Fuetz. This series, along with our Seed Library on the second floor of the library, encourages our community to experience the joys of gardening. Register online for these classes to save your spot. 

If you are currently job seeking and need to update your resume, we can help you, too! We are offering Drop-In Resume Assistance every Monday evening in March from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Stop by the second floor Information Desk for one-on-one guidance on how to best create and format your resume. 

Explore our website or follow us on social media for all the latest updates on these educational classes, as well as our numerous other programs and events for all ages. Your library is here to help you learn and grow. Our regular open hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.