Greensburg and Decatur Country are changing! It is a fact we must admit. As that change takes place agencies within the county will be called upon to help meet the needs of its citizens. Greensburg Public Library is one entity that is making an effort to meet those needs. It provides a multitude of services for the community and is continually looking for further ways to expand its services. Adult Literary is one of the needs addressed by the library. There are many adults in Decatur County who cannot read at all, who read at a minimal level, who need to learn English as another language or who need to get their GED. Others need to brush up skills so they can enter post secondary training to prepare themselves for better positions. The library has books, videos, cassette tapes, and computer programs to help meet these needs in the Literacy section. These can be checked out or used at the library. The library also supports the daytime GED class by allowing it to meet there and provides space for the GED computers in the computer lab.
The GED is a nationally accredited test that is accepted by most businesses and post secondary training programs. It provides an opportunity for adults who have quit school to complete their education, gain skills to better provide for their families and help make Greensburg the community it is and will become. As the number and variety of jobs in Decatur County increases, a high school diploma or GED becomes more and more necessary. At this time a GED or High School diploma is required for almost any job and many require additional training. This requirement will only increase as Decatur County changes.
GED classes are available at an open lab on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday or through the online GED class. Any person who is at least 16 years of age and withdrawn from school may attend class. Most people who attend have not completed their high school education, but some have graduated and need to refresh skills to be able to attend post-secondary training. This is also possible through the GED class. The classes are free and all books and materials are provided. Adults are evaluated to determine what skills they already have and which ones they need to learn, relearn or improve. After evaluation the student and teacher determine what the best plan is for the student. Learners work at their own pace with a teacher and a teacher's aide to help them on whatever they need to learn. They are reassessed as they work their way through the material. When students have completed the work there is a practice GED test that lets them and the teacher know they are ready for the GED test. Anyone 17 or older may take the test, but 17 year olds are required to take and pass a practice test prior to the actual GED test.
The online GED class is available for those who cannot attend the day class for whatever reason and meet the requirements for the class. A pretest for the online class is required and the teacher must set the program up for the learner. Online GED is available through the learner's home internet service or on the internet computers at the library. Learners may use the library internet anytime the computer lab is open. This class has a teacher who monitors the learners and is available to help them if they have questions or need additional help. The material is computer based, but additional materials are available as needed or desired by the learner. The library has many materials available for check out including the Complete GED book. There are also other compute programs available at the library to either check out or use on the computers in the lab.
The GED test is divided into 5 sections: Language Arts Reading, Language Arts Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. The Language Arts Writing includes an essay. The topic is assigned by the GED testing service. There is no right or wrong "answer" to the topic. The essay is graded primarily for organization and support of the writer's opinion. The mathematics test includes fractions, decimals, percents, algebra, geometry and measurement and the questions are almost all in "story problem" format. The social studies and science sections have many tables, graphs, charts and maps included. Much of the material used for reading passages comes from everyday life and work situations. Greensburg High School is the local GED test site. An appointment is necessary to take the GED test, and there is a charge for the test.
This is just one of the many services offered by the Greensburg-Decatur County Library. One of the easiest ways to support the Library and its services is by attending the Friends of the Library Book Sale. The Library also is happy to take donations of used books for the sale. The next book sale is April 13-15 and all proceeds benefit the library.
For more information about the materials available and the GED class call the library at 663-2826.