It's easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to deciding what to cook for dinner. While we can all enjoy Taco Tuesday, sometimes it's nice to branch out and try new things. Bossier Parish Library has over a hundred recipe books available, spread out through all of our branches. There are also eBooks available on almost any type of cuisine you can think of. Would you like to try Vegetarian meals? We have books for that. Everything from Indian to Italian to Gluten-free. 

When you reach a certain age, it becomes important to start planning for your financial future. That age may come earlier than you think. Start sorting your finances with help from Bossier Library. We have many books from reputable financial experts, like Suze Ormand and Dave Ramsey, available to give you financial advice. 

We also work with the AARP to provide free tax assistance for everyone. You don't have to be a certain age or a resident of Bossier Parish. Starting on February 2 though Tax Day in April, every weekday from 9am to 2pm there will be tax experts available to help with e-filing. It's first come, first serve and spaces fill up quickly. 

And of course, one of the easiest way to save money is by borrowing books and movies from your local library! 

Among those many recipe books we have available here at Bossier Library, includes many health-related books. With everything from Hungry Girl to Weight Watchers. 

There are also several exercise and fitness resources, including Fitness videos available from Hoopla and Overdrive. 

eBooks allow you to read books on your computer, tablet or phone. One of my personal favorite aspects of eBooks is that I can access them anywhere I can use my phone. That means I can read while on a break at work or even waiting in line at the grocery store. So much more enjoyable than scanning the tabloid headlines or counting the items of the person in front of you in the express lane.

Overdrive is an app that allows you to read eBooks on your computer, phone or tablet. It's part of your library account, so there's never any charge. The books return automatically so you can't even be charged late fees. New books are added to the collection every day. For some of these books, you'll need an Adobe ID. This is a free ID that you create using your email one time only. If you're not comfortable with creating an Adobe ID, don't worry! There are plenty of books you can still access.
Overdrive is available for: Apple (via iTunes) Android (via Google Play), Windows Phone.
Download for other devices including Kindle, Nook and your PC can be found on the Overdrive Website.

Audio Books

Bossier Parish Library also has two online services that offer Audio Books: Overdrive and Hoopla. These services allow you to checkout Audio Books on your computer, tablet or smartphone. These books return automatically, which means you never risk overdue fines. Both of these services are available as apps for tablets or smartphones, or you can access their respective websites on your computer. We did a instructional post on Hoopla here on our blog.

These classes are instructor-led and highly interactive. They run for 6 weeks and new sessions begin every month. 

To get to the Gale Courses homepage you can click here or go to the Bossier Parish Library website: www.bossierlibrary.org. There is a link for Gale Courses on the left hand side of the web page, under the Research & Homework heading. 

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The Legal Forms Library is just as described - it's a database of legal forms available to the public. Though neither the site or the library can offer legal advice, we can offer free legal forms. There are forms available for everything from Last Will and Testament to Name Changes. These can be completed and printed from any computer with internet access. 

Writing a resume can be tricky - it's fine line between too much and too little information and between being memorable while still remaining professional. Many programs like Microsoft Word have templates available, but those can lack personality. Cypress Resume is a free service available through Bossier Library that makes writing a memorable resume quick and easy! You choose phrases that describe you and your work experience and Cypress Resume assembles them into a professional resume. You can even create an account, which allows you to save your resume and come back any time to add experience without starting all over.