Free Books and Free Software ! Come to the Mount Rainier Public Library 3409 Rhode Island Avenue (just east of the traffic circle) Saturday, September 10, from 10 am until 5 pm For more information, go to http://mtrainierfol.org/

FREE BOOKS !!

Friends of Mount Rainier Library (FOL) will be giving away books, including hundreds graciously donated by the former Riverdale Bookstore. We have mysteries, classics, popular novels, nonfiction, and much more. FOL seeks further donations, especially children’s books and books in Spanish. Everyone, especially those who may not find everything they want, are strongly encouraged to get a FREE county library card that day and get the rest of their favorite books through the Mount Rainier Public Library for FREE !

FREE SOFTWARE !!

As a celebration of Software Freedom Day (http://softwarefreedomday.org/), FOL (led by Board Member Jeff Elkner), in collaboration with Capital PC User Group (CPCUG, http://www.cpcug.org/) and Yorktown High School Library Users Group (YHS-LUG) will be giving away free CDs with Edubuntu Linux for Personal Computers (including those with AMD64 processors) and Macintosh Computers ! There will also be free educational software for Edubuntu and Windows systems that should be of interest to students and teachers !

What is Edubuntu? Edubuntu is an “Ubuntu” version of the Linux operating system software that is designed especially for classroom use. "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others." Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are." The Ubuntu Linux software is free to the public and, thus, brings the spirit of Ubuntu to all software users. Edubuntu is part of the Ubuntu free software project. Information about Ubuntu is available on the web at http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

What are the Goals for Edubuntu? As a simpler form of Ubuntu, Edubuntu is specifically designed to help enable teachers with limited time, money, and technical skills to set up computer labs and online learning environments that are amazingly easy to use. Information about Edubuntu is available on the web at http://www.edubuntu.org/

Who is using Edubuntu? Colin Applegate and Jeff Elkner at Yorktown High School in Arlington County, Virginia, are developing and using the first USA prototype of Edubuntu. The Shuttleworth Foundation's tuXlabs are using an early version of Edubuntu called Skubuntu, which is operating in 50 schools of South Africa, with planned expansion to 200 schools by March 2006.

The first major public release of Edubuntu is slated for October 2005 to coincide with the release of Ubuntu version 5.10, code named "Breezy Badger." See: http://udu.wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuDownUnder/BreezyGoals for more information.