Posted by eileen on July 1, 2010
WPL offers a variety of free introductory computer classes each month. Looking for jobs that require a basic understanding of Microsoft Office? Let us help you! Sign up for a free class today! In July the classes are held in the evenings. To register, go to our online Event Calendar or call the Checkout Desk at 630-868-7505.
Note: All WPL classes are taught using Microsoft Office 2007.
Internet Searching and Introduction to Online Databases
Do you have problems finding what you’re looking for on the Internet? Do you always get millions of results on Google and Yahoo!? In this class, learn about making your searches more specific, to get more relevant results, as well as searching some of the library’s subscription databases to find pertinent information.
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Typing and basic computer skills, especially using a keyboard and mouse, and experience using Internet Explorer are required.
Microsoft Word I
Microsoft Word is not just for writing reports anymore! Learn how to cut, copy, paste, format a Word document, and much much more! This class is perfect for those who are new to word processing. It is also recommended for those who are interested in learning the new layout of the 2007 version.
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Typing and basic keyboarding skills are required.
Microsoft Word II
Turn a boring letter into a work of art! Learn to add pictures, WordArt, columns, and even create your own bullet points. This class is recommended for those who would like to have more than a basic understanding of Microsoft Word. It is also helpful to those who are interested in learning the new features of the 2007 version.
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Basic word processing skills, such as highlighting, and an understanding of the concepts taught in Word I are required.
Mail Merge
We are surrounded by the products of mail merges every day without even realizing it! Almost every mass mailing is created by a mail merge. However, it can also be used on a less massive scale. Learn to turn a list of names and addresses into a sheet of mailing labels, thank you letters, and many other things! This class is great for those who want to learn this time-saving skill, as well as those who would like a review.
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Typing, basic keyboarding skills and experience using Microsoft Word are required. Knowledge of Microsoft Excel is helpful.
Microsoft Excel
Don’t waste time figuring out things by hand! Learn the basics of this incredibly versatile spreadsheet program, such as entering data into cells, formatting, and creating charts. We will also cover basic functions (like finding the sum of a column of numbers) and sorting (like putting a list in alphabetical order).
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Typing and basic keyboarding skills are required.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Need to create a wedding or family slide show? A speech or presentation for school or church? PowerPoint can help and we can help you learn PowerPoint! Learn how to use different slide layouts, transitions, animations, links, and photos in this amazing program.
Meets in the Computer Classroom, 2nd Floor.
Typing and basic keyboarding skills are required.
Posted by eileen on March 11, 2010
Who Do You Think You Are? premiered last Friday on NBC. According to the show’s
About page, “Viewers are invited to take an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today’s most beloved and iconic celebrities with NBC’s
Who Do You Think You Are? Starring in the new alternative series are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC’s official partner on the series.”
After (and prior to) the first episode, which featured Sarah Jessica Parker, one can find many
reviews through a simple Google search. Some of these reviews are less than favorable. For example,
Mary McNamara of the LA Times says, “And though Parker does her best to appear moved and humbled by the difficult and even tragic lives of her ancestors, the show is all about her, after all, forcing the uncomfortable question: If everything happens for a reason, did all this American drama occur to ensure the existence of ‘Sex and the City,’ or even worse, ‘Did You Hear About the Morgans?’” Ha!
Other mentions of the show are positive.
Paula Stuart-Warren, author of the blog
Paula’s Genealogical Eclectica focuses on the good things about the show. She says, “While they can’t show each step of the research I am thrilled that they are showing a variety of records, both online and off. Visits to libraries, specific localities, historical societies, museums are shown. The starting point of talking with family and looking at home sources is represented in the visit with her mother. The audience gets to see Ancestry.com, census, newspaper articles, maps, old letters, original court records, and that not all is online.”
In many cases, the search for one’s ancestors is not an easy one. It can be time-consuming and at times addicting (at least for me). Whether
Who Do You Think You Are? is a successful endeavor for NBC or not, I hope it brings to light the fact there are many
tools to help find one’s roots as close as his/her public library.
WPL happens to have a
Genealogy Collection with many many sources. Our
Reference Desk is staffed with degreed librarians who are more than happy to help you get started on the search for your ancestors. As noted above, Ancestry.com has partnered with NBC to create the series. WPL (and many other libraries, for those of you outside the area) subscribes to the full Ancestry.com database. This means the census records, local histories, draft records, and indexes one would pay for through Ancestry.com are available for FREE if you use
Ancestry inside the library. Stop in and take a look. Representatives from the
DuPage Genealogical Society are available to answer questions every Thursday night from 7-9pm at the library.
Posted by eileen on July 15, 2009
I am going to start a new post theme here entitled Google It. I’ll give some of the tips I discuss in the Internet Searching and Introduction to Online Databases class at WPL.
Dying to hear about the newest Harry Potter movie? A Google search for Harry Potter reviews doesn’t do you much good. This is because there are seven Harry Potter books and now six Harry Potter movies. A quick way to narrow that search (besides typing out Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie) is to use Google’s Advanced Search function.
One can find the Advanced Search option just to the right of the Google search box. Try clicking on Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more. In here you can limit your results to show only what has been posted in the last 24 hours, the last week, etc. This morning, that allowed me to see only the newest Harry Potter movie reviews. This also works great for breaking news stories!
What Advanced Search functions do you like? Leave a comment and let us know!
Posted by eileen on January 5, 2009
Nearly every time I teach Computer Basics, I am asked whether it is better to leave your computer on all the time or turn it off. I give the asker my opinion, which is, there is no reason to leave it on all the time. It’s just wasting energy. However, I decided to do some quick online research to see what other people have to say.
Many of the articles, blog entries, etc. that I found quote Forrester’s recent report, “How Much Money Are Your Idle PCs Wasting?” This report seems to be in the same camp as me. Why waste the energy (and money) keeping a computer running all the time? Here are a couple blog entries I found interesting and informative:
Ted Samson’s Five PC Power Myths Debunked
Iain Thomson’s IT Admins Need to Power Down PCs
Apparently many people have this same on or off? question. Just try Googling the phrase: leave computer on or off. I got over 700,000 results and 78,300 were posted in the last 24 hours. Crazy, huh?
Posted by eileen on November 12, 2008
According to an article by Stephan Shankland, Google now handles nearly 70% of the U. S.’ online searches. Google is so popular, it has actually been added to the dictionary as a verb. I’m sure you’ve heard people say things like, “Why don’t you google it!?”
Planet Google is a relatively new book by Randall Stross, author of The New York Times‘ “Digital Domain” column. This is one of many books which gives some insight to the story behind Google and how it works. David A. Vise and Mark Malseed’s The Google Story and John Batelle’s The Search are other pieces of Google literature. So, if you’re looking for some information about the site that is bringing us information (or you’re just looking for some interesting reading), check out Planet Google!
What do other people have to say about Planet Google?
Barnes & Noble Review
New York Magazine Books
USA TODAY
