Manchester City Library

Their bark is worse than their byte. Computers are no mystery; they’re just tools. Come, get introduced, and learn the basics. For more information, please contact Lichen Rancourt at 624-6550 ext. 324. Registration is required.

Note: Space is limited and demand is high so please, if you sign up, plan to attend and arrive a bit early. Space will not be held after starting time.

Learn how to create a document so you can write a love letter, (you bring the love), format a resume (you bring the skills), and more. For more information, please contact Lichen Rancourt at 624-6550 ext. 324. Registration required.

Note: Space is limited and demand is high so please, if you sign up, plan to attend and arrive a bit early. Space will not be held after starting time.

This morning I taught my first computer class of the Summer computing season. I had a full class roster registered, but a very low turn out. I thought I’d soothe the sting of the searing rejection by presenting my class here in the hopes that someone might be inspired to teach someone they know.

Learning the computer is very much like learning a new language - don’t try and remember everything all at once, practice, and don’t be scared you’re not going to break it. Second, I go over the parts of the computer and the keys on the keyboard. I take this chance to point out that, despite what geeks say, computers are no always consistent and predictable. Sometimes they do weird things. Next I teach how to hold the mouse: index finger to left click, middle finger to right click, rest the palm lightly on the table behind the mouse for control. Most of the delicate cursor movement is achieved by pushing the mouse slightly with the thumb and pinky finger. We practice our mousing together using Mouseaerobics courtesy of the Central Kansas Library System.

If you’re looking for more practice we have computers here at the library for folks to use as well as friendly staff who will be happy to point you to mouseaerobics for a chance to practice. For the self-starters the library has lots of computer books for beginners: Windows Vista for Seniors, Easy Computer Basics, and who could do without The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Computer Basics?

Wonder how Google became a verb? Feeling left behind by the email this and www that? We’ll discuss the internet, what it is and how it might make you smile.

Registration Required. Note: Space is limited and demand is high so please, if you sign up, plan to attend and arrive a bit early - space will not be held after starting time. For more information, please contact Lichen Rancourt at 624-6550 ext. 324.

Making work portable, especially cross-platform compatible - meaning it can be opened on any computer, whatever its operating system - is always a challenge. We’ve been struggling with it here at the library for awhile now.

As of last Thursday, I am pleased to report, that we have come up with a solution. We got a whole box of nifty little gadgets called USB drives* and we’re now selling them at the information desks in both libraries. They’re going for $10 for 512mb. I know it seems like a lot, but consider that would need around 350 floppy disks to match the storage capacity. Not to mention that $10 is the best deal around!

To use a USB drive

Simply insert it into the USB port on the computer - at the library we have extensions to put a port conveniently on top of the table near the keyboard. Be careful, it does matter which way it goes in.

To eject click once on the small green arrow icon at the bottom of the screen. Click OK when asked if you’d like to eject.

To save to a USB drive

1. Choose File, then Save As.
2. Choose to Save in Removable Disk (in the My Computer folder).
3. Give your file a meaningful name.
4. Click Open.
5. Your file is now saved.

To open a saved file

1. Open the application you would like to use - Microsoft Word, for example.
2. Chose File, then Open.
3. Navigate to Removable Disk (in My Computer).
4. Find the file you want to open and click to highlight it.
5. Click Open.
6. Your file should open.