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May 31, 2006
Adult Technology Education Update
The last class of our spring series, Creating a Digital Photo Album Using Photoshop Elements 3.0, takes place tonight. It's been a busy spring, with over 30 technology classes attended by over 300 students. New this year were our Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Workshops, which helped prepare seniors for the controversial enrollment deadline of May 15th. Expert instructor Diane McKeever received kudos for her spirited presentations on Microsoft Word and Excel, as did James Flynn, webmaster for the Darien Public Schools, for his popular web design classes. The summer months will be relatively quiet in the Tech Center, so it's a good time to come in and practice your new skills. Whether you want to scan some photos, create a tag sale flyer in Publisher, or clean up your resume for the fall job market, our staff is ready to assist you. Among the topics under consideration for our fall series are: Advanced Word, Dreamweaver (Beginning and Advanced), PowerPoint, Photoshop Elements, Digital Photography, and How to Transfer Your LP Collection to CDs. Have some good ideas for class topics? Maybe you'd like to teach a class. We want to hear from you! Just post your thoughts to this blog, or send me an email at sgammato@darienlibrary.org.
Posted by JudyS at 09:43 AM
May 29, 2006
Remembering Our Soldiers
More than just a day off or the traditional start of summer, Memorial Day gives us a chance to remember all those who have died in service to our country. My father and my uncles all served in World War II, and I grew up hearing about what life was like during the war. From the double date that was interrupted by the announcement that the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor to the marriage that took place during a furlough, my parents' stories were the stories of their generation--a generation at war. With American men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, we, too, are a generation at war. Unlike our parents, however, we can turn to the Internet for up-to-the-minute information on the ongoing conflict. Here are just a few examples of the many excellent sites designed to connect us to our men and women in the armed forces:
Posted by JudyS at 08:40 PM
May 22, 2006
Library Tech Summit in Denver
I'm on the road again, this time to attend IUG 2006 in Denver. IUG stands for Innovative Users Group, a large, active group of librarians and non-librarian techies who all work with integrated systems designed and supported by Innovative Interfaces, a California-based company. Having been to Denver last as a young child, I did not remember the bigger-than-life nature of all things Denver--the thoroughfares, the buildings, the people. After all the rain we've had in Connecticut, I didn't mind the dryness, but the hotter-than-normal temperatures did not quite coincide with my mountain wardrobe! With over 1600 attendees, IUG 2006 was bigger-than-life, too! Over the weekend, I attended over a dozen sessions, chatted with lots of library vendors, and spent time reviewing poster presentations from libraries throughout the country. Within the next year, you'll see many enhancements to our online catalog, including the use of RSS feeds to provide regular news about authors, books, library events, and more. I'm excited! Now, if my plane would just arrive from Sacramento....
Posted by JudyS at 05:34 PM
May 12, 2006
Database Spotlight
This is the first in a series of postings highlighting the online research databases available through the Darien Library website. The databases profiled here are searchable at the Library or from the comfort of your home. All you need to access them is a computer, an Internet connection, and a Darien Library Card. (If you are a non-resident who works in Darien or who is a Contributor to the Library, you can access our research databases using your home library card barcode. If you have not yet registered your card in our system, stop by our Circulation Desk on your next visit, and we'll take care of it.)
Trying to track down that obituary you read a year ago, but not sure where to start. Don't worry; you don't have to use the microfilm machine. The Darien Library has a new database, America's Obituaries & Death Notices (AODN), that provides access to obituaries and death notices that have appeared in newspapers throughout the United States. Coverage for some of the larger national papers like The San Francisco Chronicle goes back as far as 1985, but for most it's more like the last 5-10 years. You can access the AODN database through the Library's home page. Just click once on the Databases & Websites link at the top of our home page. On the next page, under "List of Databases," click once on America's Obituaries & Death Notices. If you're accessing the database from home, you'll be asked to enter your 14-digit library barcode number to identify yourself as a Darien resident, town employee, or Friend of the Library. Once you've done that, hit enter on your keyboard. On the home screen of the obituaries database, you'll see three search boxes. You can search by the last name of the deceased and then limit the results to a specific date or date range and/or by specific keywords from the text of the obituary. Narrow your search by selecting a specific region or state (hold down the control key to select more than one region or state at a time.) The results of your search will be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent obituaries listed first. The AODN database does not include every newspaper published in the United States (only 19 Connecticut newspapers are included), but it's a good place to begin your search. Who knows, you may discover some relatives you didn't know you had! Give it a try and post your comments right here on the Info-Tech Blog. I hope to hear from you!
Posted by JudyS at 03:29 PM
May 07, 2006
Vista Update
Anxious to get your hands on Microsoft's new operating system? Well, take a deep breath and relax. According to a research report issued by Gartner Inc. last week, Microsoft's new operating system, Vista, will be delayed an additional three months. If the Gartner report is correct, consumers can expect to wait until next spring for their chance to try out the new OS.
Posted by JudyS at 04:36 PM