Photo from The Library of Congress

The Darien Library's Spring 2010 Adult Technology Classes begin on Tuesday, March 2. We're excited about our spring offerings and hope you are, too. For those of you who missed our registration lottery, you're in luck. There are still a few seats available in some of our classes. We will list openings here over the next few days. If you'd like to sign up, call our Help Desk at 203-669-5238 or email Judy at jsgammato@darienlibrary.org.

Current Openings

• Learning Express/lynda.com, Friday, April 30, 10 a.m. - 12 noon -- 3 seats
• BlackBerry Boot Camp, Tuesday, May 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m. - 3 seats
• Twitter, Wednesday, May 12, 10 a.m. - 12 noon - 3 seats

See you @ the Library!

For the next four weeks, Fridays mean Finance at Darien Library, with a new series of drop-in technology classes taught by our Knowledge & Learning Services librarians. We’ll be providing hands-on instruction and plenty of time for Q&A. These sessions are free, open to the public, and take place from 12 to 1 PM at the reference area computers on the Second Floor. Registration is not required, so please join us!

On March 5, we’ll talk about the Ins and Outs of Income Tax Forms; our paper forms have been flying off the shelves and we’ll show you reproducible and online forms, as well as information about where to get fast, free, expert local tax help.

March 12 will cover the confusion around the credit information you’re entitled to by law…where is the ONE legitimate place to get this, absolutely free? On March 19, we’ll be talking about How to be a Confident Consumer online. How do you know a site is safe? What if it isn’t? We’ll tell you! Then, on March 26, join us to learn about Value Line, one of our most useful financial resources here at the Library.

Along with the classes, we’ll be posting resource guides, podcasts, and screencasts on the Darien Library website every week. There is so much going on in March at Darien Library, but you really can’t afford to miss Finance Fridays – see you there!

Photo from Flickr user stopnlook.

Our Computers Are "Good to Go!"

There may be snow in the air, but there are thoughts of spring on the minds of the Darien Library staff. Our Spring 2010 Adult Technology Education Registration Lottery opens at 9 a.m. this morning, and runs through 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 23. Browse our brochure and then click here to access our online registration form. Sign up for as many classes as you want. Classes begin the week of March 1st. We'll let you know by March 1st what classes you'll be attending.

We have an exciting lineup of classes planned for this spring. iPhone and Blackberry users can each attend a "Boot Camp" designed to answer their unique questions, while job seekers and business professionals can link up with LinkedIn, learn how to develop their online presence, explore advanced features of Facebook, and put together a business presentation in PowerPoint that will wow their boss and their clients! Our popular Travel Resources on the Web class will be back, along with classes on Web 2.0, eBay, Skype, and Twitter. We've included two 3-part, in-depth digital photography courses and a 4-part class on editing photographs using Photoshop Elements for all our digital camera enthusiasts. And, to complement a full slate of classes on Office 2007, we're offering an introduction to Google Docs--a great source for free word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications.

So, don't miss out! If you have any questions, just call our Help Desk at 203-669-5238 or send an email to jsgammato@darienlibrary.org.

See you @ the Library!

Photo: flickr user adamtbailey

Have questions?  We've got [mobile] answers!

You can now text us your questions from your mobile phone to: 203-665-8398

We're proud to offer this in addition to our phone, IM, E-mail, and our face-to-face reference services.  Are there any other ways we can answer your questions?  Let us know by leaving a comment.

Photo courtesy of flickr user phool4XC

The answer to this frequently asked question is "No." However, although the Darien Library does not have a fax machine per se, we do offer free outgoing fax service to our patrons. How, you ask? Through Fax.com. If you need to send a fax, just come down to the Power Library on the Library's Lower Level. The Help Desk staff will assist you.

In order to send a fax using Fax.com, you will need to have an electronic copy of the document to be faxed. You can bring your document in on a floppy, CD/DVD, or flash drive, or you can download it from your email account. If you have a printed document, we will help you scan it into the computer. Once this is done, we'll log you in to Fax.com and help you fill out the information for your fax and prepare a cover sheet, if needed. Once the fax has been sent, we can print out a confirmation for your records.

You can send faxes to any destination in the United States and Canada for free. Faxes sent outside of the United States and Canada are billed according to Fax.com's standard international price list on a per-minute basis in one-minute increments, and these charges are added to your Library account as a fine. If you need to send a fax to an international destination, check with the Help Desk staff first. We will look up the pricing for you.

More questions? No problem. Just call the Help Desk at 203-669-5238, and we'll do our best to answer them!

See you @ at the Library!

January 10th, 2010 will mark the one year anniversary since the New Darien Library opened its doors. To commemorate our fascinating journey leading up to the occasion, take an interactive media tour with the "Darien Library Media" application on the Microsoft Surface table in the Children's Library. This hands-on activity lets you explore some of our many photo sets from the Darien Library on Flickr, through zooming, resizing, and rotating, as well as viewing videos from our Feature Films Channel on Vimeo.

Photo sets include:

• History of the Library
• History of the Heron
• Groundbreaking 2007
• Building the New Darien Library
• The Finished Building
• Our Grand Opening
• The Heron's New Home
• ...and more!

So stop on by, and enjoy this fun, social and exciting experience like you’ve never had before.

Enhanced-Vision Workstation

Job #1 for the Darien Library is providing excellent customer service to all of its patrons. Now, thanks to a generous contribution from The Darien Lions Club, we are able to extend a helping hand to those among our patrons who are vision-impaired. Located on the Library's second floor within easy reach from the elevator, our new Enhanced-Vision Workstation is well-equipped to meet a wide range of visual impairments.

The workstation consists of a Dell Optiplex 760 computer, a 24-inch monitor, a Topaz magnifier with hand and foot controls, stereo speakers, and a portable scanner. The Topaz magnifier allows the user to enlarge printed material for easy reading on the attached monitor. The Dell computer has a variety of specialized software installed, including ZoomText, which allows the user to magnify and/or highlight the information displayed on the monitor, and OpenBook, which can be used to scan and to read aloud printed material. Vision-impaired individuals can browse the Internet, check the Library's catalog and web site, read a book, watch movies, and more. The portable scanner provides access to more personal printed materials, such as bills and letters, all of which can be scanned in and magnified or read aloud. Headphones are provided for privacy.

If you or someone you know is vision-impaired and would like to use this special equipment, please contact Judy Sgammato at 203-669-5256 or at 203-669-5238. We will set up an appointment to get you started.

(Image by flickr user csaila)

By the end of this week, you may find yourself with some brand new gizmos and gadgets that you're not quite sure how to operate. Thankfully, you will not have to wait long for help!

On Saturday, December 26th, from 1 to 2 p.m., we will present “Getting a Grip on Gadget Gifts."

It’s not surprising that the majority of “Top Ten Most Popular Holiday Gifts” lists are heavily populated with technology-heavy items. Digital cameras, digital video cameras, GPS systems, smart phones, and MP3 players were some of the most sought-after gifts this holiday season. Not surprisingly, these gifts often pose the most challenging post-holiday questions. To answer that challenge (and all of your questions), our tech-savvy Gadget Masters will be available on Main Street, located just inside the Library's main entrance. (These are a few of the people that we personally turn to when we experience our own tech-terror!) The Gadget Masters will offer assistance on items such as the Kindle and Kindle 2, the Nook, iPhones and iPod Touches, as well as digital cameras and digital video cameras, smart phones, and MP3 players. 

Also, during that time, we will discuss and demonstrate the electronic devices that the Library has available for circulation. These items include a GPS system, MP3 players, Kindles, and Mino HD cameras. There will also be a demonstration on how to access the Library’s downloadable books and audiobooks. 

See you on Saturday!