Research Blog : training

Learn to find Government Information on the Web

Bufkinite@evpl — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:53:00 GMT

Interested in finding out about govenment jobs? Wonder where you can find the latest consumer product safety information? Ever wanted to look at surplus government property, and maybe bid on some of it? Want to get information on financial planning? On October 21st there will be a free workshop on how to access all of this information and more through the premier government web portal - USA.gov.

Led by Government Documents Librarian Teresa Loeffler, this workshop will help you search and find the specific information you want, by showing you some concrete examples, and then letting you search the web site yourself, with supervision and assistance.

The workshop takes place at Central Library's Tech Center, and is limited to 15 people, so that everyone will have their own computer for searching for the information that interests them. Call the library Reference Desk at 428-8218 to sign up, or IM us via the AskEVPL page and let us know that you'd like to sign up for the Finding Government Information workshop.

Additional Computer Basics Class Added for October First

Bufkinite@evpl — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:12:00 GMT

Due to the fact that all three computer basics classes filled up very quickly, EVPL has added an additional class to the fall schedule, for October 1st, from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

This class will teach you all you need to know to get started using a computer without fear, and includes learning to use the mouse and keyboard, how to open different programs, and how to use the Microsoft Windows operating system.

You'll also learn the difference between hardware and software, and a little of the history of how computers developed from the first machines, which took up entire buildings but had less computing power than an iPod, to the laptop and handheld computers of today.

Registration information for this class can be found here.

Information about other computer classes can be found here.

Is There a Web Site with Local Job Information? Indeed, There IS!

Bufkinite@evpl — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:47:00 GMT

Some of the most popular workshops being offered at the library recently have involved how to polish your resume, or sharpen you interview skills. With the tight job market, even highly skilled and trained people are getting all of their job-hunting tools sharpened, and are ready to take the next step. Now, where can they go to find information on local job opportunities?

Indeed.com, the second largest employment web site in the world, has a website about Evansville area employment opportunities, which aggregates all the information they have about employers, companies, jobs, and employment resources in one easy-to-navigate interface. The top section, "Popular Jobs and Salaries," provides a bar-graph style comparison of different jobs based on how much they pay, while lower sections list links to Evansville companies that are currently hiring, as well as links to pre-selected searches, such as production jobs, or clerical jobs.

Once you have performed a search for jobs, and have a list of jobs, you can limit it further in a number of ways. You can limit it to within 5 miles of your location, by salary range, by company, or by any combination of these and many other criteria.

This site is listed on our Useful Websites web page, where a huge variety of resources, selected by librarians for accuracy, timeliness, and dependability, are sorted and classified for your convenience. For instance. the Indeed.com web site is listed under both "Job Search" and "Employment Information and Services."

Check it out!

Speak your mind…opinions welcome, wanted, and appreciated

SuDocQueen@evpl — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:11:00 GMT

Hello out there to everyone in EVPL blogland,

I have a dilemma that I could use your help with. Every year I sit down to plan a workshop on useful government documents and websites (more websites than actual documents now-a-days) and every year I get overwhelmed with the glut of information I could offer… Do I focus on how to find useful health and nutrition information? Or on how to find those interesting statistics you always hear quoted from the Census and Labor Departments? Or what about consumer safety information? Or how to navigate Social Security’s website? Or how about following legislation? The list can go on and on. So, I’m opening the floor to all of you, the people that the government is trying to reach with all of this information. What do you most want to know about? What do you need help discovering? Let me know how best to help you.

Upcoming Computer Classes in May

HoodooVoodoo@evpl — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:30:00 GMT

During these tough economic times, everyone is trying to gain that competitive edge by sharpening their technical skills by going back to school to take classes or taking computer training skills courses, but in most cases these options cost money. Did you know that you can take computer classes and computer skills training at and through the library for free?

Registration is now open for the following classes being offered in the Tech Center at Central Library:

Google Explored (Tuesday, May 5, 2009 from 10:00-11:00 AM) - Did you know that Google was more than just a great search engine? In this class we will learn basic searching techniques along with other cool features like Google Maps, Google Translator, and Google Documents.

Requires some basic computer/Internet knowledge and experience.

Using the Library Databases (Tuesday, May 12, 2009 from 6:00-7:00 PM) - In this class we will learn about the different databases available through the library’s website. We’ll take a look at some of the databases we offer and how to use them to find information. The library databases are accessible anywhere through our website with a valid library card number.

Requires some basic computer/Internet knowledge and experience.

Welcome to the Internet (Wednesday, May 13, 2009 from 10:00-11:00 AM) - This class is an introduction to some of the basic functions of the Internet. We'll learn web basics, including accessing and navigating websites. Discover how the Internet works and why everyone’s using it.

Seating is limited to 15 individuals, so register today to reserve your spot in class. You may register in person, by phone (428-8200 ext 1515), or by email using the contact name link on the class description pages (click on class links above).

For a full listing of all free EVPL computer classes Click Here.

Also, if you don't have time to take advantage of our free classes, you can still take online computer skills courses for free through our database Learning Express Library. Once on Learning Express Library, choose Computer Skills on the left hand side of the page and then appropriate course you desire. Everything from Microsoft Word (97-07) to Windows Vista training is offered, with skill levels ranging from beginner to expert.

Check it out today!

Upcoming FREE Computer Classes

HoodooVoodoo@evpl — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:53:00 GMT

Registration is now open for the following classes being offered in the Tech Center at Central Library:

Searching the Library Catalog (Tuesday, April 14, 2009 from 10:00-11:00 AM) - In this class we learn to use the library’s online catalog to find books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and more. These valuable search techniques can be applied to many of today’s online search engines.

Introduction to Microsoft Excel (Thursday, April 16, 2009 from 6:00-7:00 PM) - You have asked for it and we have listened. We will be offering an hour long course in using Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that can be used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. Come find out how to use Excel to keep data for home, business, or financial records as well as graphing or charting information.

Computer Basics (Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 10:00-11:00 AM) - In this class we will learn to use the mouse and keyboard to open programs and navigate through Microsoft Windows. We will also learn a little history of the evolution of computers from their beginnings to today as well as discover the differences between hardware and software.

For a full listing of all free EVPL computer classes Click Here.

Check it out today!

How to find how-tos on the web

googler@evpl — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:20:00 GMT

The "Webware" blog at CNET has an excellent post about finding how-to-do-it information on the web. For a variety of sites such as eHow, Howcast, and Instructables, the author assesses the quality of the instruction, the level of expertise and authority, and is especially concerned whether there are accompanying videos. You can learn how to do just about anything on sites like these, from tying a tie to installing weather stripping to making sure you follow proper etiquette in China.

While you're at CNET, check out their vast collection of product reviews. This is one of the premier sites for recent consumer-oriented ratings and reviews of all sorts of electronics and high-tech products.

Having trouble figuring out Microsoft Word 2007?

HoodooVoodoo@evpl — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:10:00 GMT

As some of you may have been noticing, the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library is in the middle of their own "big switch" when it comes to the public computers. We are in the process of switching out the old Gateway Profile 5 computers to new Dell Optiplex 755 computers. These computers are step up from the old ones, but one constant area where I am getting questions concerns Microsoft Word.

The new Dell computers have Microsoft Word 2007 instead of Word 2003 and the display is noticeably different. All your favorite tools and buttons are still there, but Microsoft has moved them around and made them more user friendly or as I like to say "They made it so easy, that it's hard". To help ease the confusion I found a few easy to follow reference guides and tutorials. These tools are very simple to follow and should answer any questions you may have about the differences between Word 2003 and Word 2007. Check them out!

Word 2003 to Word 2007 Command Reference Guide

Word 2007 Training Tutorials

Word 2007 Help

Office 2007 Training Courses

Instructional videos in plain English

googler@evpl — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:32:00 GMT

Common Craft is a company that produces instructional videos, and makes some of them available free on the web. Many of the videos explain different aspects of the social, collaborative web (such as Twitter, wikis, and podcasting), but their most recent covers a few basics about web searching that will be of great use to many web users.

They also occasionally do something completely non-internet related, like the recent video on how we elect our presidents.

And just in time for Halloween, "Zombies in Plain English."

EBSCOhost 2.0

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:28:00 GMT

The EBSCOhost 2.0 interface launched last week. I got to see a preview of it at the PLA Conference in Minneapolis in March; it has some very nice features, and I have been looking forward to actually getting to use it. Sarah Houghton-Jan, The Librarian in Black, blogged about it Monday, EBSCO 2.0:

EBSCO 2.0, the new interface and feature-rich interface to EBSCO products, launched last week. Having seen some demos myself, I must admit to being very impressed. It's easier to use than the old interface, doesn't look so "1995," and has some of the features users have been asking for for a long time. The Krafty Librarian has a review and the EBSCO site has some useful FAQs if you're looking for a tour or some basic information.

Staff can sign up for training opportunity happening in the Tech Lab August 12th, with a representative from EBSCO conducting the training. Todd sent us email about that. Check the TechLab page on the staff intranet for more information.