Research Blog : tutorials

PINs updates for self-checkout & in-library computer usage

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:27:00 GMT

Last March, the EVPL introduced PINs for security & privacy reasons. At that time, PIN numbers became required for users accessing their library account on our website. Upon logging in for the first time, users were prompted to create a numeric PIN to be used on subsequent logins.

Last week, we completed phase 2 of the PINs rollout. Self-checkout terminals (available at Central, North Park, & Oaklyn) now require users to enter their PIN number prior to checking out items. Users that haven't yet created a PIN will be prompted to do so.

Phase 3 of the PINs rollout will occur soon. Beginning Thursday, October 1, 2009, PINs will be required to use in-library computers. Upon logging into a library computer, users will be presented with a textbox for their library card number and a new textbox for their PIN.

The EVPL cares about your privacy, and PINs are a way to safeguard it. With these new security measures in place, your account & personal information (such as address, phone number, etc.) are safe in the event that your library card is lost or stolen. Beginning Thursday, October 1, PINs will prevent others from using your library card to access public library computers & exhausting your time daily time allotment.

Haven't created a PIN yet? Don't sweat it! Follow these simple steps:

Access the My Account page.
Type in your name & library card number, LEAVING THE PIN FIELD BLANK! Click the "Submit" button.
You'll be prompted to create a PIN. PINs must be between 4-30 numeric digits and not be overly-repetitive. Type your desired PIN in both boxes (to prevent against typos) and click the "Submit" button. Your selected PIN is now active!

For more information about PINs, check out the PINs Help page.

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.

Services available to laptop users at EVPL libraries

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:31:00 GMT

Do you have a laptop? Bring it in on your next visit to the EVPL to take advantage of the following services!

Wireless Internet Access

Wireless internet access (aka Wi-Fi) is available for free at all locations. If your laptop has a wireless network card (odds are that it does), you'll simply need to enable it and connect to the "evpl-public" network.

Wireless internet access is compatible with Windows & Mac laptops, and most portable devices containing a Wi-Fi radio (such as cellphones, PDAs, etc). Check out our Wireless Internet Access page for step-by-step instructions on connecting with your specific operating system.

Wired Internet Access

If your laptop doesn't have wireless capabilities, wired internet access is also available at all locations. Bring an ethernet cable with you and ask a staff member for assistance. Wired internet access is compatible with Windows & Mac laptops.

Laptop Printing

A service we just recently added, laptop users can now print to library printers while at any EVPL location! By running a small print client from our website, library printers at the user's current location will appear on their laptop just like locally-connected printers would. Upon printing from the laptop, the print job can be paid for & retrieved from any Print Release Station at the user's current location.

Laptop printing is compatible with Windows laptops; Mac compatibility is not available. Check out our Laptop Printing page for step-by-step instructions on using the Mobile Print Client on your laptop. As the Mobile Print Client is only available on personal laptops used within the library, the "Launch Mobile Print Client" button is purposely disabled on all other computers.

With the increasing popularity of laptops, netbooks, and other connected portable devices, we're pleased to offer these connectivity options to our users. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please post them in the comments section below!

NEW security feature for EVPL patrons: PINs

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:59:00 GMT

On Tuesday, March 3, the EVPL will be implementing a new security feature to protect patron accounts: PINs. Similar to using a PIN at the ATM, EVPL cardholders will be required to enter their name, library card number, & PIN when accessing their account online. Since your library account displays your name, address, phone number, and any items checked out or on hold, your PIN protects your privacy in the event your card is lost or stolen.

When the feature is enabled on Tuesday afternoon, a third textbox prompting for you PIN will appear on the login page. Refer to the image above to see what it'll look like.

What You Need to Do

Once the PINs feature is enabled, you'll need to create a personalized PIN the first time you log in. Here's how to do so:

Access the My Account page.
Type in your name & library card number, LEAVING THE PIN FIELD BLANK! Click the "Submit" button.
You'll be prompted to create a PIN. PINs must be between 4-30 numeric digits and not be overly-repetitive. Type your desired PIN in both boxes (to prevent against typos) and click the "Submit" button.

Once this is complete, your PIN has been set! In the future, use it (along with your name & card number) to log in to your account. For more information about PINs, including instructions on changing your PIN and what to do if you forget your PIN, visit our PINs Help page.

The EVPL cares about your privacy, and PINs are a way to safeguard it. Beginning Tuesday, only the "My Account" section of our website will require you to log in with your PIN; in the future, your PIN will also be necessary to use in-library computers and self-checkout terminals.

If you have any questions or comments about PINs, please post them in the comments section below or contact us via Ask EVPL.

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.

Library Elf now a paid-subscription service; here's our free alternative!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:07:00 GMT

Library Elf, a free service that library patrons all around the world could use to keep tabs on their & their family's due dates, is no longer free. Check out their announcement here, which details the reasons for the change.

Since Library Elf began, we've been adding features to our own "My Account" section, many of which duplicate Elf's features. This means two things:

The EVPL is not currently planning on subscribing to Library Elf.
You don't need to either!

As long as we have your email address on your library account, you'll receive these email notifications free of charge! Follow these steps to make sure we have your correct email address on file:

Hit up the My Account page and log into your account using your name & library card number.
Click on the "Modify Personal Info" button.
Make sure the "I would like to receive my notices from the library by" option is set to "Email", and ensure we have your correct email address.
Click the "Submit" link.

Once this is completed, you'll begin receiving the following notifications via email:

Hold Pickup Notice: When an item you've had on hold is available at the requested library, you'll receive this notice within 24 hours.
Due Date Reminder: These emails get sent out 2 days before an item is due. A nice reminder to avoid those late fines!
First Overdue Notice: Sent out when an item is 4 days (for feature DVDs & Bestseller Express titles) or 7 days (all other materials) overdue.

Patrons are still free to subscribe to Library Elf's Premium service; however, the need to do so has greatly diminished. Those with Library Elf accounts who will be relying on our own email notifications from now on have been asked to close their Elf accounts; instructions on doing so can be found at http://www.libraryelf.com/FAQ.aspx#closeAcct.

If you have any questions or comments about our email notifications, please post them in the comments section below. Questions, comments, or feedback about Library Elf should be submitted to them. Library Elf is and has always been a third-party company with no affiliation to the EVPL, offering their notification services to patrons at libraries all over the world.

Introducing Encore: A better way to search the catalog!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:54:00 GMT

Last October, we discontinued AquaBrowser. Today I am happy to unveil its successor: ENCORE!

The catalog widget at the top of our webpages now searches Encore. In a nutshell, Encore works very similarly to Google. In the search box, simply type in words about the items you're looking for; this can include a subject, title, author, or a combination of them. Then click the search button.

On the search results page, items will appear in the middle column. Click on a title to find out more about it.

The left-hand column will give you many options for refining your search, such as format, location, and publication date. Clicking on any of the available options will update your search results accordingly.

The right-hand column contains a tag cloud with related keywords. The graphic to the right shows the tag cloud when searching for "puppies". But say I'm more interested in adopting a puppy. "Dog adoption" appears in the tag cloud, and by clicking on it I'll be able to view "puppies" items about "dog adoption".

After trying Encore, please let us know what you think! Feel free to post your comments below or complete our official survey. We're excited to offer Encore and hope you find it to be a useful tool for searching our catalog!

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