Stark County District Library - Technology and Computer Training

Downloading OverDrive on a Kindle Fire

2012-01-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

http://nhdbooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/installing-overdrive-media-console-on.html

Would you like to read EPUB books on your Kindle Fire. You will need to install OverDrive Media Console on your Fire. These instructions were found on New Hampshire's Downloadable Books Blog. Enjoy!

Updating the Overdrive Media Console for Windows Media Player

2012-01-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

Updating Overdrive Media Console for Windows Media Player
If you are an Overdrive Audio listener, from time to time, you may need to update your Overdrive Media Console for Windows Media Player to continue downloading audio materials.
Prerequisites:
Make sure you have windows media player 11 or later.
Make sure you have an Internet connection.
If it is not installed, install Overdrive Media Console.

Now you may follow these simple instructions for upgrading the Windows Media Player Security.

1. Open OverDrive Media Console

2. Once Overdrive Media Console has opened, click on Tools

3. Then select “Windows Media Player Security Upgrade.”

A pop-up will emerge telling you that it will now install the media center
upgrade.

4. Click OK
5. Windows Media Player will connect to the Internet to download the upgrade.
6. You should see a conformation screen verifying a successful install.

Now you will be able to continue downloading your OverDrive Audio Materials.

Ohio eBook Project and Kindles

2011-12-22T10:59:00.001-08:00

It is that time of year when people are anxiously awaiting their new readers and other electronic devices which can be used for digital reading materials. Many go directly to the digital store that support their new reader. But give your Stark County District Library's Ohio eBook Project, our digital collection, a try. There are digital materials such as books, audio files, and/or videos ready for downloading. Need a little help getting started? On the SCDL Computer Training Website, you will find materials, website, tutorials, as well as video tutorials on how to use the Ohio eBook Project.

Amazon Prime Lending vs. Library Lending

2011-11-22T16:21:00.001-08:00

Not too long ago we announced with much fanfare that Stark County District Library card holders (and card holders at about 11,000 other libraries) are now able to check out library books to read on their Kindles and Kindle apps. Here in Stark County, library lending of eBooks has already seen a lot of success, with almost 2,000 downloads in October of 2011.

But then, earlier this month, Kindle announced that Amazon Prime members will now be able to loan about 5,000 titles directly from Amazon for "free." First of course, one has to be an Amazon Prime member, which costs $79 dollars a year.

First to discuss exactly what is included in this new deal from Amazon. When you find a book and go to buy it for your Kindle, if you you are an Amazon Prime member and the book is included in the library, you will be given the option to "Borrow for Free"

Here's the caveat- you can only check on one book at a time, and can only check out one book per calender month. Meaning if you borrow a book on January 1st, finish it and return it, you will not be able to check out another book until February 1st. No doubt this measure is meant to encourage people to buy books rather than "borrow" them. Also you can only use this feature if you have a Kindle. It will not work on Kindle apps for iPhones and iPads.

On the other side, there are library eBooks. I can only speak for the Ohio eBook Project and the SEO Library Consortium, which is who the Stark County District Library deals with to get eBooks to our customers. The eBooks and audiobooks on these sites are, unlike Amazon Prime, actually free. You can also check out up to 10 at a time from each site (so that makes it possible for Stark County Library card holders to check out up to 20 books at a time). And of course there is no added barrier of only being able to check out one a month. You can find books to read on Kindles and Kindle apps, as well as books for other eReaders, such as the Nook and iPad.

But of course the difference between libraries and Amazon is that Amazon exists to make money, whereas libraries exist to promote literacy and access to information.

And so it will be interesting to see how long this new program from Amazon works. It has already drawn the ire of not only librarians, but authors and publishers who say this lending is a perversion of the contracts they have with Amazon, calling it "an exercise of brute economic power."

This blogger's advice to Amazon is to tread carefully. There is no such thing as being too big to fail, just ask Netflix.

General thoughts on the new Kindle Fire and Kindle

2011-11-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Kindle Fire – Day 1
If you are expecting an iPad replacement for the $199 that Kindle charges for the Fire, you will most likely be disappointed. The Fire is a nice device, but it is not an iPad for several reasons. First of all is size. It is significantly smaller than an iPad. The pop-up keyboard can't be used to touch type. The screen has limited real estate. But the size is adequate, unlike an iTouch or iPhone, to easily read and view media such as books and magazines with out the constant zooming in and out that is required on the Touch and Phone. Actually, the screen is just about the perfect size, big enough to view and small enough to be highly portable, for most media. The Fire is slightly heavier than I expected, but not too heavy. It feels well made and sturdy.

Setup of the new device was painless. I connected to my WiFi (I have the WiFi only device) and it immediately downloaded the latest updates and I was up an running in minutes. All of my existing Amazon content was immediately available, EXCEPT.... If you purchased any of the
previous Kindle active content such as games, calculators, notepads, etc., this content does not appear work on the Kindle fire. I'm going to dig a little deeper into that one, but at first look, I don't see that content, and can find no way to make it work.

The interface is intuitive. When you first turn the device one, there are about 3 quick screens of instructions. Those screens provide most of the basics needed to navigate. It all, pretty much, just works. The browser, Silk, is fast and the cloud processing seems to work well. The cloud storage works well and I was able to immediately access the music that I had already stored there. The device comes preloaded with several apps that are “paid apps”, such as QuickOffice. QuickOffice allows you to view Microsoft Office documents. There are also preloaded apps/links for eMail, pulse (a web content aggregation program), Pandora, Facebook, and iMDb. I have not setup the
eMail yet, I'll post later on that process. The instructions indicate that IMAP and POP systems are supported, so eMail setup should allow both the typical systems such as Google, Yahoo, etc., and Microsoft Exchange. The Fire also has the document conversion process that was available on the Keyboard, which allows you to send documents directly to the Fire via an email address. I love this function and use it all the time to carry documents with me to meetings.

The touch screen interface is taking a bit of getting used to. But I had the same issue when I first used an iTouch. You just have to get used to the touch and tap rates. The interface is responsive and not sluggish. I don't expect to have any problems with it within a day or two. Having used a Kindle Keyboard for a year and putting up with the clunky “bookshelf” interface, I love the carousel and the ability to flick through and find what I'm looking for. There are search and sort functions, but I've not found any way to “categorize” content like you can on the Kindle Keyboard.

The device does not come with a USB cable. The charger is a typical “wall-wart” type of charger and is a bit big and clunky. The device uses the same micro-USB cable as the previous Kindle, so if you have one, fine, if not, you'll have to buy one if you want to connect the Fire to your computer to manage content. From all appearance, the Fire is an 8GigaByte device, the same storage space as the smallest iTouch. Since much of the content is in the cloud, this should be adequate for most people. If you are looking to store a lot of audio content locally on the device, this may be a bit
limiting.

So those are my initial findings. I'll post again tomorrow after I dig a little deeper. Just follow the same link to this document that you used and look for the “Day 2” update. I'll also post some comments on the new Kindle Touch later in the day.
WBH

Your Local FOL Needs You!

2011-11-09T06:24:00.000-08:00

While this is a Technology Training blog, I wanted to take a little time to mention your library's Friends of the Library (FOL) group. An FOL is an organziation made up of everyday citizens. As a member there are many opportunities to attend programs such as author visits; meet others from the community with the same interests; help with book sales or other fundraising events; discover new adventures or rediscover an interests long forgotten.
The FOL goes beyond month meetings and programs. Many provide assistance to a local library in the form of volunteers, fundings through donations, promotion of the library as a valuable part of a community, and support a wide range of public programs.
If you are interested in joining a local FOL or perhaps purchasing membership for someone else as a gift, contact your local library to find the group closest to you.

Where to find those free e-books

2011-10-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

Many times I'm asked "Where to find free e-books outside of the library catalog?" What follows directly is "Are these safe sites?" While I have my favorites that I have provided in the past, Public Libraries published in its July/August 2011 issue a list of free sites that are great additions to the list:
Baen Books: There are about 120 titles available in the science fiction and fantasy genre for PC or Kindle.
Book Lending: Registration is required. Supports Kindles and you may lend or borrow a book between other users.
Digital Book Index: This site supports iPad, Kindle, and Nook readers. You may search by title, author, title and author, or title keyword among its 165,000 digital collection.
E-Discover the Classics: Looking for a great classic but don't want to search hours to find them? Kindles, iPads, Nooks and many other readers are supported.
Inkmesh: Free and easy to use, Inkmesh has sort by device, free or for cost e-books. It hosts about 3,500 e-books in fiction and nonfiction.
Open Library: Need children's books? Open Library includes title from popular Golden Books. Formats include but not limited to PDF and EPUB. Membership required.

Don't forget to check out your local library for their digital collection.

Stark County District Library:

Do you know about CTRL + F?

2011-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

In a recent interview with Dan Russell, a search anthropologist for Google, the Atlantic's Alexis Madigral learned something startling- about 90% of people do not use the CTRL + F function when searching. CTRL + F is an incredibly useful tool when browsing the Web, reading or writing documents and browsing PDFs. It is a keyboard shortcut which opens your computer's "find" function. Here is what it can be used for:

Take, for example, the website craigslist.org. This is a website that is useful for buying and selling, trading, finding apartments and looking for jobs. There is a craigslist specific to most major cities in the United States. If you go to the link posted above, you will be taken to the main page, which lists every city-specific website. To find Canton, OH specifically, you can do one of two things. One- scroll through the whole site and browse or two- use the function CTRL + F. When you press and hold the CTRL key and the F key AT THE SAME TIME, a box will appear on your screen (could be top, bottom or floating depending on your web browser) which looks something like this:

In our craigslist example, you would type "canton" into the find box and click "next". You will see that all instances of the word "canton" will be highlighted on your screen. Keep clicking next to jump from canton to canton until you find the right one.

And THAT, in a nutshell, is the CTRL + F feature. As mentioned, you can use CTRL + F on the Web, in Word documents and in PDFs. It is dead useful if you need to find specific information admist a large chunk of information.

Now of course, nothing in technology is perfect. Some limitations to CTRL + F:

1) Your spelling needs to be spot on. There is no "did you mean..." like on Google. If you spelled it wrong, you will not find it.

2) It only finds exact phrases. If, using our example, I had searched "canton ohio" instead of just "canton", I would have had no results because nowhere on that page are the words canton and ohio right next to each other.

Despite these limitations, overall CTRL + F makes finding information much, much easier.

Deleting Online Accounts

2011-09-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ever want to permanently delete an online account such as Facebook or Twitter? October's issue of Smart Computing & Consumer Electronics has a great article, "Signing Off: Cancel Your Online Accounts," with detailed instructions on how to delete online accounts. Don't subscribe to this magazine? SCDL does. Visit any SCDL location for your opportunity to read this insightful article.

2011-09-22T05:54:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I've been testing out the Kindle on the Ohio eBook Project. The Ohio eBook Project is Stark County District Library's catalog for e-resources such as audio books, music, videos, and more. Prior to September 21st, we could not download those e-resources to a Kindle eReader.
I must admit the ease of use is encouraging. Required: a Kindle eReader with WiFi, a computer with Internet connection, and a SCDL (including Massillon and Louisville Public Libraries) library card. Simple use the SCDL catalog or go directly to the Ohio eBook Project website search for your e-resource, follow the prompts, and let the WiFi do the rest. The next time you enter a WiFi zone, your e-resource will download to your Kindle eReader. Or you may also use a USB connection to download immediately.
Very Exciting!
If you would like a Kindle/Ohio eBook Project training/demonstration, look for our training classes in the Stark Scene Newsletter or on our website calendar.

Alternatives to PowerPoint

2011-03-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

About.com has announced its About.com 2011 Reader's Choice Awards for best free alternative to PowerPoint. This years winners is Acrobat.com Presentations. Runners Up include Google Presentation, Libreoffice Impress, and Open Office Impress. If you would like more information on these free sources visit: Best Free Alternative to PowerPoint

Microsoft Office Live: Web Design

2011-03-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Need a website that won't cost you an arm and a leg? Have you tried Microsoft Office Live Small Business?
Microsoft Office Live Small Business provides free website building and managing tools as well as a free hosting service for the website. You are required to create an account. Once the account is created and email verified, you may begin building your website. The easy to use template is based on the Microsoft Office Word software. Insert images, pictures, and tables with ease or choose from a varity of page templates such as Contact Us, Calendars, or General Information. There are also many features that allow you to customize the site to fit your business needs. Such as your business logos in the header or custom color themes.
The site is still in beta testing mode. So everyone must expect changes as more people begin to take advantage of this free website building and hosting site.

Tablets (computers)

2011-03-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

I have been getting a lot of questions pertaining to tablets which seems to this years technology find. Some want to believe that the next logical leap from a desktop or laptop would be the tablet. But as with all technology investments, I tell them that they should do their homework first.

If you don't know the jargon, then you should take the time to get the basic terminology. This will help you to make a knowledgeable decision.

List the things you want from your tablet: download books, movies, music, read email, etc...

Don't buy any device straight out of box. Visit stores that have tablets on display.

Preview the quality of the screen in both indoor and outdoor lighting. Take a moment and learn the details of the machine: Display or screen size and weight; 3g, 4g, or WiFi options; note the operating system and its options.

And don't forget the price tag. When evaluating the cost of any technology device, I estimate the cost of the device, additional contracts, and the accessories. Then I device by the number of years I expect the device to be used for upgrades or replacement. $800/3years=$267.

After completing all of the above steps, I then ask myself "is it worth it?"

Ohio Ebook Project

2011-02-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

Now that many of you are using the Ohio Ebook Project for your ebook needs, I wanted to give you a couple of tips on using the site.
1. If you click on the Advanced Search you may limit your search to specific formats. For example: Use the drop down arrow next to Format and select Acrobat PDF or EPUB to limit the search to only those types.
2. You do not need to type in an author, publisher, title, keyword, etc... to generate a search. Simply select a format option.
3. If you scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Search page, you will find a box to check for searching only items that are available.
4. You may return books before they are due. This will allow you to borrow more items.

Writing website for children

2010-12-22T05:16:00.000-08:00

While I was surfing the web for interesting sites for children I came across Kidscom a site for children to write and publisher their short stories. Each week children from two age groups (11 and younger as well as 12 and older) are randomly selected and their stories are featured.

MP3 Adapter

2010-11-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, I wanted to listen to the music on my MP3 player while I was doing things around the house. I didn't really want to carry it around or use ear buds. I have a basic model surround sound system in my house but didn't know how to connect the two. With a little research, I found an MP3 Adapter that allows me to connect a typical MP3 player to a surround sound system. The one I found is produced by General Electric. It is easy to hookup and comes with a 7 foot cord.

My children discovered the extra wire and now listen to their devices as well. (I'm not so sure if my neighbors like it as much.) Nonetheless, now my surround system can play any gaming device, DVD player, CD player, portable listening devices, TVs, oh and of course, the radio.

The Nook

2010-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

As in last post, I explained that I was researching e-readers. I had worked on the Sony models and now am working on the Nook.
This particular model has 3g or Internet access anywhere there is an ATT connection. It is a product of Barns & Nobles and has access for easy download of e-books from the Barns & Noble online store. This model is also, as is the Sony, compatible with the Ohio E-book Project a source for free e-books. Where the Sony has buttons, the Nook has a touch pad for accessing the downloaded materials and additional information or materials such as periodicals or audio books.
The Nook can hold more than 1000 books and has additional storage through a memory card. The screen is easy to ready and does not reflect sunlight like a typical computer screen. I consider accessing the Barns & Noble Online Bookstore and downloading from other site to be easy. I just need to remember to keep the e-reader charged. The Nook can be charged using a computer and USB cable or plug into a electrical plug (cords provided) There are many more features that may interest people in the market for an e-reader. I would recommend additional research in local Internet options, computer requirements and providers of free e-books or the local library's participation in e-resources such as e-books.

Sony- E-reader 300

2010-09-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have been working with the Sony E-reader 300. I'm not here to sell a specific product so I've tried the Nook (Barns & Noble), Kindle (Amazon), and additional Sony models. All models operate with the same premise. Some have more bells and whistles than others and are supported by the different companies.

The 300 is Sony's base model in the e-reader series. It is a handheld unit that allows you to read electronic formatted information such as e-books from a 5 inch digital screen. This particular model requires a computer that has Internet access for downloading e-books in the PDF or EPUB format.

At first, the entire process seemed a bit daunting. I had to register the reader, set up my computer which included downloading additional applications, and then had to learn how to use the online store and how to use our local library's e-book site. Just for a book!

Why go to all extra steps to load a book onto a piece of equipment? Why not just pick up the book? I had even more questions. Can I borrow a library book for a reader? What happens when I'm done with them? I had many questions. These are just a few questions I had.

Determined to make this a good experience, I dove into the process. I completed the registration of the reader and the downloading of all additional software (Adobe Digital Edition) that was required. From there I visited the Ohio E-book Project web site and downloaded my first book and then my second. Not that difficult!
From there I traveled around the county with my reader knowing I had the equivalent to two books. Was I impressed when I could sit and read my books without issue, yes.
What I think would make the process easier would be simple step by step instructions from start to finish. So that is what I'm working on as we blog.
Dee

Photo Editing

2010-05-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Need to edit photos? Check out these free downloads for photo editing.
GIMP
"GIMP features a great fullscreen mode allowing you to not only preview your artwork but also do editing work while using the most of your screen estate." Features include: Photo Enhancement, Barrel Distortion, Digital Retouching, Hardware Support, File Formats, Tutorials, and Supported Platforms.

Paint.NET
"ImageForge provides you with a set of powerful tools for painting and editing images, photos or other graphics. Create and edit images, acquire pictures from your scanner, digital camera or other Twain-compliant device, apply special effect filters, produce your own photo albums and simple slide shows, and much more. Upgrade your ability to edit images with this free paint program.""Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins."

PhotoFiltre
"While Photofiltre is miles away from the professional oriented Adobe Photoshop it’s an excellent free alternative. The program contains all the essential tools and options to edit and optimize pictures. It loads up very quickly and changes can be instantly previewed. Novice photographers or graphic designers can use it to cut their teeth on image editing before going on to more complex applications."

PhotoPlus 6
"With PhotoPlus 6 you can enhance your photos for the best possible results, adjust brightness and color and even remove red-eye - and all for free!. Put your creative abilities on display for all to see and impress your family and friends! Packed full of fantastic features normally reserved for high-end, high-priced applications, PhotoPlus 6 is ideal for complete beginners and professionals alike."

Picasa
"Picasa is free photo editing software from Google that makes your pictures look great. Sharing your best photos with friends and family is as easy as pressing a button!"

Sorting in Outlook

2010-04-26T06:35:00.000-07:00

Color categories user in Microsoft Outlook? Did you know that you can sort by those categories. Click on the Arranged by option on the Inbox. Select Categories.

The categories are grouped by color. You can arrange them from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.

2010-04-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

Stark County District Library winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service

Computers In Libraries Conference

2010-03-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

I will be speaking at the Computers in Libraries 2010 conference on April 13th. My subjects of conversation will include the growth of our mobile training lab, purchasing, maintenance, policies regarding training and developing an effective class curriculum for the community. I will keep you up-to-date on the things I discover.
Dee R

Music on the Internet

2010-03-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

Are you listening to your favorite songs, those golden oldies, classics, or today’s modern tunes while on the internet? You can. There are many sites out there that provide just that. Create a free account; add songs; and access your music for easy listening. Internet connection, speakers, and email address required. Visit: Playlist, Songza, Jango, We7 and many more sites. Then start listening today to your favorite songs today.

Electronic Books Where to Find Them

2010-02-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

As the eletronic readers gain popularity, finding bargin priced e-books or better yet free e-books to download on your reader is a great find. A few that I have found include: Free-ebooks.net, Google Books, Kobo.com, Manybooks.net and specifically for Ohio, the Ohio e-Book Project. All require some type of registration while others require special downloads. But all sites have a fair amount of free titles.

2010-02-09T10:27:00.001-08:00

Sitting in silence at your computer? Want to listen to music that you select rather than what someone else selects for you? Create your own playlist using Playlist.com. Begin by creating your Playlist account then search, save and listen to the music you enjoy most. (Internet Required)

Stark County District Library Mobile Web Application

2010-01-19T05:30:00.001-08:00

Try out our new Mobile web applications. View our website or search our catalog from your mobile device.

Picasa

2010-01-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

Now that you have all of your holiday photos what are you going to do with them? Some need resized for your website. Others you would like to put in a photo album and share them with others. Picasa is a free photo editing software from Google. Learn more about Picasa using their online tutorials and help section.

PowerPoint

2009-12-16T06:30:00.000-08:00

Need an idea on how to show off your family photos during your holiday gatherings? You can use a PowerPoint presentation using family photos to create a parade of family memories. Add music in the background and set the presentation to loop for continuous play. Want a wide screen to show off your work? See if your television can be attached to your computer. The show will then play on your tv.

Windows Movie Maker Download

2009-11-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Windows Movie Maker allows you to create, edit, and share your home movies right from your computer. For free downloads for XP go to Windows XP Movie Maker 2.1 Download. Movie Maker for Vista and Windows 7 go to Movie Maker Windows Live.

E Readers

2009-10-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

I've been asked how many types of electronic readers or e readers are out there. I have found an interesting site that features quite a few types and styles. While the terminology is a bit technical in nature, the articles that are linked to each unit gives additional information that can be very helpful. http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

Web Junction Comments

2009-08-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

What articles did you read and what did you like and dislike?

Excel: Create a Subtotal

2009-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Creating a subtotal in Excel:
Click on the range of cells that you want to subtotal. Then click on the Data tab to reveal the Data Ribbon options. You will find the Subtotal button in the Outline Group.

A pop up box will appear. Under At Each Change In, select the correct value option that applies to your worksheet. Select the funtion you need for your subtotals under the Use Funtion menu. Then select the column you want the subtotals caculated.
Then Click on OK.

To remove a subtotal. Click on any cell in the subtotaled column. Click on the Data tab and then click on the subtotal button in the Outline group. Finally, click on Remove all.

Excel: Additing Check Boxes to an Excel Cell

2009-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

To add a check box or radio button to an Excel Spreadsheet, you must turn on the Developer's Tab and Ribbon. Click on the Office Button, select Excel Options, select Popular, select Show Developer tab in the Ribbon. This will give you access to the Developer Ribbon.
Once you have opened the Developer Ribbon, click on Insert, select the check box or radio button from the options.
To activate the box and button, save the spreadsheet as a Macro Enabled Spreadsheet. Click on the Office Button, select Save As, select Excel Macro Enabled.
Once saved the check boxes and radio buttons will be active.

Excel: Custom Lists

2009-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Click Office button > Excel Options > Popular tab > Edit Custom List
Type the new list in the List entries window > OK
To import a custom Auto Fill list from your spreadsheet
Highlight your list >Click the Office button > Excel Options > Popular tab > Edit Custom List
The range of cells you previously highlighted should be present in the Import list
Click the Import button and the new Auto Fill list appears in the Custom Lists window

Excel: Custom Sorting

2009-05-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

1. Create your list in Excel. If possible include a header row for easy identification while sorting.
2. Highlight the information you need to sort.
3. Click on the Sort & Filter button found on the Home Ribbon.
4. Select Custom Sorting
5. The Sort pop-up box will appear. Select the column you need to sort information by: Last Name, Address, etc… If your column headers do not appear as options for sorting in the Sort by option, click on the box next to the My data has headers.
6. If you need to sort by more than one criterion, click on Add a Level and repeat above instructions.
7. Click on OK.
Additional sorting options include: Sort On which includes Cell color, Font color and Icon; Order which includes: A To Z; Z to A; and Custom List.

Word: Embed an Excel Worksheet

2009-04-09T07:07:00.001-07:00

1. Place the insertion point where you want the Excel worksheet to be.
2. Select the Insert Tab to reveal the Insert Ribbon and then click on the Object button found in the Text Group.
3. Select the type of worksheet you want embedded in your document and then click OK.

An Excel worksheet will appear. Note the change in the ribbon. It is now the Excel Ribbons.

4. Click outside of the Excel worksheet to covert back to the Word Ribbons.
5. Click on the worksheet to reopen the Excel options.

What is the last book I read?

2009-03-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

The last book I read was the Shack. It was recommended by a friend of mine that thought it was a great novel. It inspired her to think more about the direction of her life. I admit I was disappointed. I suppose if you feel lost when you begin to read it, you may find it inspiring. I was also disappointed by the ending. I thought it was a cop out because it was too A typical.

DimDim Online Presentation

2009-03-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

I have been working with the online presentation site, DimDim
It has a simple plug in that needs to be loaded. Outside of that it is easy to use.

Microsoft Tip of the Week Outlook: New Message Alerts

2009-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you are working in your profile on the public floor and you do not want the New Message Alert to fade in and out for the patron or customers to see.

To remove the New Message Alert:
1. Click on Tools on the Toolbar
2. Select Options
3. Click on Email Options
4. Click on Advanced E-Mail Options
5. Click off Display a New Mail Desktop Alert.

6. Click on OK.

Microsoft Tip of the Week: Contextual Tabs

2009-01-19T07:10:00.000-08:00

The Contextual Tab appears when you are working with specific objects such as pictures, charts, or objects in Microsoft 2007 Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

In Word, you will find a Contextual Tab when working with a picture. Notice the Formatting Ribbon also appears when working with a picture. These additional tabs and ribbons are included to help with formatting images, pictures, and objects that you have inserted into a document. To access the Contextual Tab, click on the picture, image, or object.

In Excel, you will find a Contextual Tab when working with a chart. Notice the Design Ribbon also appears when working with a chart. These additional tabs and ribbons are included to help with formatting charts, pictures, and images. To access the Contextual Tab, click on the chart, pictures, or image.

Microsoft Tip of the Week Excel: Repeat Rows At Top

2009-01-06T05:51:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Tip of the Week Excel: Rows to Repeat at the Top

Sometimes it is necessary to have the column headers to print on every Excel Spreadsheet. This can be done using the Rows to repeat at the top option found on the Page Layout Ribbon.

Click on the Page Layout Ribbon and locate the Sheet Options launch arrow.

A new Page Setup box will appear.
Click on the small box next to the Rows to repeat at top. A new Page Setup-Rows to repeat at top box will appear requesting which rows you would like to repeat.
You can click on the row number to highlight the area or highlight manually using your mouse.

Once you have the correct information entered, click on the box again to return to your Page Setup box.
Click OK to secure your task and return to your spreadsheet.

Microsoft Tip of the Week Word: Adding a Text Box

2009-01-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Office 2007: Tip of the Week
The Insert Ribbon: Adding a Text Box
The Insert Ribbon Groups include Pages, Tables, Illustrations, Links, Headers & Footers, Text, and Symbols.
One of the upgrades to 2007 includes additional options for the Text Box.

There are total of 36 styles to select from. You can change the size, shape, and color of each box using the formatting Ribbon that appears after you insert the text box.

Give it a try:
Open your word document
Click on the Insert Ribbon
Click on Text Box in the Text group
Select Mod Quote
Change the color to Red using the Text Box Styles Group then Shape Fill or the shortcut colors option
Change the shape to a happy smile face.

Microsoft Tip of the Week Excel: Using Text Orientation and Wrap Text

2008-12-29T09:31:00.001-08:00

Excel

Using Word Wrap and Text Orientation on the Alignment Section:

When you need your text to wrap within a fixed width of a cell use the Wrap Text option on the Alignment Section
Click on the Cell(s), and then click on Wrap Text
Give it a try:
Type “Joe Doe is a Waiter.” in cell A1.
Click out of the cell and then click on the cell again.

Click on Wrap Text

Using the Text Orientation for text orientation within a cell:

Click on the cell(s) that you would like to change the orientation. Click on the Text Orientation button on the Alignment Section of the Home Ribbon.
Select the option you need from the menu.

Microsoft Tip of the Week: Make a Cover Page for your documents:

2008-12-29T08:51:00.001-08:00

Click on the Insert Ribbon, and then click on the Cover Page button. You will get Cover Page options to select. Click on the cover page you would like to appear, and then fill in the necessary information.

Microsoft Tip of the Week: Line Spacing Options

2008-12-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Tip of the Week: Line Spacing Options

On the Home Ribbon in the Paragraph section, you will find the Line Spacing Option button. Listed are the typical features found in previous Microsoft products. A feature that has been brought to the front in 2007 is the Add and Remove Space before and after Paragraphs. If you have an extra line space between paragraphs in 2007 and can’t remove them using other options, it may be necessary to remove the line using the Remove Space Before or After Option.

Give It A Try:
Type:
Books:
Heaven Can Wait
Walk the Line

Now, highlight the lines and click on the Line Space button and try adding and removing extra spaces after each sentence.

Microsoft Tip of the Week: Using the Clipboard

2008-12-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

Using the Clipboard
To open the Office Clipboard you must be on the Home Ribbon.

You will note that items are grouped together based on relationship. At the bottom of each grouping are small arrows referred to as Launches.

If you click on the arrow at the bottom of the first group or Clipboard your Office Clipboard will open.

To close the Office Clipboard click on the X located at the top right hand corner of the Clipboard.

Give It a Try:
Open the Word program.
Open the Clipboard.
Type on the document: Snow is a good thing not an inconvenience.
Highlight the text then click on the copy button or use Ctrl + C
You will note the sentence appeared on the Clipboard.

To copy the sentence onto the document, click on it.
When you keep the Clipboard open, you may store up to 24 items to use on the document.