Top Five Tips for People Attending One-on-Ones

          

  If you've been on the library's website recently or inside one of our library branches, it is likely you've heard of our FREE One-on-One Tech Help program.  This program is aimed at adults who need help with technology (such as laptops and tablets) and would like to learn more; interested clients can make appointments with the library to meet with the branch's CAP (Community Access Program) Youth Intern, who will engage in a one-on-one session to answer any question clients may have.  As with any time one is meeting with a stranger to discuss something one may not be comfortable with, it is not surprising or in any way unreasonable to be concerned about not knowing what to expect.  Will the instructor be easy to talk to? What if I can't understand any of what they're saying? So, to help sooth your fears, here are my top five tips for People Attending One-on-Ones.

1. Have Your Questions Ready Before You Go

Before arriving at your session, make a list of the questions you'd like to ask or subjects you'd like to go over.  This not only insures that you won't forget what you wanted to ask, it also helps the instructor make sure that your time together is used in the most productive and helpful way.  You may want to tell the instructor “I know nothing, just tell me everything” or asking them “what are all the important things I need to know?”.  Although these statements may be how you feel, they do not help an instructor to know where to begin. 

2.  Remember that Instructors Want to Teach as Much as You Want to Learn.

The instructors are there because they want to help, and all instructors had to be vetted through an interview process with library staff.  Remember: not everyone can know everything, so sometimes you will be learning together.  Instructors may not always realize that what seems obvious to them may not be so clear to someone who didn't grew up in such a hyper-technological culture; in most cases, just letting them know that you don't understand will help to provide some direction. 

3. Instructors Can Not Read Your Mind.

If you find that you are struggling with a certain program, or you can't keep up because the instructor is going too fast, you need to let the instructor know.  I fully understand why it often feels easier to just stay quiet and hope everything will just suddenly make sense.  The truth though, is that this method is not productive or helpful, and could end in mutual frustration. Instructors want to aid you in understanding technology but they can't do that unless you are willing to communicate with them.  Just ask them to slow down or go over an explanation again – instructors are there to support you.

4. Instructors Are Not Computer Technicians

Instructors are trained in helping clients with doing many basic computing tasks, such as using the Internet, setting up a tablet, or downloading ebooks and audio books.  They will likely not be able to help you if you bring in your tablet because it is making a funny whirring noise, or your laptop has a virus.  These are beyond the scope of what the one-on-one sessions are designed to achieve.  Before making an appointment, make sure your problem is one that a CAP Youth can help you with.  If you're not sure, it is perfectly okay to call the library and ask. 

And last, but certainly not least...

5. Have Fun!

In this highly technological age, it is very easy to become overwhelmed with all the new gadgets coming out constantly.  But for all that, it's a little scary, it's really pretty amazing too!  Thanks to technology we can now talk face to face with friends and family half way around the world, download hundreds of books and movies onto one easily transportable device, learn about quite literally anything you can think of with the click of a button, and so much more. There are so many incredible things that can be done with technology, and with the skills you'll learn through one-on-ones, you'll take your first step towards them.  Good luck!

- Shania Taylor, CAP Youth Intern Bridgetown/Lawrencetown

Mobile Cloud Computing

Have you ever been told that you have your head in the clouds?  Well, maybe that phrase isn’t too far off.  You can easily put a picture of your head in the clouds at least.  Mobile cloud computing is adding a whole new dimension to our use of mobile devices.  As we use our phones as cameras more and more, we quickly run out of room to store all the pictures, or inevitably you want to show someone a picture that is not on the device you happen to have in your hand.  Mobile cloud computing solves these and many other issues around the many mobile devices we have. 

When purchasing a new mobile phone with either an Android or Apple operating system, you will be setup automatically for a free backup service.  This service will back up your phone whenever it is connected to a power source and wifi.  This is one feature of the mobile cloud computing world.  There is more.  You can also activate Google Drive for your Android phone or iCloud for the iPhone.  This will allow you to easily share files.

For the Android devices, download the Google Drive app.  With this app you can store your photos and files from your devices to Google Drive then access them with any of your devices.  You can also install the desktop version for Windows or Mac and share these files with your computer.

For Apple devices/computers activate iCloud, setting up access to store and share files with all of our Apple products.   If you own a Windows computer you can download the iCloud Control Panel (for Windows 7 or 8) and share in this service. 

** What is cloud computing?  It is simply the use of computers hosted on the Internet to store, manage and process data, rather than a local or personal computer being used for that purpose.

Charlotte Janes, Head of Systems and Administration

Are antivirus programs necessary on tablets?

Q: I received a tablet for Christmas.  Do I need to install an Antivirus program like I have on my PC?

The answer depends on the tablet operating system (OS); basically what kind of tablet do you have, Android or Apple. No matter which system you have, the first and best defense against any attack is common sense.

Do research on any app you want to install, read the reviews, are there other apps that do the same thing but have a higher rating.

Only install apps from the official app store, it is possible to jailbreak and freely install apps that normally cost money but you also run the risk that the app has been modified to steal personal information or worse.

Apple tablets and phones are generally considered to be very secure. The operating system (iOS) is designed to take advantage of a closed system where Apple is the gatekeeper and determines what applications can be used on the tablet.  Apple has also built a lot of security into iOS as it has been updated.  If your tablet is ever stolen or misplaced you can track it using iTunes and remotely wipe it so no personal information is left. 

Android is built on a more open system that allows you to customize it to suit your taste. While the platform is also built with a lot of integrated security, the fact that you are able to personalize your tablet more than iOS may be exploited to allow malware to run on your system.  There are many security apps in the Google Play Store that offer a range of protection features including the ability to scan for malware, locate the tablet, backup information and even remotely wipe any personal information. 

The vast majority of malware is focused on stealing your information.  It is certainly dangerous but it’s also like a vampire – you have to invite it into your home, or onto your tablet.  It doesn't spread by itself and if you are sensible, you can avoid it without antivirus software.  You may however be interested in the other components that are packaged with the app.  Backups are always good to do and an app that allows you to locate your tablet is handy no matter if it is stolen or left at your mother's after a Sunday get together.
 

Jay Stirling,

Systems Administrator

Using Our Information Databases

Are you tired of searching the Internet for information, getting ads and pop-up windows, or getting information, but you don't know who it is actually from?  We have a solution for you.  Try one of our information databases, these hidden gems are worth uncovering.  Go to the Search Databases & More link here. Access to these resources is FREE with your library card from anywhere with an Internet connection!! 

Of those available, I would like to highlight the following:

CPI.Q (Canadian Periodicals Index Quarterly), the award-winning full-text Canadian reference solution, is specifically designed to provide instant access to the most requested Canadian reference materials.   Some features include, indexing of more than 1,300 Canadian periodicals (English and French) with more than 700 in full text; backfile from 1980 to present; user-friendly, bilingual interface; more than 130 newspapers including the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail and much more.

Health & Wellness Resource Center, provides authoritative, up-to-date information on health topics for virtually anyone seeking health-related information.  This easy-to-use database features top-searched conditions, topics in the news and health videos; detailed coverage of alternative and complementary medical practices; more than 1,000 top medical journals and periodicals as well as articles from more than 2,200 general interest publications; medical newspapers, newsletters and news feeds; full-text reference works such as The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, The Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery and Medical Tests, The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine and many more.

General Reference Center Gold, has the full-text and image resources students and researchers need.    The content includes more than 5,700 titles, of which, more than 4,400 are available in full-text.  Use this resource to locate articles on current events, business and industry trends, arts and sciences, popular culture, sports, hobbies and more.   Resources available include 25 years of backfiles; podcasts from sources such as National Public Radio, Science@NASA, Headline News and NRO Radio; links to more than 5,000 video files includes television shows like the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, NRO TV and Meet the Press; major newspapers, such as The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor and many more; hundreds of children's magazines; and much, much more.  Find a journal of interest and then read all of the articles within a specific issue.

Helpful tools available with these databases let you:

-           view PDF documents linked to the article

-           e-mail the article

-           generate citations

-           share links to the article

-           listen to the article or save it as an MP3 audio file

-           translate the article into one of 11 languages

-           print, download and bookmark articles

Remember, it's FREE and it is authoritative, so get your library card out and give it a try.

Charlotte Janes, Head of Systems and Administration

Summer Reading wrap-up

The theme for the 2012 Summer Reading Club was IMAGINE. We imagined all sorts of things that we could do with this theme; libraries created castles and horse barns, we hosted reptile shows and wild animal puppets, we played with bubbles, recycled t-shirts, chased zombies, learned new computer software, created with LEGO, held library scavenger hunts, did a lot of pretending and read a whole lot of books.  In fact, the 2547 participants in this year's Summer Reading Club read for 31,885 hours! That is an impressive amount of reading in my book.  At the Kentville Library alone, 588 readers clocked nearly 8000 hours.  Thanks to a continued partnership with Upper Clements Parks, we gave out 1,957 FastPasses to the readers who completed their Summer Reading goal.  

You may wonder who these readers were. They were all ages—from babies whose parents read aloud to them, to preschoolers getting ready for Primary, to elementary kids who have discovered the pleasures of books, to teenagers (422 teens read for at least 25 hours!), we had readers who just love books. The Summer Reading Club was originally designed to promote the FUN of reading, and to keep kids reading during the summer months so that when they return to school, they haven’t lost those valuable skills that they worked so hard to acquire.  The Summer Reading Club allows readers to choose whatever they want to read, in whatever format they want to read – be it audiobooks, magazines, comics, or even the back of cereal boxes.  Older brothers and sisters read to younger siblings, babysitters read to their charges, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles read aloud at cottages, teens read under a tree in the park. It is all about the JOY of reading, and we love promoting it. 

The program lasts for 8 weeks—a good chunk of the summer-- and consumes huge amounts of staff time and resources.  We are only able to offer such a great program because of partners, sponsors, and an annual Book Sale that helps us raise funds to run this amazing program. Some materials are provided by TD Bank, who sponsors the program nationwide. Locally, we had support from Upper Clements Parks, Oaklawn Farm Zoo, Adopt a Library, and the sponsors of prizes for our new adult SRC, Watch the Sky Photography, The ClayGround, Coles Bookstore, and Paper Pleasures at the Coffee Shop.  We wholeheartedly thank all these businesses once again and also those who come to our book sale. 

Summer Reading Club will be back next year, but for now, just continue to enjoy those books and what's left of this glorious summer! 

--Angela J. Reynolds, Head of Youth Services