Each week Pam has a technology column in the South Hills Record. Below are some helpful technology tips. Send us an email if you have a technology question or want to see a certain topic in print.
“Fall is right around the corner, which means cooler temperatures and children heading back to school. That might be the perfect time to plan your next getaway.
There are many resources available on the Internet to help you plan your next trip. These are just three of the many resources out there to help you in planning your next trip.” Read more…
“The start of the school year sometimes can be a little difficult for kids to get back into the swing of things.
But the library has some great early-learning e-resources available for free that you can access anywhere with just your library card.
These can also be helpful if you want your child to get a head start heading into their first year of prekindergarten or kindergarten.” Read more…
“Several popular TV shows and movies are created from comic books and graphic novels.
Some people fall in love with the comic books first, then the television show, or others start to read the comic book after they see the story come to life on the screen.
Now, there’s a free way to access comic books with your Allegheny County library card. Hoopla Digital has just added comic books to its collections. As you might remember, Hoopla has a selection of movies, television shows, music and audiobooks that you can borrow to your device or stream from your computer.” Read more…
“Whether you are doing some family genealogical research, researching a school project or just want to learn more about Pittsburgh’s history, there is a great website to help you get started in your search.
The website, Historic Pittsburgh, is a collection of historical resources from local institutions.
This is a free site that you can access from anywhere. Institutions throughout the city and county make some of their archives available online. This can include anything from historic images to maps to Pittsburgh Census records. These collections often include full-text primary source documents.” Read more…
“Are you looking for a way to download songs immediately to your computer, smartphone or device and you want to make sure it is legal?
There has to be a way to download songs legally to your computer or device, right? Have no fear — the library is once again here to help.” Read more…
“Some people associate April with the dreaded time to turn their taxes into the IRS.
That might be why April is Financial Literacy Month.
The library has access to a number of business and consumer resources.” Read more…
“One of the databases available through your local library is geared toward elementary and middle school students.
SIRS Discoverer is a helpful database for elementary and middle school students to find reliable information on the Internet for their research papers, projects or PowerPoint Presentations. It contains articles and images from more than 1,600 newspapers, magazines and government documents. The articles on this database are appropriate for children. Read more…
“Remember the days of walking into your library and checking out CDs to help you learn a new language? Libraries still do have a select number of language-learning CDs but not as many as they used to offer.
Now, language learning is just a click away using a library e-resource called Mango Languages. You can access Mango on the database page of your library’s website. Then you need to create an account with an email address, password and your library-card number. Read more…
“Many people may be familiar with OverDrive, the library’s eBook lending site as a great place for eBooks and eAudio. But for those who don’t want to wait for a title to become available, there’s another great eResource available for audio books.
OneClickdigital has thousands of audio books available with no waiting. More than 3,000 titles are available at your fingertips. Additional titles are constantly added to the site. There have been some recent updates to OneClick to make the site more visually appealing. Read more…
“Many people may be familiar with OverDrive, the library’s eBook lending site as a great place for eBooks and eAudio. But for those who don’t want to wait for a title to become available, there’s another great eResource available for audio books.
OneClickdigital has thousands of audio books available with no waiting. More than 3,000 titles are available at your fingertips. Additional titles are constantly added to the site. There have been some recent updates to OneClick to make the site more visually appealing. Read more…
“Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” is a popular TV show on PBS in which the host helps people discover long-lost relatives through different genealogy searches and family-tree searches.
But long before this show, people have been interested in tracing their family history. With different technology, more resources are just click away. One resource for finding more genealogical information is Ancestry.com. Read more…
An important service libraries usually offer every year patrons is providing tax forms.
In the past, the Internal Revenue Service has provided libraries with tax forms, and the libraries made these forms available to the public. This year, be on the lookout for a few changes as you head to the library to pick up forms. Read more…
When using email, it is important to practice certain safety procedures and precautions in order to keep your computer and account safe, especially if you use a public computer to check your messages. The first step is to make sure the password with your account is secure. Previously, I wrote about the potential for password confusion with different accounts. However, there are some general guidelines to follow when creating or changing your email password. Read more…
Not all information on the Internet is true or reliable.
At times, it might be difficult to distinguish what is trustworthy information. Libraries and librarians are here to help you with this problem. Libraries have databases available to patrons where they can search for accurate information. Read more…
Let’s face it — so much in today’s society is completed online.
Whether it’s filling out job applications or applying to college or social services — most organizations and companies direct users to their websites.
But sometimes the most confusing part is not finding where to go online, it is the dreaded question: What is your password? Read more…
With any new change comes excitement and possibly a little bit of fear.
Although Windows 8, the newest operating system for Windows, has been in use since 2012, questions about its use still are among the most common questions I receive at the library. Many people are just getting new tablets or laptops with Windows 8 installed. Read more…
Many people make New Year’s resolutions, with the most common including reading more and staying organized.
There are great tools available to help with these resolutions by discovering new titles to read and keeping track of what you’ve read. Goodreads and NoveList will help you discover new authors, titles and keep a reading history. Read more…
Merry Christmas! If Santa delivered a new you a new gadget, it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. But there are apps designed to help you get the information you need.
Tablets, smartphones and e-readers all have apps available. Some apps cost money to download, while others are free and can be found in app stores. Read more…
This holiday season, you might receive a new tablet or eReader as a gift.
Some people are hesitant about buying such devices because they think there’s an additional cost with buying books to put on the device.
What many people do not know is that many libraries offer free eBooks for people to borrow directly on their devices. Read more…
‘Tis the season for holiday music!
We’ve all been there, scrambling around this time of year between holiday parties, baking and shopping.
Not often do we get a chance to slow down and listen to our favorite holiday songs. And when we do, we have to hope they come on the radio or we have to purchase the songs. Read more…
Each day, it seems as though there is a new app, tablet or media site to figure out.
Between Twitter, eBooks and “the cloud,” technology can be a little overwhelming.
But, don’t worry. There are people and resources at your local library able to assist you. Read more…