Why We Do What We Do

Someone posted a question here about the computer-related programs we offer at the library. They were specifically interested in a course on QuickBooks or Microsoft Word.

You can find our programs on the library's events calendar on our web site. The computer programs are in blue. We can e-mail you whenever a new program is scheduled. Use the link to "Click to let us know what events interest you"(in red at the top). Enter your e-mail address, then click Continue. Enter your name, then use the drop-down menu to select the types of programs you're interested in.

When we consider a new computer program, we try to relate it to the library's mission of providing access to information. Programs like "Internet Searching" and "All About Blogs" deal with searching for information and evaluating what we find. Since many of our sources are moving to the Web, we recognize that the library has a responsibility to insure that our patrons have a basic competence with computers. This is why we offer the one-on-one tutoring sessions for beginners. The program "Your Computer Needs a Flu Shot, Too!" is designed to help you recognize false information, such as e-mail spam and phishing scams, and keep your computer running well. This is in keeping with the library's goal of providing remote access to our resources, such as our downloadable audio books - the subject of one of our other programs.

Many libraries offer courses on Microsoft Word, the standard program for word processing. We felt that offering a beginners' course would inevitably lead to an intermediate and advanced course as well. Given our staffing levels, other responsibilities and our library's mission, we decided not to offer a program on Word. We are constantly reviewing programs and our criteria and we may change our minds in the future.