1. Downers Grove Public Library
Computer Technology Center
User Manual

2. The Downers Grove Library Mission Statement
The Downers Grove Public Library provides collections, services and
programs that meet the community’s desire for information, literature,
and entertainment.
CTC User Rules
Patrons under the age of 14 must have their parent or guardian’s
written permission to access the Internet at the Downers Grove
Public Library.
While the library does not monitor what is viewed on the
computer, objectionable material left in the printer or on the
monitor could be considered harassment and could result in the
loss of Internet privileges at the library.
Patrons may not change any of the computer settings or software.
Patrons must honor all rules of copyright and intellectual
property.
Patrons must not knowingly spread computer viruses.
First-time users and staff assistance: Library staff can provide
assistance to patrons. Please note, however, that the library’s role
will be that of guidance, not instruction. The circulating collection
of the library contains many computer books that will help first-
time users gain familiarity with computer use.
Blank disks are available for purchase at the Computer Help Desk.
Personal storage devices/Use of the USB port: Personal
storage devices such as flash and memory sticks, iPods or MP3
players may be attached to computer equipment using the USB
port provided. These devices may be used only for the purpose of
using and saving files and not running any executable (EXE) files.
Patrons are not permitted to save anything to the computer’s hard
drive. Any other devices which require additional software to be
installed on the computer’s hard drive, such as digital cameras,
are not permitted.
Liability: The user is responsible for any damage resulting from
misuse of equipment or software. The library reserves the right to
limit use when it is deemed appropriate. The library is not
responsible for damage to personal disks. Users are asked to
report any problems immediately.
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3. CTC Troubleshooting/Contact Information
As you are working on our computers, please feel free to come to the
Computer Help Desk for first-level support. Additionally, we have
technologists walking around that are willing and available to help
provide assistance.
Email us at computerhelp@dglibrary.com or call the Computer Help
Desk at (630) 960-1200 to ask any questions or reserve a computer.
Procedures
Reserve a computer at one of the computer reservation terminals using
our SAM (Smart Activity Manager) program. Enter your library card bar
code number and you will be put in a queue for the next available
computer.
Non-residents are allowed 30 minutes on the computer which can
be extended to three hours per day.
Residents are allowed 60 minutes on the computer which can be
extended to six hours per day.
Desktop Computers
There are 30 mid to upper end public desktop HP Compaq 6000 Pro
computers with Intel Core Duo available for patron use. Each computer
has 2GB RAM, 1.4GHz processors and runs Windows XP. They have 17-
inch HP 1740 monitors.
Each computeris loaded with the following software: Adobe Reader,
Audacity 1.3 Beta (Unicode), GIMP 2, Picasa 3, VLC Media Player,
Microsoft 2007 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access), Microsoft
Publisher 2007, Microsoft Office Picture Manager and Google Chrome.
Laptops
There are 4 HP laptops available for patron checkout and use within the
library on a first-come, first-serve basis. You are guaranteed one hour of
use and your time may be extended if there are no other patrons
waiting for a laptop. The laptops must be returned 15 minutes before
the library closes.
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4. Each laptop is loaded with the following software: Adobe Reader,
Audacity 1.3 Beta (Unicode), GIMP 2, Picasa 3, VLC Media Player,
Microsoft 2007 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access), Microsoft
Publisher 2007, Microsoft Office Picture Manager and Google Chrome.
Downers Grove Public Library patrons who are at least 14 years old can
sign out a laptop. You must have a valid photo ID and a valid Downers
Grove Public Library card. If you do not have a valid driver’s license, you
may use a state ID or school ID. Staff will retain your ID and library card
until the laptop is returned.
Printing in the CTC
There are 3 black and white LaserJet printers and 1 color printer as well
as a scanner available for patron use. Patrons are allowed to print five
free black and white pages per day, additional copies are 10 cents each.
All color copies are 25 cents per page.
A self-service APM (automatic payment machine) is available near the
Computer Help Desk for patrons to add money to their accounts to pay
for printing and scanning.
Network
Our wireless network is an 802.11g. This IEEE (Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers) 802.11g standard is designed as a higher-
bandwidth successor to the popular 802.11b, or Wi-Fi standard.
The Downers Grove Public Library provides free Wi-Fi access for
patrons and guests.
How Do I Use My Laptop on the DGPL WiFi Network?
Any laptop equipped with an 802.11a/b/g/n compatible wireless
network card should be able to access the Downers Grove Public
Library wireless network for the public. Your operating system should
be Windows 98 or Mac OSX or higher. Most network cards will
automatically search for and find the strongest wireless access point
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5. and connect you to it as long as your card is set to obtain the IP address
automatically and to obtain the DNS server address automatically.
Classes
There is a brand new computer lab used exclusively for classes with 12
HP Compaq 6000 Pro computers with Intel Core Duo, available for
patron use. Each computer has 2GB RAM, 1.4GHz processors and runs
Windows XP. They have 17-inch HP 1740 monitors.
The new lab, which opened in January 2012, features a SmartBoard™
that can project laptop screens, record instruction and use “electronic
markers” to facilitate instruction. There is also a black and white
LaserJet printer. The following is a sample of the classes currently
offered by the full-time instructor in this lab:
Microsoft Word 2007 Intermediate
Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint 2007
Google Docs
Searching the Internet
Facebook basics
Guide to Software
Adobe Reader:The global standard for reliably viewing, reading,
interacting with and sharing PDF documents.
Audacity*: Audacity is free, open source software for recording
and editing sounds.
GIMP*: GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation
Program. It is a free program for photo retouching or creating an
image.
Google Chrome*: Google Chrome is web browsing software that
allows you to search from the address bar and view the most
popular sites in your browser screen.
Microsoft 2007 Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Access, Excel): This
is a Windows version of the Microsoft Office System, Microsoft’s
productivity suite for document, presentation, database and
spreadsheet creation.
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6. Microsoft Office Picture Manager: Microsoft Office Picture
Manager has the ability to crop, resize, and convert images
between various formats with high picture quality due to being
able to select compression levels.
Microsoft Publisher 2007: An entry-level desktop publishing
application from Microsoft, differing from Microsoft Word in that
the emphasis is placed on page layout and design rather than text
composition and proofing.
Picasa: An image organizer and image viewer for organizing and
editing digital photos, plus an integrated photo-sharingwebsite
VLC Media Player: VLC is a free and open source cross-platform
multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia
files as well as DVD, Audio CD, VCD, and various streaming
protocols.
*Audacity, GIMP and Google Chrome are new additions to the
library’s software selection. To gain a better understanding of
these tools, please reference the following additional resources:
Audacity
The Book of Audacity: Record, Edit, Mix and Master with the Free Audio
Editor, Carla Schroder, 2011 [005.369 Sch]
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorials.html
http://www.guidesandtutorials.net/pages/audacity_tutorials.cfm
http://www.personal.kent.edu/~gmote/audtuts
GIMP
GIMP Bible, Jason Van Gumster, 2010 [006.686 Van]
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials
http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/
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7. Google Chrome
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Google Chrome and Chrome OS, Paul
McFedries, 2010 [004.678 Mac]
Google for Seniors: Get Acquainted with Free Google Applications, 2010 [
004.678 Goo]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlh8gSF_hhE&NR=1
Glossary of Terms
Application - The term application is a shorter form of application
program. An application program is a program designed to perform a
specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another
application program. Examples of applications include word processors,
database programs, Web browsers, development tools, drawing, paint,
image editing programs, and communication programs.
Bookmark - A bookmark is a saved link to a Web page that has been
added to a list of saved links. When you are looking at a particular Web
site or home page and want to be able to quickly get back to it later, you
can create a bookmark for it.
Cloud Computing – Sharing resources rather than having your own
servers to do it.
Cookie – A message your web browser uses to identify you and
remember information for each time the browser goes back to access
the server that gave it the cookie/message.
Ethernet - Ethernet is the most widely installed local area network
(LAN) technology.
Hashtag - A hashtag is a tag used to categorize posts on Twitter
(tweets) according to topics. To add a hashtag to a tweet, you just
preface the relevant term with the hash symbol (#).
HTML – Hyper Text Markup Language – Uses markup tags to describe
web pages.
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8. Open Source - Open source refers to any program whose source code is
made available for use or modification as users or other developers see
fit. Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration
and made freely available.
Operating System - An operating system (sometimes abbreviated as
"OS") is the program that, after being initially loaded into the computer
by a boot program, manages all the other programs in a computer. The
other programs are called applications or application programs. The
application programs make use of the operating system by making
requests for services through a defined application program interface
(API). In addition, users can interact directly with the operating system
through a user interface such as a command language or a graphical
user interface (GUI).
RAM- RAM stands for Random Access Memory.When you turn off the
power to the computer, everything in RAM "disappears."
Software - Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs
used to operate computers and related devices. (The term hardware
describes the physical aspects of computers and related devices.)
URL – Uniform Resource Locator – The address of a file on the Internet.
Think – http://
USB drive - Also known as a flash drive or keychain drive, a plug-and-
play portable storage device that uses flash memory and is lightweight
enough to attach to a key chain. A USB drive can be used in place of a
floppy disk, Zip drive disk, or CD. When the user plugs the device into
the USB port, the computer's operating system recognizes the device as
a removable drive and assigns it a drive letter.
Wi-Fi - (short for "wireless fidelity") Is a term for certain types of
wireless local area network (WLAN) that use specifications in the
802.11 family.
Wiki – A website that allows a lot of people to add to the content for
collaboration.
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