Monday, May 11, 2020

Computer Spring Cleaning


With so much time and focus placed on the spring cleaning of physical spaces, your electronic device may also be in need of a spring cleaning. Put the sponge and mop away, because this cleaning involves updating useful files and clearing useless files on your computer.

Surface

For physical cleaning, shut down the computer, then unplug the keyboard and mouse from the computer. An isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution 70% or less is safe to use on Microsoft products, but liquids should not be applied directly to the mouse or keyboard. Hold the keyboard or laptop at a 75 degree angle and gently shake to remove loose dirt. A can of compressed air can be used to remove dirt that is harder to shake between and under the keys. Lightly dampen a lint-free cloth with the alcohol or mild soap and water and wipe the outer surface of the mouse and keyboard. Make sure to not drip any liquid onto the products and allow them to dry before using.



Check Your Trash

Just like in life, your computer has a garbage can that gets ”smelly” too. Windows computers have a default recycle bin installed on the desktop. When a file is deleted from anywhere on the computer, it is sent to the recycle bin, and the user has to go into the bin to permanently delete the file. If the file stays in the bin, it only takes up space on your computer and slows down the speed over time. Power up the computer and log in. Locate the recycle bin on your desktop. If you cannot locate the recycle bin, right-click with your mouse on the desktop and select “personalize” or “personalization” depending on your version of windows. In Windows 7, select “change desktop icons” and check the recycle bin, then press okay. You can find the way to get the recycle bin on the desktop for Windows 10 here. Click through files one by one to see the contents and if the file can be permanently deleted. When you have found a file to permanently delete, right click on the file and press delete. If you have multiple files, you can press and hold the control (ctrl) key while clicking items to select multiple items to delete. Be cautious. Once a file is deleted from the recycle bin, it is gone for good. This process frees up space on your computer for the system to focus on other tasks and helps the computer system work faster for longer.



Update

Windows computers have updates for their versions that come out every second Tuesday of the month. The company has a support lifecycle for each version of when they stop sending out updates. The most recent version to stop getting updates is Windows 7 in January 2020. For later versions you can check for the support cutoff date here. If you have a newer version, you will have to keep checking for updates on average of once a month. For Windows 7 and older, checking once will show any updates that have not been previously installed. To check for updates, connect your computer to the internet. Open the start menu and search “windows update” in the search bar. The results will come back with either exact wording as typed or similar, and should send you to the control panel. After checking and installing updates, restart your computer for the updates to take effect.

Shut Down

After all of the hard work of typing, clicking and cleaning is done, the final step is to properly shut down your computer. Each desktop computer or laptop comes with a power button that works like any other key on the keyboard but is solely for turning on and off the computer. It has the same function as using the shut down option in the start menu. The benefit of the power button is if the screen freezes or the start menu/shut down cannot be done, you can still tap the power button to turn on and off the computer. As for holding down the power button, this is considered a hard power off and disrupts the natural shut down process that saves and clears files properly and should only be done at user judgement.

- Jessica, Reference Department



Thursday, April 23, 2020

Getting started with Kanopy: Terrebonne Parish Library's New Movie Streaming Service

Stuck in the house and burned through all of Netflix?  Your local library has your back.

Terrebonne Parish Library is proud to offer the new free movie streaming service Kanopy to all its patrons.  All patrons will need to access the thousands of movies on Kanopy is a valid library card and an email address.

Kanopy is available on multiple platforms and devices including: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, Fire Tablet, and Samsung.

The following visual guide will aid patrons in setting up their Kanopy account on a web browser:

First, make sure you have a valid library card and an email address. Then, type mytpl.org into your browser's address bar and click the Kanopy banner on the library web site's main page.

You should see a page like the one below.  This is the Terrebonne Parish Library's Kanopy Home Page.  Click on the orange button that reads: "ADD LIBRARY CARD."


Enter your Library Card number in the space provided and click the orange "Continue" button.


Next, fill out the form on the page below, making sure you enter a password you can remember, and click the orange "Sign Up" button.



You will be taken to Kanoby's Library page, but, before you start browsing for movies, click the notice on the top left part of the page that says "Please verify your email address."


After that, check your email for a message from Kanopy.  Open the email and click "Verify Email."


Clicking this will take you back to Kanoby's Library Page where you can start browsing for that perfect movie to stream.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Christmas in August?

Fellow makers, it is time to prepare. 

You may not be thinking about the holidays yet, but as we all know, the months between the start of the school year and the gift giving season always fly faster than the rest of the year. Before you know it, it's time to wrap presents. What better present can you give than something made with love? 

Personally, I love homemade presents. Your friends and family may forget about the nice sweater or perfume you bought them last year, but the thought and time that goes into making something unique to that person makes for an unforgettable gift that they will treasure. Plus, making is a lot more fun than shopping!

The library has tons of resources to help you get started. Here are some of my personal favorites!





 Hoopla has a wide assortment of books available to borrow. Craft some quirky stuffed animals, sew a quilt, or make some jewelry for the ones you love. 



Flipster magazines are a great resource when it comes to finding gift ideas. Not only does it feature the current issue of several popular magazines, but Flipster also includes years worth of back issues of titles such as McCall's Quilting, Popular Woodworking, Food Network Magazine, and more. You can scroll through the pages of these magazines as much as you want with no checkout required. Simply log in from home with your library card number, browse, and get inspired! You can even print some of the pages or save them as PDFs for later. 
  

 


 The newest and probably most wide ranging of resources we have for crafters is the Creativebug service, which you can now subscribe to for free with your active Terrebonne Parish library card. You can take mini classes on painting, sewing, and other fun crafty pursuits. Creativebug is always updating its catalog of easy to follow step by step videos with professional instructors. Most of the classes even include the pattern for the activity you're learning. Best of all, there's no limit to the number of classes you can take on Creativebug! There are so many varied projects, you're sure to find something to make for everyone on your list. 













Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Fread On!

One of the hidden gems of our ebook collection is Freading, which offers fiction, nonfiction and children's ebooks for our patrons to peruse. Each library card may borrow three books per week on Freading, and, like our other ebook services, there are never any late fees.

Each patron is allowed three downloads per week, and there are no holds required. All of Freading's items are available to library card holders in good standing at all times, and multiple users may borrow the same title. That makes Freading a great choice for your book club. 

Going on a trip? The last thing you want to do is lug around a big, heavy book that screams "tourist!"Check out Freading's extensive collection of travel guides. 


Books encouraging self care and other topics are also popular reads on Freading. Check out Curvy Yoga or The Aromatherapy Companion for new ideas to treat your mind and body right!


Freading offers more than just older or less well known books. Several bestsellers and intriguing topics are included in its collection.


Check out Freading today, and find that last good book of the summer!

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Hot Topics on Salem History

Are you looking to get caught up on current events, but you find yourself hearing about people and events which with you aren't familiar? Do you want to be informed on deeply divisive issues from a non-partisan, thoroughly researched publication?

Salem History has several volumes which explore the history of today's more interesting topics. Here are a handful of the titles which are free to access 24/7 with no checkout. Just log on to MyTPL.org and click the "research" tab to search for Salem History. You can also find dozens more titles in Salem Science, Salem Health, and more.

These high quality volumes are the same as the ones on the shelves of the Reference department at the Main Library. They even offer an easy citation tool if you are using these as sources for reports or other academic projects. If you have any questions or would like to hear more about the titles we offer through Salem press, call us at the Reference desk any time the library is open!

 




Thursday, June 6, 2019

Remembering D-Day

Seventy five years ago today, the Allies landed on the shores of the beach at Normandy, pushing the Nazis out and liberating France in the largest amphibious assault ever launched to date. This is widely considered the major turning point in the war, giving the Allies the advantage they needed to defeat the Nazis. Watch this short video as an introduction to D-Day, then head on over to the library's databases to learn more about the war. 

Did one of your ancestors serve in World War II? You may be able to find his draft card or other service related records on Fold3, the library's genealogical research database geared specifically to military records. Just click on the "research" tab at the top of our homepage, and select Fold3 from the list of databases by name. 

Fold3 Library Edition by Ancestry provides convenient access to US military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. This continually-growing collection contains millions of records from world-class archives.


Mango's Bold New Look!

Mango Languages, the language learning platform offered for free to Terrebonne Parish Library cardholders, has totally updated its look and feel. Mango offers hundreds of lessons, on your computer or through its app, to help you become fluent in over 70 world languages and dialects. Catch a quick review of some of Mango's features in the brief video below!