On The Desk Closing Time

I'm sorting through my many scraps of paper from my work days when I'd jot down books to read and ideas for comics on scraps of paper. Using the ideas, tossing the scraps. Click to enlarge, as they say!

On the Desk: Books by Grade

I've been thinking lately there will be comics...   Why wait?  Yesterday I was working at The Big Library as we call it here. 

I had three questions in a row wherein people wanted books for their children and they needed it for first, third and fourth grade readers.  The children weren't there to help pick out what suited them reading level wise or subject wise.  This makes it really a working semi-blind situation, but I was able in each case to give the parents several options to take away for their kids and they were happy.


Click to enlarge, as always.

On the Desk: Summer Reading

Click to Enlarge


Summer Reading Club has begun at libraries across the country, including our very own. You would not believe, unless you work in a library or take your own small person in to sign up how excited kids are to join. They love talking to the librarian one on one while they sign up, and later they are so enthusiastic about books they're reading for the pure joy of it. You can't get this kind of customer interaction anywhere else, but in a library.

Not Remotely Service

After a nice relaxing week off I'm looking at a busy weekend at work. Since I'm all by myself this Sunday (no sub could be found apparently) I am reminded of a conversation wherein librarians on the desk are being replaced by little TV screens and a librarian at some remote location "helps" people. Ack, I say, ack.

On the Desk: Gee I don't want e-mail!

Many people who come to the library to use our computers do not have any experience using computers. The don't like computers. They don't want to use them. They sure don't want to have an email address.

In our online world, you may need one to buy cars, airline tickets, do much of your banking, make mortgage payments and other utility payments (at the last minute!), get coupons for bottled water, casinos, clothing. It is the only way the immigration office schedules appointments. Many many agencies and businesses are forcing people to go online.

Those agencies are not there to help the forlorn new computer user, but we are. People with no computing skills are trying to do complex things and you just have to walk them through as best as you can. Many times people want you to sit down at the computer and fill out forms, create accounts and we cannot. We are ever and always short staffed, and we have to respect the privacy of the individual and we can't know their personal information. It can be a real struggle.

The long and the short of it is, if you want to do anything online that requires an e-mail address, you need to create and use an e-mail address. They are free, they are easy to set up and use. Anyone can have one whether they have a computer or not.

Instructions for setting up a Gmail account forthcoming!

On the Desk: Print Preview

Click the arrow to see panel 2

Just when you think most customers have mastered the use of Print Preview in Internet Explorer, someone comes roaring up to the desk outraged that "The Computer" printed out a bunch of mostly blank sheets of paper.

Many will let you calmly show them how to use Print Preview to get an idea of what their printed pages would be, and then select only the pages they want.

Some people just aren't willing to even think that the "Evil Computer" or better yet the library staff, those wily "I've got my hand in your coin pocket" types aren't out to get them. They won't listen and they argue and argue. Ouch.

So...

Select File

Select Print Preview

Use the arrows on the preview page to see how many pages there are and what is on them.

When you know what you want, click on the Print icon on the upper left corner of the Print Preview page.

When the Print Dialogue box comes up note Page Range.

All is selected by default.

Click in the "Pages" radio button and type in the range of pages you want to print out. Say your web page had three pages but only pages 1 and 2 have information on them. Page three is just the web site address or some small bit of useless text.

In the Pages box, type 1-2. Page three will not be printed and you've saved money and you get a gold crown for not yelling at the librarian.

On the Desk: Looking Good

CLICK TO ENLARGE