Helping the Public Use Public Access Computers

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Helping the Public Use Public Access Computers

• Cheryl Gould
• gouldc_at_infopeople.org
• Fall 2005 Summer 2006

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Bill Melinda Gates Foundation

• The Global Libraries program seeks to increase
  access to technology for residents in low-income
  and disadvantaged communities through
  partnerships with public libraries in the United
  States and throughout the world.

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GATES in California

• 10/25/2004 - 416,880 over 3 years to support
  public access computing sustainability efforts in
  public libraries through Staying Connected grant
• State Library decided to offer free training
• Supporting the Public on Public Access PCs
• Managing Public Acces PCs Best Practices
• Configuring Public Access PCs
• Infopeople Partnership page has more info

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How Are You Feeling about Public Access Computers?

• Are they important?
• How much of your day do they take up?
• Is there something you wish would change about
  the public access computers?

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Survey says

• 51 of adult users have household incomes less
  than 25,000/year
• 37 of library computer users earning less than
  15,000/year say their only Internet access is in
  the library
• Low-income persons are more likely to use library
  computers to fulfill work, school and community
  needs.
• 71 of people without home computer access said
  they have starting using library or use it more
  since Internet access is available.

10/02
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Goals for Today

• Gain confidence
• Understand setup limitations and options
• Basic troubleshooting
• How to explain
• common problems to techs
• solutions to customers

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Layers of Protection

• Operating System
• Access based on login
• Permissions set by administrator
• Application Settings
• Browser - Block pop-ups, privacy, history
• Word lock toolbars, options
• Added hardware or software
• Virus/spyware/adware remover
• Disk Security

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Troubleshooting Steps

• Close and re-open program
• use Ctrl-Alt-Delete if available
• Reboot computer
• Check for loose connections
• If problem with a website, check access to other
  websites
• check nearby computers for Internet connection
  before calling tech support

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Why Right-Clicking Matters

• Context-sensitive menus
• can learn in a program
• most common tasks available in any spot
• dont see irrelevant options
• Reduces need to move mouse
• Best thing to try when you have no idea where to
  find what you need

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Privacy Issues for Public Access Computers

• In many programs - recently used file list
• In a Web browser
• Back, Forward, History
• Bookmarks/Favorites
• Cache and Temp files
• Cookies
• In Web browser check Tools/Options

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Mouse Alterations

• Double-click speed
• Mouse movement
• Size of cursor
• Trail behind cursor
• Right or left hand mouse user

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Visual Accessibility Changes

• Adjust with operating system
• size of menus and icons
• color of desktop and all windows
• high contrast
• white on black
• size of fonts
• Within Programs
• size of fonts
• zoom box
• options in View menu

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Things to Know About Printing

• Always use Print Preview
• Try Print Selection or Page Range
• Alter margins if only a line or two on last page
• Framed pages are tricky
• often dont print preview correctly
• need to choose to print frames separately or as
  laid out on page
• Copy and paste to Word from the Web when problems
  printing from the Web
• Right-click on images in browser for options

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• Go to businessballs.com
• Find link to Blooms Taxonomy
• How do you print the section starting with
  explanation of Blooms taxonomy

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Practice in Groups of 3 Tell your customer

• How to print a single image from a web page that
  is full of pictures and text
• How to print a paragraph of text
• How to use Print Preview to figure out what they
  want is on page 5 and then to print page 5 of a
  20 page document.

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http//infopeople.org/resources

• New to computer
• In Spanish too
• Learn to type or use the mouse
• New to Internet
• Free email, Internet access and online file
  storage including digital photos

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File Names and Extensions

• File names consist of a name and a 3 character
  extension - cutedog.gif , memo10_05.doc,
  dellsupport.html
• The 3 letter file extension tells Windows what
  program to open.
• You can change the association between an
  extension and a program in Windows Explorer
• Tools/Folder Options/File Types tab
• Set file extensions to show in Windows Explorer
• Tools/Folder Options/View tab

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Practice explaining

• What a file extension is and why it matters and
  how it effects their ability to open an
  attachment on a library computer.
• To your tech support why its important to have
  toolbars on two rows and full menus showing
• What options there are for low-vision customers

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What the Computer Sees

• When you see the letter a the computer sees
• 01100001
• AND a bit for
• font size
• font type
• italics, bold, underlining
• Paragraphs have formatting too
• centering
• indents
• numbers or bullets

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Helping Customers With Word

• Paragraph Marks
• Change Style to Normal
• Options for laying out text and objects
• Save as .rtf
• Look at Help together as last resort

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Options for Saving

• Save as .rtf if uncertain of what operating
  system user has access to
• Email file as attachment using free email
• Free online storage
• Know where to buy a USB device locally

Files must be able to be saved locally at least
temporarily for any of these solutions
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Talking to Tech Support

• Use correct vocabulary
• Recognize that they dont work with the public
• need to give examples of problem and how patron
  or staff is affected
• Copy and paste error messages to save them
• press to copy entire screen
• press Alt to copy window only
• paste into Word
• Some issues wont be resolved

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• Practice talking to tech support about something
  you learned today that youd like to share with
  them about improving the customer experience on
  the public access computers.

Be sure to include the problem the customers have
AND the solution you suggest