Have VHS tapes, cassette tapes, or film negatives you’d like to digitize and preserve? The library’s Media Stations have equipment to help you do just that. Located on the third floor of the Main Library in the Creative Studio, the stations provide VCRs, high-quality scanners, and other equipment for you to turn your analog media … Read more
By Amy Hofmockel, Creative Technology Librarian In today’s technology landscape, there are hundreds of icons in use. Icons are meant to help people navigate technology by serving as clear, recognizable symbols that represent a function, tool, or file. However, there is currently no standard for use for most of them. Still, across various technologies, some icons … Read more
Did you know? You can scan documents for free at any Oak Park library location. Scan equipment is available on the Main Library’s third floor and at the Maze and Dole branches. Using the scanner, you can send your scan to copy (print), fax, email, save to a USB, or scan to the cloud storage. … Read more
Are you thinking about buying a new car, appliance, gadget, or literally anything else, but feeling overwhelmed or not sure where to start? Consumer Reports is designed to help you navigate all of the options and narrow down products based on consumer tests and reviews. Their goal is to create a fair and just marketplace … Read more
Have you heard people refer to backing up digital files to “the cloud”? Or the term “cloud backup” or “cloud-based storage”? All of these phrases are ways of describing how files are saved to an offsite location that can be accessed remotely. Companies like Apple, Dropbox, Google, and Microsoft store these files for you at … Read more
Today, it’s easier than ever to get information from the internet using smart devices like phones and tablets. When you use smartphones and tablets, you’ll commonly run into the terms downloading and uploading. These words describe activities you have probably already learned how to do. For example, when you open an email on your phone, … Read more
By Creative Technology Librarian Amy Hofmockel Getting to know your phone’s home screen can help you find the apps and tools you need to get your tasks done—whether that’s making a phone call, checking email, or using a favorite app. You can even organize your home screen so only your most used apps show there. Let’s … Read more
Did you know that there is an app you can use to search for library materials, place holds, and manage your checkouts all in one place? The SWAN Libraries + app makes finding and requesting items easy. Let’s review a few basics of how to use the SWAN Libraries + app Install the app Download … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia Get ready for an awesome adventure at your public library this summer! We’re thrilled to kick off our summer reading program (for kids and adults), which runs all summer long—June 1-August 21. Once again, we’re bringing back Beanstack, a cool digital tracker, to help you keep track of your summer … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia Ever wondered what the buttons do at the top of your browser bar? Let’s find out! Whether you’re on a PC or a Mac, you’ll encounter a similar set of buttons or icons. These buttons or icons are called “window controls” or “window buttons” and can help you navigate between … Read more
LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform with video tutorials to learn business, software, technology, and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Check out LinkedIn Learning FAQs » Meet LinkedIn Learning With LinkedIn Learning you can: How to log in & get started Watch the LinkedIn Learning video tutorial on this page or follow … Read more
By John Gargiulo, Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology In an earlier Tech Tips post, I shared tips and tricks on how to read ebooks and digital magazines on Libby with your smartphone or tablet. But did you know you also can listen to thousands of digital audiobooks on the Libby app too? Let’s get started! First, let’s discuss … Read more
By John Gargiulo, Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology Did you know that as an Oak Park Public Library cardholder you can access tens of thousands of ebooks and digital audiobooks, and thousands of digital magazines on your smartphone or tablet? In this series of Tech Tips posts, I’ll be sharing tips and tricks on how to do just … Read more
By Supervising Librarian of Creative Technology John Gargiulo A federally funded benefit program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has offered a monthly benefit to eligible households to help with affordable access to internet services since 2021. Now, the future of the program is uncertain. Without urgent congressional funding, the ACP will run out of funds. The funds are … Read more
By Creative Technology Librarian Amy Hofmockel Do you have a desktop covered in icons you don’t use? Are you interested in decluttering your digital workspace? Let’s go over some basics of file management so you can find the files you want when you want them. First, what is file management? Just like you might have papers … Read more
Whether you are new to crafting or a seasoned master crafter, there is something for everyone on Creativebug. An inspirational resource for DIY, crafters, and makers, Creativebug features more than 1,000 award-winning art and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. You can take a class on art, sewing, food techniques, knitting … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia You probably have seen them somewhere by now, black and white square or circular barcode images—known as QR codes (short for Quick Response codes)—on contactless menus, advertisements, and even as a form of payment around the world. But what are QR codes? These barcode images are readable by digital devices—like … Read more
By Amy Hofmockel, Creative Technology Librarian When using apps or programs you may come across an image, article, or link that you want to share with someone else. You could copy the media and paste it into an email to send to the recipient. But, most apps actually have a special feature that will take care … Read more
By Digital Learning Specialist Amelia You might be familiar with the keyboard shortcuts to copy, cut, and paste (and if you’re not, check step-by-step instructions on how to use these shortcuts in Microsoft Word and on your smartphone). But did you know that there are more keyboard shortcuts you can use to navigate your computer … Read more
By Amy Hofmockel, Creative Technology Librarian When using apps and programs it can sometimes be hard to figure out how to access the menu. It can seem like the icons you need to tap to open the menu are constantly changing, even between app updates! While apps are always updating, some basics will stay the same. … Read more
