Santa Claus Is Coming to Town…with Tech!

’Tis the season for Jolly Old St. Nick and his bag of goodies with presents for all—well, for those who have been nice! However, things have changed since the old days. Once upon a time, Santa would deliver easy-to-assemble toys where the only knowledge required was finding the drawer with the spare batteries. Nowadays, it can seem like one needs a college degree to understand how to work what is inside that shiny package.

Have you ever opened up a wonderful new piece of technology only to find that there were barely any instructions? Sure, sometimes a quick start-up guide is included. However, to get the full manual, you are often directed to a website. This can be a bit tricky if you have just acquired a new computer or mobile device and have no idea how to get to the website! Now, if you are lucky enough to have a knowledgeable relative handy, they might just volunteer to set it up for you, but then you have to contact them any time there is a problem.

Even if you get your device working, there are still a ton of applications that you will need to figure out how to operate. And these rarely have neat little instruction manuals online. In fact, some have entire courses dedicated to learning how to use them. So, what are you to do when you find yourself struggling to understand Santa’s delivery? Come to the Library, of course!

There are many free technology classes available at Mid-Continent Public Library branches for all skill levels, including beginners. Here are a few for new computer users:

• Using a Mouse and Keyboard
• Getting to Know Your Computer
• Navigating Your Computer
• Internet for Beginners

Got a shiny new iPad and no idea how it works? Sign up for Using Your iPad for the First Time, which covers basics such as how to turn your device on, download applications, and access your settings. This class is helpful for Android users as well. Managing Photos on Your Smartphone is another great class and teaches how to store and organize the many photos on your smartphone.

Maybe Santa brought you a brand-new streaming device. Now what? Should you really get rid of your cable? Or should you do a combination of streaming and cable? And how does this streaming thing work anyway? Beyond Cable TV will answer these questions and more.

Of course, these are just a sampling of the free classes available at your local Library. We also offer many other tech classes that cover social media and software applications like the Microsoft Office Suite. You can sign up online or contact your local branch. So, after all the eggnog has been drunk, and the wrapping paper has been thrown out, pick up a copy of Beyond the Books or go to mymcpl.org/events to see what you can learn about your new gifts.

Pamela M.
Antioch Branch