Costa Mesa Tech Branch

Although you are probably already using Google as a search tool, you may not have utilized many of its other resources. What other resources, you ask? Well, name something you would like to do electronically and I am pretty sure Google has an application to help you accomplish it. Google offers one of the fastest growing free e-mail services on-line (Gmail), with massive storage and cool features like e-mail search and instant chat. You can also upload, create, edit and share documents on-line, write blogs, share photos and videos, schedule events and appointments on an on-line calendar and even have reminders sent to your cell phone.

If you would rather just stick to searching, Google also provides special search tools specifically related to things like shopping, finance, maps, on-line media (like photos and videos), etc. Although Google could eventually be synonymous with search or find in the near future, I think accomplish or get it done are more appropriate. So go Google something!

Patrick Burgess

One-on-one and small group training is currently being offered on the Internet, Orange County Public Libray Catalog and Subscription Databases. The library also provides focused assistance on Microsoft Office software including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher. Program information is available at the Information Desk or call 714-754-4431 for information.

OCPL has officially begun a year long subscription to the Columbia Granger’s Poetry Index Database via EBSCO. When you go to the database portal, click on the Ebso Host Magazine button and scroll down to the Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry link. The database contains over 500,000 poetry citations and over 175,000 poems with full text, along with added commentaries and biographies. Let us know if you have any questions. Enjoy!

Title 1: Starting an eBay Business for Dummies - 3rd Ed.
Published: 2007
Author: Marsha Collier

Title 5: Mutual Funds for Dummies - 5th Ed.
Published: 2007
Author: Eric Tyson, MBA

The Costa Mesa Technology Branch as well as all Orange County Public Library branches will be closed on:

Happy Holidays

This time of the year it is important to make sure that those charities we give to are authentic and truthful. Here are four places on the Internet to check out the credentials of charities:

California Attorney General - http://ag.ca.gov/charities/
To help Californians in making important personal decisions on charitable giving, Attorney General Bill Lockyer offers a varitiety of resources here. These resources include guides for charitable giving and searchable databases to learn about specific and commercial fundraisers in the state.

Charity Navigator - http://www.charitynavigator.org/
This site rates charities; provides programs, administration and fundraising
breakdowns in simple pie charts; compares charities.

GuideStar - http://www.guidestar.org/
Lets you view three years of Form 990s, which nonprofits must file anually with
the Internal Revenue Service, for free.

Give - http://www.give.org/
The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations that are the subject of donor inquiries.

Title 1: How to Start a Home-Based Online Retail Business
Published: 2007
Author: Jeremy Shepherd

Title 5: Your Financial Edge
Published: 2007
Author: Paul McCulley

The Costa Mesa Technology Branch as well as all Orange County Public Library branches will be closed on:

Happy Holidays

Perhaps you have been using the Print Release station at one of OCPL’s branches and noticed the terms: “Allocation Account” and “Deposit Account”. Both of these accounts supply funds to pay for your printed materials but there is an important difference.

The Allocation Account provides funds to pay for your first five printed pages. In other words, the first five pages that you print during the day are debited from this account and provided to you FREE. The “Allocation Account” is credited every 24 hours and has a maximum balance of 75 cents.

The Deposit Account stores additional funds when patrons wish to print more thant five pages per day. Patrons must add funds to their library card to pay for each page that exceeds the daily five page limit. For example, if a patron has finished printing for the day and then needs to release seven pages, the Allocation Acount will pay for the first five pages and the patron will then need to add money to their Deposit Account for the next two pages. It is best to pay all projected printing costs in advance to avoid mulitple trips to the print release station.