Making Your Computer Work for You

It's always good to learn something new — just ask the seniors that attended the "Make Your Computer Work for You" workshop at the Lynbrook Public Library on Sept. 15.

With laptops placed on tables in front of them, Instructor Angela Bitsimis, of Sharper Training Solutions Inc., showed the participants how to post photographs of their grandchildren to the desktop, erase old files, create shortcuts and check available disk space.

The workshop was designed to help individuals gain computer knowledge, making them computer-user friendly. The seniors were working with Windows and Microsoft Word programs.

"This workshop is about teaching them how to get familiar with icons and task bars and not to panic when they need help," said Bitsimis. "Sometimes, a person can feel like they don't know which way to turn when something goes wrong with the computer. I am here to teach them ways to make the computer work for them."

Eager to learn, the seniors were also taught how to add and remove programs, print part of a page and create address labels in a word-processing program. According to the seniors in the workshop, it's best to stay current with the times. Just imagine, what grandmother wouldn't want to see her grandchildren's faces on her desktop when she starts the computer?

Thanks to the workshop, seniors can stay informed and connected to loved ones.

The next workshop available is "Introduction to Microsoft Word 2007," and will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 5, from 6-8 p.m. Using the latest version of Microsoft Word, learn the basics of word processing including creating a document, saving, editing and formatting. Registration begins Sept. 21.

For more information about free programs, call the library at (516) 599-8630 or visit www.nassaulibrary.org.