Lakewood
Public Library
|
 Madison Branch Children's & Youth Services Home Classes |
Hours at Main Library: 216-226-8275 x127 phone |
Hours at Madison Branch: 216-226-8275 x159 phone |
Visit the new expanded Technology Center located on the second floor of the new Main Library!
To use the Public Computers you need a Lakewood Public Library card in good standing (no fines over $10.00 and no books overdue for longer than 2 months). To use the computers you need your 14-digit Library card barcode sequence and your PIN (Personal Identification Number). To get your PIN, please ask staff at a service desk. A photo ID is required.
Equipment
The Library's public-access computers (60 at Main Library; 6 at Madison Branch) are equipped with DVD-ROM drives, USB ports and headphone jacks (bring your own headphones).
USB floppy drives and digital card reader/writer are available by request at the desk.
A scanner is available to digitize photos and documents (currently available at Madison Branch).
Software:
Web browsers (Internet Explorer and Firefox);
Microsoft Office 2007 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher);
Open Office 2 Suite (Writer, Calc, Base, Impress and Draw);
GIMP image editing software.Material to be saved must be downloaded to removable media.
Black and white printing is provided at no-cost, but is limited to 20 pages a day. The Technology Center does not have color printers. Patron-provided paper and envelopes may be used with staff assistance.
New users please read our Acceptable Use Policy and Usage Rules.
E-mail accounts are not provided by the library. A number of free, commercial Web-based e-mail providers are available: Frequently Asked Questions About Free E-mail and Web Accounts.
Our array of public access PCs in the Main Library Technology Center use our launch page of commonly-used sites and search engines.
Wi-Fi
The Library provides free wireless Internet access throughout the building for patrons with Wi-Fi compatible equipment. See Wireless Access for details.
Special Needs
JAWS for Windows screen reader is available on a Special Needs PC for patrons with vision impairment (currently at Madison Branch only). Open Book converts scanned text into speech for visually impaired patrons (check for future availability).
A Telesensory Atlas 600 viewer provides a color video magnification system, also known as a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television).
Databases
High-quality subscription databases include:
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (after June 30, World Book).
- EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier, a multidisciplinary database with full text for thousands of general reference publications, some dating as far back as 1975.
- LearningExpress Library - Online, interactive practice tests, career building tools, and writing aides.
- NoveList guide to reading material for adults and young people.
Can't make it to the library? You can use these databases from home or office with your library card number.
Programs for Adults
Main Library Technology Center program offerings, suspended during construction, will resume in fall, 2008. In the past, programs have included: Introduction to the Internet; Job Hunting on the Internet; Introduction to E-mail. Please look for information about programming in the new Technology Center when our Fall-Winter 2008 program schedule is mailed in August 2008. In the meantime, visit http://www.lkwdpl.org/classes for lesson plans and other online resources that you can use to teach yourself almost any aspect of computing.
LearningExpressLibrary provides online, interactive practice tests, career-building tools, writing aides, and more to help adults and younger students succeed on academic and licensing tests. You create your own user account to save your work and measure your progress. Available in the Technology Center or from home.
Pathfinders & Resource Guides
Technology Center staff work with teachers to construct research aids for class assignments: High School, Middle School and Elementary Class Pathfinders. Local teachers are welcome to participate in this initiative to bring students together with quality information in the Library and on the Internet.
The aim of our resource guides is to enhance traditional library services by selecting reliable Internet sources and exploiting hypertext linking capabilities. The Web provides new possibilities for proactive reference service. Our staff-selected ready reference sites, hyperlinked area schools' summer reading lists, guides for job searches, and online reader's advisor are some examples.
lkwdpl.org
The Technology Center publishes Lakewood Public Library Online, the Library's Web page. Staff work with the City of Lakewood, City Schools, and local organizations to produce a dynamic information source for the community.
The Mining Co. Guide to Cleveland (now About.com) said about our page, "As one of the most well-designed library web sites, The Lakewood Library is truly a community resource." In reference to the City page: "Part of the Lakewood Public Library site, this is a terrific example of a useful community site. Excellent."
March, 1997, The Sun Newspapers gave an "A" for "Worth Visiting," saying, "One of the larger suburbs in Cuyahoga County with one of the larger libraries has fittingly one of the larger Web sites. You don't just have the card catalog and library information, but scads of community information."
Ohio Online: the Harvest of Ohio’s Best Web Sites included Lakewood's page. The description reads, "The Lakewood community has put together a tremendous resource for its citizens. In addition to the library's catalog, the Lakewood city home page resides here. There are pathfinders for class assignments in the local school system, sample proficiency tests to help students practice, and reference Internet resources for the global community to use."
Rethinking Reference: The Reference Librarian's Practical Guide for Surviving Constant Change by Elizabeth Thomsen. This 1999 publication by publisher Neal-Schuman acknowledges Lakewood's Web initiative. The author highlights our custom class assignment pathfinders to exemplify librarian guides to information sources. A feature on our Web publishing partnerships with local organizations illustrates the library's expanded role in the community. Find this book in our collection: MAIN ADULT Book 025.52 Thomsen.
101+ Great Ideas for Teen Library Web Sites by Miranda Doyle, 2007. This Neal-Schuman publication also features the Library/School partnership to craft class pathfinders for homework help in its section on "Giving guidance with pathfinders."
Ex Libris - an E-Zine for Librarians and Information Junkies (Issue 306) by librarian, author, and speaker, Marylaine Block. Ms. Block highlights the library/community connection fostered by out online initiatives.
The Lakewood Story
Our iteration of the Lakewood story in cyberspace begins with pages for civic groups and community organizations. Our program for digitization of sources that express our rich heritage is ongoing. The account of Lakewood's citizens and unique assets begins in The Lakewood Files.
Weekly E-mail Announcement Service
To receive a bulletin containing additions to the book & A-V collections, program updates and other library information, subscribe by sending a message to: LPL-news-on@mail-list.com.
Library Catalog - Reserving materials online
On the library's Web page < http://www.lkwdpl.org > choose online Catalog.
Internet network connection in Ohio public libraries is made possible by the Ohio Public Libraries Information Network.
15425 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216.226.8275
Comments: lpl@lkwdpl.org
