Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts

Basic Computer Class, Saturday, December 10, 3:30-5pm

Learn how to use a mouse and keyboard and other computer basics. This class is limited to 10 students, please call Excelsior Branch at 355-2868 to sign up.

Can't make it to class or want some more practice? Try some of these resources for beginning computer users!

National Poetry Month


Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events.

Keep an eye out for Poem in Your Pocket Day at Excelsior Branch Library on April 14!

Check out some “poetry generator” sites:

For example
Think Zone Poem Generator
Will produce poems like this:

Sails endure like sunny gulls.
Why does the shark die?
Misty, rough clouds swiftly love a small, old shore.
Clear, dead winds roughly view a lively, misty lad.
The breeze travels like a warm captain.

Shrink calmly like a misty slum.
Love, work, and life.
Life, life, and action.
The car gabs like a big street.
The big girl quickly buys the hood.

*************************************************

These are from Language is a Virus:

So comely in the fog
Strangely green beyond the shadows
You cavort with cold faces in the air
Take cover! The sin is done
Very quiet below the spirits
We poke evil flames over the tomb
God! The day has vanished
So comely in the fog
You conjure dark delusions about the rain
Alass! The Knave is vanishing
shifting hungry
never meeting
no words left
From what country
the sailor
wander aimlessly
in the late light

Strange and colorful about the clouds
So murky in the air
You prod dry teeth about the spirits
Can you dig it? The sin must continue
Dark and black below the shadows
I smell luminous fragments over the light
Ahhh! The Queen is going
Strange and colorful about the clouds
I swallow dark hooks over the fire
I reach! The day felt good
darkening nameless
saying goodbye
sun on his face
In how many places
the god
turn aside
in the late light

***********************************

Or try this: Poetry Generator

This one from the Educational Technology Training Center is more interactive.

Dewey Classifications for Poetry

800s for literature generally
808 for materials about the craft of writing

So ...
808.1 for materials about the craft of writing poetry

Poetry class numbers tend to end in 1

Poetry collections begin at 808.81

American poetry in English begins at 811
English poetry begins at 821

Some examples of numbers for poetry in other languages:

831 German poetry
839.71 Swedish poetry
841 French poetry

851 Italian poetry
861 Spanish poetry
869.1 Portuguese poetry
871 Latin poetry
881 Classical Greek poetry
889.1 Modern Greek poetry

891.86 Czech poetry

891.71 Russian poetry
895.61 Japanese poetry

Tuesday tip - searching for a series

If you don't want to spoil an ongoing story line by reading the books in a series out of order, how can you sort out which comes first?

You can try searching the Internet. Often the author's website, or that of a fan will tell you. You could try looking for publishing dates, but what if you're looking at dates of reprints and new editions? Another way would be to use one of the library's databases. One I like to use is called NoveList.

Go to our home page: sfpl.org
Under eLibrary there is a link for Articles & Databases
To get to Novelist you can click on N, or choose Books &Literature from the drop-down.

Once you have Novelist open you can see that one of the options to search on is Series. You can type a keyword from the name of the series, or you can type the title of one book in the series, or just type the author's name. When you click on the name of the series, or on the title of one of the books in the series, you will get the list of all titles in the series in order. Each title has a link to the catalog of SFPL so you can check availablity and reserve (hold) a copy.

Here is a video to show how:


If you cannot see the video, please let us know.

TUESDAY TIPS


TODAY'S TIP - Using OpenOffice at the Library

OpenOffice – an open source software – is now installed on all Internet Public Computers as of July 9, 2010. OpenOffice Writer replaces Microsoft Word, and OpenOffice Calc replaces Microsoft Excel. The presentation software application OpenOffice Impress is also installed.

These programs work in much the same way as the programs previously installed on library computers, with most of the same features and many of the same shortcuts that have become standard in office software. In fact, you may not even have noticed the recent change.

The Library has created guides for using Writer and Calc, with more information available on the SFPL website. Additional information is available on the web from OpenOffice on their support site.

The library continues to teach computer classes at the Main any many branches. You can find out about the classes by checking the calendar, or other publications. And, as always, we have plenty of resources in the Library's collection that can help you learn more about computers. Just ask a Librarian for assistance.

More about the change to open source software can be found in this press release from the Mayor's office.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Election information on the web

Election day this year is Tuesday, November 2nd. This week's tip is a round-up of election information for California and the City and Country of San Francisco.

Important dates for San Francisco: October 18 is the last day to register. October 26 is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot.

The Secretary of State's office manages elections in California. In addition to general information about campaigns and elections in California, you can find historical results back to 1990. The November 2, 2010 General Election information includes the list of qualified ballot measures, certified candidates, and the Official Voter Information Guide.

The San Francisco Department of Elections website has a wealth of information on the November 2, 2010 election. Additionally, you can look up your voter registration status, find your polling place, and check the status of your vote-by-mail ballot.

To find your Congressional District, check out this US House of Representatives website, which requires your zip+4 information. If you don't know your zip+4, you can look it up at the US Postal Service. You can also look up your California Assembly and Senate representatives with just your just your zipcode.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Jobs & Careers - The Career Transitions database

Career Transitions employs a step-by-step approach to help people explore new career possibilities by assessing their interests and experience and identifying ways to improve their prospects. These include advice for networking and education, preparing for a job search (including a resume-building tool), and searching and applying for jobs.

To use Career Transitions, you need to create an account using your email address. Once you have an account, you can keep track of where you are in the process and save your work. The interest assessment takes about 20 minutes to complete. In the assessment, you answer whether you would like or dislike doing certain kinds of work tasks. After completing the assessment, you can use it to complete the next section, exploring careers by industry and job.

The next steps include a resume builder, in which you answer a series of questions to complete a resume that can be saved in a variety of formats and made available online. Also available is job search and interview preparation advice. There are sections to help you find courses to improve your skills. Finally, you can use Career Transitions to search for available jobs.

To get to Career Transitions and the other jobs and career databases from the homepage, click on the eLibrary tab, then choose Articles & Databases, and select Jobs & Careers from the Category menu. You will see other jobs and career resources offered by San Francisco Public Library including offerings from Learning Express Library and Tutor.com.

In the Career Center, from Tutor.com, you can chat live with a certified tutor who will assist you in reviewing your resume, and with job searching tips and interview preparation. There are also thousands of worksheets, tutorials and study guides on cover letters, resume writing, resume templates and sample resumes.

Learning Express Library offers 1) Search & Workplace Skills where you can find online tutorials on business writing, job search and networking skills, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and tips on how to succeed at work. 2) Jobs & Careers, which is a collection of online test preparation materials for occupations requiring licensing, certification, aptitude tests and other career preparation. 3) Skill-Building for Adults, a collection of tests and courses for math, reasoning, reading, writing, and grammar. Also try the searchable eBooks (the link is on the right side of the homepage) for over 150 career topics and study aids.

In addition to these databases, there are periodical and newspaper indexes as well as extensive collections of career books in all branch libraries. Many branches and the Main offer jobs and career classes as well. Be sure to ask a Librarian for more information.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Language Learning - UPDATE

A while ago we published a Tuesday Tip about learning a new language with resources made available by San Francisco Public Library. We have recently added two new resources to help you accomplish your goal.

From the homepage, click on the eLibrary tab, then choose Articles & Databases, and select Language Learning from the Category menu. You will be given the option to choose Mango Languages, PowerSpeak or Rosetta Stone. For all courses you need to have a Library card and pin number, and you will be asked to register. You will also need to have certain add-ons installed on your computer, including JavaScript and Flash. Here's a breakdown of what these databases have to offer:

PowerSpeak - PowerSpeak simulates gradual immersion through a series of stories, activities, videos, interactive quizzes and more. The language courses available are Spanish, French, Mandarin, German and ESL for Spanish speakers. To use PowerSpeak, create an account and start with the introduction video, or just dive right into your first lesson.

Mango Languages - Mango uses real-life situations and actual conversations to more effectively teach a new language. While listening to and practicing the language, you can mouse over the text in western characters to reveal the word in the original characters.

Mango offers Basic Courses for Arabic (Levantine), Dari, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Korean, Pashto, Tagolog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Full Course offerings are for Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin America).

Mango also offers Basic ESL courses for speakers of Spanish, French, Polish, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic (Egyptian), Turkish, Italian, Russian, Korean. And Full ESL Courses for Polish, Spanish and Portuguese speakers.

To start using Mango, fill out the registration form and follow the instructions in the confirmation email. With Mango Languages, you can choose to use it without creating a profile, but you won’t be able to track your progress and easily pick up where you left off.

Each course has its own strengths for different styles of learners. With three different choices of online courses and all the other options SFPL offers, you can find a style that works for you.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Audiobooks from Librivox

Looking for a book to listen to while you lay on beach, blot out the engine noise in an airport or try to ignore the 37th verse of 99 Bottles of Beer on your road trip this summer?

We’ve already introduced you to the many audio resources San Francisco Public Library offers, from books on CD to those available to download to your ipod or mp3 player from NetLibrary and Overdrive. Today’s tip is all about a favorite resource of some of us here at Excelsior Branch: LibriVox.

LibriVox is a volunteer-driven digital library of over 3000 ready-to-download books in the public domain. The variety of the available files is tremendous, from histories to short stories to classics of literature. You can read an account of the death of Lord Nelson by a surgeon who tended to him, finally make it through all of the Canterbury Tales, or hunt the white whale in Moby Dick. Librivox recordings are available in many languages, from Afrikaans to Yiddish.

Volunteer readers record books in the public domain and post the audio files to Librivox. Texts of the works are taken from the fine folks at Project Gutenberg. The goal of the volunteers at LibriVox is to make all public domain books available as free audiobooks. Audiobooks are available as mp3 files or ogg (an open-source file format) and ready to play on your computer or transfer to your favorite portable device. Instructions for downloading are available here.

If you’d like to volunteer your time for the “acoustical liberation of books in the public domain,” it’s very easy. LibriVox volunteers do not need any prior experience, nor do they need to audition or send in samples. All you need is your voice, free software, your computer, and maybe an inexpensive microphone.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Citizenship Resources

Are you or someone you know seeking naturalization as a US citizen?

San Francisco Public Library offers a variety of resources on our website as well as books, videos and CDs. On the Internet, you will find a multitude of links. In this Tuesday Tip, we’ll share some of the best citizenship resources.

Over the past ten years, there have been many changes in US immigration law and procedure. One major change for the prospective citizen is the introduction of an entirely new test for Naturalization in October 2008. It is very important to check the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for the most recent information.

USCIS has a wealth of information on their site, including materials for educators and volunteers, humanitarian resources, and guides to avoid being a victim of fraudulent offers of assistance. USCIS provides text and mp3 files of the test questions in English and Spanish. In addition to English, the questions are available in Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

CLINIC, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. offers translations of the citizenship questions done by community organizations in many other languages, including Arabic, Farsi, French and more. Many other services are offered to help organizatons that serve immigrant communities.

You can prepare for the USCIS naturalization interview with these helpful resources from SFPL, including a guide to naturalization, detailed practice materials for the new citizenship exam, and a list of local organizations that can help you with the naturalization process. Watch short videos to learn more about citizenship resources. Available in: Chinese, English, Filipino, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

Through our library catalog, we offer links to a variety of online government resources, including printable flash cards for the test questions as well as reading and writing vocabulary cards. And you can always ask a librarian for information on guides for naturalization, immigration information and more.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Finding Car Repair Manuals

The Library carries an extensive selection of vehicle repair books. Most of the manuals are for reference in-library use only. This tip will help you find the repair manual you need.

You can locate car repair manuals by searching the online catalog by subject or keyword. Do a subject search using the make and model as your search terms, e.g. “Honda Civic.” This will retrieve books that have that subject heading. If nothing shows up in a subject search, try a keyword search using the same search terms. This broad search will find all books with those two words anywhere in the record, and will include annual shop manuals such as Motor, Chilton and Mitchell's that cover a variety of makes and models.

Or you can use the SFPL-created Automobile & Truck Repair Manual Database to find repair manuals for a specific year, make and model of automobile. Once you fill in make, model and year, this handy database will return a chart that includes the call number, title (which includes all vehicles covered in the manual), and whether or not wiring diagrams are available. To narrow your search to Mitchell Manuals only (for professional auto and truck shops), type "ALL" in the Model box.

The Motorcycle Repair Manual Database works the same way for finding repair manuals for a specific year, make and model of motorcycle.

How do you find the Automobile & Truck Repair Manual Database and the Motorcycle Repair Manual Database? From the SFPL homepage, click on the eLibrary tab, then "Research Tools." Down at the bottom of this list, under "Repair and Consumer," you will see links for the Automobile & Truck, and Motorcycle Repair databases, as well as a good overview of what's available in “Motor Vehicle Resources.”

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Calling All Readers

This being a blog, we mostly call attention to online resources and technology issues. Today, we return to our roots with this week’s tip about books, and especially book clubs.

The City of San Francisco turns into one big book club each year with the title selected for the One City One Book program. This year’s title is Zeitoun, by local literary angel Dave Eggers. Every other month, there is a new title from On the Same Page, San Francisco’s bi-monthly book club.

Book Clubs are as varied as the books they read, and there are many sources for information about starting your own club. San Francisco Public Library offers advice on hosting a club, suggestions, the Book Club in a Box and many resources to help you find possible titles for your club to read. You can check out a guide at the Library and there are even fictional books about book clubs.

More resources are available online at BookList, Reading Group Choices, Reading Group Guides, and Reader’s Circle.

If you have a book club, be sure to stop by the Excelsior Branch to tell us about it, join the Adult Summer Reading Program and submit your selection for the Excelsior Blog’s “What we Like” feature.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - WHAT'S UP at the Library?

Looking for something to expand your mind, or would you like to meet your neighbors or be entertained? On any given day, San Francisco Public Library offers the opportunity to listen to authors, see movies, play chess, sing a song with your toddler, learn a craft, discuss a book or participate in any number of other programs.

How do you find out what’s going on?

You can pick up a copy of At the Public Library at any branch or view it online. This monthly newsletter lists upcoming events and contains articles of interest about Library books, events, people and exhibitions.

If you’re reading this, then you already know that we have a blog at Excelsior, where you can find out about all our regular programming and special events. Blogs for other branches and Main Library Departments can be found here.

And last, but not least, you can search and sort through all Library events by clicking the calendar tab on the Library’s website. This will bring you to the Calendar page where you can see the programs by day, week or month. Just click your choice below the calendar box.

On the Calendar page you can make selections in the dropdown boxes on the right side to narrow your search. Location will limit your selection to a single branch. Type will allow you to limit to a specific kind of program - Event, Exhibit, or Class. Series will let you limit to a special series of programs, like those associated with our Adult, Teen or Children’s Summer Reading Programs. You can limit to a certain age audience by selection from the Audience drop-down box.

For example, to find out what’s going on the rest of the week at Excelsior Branch, just click on Excelsior under location, then click on “week” under the calendar and then click today’s date on the calendar itself.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Preferred Searches

If you have a favorite author, musician or subject, and you would like to be notified by email whenever the library gets new materials related to your interests, Preferred Search is the catalog feature for you. You can have as many as 25 Preferred Searches stored in your account.

To create a Preferred Search, simply login to your library record at sfpl.org and then search the catalog. For example, if Bjork is your favorite musician, type Bjork in the author field and click Search. When your search results are returned, click the button called Save as Preferred Search next to the regular search box. Then look at your library record - preferred searches - and put a checkmark in the column "mark for email."

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Going Places with Your Library Card

San Francisco families with children can now use their library card to visit local museums and attractions for FREE. How does that work?

Just come to the Excelsior or any SFPL Branch and check out a San Francisco Family Pass. The Family Pass program offers one-time free admission to 18 local attractions for up to two adults who must be accompanied by at least one and as many as four children under age 18. Each branch has one pass for every attraction per week, through Dec. 31. When patrons check out a Family Pass with their library card, they have 7 days to visit the selected attraction before the pass automatically expires.

You can even search the catalog to see which branches may have passes available (first come, first served). A keyword search on “check out San Francisco” will return a list of all the attractions. Or you can do a keyword search using the term check out and the name of the attraction, e.g. “check out Exploratorium”, to go directly to the Exploratorium Family Pass.

Family passes are available to be checked out in person ONLY. No attractions can be reserved or otherwise held. You cannot renew passes. The Check Out San Francisco Family Pass program provides opportunities for families to explore some of the wonderful cultural and entertainment attractions available in San Francisco. You can get more information and a list of the 18 participating San Francisco attractions at sfkids.org.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Finding Consumer Info

A while ago, we had a Tuesday Tip about Consumer Reports magazine, including free online access, at the Library. This Tuesday Tip is about finding independent consumer information on the internet and at the Library.

When searching the SFPL catalog for books, the best keyword phrase to use is “consumer education” followed by the kind of information you want. If you wanted to find out about buying a car, the keyword search would be “consumer education automobiles” and for makeup, “consumer education cosmetics.” If you need further assistance, you can always ask a Librarian.

Bay Area Consumers’ Checkbook is available at Excelsior Branch and many SFPL branches. The Checkbook is a twice-yearly advertising-free magazine providing consumer information on the Bay Area service industries. The Winter 2010 issue featured reports on auto body shops, plumbers, moving companies and more. The Checkbook website at http://www.checkbook.org/ is a fee-based website and includes the most up-to-date information. The Checkbook and website are published by the Center for the Study of Services (CSS), an independent, nonprofit consumer organization.

California has a Department of Consumer Affairs that helps consumers learn how to protect themselves from "unscrupulous and unqualified individuals.” On their website, you can verify the status of anyone licensed in a profession by the state of California, file a complaint, or access other guides on topics as varied as auto repair, identity theft, and product recalls.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection (BCP) works to “prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices in the marketplace.” The website offers practical information on a variety of consumer topics. From advice on buying a car or declaring bankruptcy to making your home energy efficient, the BCP provides practical information and consumer education.

Other consumer organizations include Consumer Action and the Better Business Bureau. There are user-driven consumer advice sites as well as other publications for specific products. And stop by the Excelsior Branch this month to pick up a variety of brochures offered by the CA Department of Consumer Affairs.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: POETRY - You can find nearly any kind of poetry you want at San Francisco Public Library. To find poetry, you can do a keyword search for “poetry,” but more than likely you will want to narrow the selection to a specific kind of poetry. Do a subject search for “poetry” and look at the list. If you want to find love poetry, there’s a subject heading just for that.

Popular with kids of all ages, you can find books by Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky in our collection. To find those poems for children, you can do a keyword search for “Children's poetry” or to narrow the selection to a specific kind of poetry do a subject search for “Children's poetry” and look at the list, which includes poetry from African-American to Yiddish. For the younger set, you can also find “nursery rhymes.”

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: Gardening Books and Programs

How does your garden grow? With the help of San Francisco Public Library, of course.

To find general gardening books, search for “gardening” in the catalog. To get more specific to this geographic area, you can do a subject search for “gardening – California” and then look at the geographic areas available.

If you’d like to eat the bounty of your work, then try searching “vegetable gardening.” A particularly great title for vegetable gardening in the Bay Area is Golden Gate Gardening. Look for the new edition of this soon. The SFPL book selection for this month is Farm City: the education of an urban farmer, a funny and touching look at one woman’s attempt at creating an urban farm.

You might want to search for “container gardening” or even “window gardening” if you, like many San Franciscans, have a small yard. Another keyword search that might be helpful is “small gardens.” If you’re lucky enough to have some space, then “gardens--design” or “landscape gardening” might work for you.

To find information about specific plants, you have to do specific searches, like “rose culture” or “flower gardening” or “bulbs.” One of our favorite new titles is Black Plants: 75 striking choices for the garden.

And if you find yourself facing bugs and other problems, search for “garden pests” or “plant diseases.” Different titles focus on natural solutions and integrated pest management or chemical solutions. We also have many titles on organic gardening.

As a part of San Francisco Public Library’s Green Stacks program, gardening and living the green life are the focus of many programs, events and classes. For more information, go to http://sfpl.org/greenstacks.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP: CENSUS 2010 - Have you been counted?

The Excelsior Branch is serving as an Official Census 2010 Question Assistance Center (QAC) from March 19 until April 19.

If you or someone you know needs assistance in filling out your Census 2010 questionnaire, you can come to the Excelsior Branch for assistance in Chinese, Spanish, or English from a Census worker.

QAC Hours of Operation:
Tues, Weds, Fri, Sat, Sun: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Mon & Tues: 5:00pm – 8:00pm

Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA) is also available in the following languages:
ENGLISH - 1-866-872-6868
Chinese: 1-866-935-2010
Korean: 1-866-955-2010
Russian: 1-866-965-2010
Spanish: 1-866-928-2010
Vietnamese: 1-866-945-2010

For more information on the 2010 Census, go to http://www.census2010.gov/

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

If you need to book a public meeting room at Excelsior Branch or anywhere in the library system, this is the Tuesday Tip for you.

From the main San Francisco Public Library website, click on the Services Tab and choose Meeting Rooms. Review the size and location of rooms by clicking on either the Main or Branches link under Find the Right Room. If there is a meeting room that fits your needs, read Rules for Community Use or if you represent a City Agency, read Rules for Municipal Use. After this you should also review the items in Meeting Room Policy.

Before filling out your application to use the meeting rooms, you should check the availability of space for your desired date and location. Popular times such as weekends and evenings are often booked far in advance. To check availability, go the library’s main page and click on the Calendar Tab and choose Show All.

If you meet the guidelines, and the room is not already booked, you can proceed with filling out an application. For this, go back to the Meeting Rooms page, and choose Meeting Room Rules and Applications. Click on the appropriate application to open. [You will need to have a PDF reader installed to open the application.]

Once you have completed the application, fax, mail or drop off your application at the branch. Be sure to fill out the form completely and include all your contact information. We will get in touch with you to confirm that your group can use the room.

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!

TUESDAY TIPS

TODAY'S TIP - Preparing for Tax Time

April 15 is fast approaching. A few basic tax forms from the IRS are available to pick up at the Main Library and branches, but instruction booklets and many forms and schedules are available for photocopying. Librarians can also point you to the IRS and Franchise Tax Board websites for downloading forms and instructions, but cannot provide tax assistance or advice.

The Government information Center of SFPL has put together a page with general tax information so that you can find where to get forms, information on organizations providing tax preparation assistance, and other basic information. One of the best resources for finding tax preparation assistance in the SF Bay Area is the United Way’s Earn It! Keep It! Save It! Program, which can also be reached by calling 211.

With the move away from paper, e-filing is increasingly popular.
Franchise Tax Board e-filing: http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/efile/allsoftware.shtml
IRS e-filing: http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html

Excelsior Librarians and Staff share tips & tricks to help you make the most of the San Francisco Public Library catalog, databases and website. New tips posted Tuesdays on the Excelsior Blog. Watch this space!