Research and Reference Resources

Internet and Computers

Computer Guides and Tutorials

Using a Computer

New User Tutorial - http://northville.lib.mi.us/tech/tutor/welcome.htm

Mousercise - http://www.ckls.org/~crippel/computerlab/
tutorials/mouse/page1.html 
Sites designed to teach new users basic computer skills such as using the mouse and the scrollbar, typing commands into dialog boxes, double clicking, and using the File menu and other basic Windows functions. Navigation from page to page is easy for people just learning computer skills. 

Software / Shareware / Freeware

Download.com - http://download.cnet.com/
C|Net's utility for finding and downloading, comprehensive and up-to-date, with loads of shareware and freeware. 

Computers and Children - Safety

ALA Resources for Parents and Kids  - http://www.ala.org/parents/
Includes The Librarian's Guide to Great Web Sites for Children, which provides parents with definitions of common Internet terms, safety tips, and guidelines for selecting quality sites, Great Sites!, an annotated directory of more than 700 links that everyone in the family can enjoy and Teen Reading, an Internet Guide for teens.

GetNetWise - http://www.getnetwise.org/
A resource for families and caregivers to help kids have safe, educational, and entertaining online experiences. Includes a glossary of Internet terms, a guide to online safety, directions for reporting online trouble, a directory of online safety tools, and great sites for kids to visit 

SafeKids - http://www.safekids.com/
A complete safe-surfing kit and collection of information for parents. This site lays out the rules, the risks, the products and the issues.

Finding Aids

Guides

Finding Information on the Internet - http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet - http://www.brightplanet.com/deepcontent/tutorials/search/index.asp
Two  introductions to Internet searching on the Web. Good section on how to choose search tools with a chart comparing the features of the major Web search engines and directories.

Internet Guides and Tutorials

Using the Internet

Internet Tutorials - University at Albany Libraries - http://library.albany.edu/internet/
Learn on Your Own - Tutorials - http://www.utexas.edu/its/training/self-paced
Learn the Net - http://www.learnthenet.com/english/index.html
net.TUTOR  - http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/
Three collections of beginners' tutorials for Internet users. There are currently 20 tutorials under various categories. Regularly updated.
Stay Safe Online - http://www.staysafeonline.org
UW-Eau Claire-ITM Online Help Collection - http://www.uwec.edu/help/toc.htm
Helpful how-to guides for Microsoft Office, Outlook email, Frontpage, Dreamweaver, Windows and Macintosh operating system, and selected Adobe (Acrobat, Pagemaker) products.

---