Unless otherwise indicated, programs require no pre-registration. Programs sponsored by the Converse Free Library in Lyme and the Howe Library in Hanover have no admission fee.

Most programs last about an hour and a half; the programs at the Converse Free Library in Lyme run a little over an hour, longer if there are lots of questions at the end.

To subscribe to our mailing list for reminders of upcoming programs and announcements of newly-added programs, send an email to programs@uppervalleydigital.com and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Click on the program titles to open up a longer description.

October

Getting Started with PowerPoint

Saturday, October 1, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, October 5, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH
Link to page of resources, reference materials and program handout

Powerpoint is the best-known presentation software available in the business world, and we'll look at how to get started creating attractive presentations for a pitch at a business meeting, a proposal to your organization's board of directors, a presentation for your town's planning commission, or a classroom lecture. Adding images, editing text, and using design templates will be covered in this one-hour overview. This free program is presented with the support of the Friends of Lyme Library, and is open to the public.

Online Safety for Seniors

Thursday, October 20, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH
Link to page of resources, reference materials and program handout

If you use Google for search, Facebook with your friends, or buy online from Amazon, your personal information is on the web in one form or another. We'll review how to keep your personal information safe while you're on the Internet in this program. We'll discuss identifying secure web pages, how to choose a safe password, making online purchases, and what personal information is most at risk. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

November

Computer Backups - Where to Start?

Saturday, November 5, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, November 9, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH
Link to page of resources, reference materials and program handout

Everywhere on the web, the advice is "be sure to back up your computer", but what's the best way to get started? In this program we'll look at what needs to be backed up and some of the strategies for backing up a single file, a folder, music, photos, or your entire machine, and what some best options are for backing up to hard drives, thumb drives, CDs and DVDs, or to a cloud location online. This free one-hour program is presented with the support of the Friends of Lyme Library, and is open to the public.

Buying and Listening to Music Online

Thursday, November 17, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH
Download the free handout for this program

Not long ago, only sound engineers used the Internet for music; these days, anyone with a fast Internet connection can listen to legal music streams online and can purchase individual songs and entire albums with the click of the mouse. We'll take a look at some of the options for purchasing music online for an iPod or smart phone, as well as reviewing options for listening to streaming music on the Internet from radio stations and music sharing sites. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

January, 2012

Staying Productive with your Computer and SmartPhone

Thursday, January 19, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH

With all of the software out there these days, how can you find the programs and apps that will make your use of your computer or smart phone productive? Learn about programs to help you stay organized, track your calendar, share documents, send and receive text messages, and make the best use of cloud storage and computing. The focus will be on types of software currently available and their capabilities, rather than specific programs for specific devices, and websites and blogs that will help you learn about new releases. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

February

Getting Started with eBay

Saturday, February 4, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, February 8, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH

For those new to using eBay, or who are just thinking about what it might offer, this introduction to buying and selling on eBay will include information on getting started, setting up an account, searching for items to buy, bidding, and creating a listing for an item for sale. Bidding on eBay is a little different from bidding in a country auction, and we'll talk about strategies for winning an auction without bidding more than you mean to (or need to!), and will go through the step-by-step process of listing an item for sale on eBay. This free one-hour program is presented with the support of the Friends of Lyme Library, and is open to the public.

Using Gmail and Google Apps

Thursday, February 16, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH

"Cloud Computing" is the name for using online services instead of programs that run on your computer. We'll look at how Google is revolutionizing the ease with which you can create and store documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online using Google Apps in your web browser, and how Gmail allows you not only to set up a free account to send and receive email, but also to use all of their other online services in connection with your Gmail account. Using Gmail and Google Apps you can upload or create a new document, make it available on the web, and collaborate with others to make changes to it - find out how. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

March

Buying and Listening to Music Online

Saturday, March 3, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, March 7, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH

Not long ago, only sound engineers used the Internet for music; these days, anyone with a fast Internet connection can listen to legal music streams online and can purchase individual songs and entire albums with the click of the mouse. We'll take a look at some of the options for purchasing music online for an iPod or smart phone, as well as reviewing options for listening to streaming music on the Internet from radio stations and music sharing sites. This free one-hour program is presented with the support of the Friends of Lyme Library, and is open to the public.

Using Free Images from the Web

Thursday, March 15, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH

While the web looks like the world's biggest library, not everything that is available on the web is up for grabs for every use. We'll discuss how to search for and download photos, logos, and images from the web that you can legally use for your organization's newsletter, your blog, or for your company website. Find out if it is ok to use photos from the web for your Powerpoint presentation, or for a homework assignment. In this program we will discuss copyright, Fair Use, and alternative licensing like Creative Commons. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

April

Online Safety

Saturday, April 7, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, April 11, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH

If you use Google for search, Facebook with your friends, or buy online from Amazon, your personal information is on the web in one form or another. We'll review how to keep your personal information safe while you're on the Internet in this program. We'll discuss identifying secure web pages, how to choose a safe password, making online purchases, and what personal information is most at risk. This free one-hour program is presented with the support of the Friends of Lyme Library, and is open to the public.

Uploading and Sharing Video and Photos

Thursday, April 19, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH

Getting started using Flickr or Picasa photo sharing? Putting up a video on YouTube? Involved in a collaborative sharing sites that ask for photo or video submissions? We'll look at the process of uploading photos and videos from your computer or smartphone to online sharing and collaboration sites. We'll take a special look at the Upper Valley Land Trust's new "Upper Valley Story-Scape" website as an example of ways that members of a community can contribute materials to a sharing website. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

May

Options for Creating Your Own Website

Saturday, May 5, 10:30am
Repeated Wednesday, May 9, 7pm
Converse Free Library, Lyme, NH

This program will be a beginner's introduction to some of the options for creating and maintaining a website. We'll discuss domain names, free options, FTP, design software, sites for small organizations and businesses, and personal sites and blogs. Options for creating Google- friendly websites and for making sure your website shows up in popular search engines will be discussed as well. The free one-hour program is open to all, and is sponsored by the Friends of Lyme Library.

Computer Backups - Where to Start?

Thursday, May 17, 4:30pm
Howe Library, Hanover NH

Everywhere on the web, the advice is "be sure to back up your computer", but what's the best way to get started? In this program we'll look at what needs to be backed up and some of the strategies for backing up a single file, a folder, music, photos, or your entire machine, and what some best options are for backing up to hard drives, thumb drives, CDs and DVDs, or to a cloud location online. This free program is presented in conjunction with the Howe Library and is open to the public.

Program Locations

The Howe Library: 13 South Street, Hanover, NH

The Converse Free Library: 38 Union Street, Lyme, NH