Lexington Public Library

Hitch-hiker’s Guide to The Public PC Desktop

By: LPL I.T. Department Doc. Rev. 1.01 Release: 5/04/2017 - 1

This guide will introduce a number of features found in the Lexington Public Library Public PC Windows 10 Desktop. It also
provides (Appendix A) the official policy governing Public PC usage in general, and Internet access and usage behaviors.

1.0 Logging In

The Public PC’s are available for login during normal library hours, but new logins are disabled
15 minutes before the Library closing time. You may login by typing in your LPL Member
Number, as documented on your personal Library card. The password is usually the last four
digits of the phone number given when you joined the LPL. If you are not a member of LPL and
do not have a Library Card, you may ask library staff for a temporary Guest Pass. That pass will
have a guest number that you may input at the login screen and get logged in. Once logged in, a
session timer will keep track of how many minutes remain in your session. Typical login sessions
last 60 minutes. You may request additional minutes from local staff if you need more time. If
you encounter problems getting logged in, please inform local Library staff, who will assist and
contact IT if necessary.

2.0 Windows 10 Desktop Icons

The Public PC’s use a standard Windows 10 workspace and desktop on every terminal. This
ensures any user can walk up and use any public terminal and access the same programs at any
time. Here is a brief rundown of each program icon, and what the program does.

2.1 Recycle Bin This icon represents the local Windows 10 “recycle bin”. When you delete a
file, Windows 10 will place the deleted file in the Recycle Bin. This allows you to retrieve back
the file, just in case you need it again.

2.2 Acrobat Reader DC Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a program that will open, view,
manipulate, and save documents that are in PDF format. (PDF format is often used when
sharing a document with other parties without giving them access to the original document.)

2.3 Google Chrome This is the Google’s popular Internet web browser. It is used to access
and interact with Internet websites and webpages. It may be used for a variety of purposes, all
depending on the functions provided by the website and webpage being accessed.

2.4 Google Earth Google Earth is a popular geographical/terrain viewer that lets you
select, go to, and zoom in/out on any location on Planet Earth. As you zoom in and zoom out,
you see actual aerial photographs of that location, as well as selected geographical features.
2.5 Irfanview 64 This program is a popular photograph and graphics file editor that
will load, view, manipulate, edit, process, print, and save a very wide variety of digital picture
files. It fills a niche by being easier to use and learn than full-powered programs like Photo-Shop.

2.5 ZoomText 10.1 This program allows the user to magnify the Windows 10 Desktop for
people who have problems reading the Desktop in its normal size. The user can select from
varying levels of screen magnification. (The user should ignore and cancel initial ZT screens that
make mention of ‘Speech Initialization’ and also ‘Zoom Text News.’).

2.6 Access 2016 This program is part of Microsoft Office Professional 2016. It allows
the user to load, edit, manipulate, and work with Microsoft Access Database files. The user may
select from a variety of Access Database Templates to set up and manage his own databases.

2.7 Excel 2016 This program is part of Microsoft Office Professional 2016. It allows
the user to load, edit, manipulate, and work with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet files. These
spreadsheets may be in the typical tabular form, and there are other templates also available.

2.8 Facebook Shortcut This shortcut accesses the popular social networking website
Facebook, and brings up the main Facebook Login page. On this page the user may login with
his or her login ID, or create a new Facebook login if they do not have one already.

2.9 GIMP 2 This is a full-power, feature-rich sophisticated picture file editor. It

provides many functions for in-depth picture and photograph editing. It picks up with Irfanview
leaves off.

2.10 Internet Explorer This shortcut runs the popular Windows based Internet Explorer
web browser. The user may use the IE web browser to access Internet web-sites, search engines,
research topics for information, access social media sites, do job-hunting, and so forth.

2.11 MapQuest This link takes you to MapQuest, a popular mapping site that
provides functions for looking up maps, road directions, and travel features for any selected
place and route. You may use this program to plan a trip and determine the best route.

2.12 PowerPoint 2016 This program is part of Microsoft Office Professional 2016. It is a
standard program for developing a Power-Point presentation for sharing with the team. It loads,
views, manipulates, and edits Microsoft Power-Point files.

2.13 Publisher 2016 This program is part of Microsoft Office Professional 2016. It is a full
featured program for doing desktop electronic publishing. It supports the editing and
development of a wide variety of publishing formats using standard templates.

2.14 Quicktime Player This program loads, organizes, and plays audio and video media files,
and allows the user to develop his own media library. In addition, the program can do media
tasks such as ripping sound files from CD’s and saving them to individual sound files.

2.15 Word 2016 This program is a full-function, full-powered word processor for
editing and publishing electronic documents. It will also save the file in a variety of formats,
including the popular PDF format, for convenient sharing of documents with other parties.
 2.16 YouTube Shortcut This shortcut accesses the popular Internet video hosting website
YouTube. The user may search on videos of interest, play videos, login to YouTube, and upload
their own videos for others to watch. (Headphones must be used to hear the sound-track.)

3.0 Saving your work.

The Public PC will reboot itself at the end of every login session. Any user data that has not been
saved to a personal flash-drive will be discarded. Any personal files that have been saved to the
Windows desktop will be discarded. You must attach a personal flash-drive to a USB port so that
you may save your work to it. Once again, any user files not saved to a personal flash-drive will
be discarded when the PC restarts. This occurs at the end of every login session. You may buy
your own flash-drive from the desk librarian for a nominal fee.

4.0 Ending your session.

A session timer will tell you how much time you have left in your login session. You may stop
work and end your session at any point. Just save your work, close out the programs and
windows, and click the button that says End Session. This will force the system to close down
your login session and restart the system. As your session timer approaches the end of session,
you may request additional time to be added. Ask the local librarian sitting at the desk, and they
can do this for you, assuming no one else is waiting to use a terminal.

5.0 If you need assistance.

If you need computer assistance running a program or using a program, you may ask the local
desk librarian, sitting nearby, for assistance, and they will assist you in using the computer. If
there is a technical issue with the computer which is causing malfunction, they will contact IT.

6.0 PC Usage Policy (Please see Appendix A).

The Lexington Public Library governs the usage of the Public PC terminals and defines
acceptable and non-acceptable usage behaviors. These are spelled out in the computer usage
policy statement that is shown to every user when they first login. The public pc user is strongly
encouraged to take the time and effort required to read and understand this policy and its various
stipulations. This policy declares what is acceptable and not acceptable for users on public PC’s.

7.0 Going further.

The Internet is a great source of further information about any program or software we have
mentioned in this guide. Just run the Chrome or Internet Explorer web-browser, go to your
favorite internet search engine, and do a search by the program or software name. There are
also numerous computer books available from sources like Www.Amazon.com ; also, there are
plenty of computer books available right here in the LPL Public Library.
APPENDIX A. Lexington Public Library’s Internet Access Policy

Purpose

The Lexington Public Library endeavors to develop and maintain collections, resources, and services
that meet the cultural, informational, recreational, and educational needs of Lexington’s diverse,
multicultural community. In keeping with this mission, the Library provides its patrons with access to
the Internet, the global electronic network that contains dynamic resources.

Electronic media offer an unprecedented forum for sharing information and ideas. Libraries are a
national information infrastructure providing people with access and participation in the electronic
arena. Libraries are essential to the informed debate demanded by the Constitution and for the
provision of access to electronic information resources to those who might otherwise be excluded.

The Lexington Public Library has a history of providing the highest quality library service available to
the citizens of the Lexington-Fayette County area for over 200 years; the Library continues this
history with the arrival of Internet access for all patrons. The Lexington Public Library recognizes that
by offering this service, it offers patrons the opportunity to participate in the Information Age.

Public Use

The Library provides Internet access as an information resource for its patrons. Electronic mail and
access to news and discussion groups are not provided. Adults may be required to provide
identification in order to use an Internet computer. Persons under the age of 18 must register as a
Library Internet user in order to use an Internet computer. Children under the age of 8 years are not
allowed use of an Internet computer, unless supervised by a parent or guardian.

Disclaimer

The Internet is an unregulated system produced by a diverse society. The Library does not censor
material available through the Internet and is not responsible for its accuracy, currency or propriety.
Parents or legal guardians who wish to restrict their child’s or ward’s access to any material must
supervise their child’s use of the Internet.

Library patrons use the Internet at their own discretion and must make judgments about any
information found. Library patrons use the Internet at their own risk; the Library cannot control what
information a person may view on the Internet. Persons seeking information on the Internet must
understand that such information may be reliable and current, or it may be inaccurate, out-of-date, or
unavailable at times.
The Library assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from use of its
World Wide Web server or from its connection to other Internet services. The Library is not
responsible for any damage, direct or indirect, or for any liability that may arise from patron use of
the Library’s Internet services.

Legal and Ethical Use

As with all other library materials, equipment and facilities, the Library’s computers and networks are
not to be used for unacceptable or illegal purposes. Matters considered to be illegal will be referred to
appropriate authorities for consideration and possible prosecution. Examples of unacceptable and
illegal use includes, but are not limited to, the following:

Harassment of other users; abuse, damage or destruction of equipment, software, or data belonging to
the Library or other users ("hacking"); disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic
communications; unauthorized copying of copyright-protected material; violations of existing
obscenity and pornography laws; violations of computer system security; unauthorized use of
computer accounts, access codes or network identification numbers; violation of software license
agreements; violation of network usage policies and regulations; violations of another user’s privacy.

Users are not to post, upload or transfer illegal material; are not to use the Library’s identity; and may
not incur costs to the Library.

Users in all areas of Library locations may not display images, sounds, or language which depicts
nudity, sexual content, excessive violence or offensive text.

Juvenile/Ward Access to the Internet

Parents or legal guardians are responsible for their child’s or ward’s use of all library resources
including use of the Internet at the Library. The Library cannot assume this responsibility. Parents or
guardians should let their children or wards know if there are materials that they do not want their
children to use. Library employees are available to offer suggestions in response to questions, but only
a parent or guardian and child or ward can decide what the child will access. Parents or guardians
may wish, and are encouraged, to supervise their children’s or ward’s Internet sessions.

Children under the age of 8 years are not allowed direct, unsupervised use of an Internet computer. A
parent or guardian must supervise these children.
A parent or guardian may request that the Library not allow their child or ward access to Library
Internet computers. A signed form will be provided and is required to implement this request.

Sanctions

Violation of these policies is a serious matter and will be dealt with appropriately. Library staff will
make a reasonable attempt to control unauthorized, unacceptable and/or illegal use. As a first step,
patrons will be asked to clear the screen of any material that interferes with maintaining a reasonable
and comfortable environment for the public. Lack of cooperation on the part of the user may result in
loss of Internet privileges.

Violators of these policies may lose library privileges. Illegal acts involving Library computing
resources may also be subject to prosecution by local, state or federal authorities.

Approved by the Lexington Public Library Board of Trustees, 07/23/97

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