Dear Microsoft Word, STOP HELPING ME

If you’re like me, you appreciate the spelling and formatting help MS Word provides, except when you don’t. Fortunately, you have a surprising amount of control over how much, and what kind of, help you get.

Read on for some autocorrect/autoformatting tips.

Go to Options (The location of this depends on the version of Word. In 2010, it is under “File.” Regardless of version, it is called “Options.”)

Choose “Proofing” (Again, the location within “Options” will vary with version. In all versions, it is called “Proofing.”)

 Choose “AutoCorrect Options…”

Look at all the stuff you can change!

You can uncheck any of the boxes to stop Word from correcting things that you don’t want corrected.

What’s that “Exceptions…” thing?

Using this, you can make Word stop capitalizing after common abbreviations.

Take a look at AutoFormat, too.

And AutoFormat As You Type.

This is where you can tell Word to stop automatically making numbered lists. You can also stop web address from becoming hyperlinks.

These are just a few of your proofing options. Take a look at Options -- Proofing and see what you find!

In the News and On the Shelf: Fiction & Nonfiction in your Book Groups

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 9:08 am

 

Booklist’s 2 library experts, Lucy Lockley and BGB’s own Kaite Stover, have shared their notes with us, selections below.
From Lucy:

• Once you have chosen which title to use for a book discussion, the next step is usually to find title-specific discussion questions.
  Some places to check are:
• Author and publisher websites – either may have a prepared list of questions which can be printed off and are ready to use
• Print resources such as:
• The Reader’s Choice: 200 Book Club Favorites by Victoria Golden McMains  (not owned by SCLD, SPL owns-circ) has older titles but ones which have been enjoyed by numerous book groups
• Read ‘Em Their Writes: a Handbook for Mystery and Crime Fiction Book Discussions by Gary Warren Niebuhr (not owned by SCLD, SPL owns-circ)
• Reading Women: a Book Club Guide for Women’s Fiction by Nanci Milone Hill (not owned by SCLD or SPL)
• Fellowship in a Ring: a Guide for Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Groups by Neil Hollands (not owned by SCLD or SPL)

• If you can serve food during your discussions, you might be interested in:
• The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors, 2nd edition by July Gelman and Vicky Levy Krupp (not owned by SCLD, SPL owns-circ)

• To add some appeal to you discussion or set the stage for the next book title, leaders may want to set up a display with read-alikes or other tools such as:
• Primary Documents – for a discussion on the book The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, one discussion leader found newspaper articles and pictures which were specific to the subject and the time period
• Props – spruce up a display by using anything which might make it more appealing; for example: for a display on the book Homer & Langley (infamous hoarders) one discussion leader used stacks of newspapers, an old lantern, a beat-up fan (from the 1940′s), old spoons – things that might have been packed away in an attic

• Using technology to enhance the discussion:
• Laptop / WiFi Access / Projector – these can expand a book discussion to reach beyond the meeting local. For example: a recent book discussion on Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (the book contains no map or photos) used a laptop during the discussion to access the author website to find pictures of the runners mentioned in the book, to search Google for a map of the Sierra Madre mountains to ‘see’ where the Tarahumara people live, and find the product website for Vibram Fivefingers or barefoot shoes (one of the individuals discussed in the book is “Barefoot” Ted, the ultrarunner who actually runs marathons barefoot!)
• Conference Call – for a live interview with the author during your book discussion, contact the publisher, author’s representative or the author to try and arrange one for the date and time when your group will be discussing their book
• Video Chat: use Skype or Google Voice and Video Chat to have a live, in-person (visual and audio) interview with the author or with an expert on the topic of the discussion title
• Book Trailers: use YouTube or BookRiot to find a video book trailer for the upcoming discussion title or for some of the read-alikes. Many publishers are now producing book trailers for their titles, especially their book discussion suggestions so leaders wanting to try using book trailers should check their websites.

• Do your meetings keep going outside the current discussion topic? Members want to talk about something else? You can offer a program for that! Let’s Talk About It!: A News & Current Events Discussion Group is a group we do in the St. Charles City-County Library District. It provides the perfect forum for anyone who enjoys talking about current events and headlines in the news.

From Kaite:

In this advanced technological age where we are all bombarded with the news, current affairs, and issue of the moment 24/7, it’s no wonder that our readers want to sort out the miasma of info in book groups. Most book groups have a tendency to avoid these types of books because usually one one title is being discussed and it’s important the library and the programs is supports appear unbiased. But there’s a way to let readers explore their own beliefs and opinions and keep the conversation on an even keel with current events.

You may be wondering why would any book group choose to read any of these pairings if conversation could turn into a shouting match. Readers gravitate towards these types of books because they want more details and understanding than the news can provide. They want to feel informed with sound opinions. They want to understand why people and society behave the way they do.

People want to feel in-the-know and on top of the news and this is why they pay attention to the books of the moment. These are also the books getting media attention so book group leaders need to be aware of them, too.

What appeal elements should selectors be looking for? Can’t escape the popularity of some of these books, but you can look at them with a questioning eye. Most readers will enjoy the learning aspect of books about current affairs. The tone and story line adopted by the author with an air of expertise. The author’s intent is also important. Is the author supporting or refuting an established position. Is the author tracking the development of an issue, investigating, persuading. Is the argument skewed? Reasoned? Merely explanatory? Is the author looking to provide insight or just incite a reader? Writing style, amount of detail and pacing will be working with the above concerns.

Balance the selections—opportunity to offer two readings—confirm and explore. This gives readers the opportunity to consider a differing viewpoint in the interest of understanding the opposition to their own. Some readers may hold a viewpoint and need further support or education. Don’t need to ask which is a readers preference, and in some cases, it’s better for the conversation if readers are unaware of participant’s particular stance on an issue.

Bring some background—If time allows, have some additional background information on the topic at hand. Recent accounts in the news, other books, a quick history of the topic with facts. Having this info can be helpful if conversation gets a little heated. Can use it as a “cooler” and then steer dialogue in another direction.

Managing the conversation—keep it focused on the books and be ready for animated conversation from participants who may usually be on the quiet side. Discussing these books, I feel, requires a little more preparation from facilitators and more awareness of the body language and moods of the readers around the table. The point is to generate a good discussion and you don’t want to drive any reader away because conversation became too heated or personal.

• For understanding the appeals of nonfiction, particularly books about social, political, economic, cultural issue, consult The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Nonfiction by Neal Wyatt (Ref at SV and NS: 025.54 WYATT). Each chapter on a popular nonfiction subject area comes with reading lists. Chapter 11 will be the most useful for book groups looking to explore readings in current events.

• The Real Story and The Inside Scoop, both by Sarah Statz Cords (not owned by SCLD, SPL owns Real Story-circ), an RA expert in nonfiction are treasures of discussable titles. Lists of titles to start with, fiction readalikes, and solid essays on the characteristics and elements that draw readers to a particular subject. The Inside Scoop has a chapter devoted to political reporting and a subsection on Hot Button Issues. Great resource for finding titles that balance each other.

Controversial topics in a book group can generate a little apprehension, but don’t let this stop you from introducing reading that could generate a lively conversation. Your readers may surprise you with their discussion and will welcome the chance to apply their own world view to their reading and share it with others. Book groups an arena for public discourse. What a civilized place to start!

Career Cruising

Career Cruising is a career aid available through WorkSource. You'll find it here. (Unfortunately, you have to login in order to set up an account, so you won't be able to see anything when you go there.) Let's look at some of the services available through Career Cruising.

Here's what the front page looks like:

We'll start with the Assessments tab. Here is where you'll find the Matchmaker, information about the Ability Profiler, and a Learning Styles Inventory.

The Matchmaker asks you questions and then suggests careers based on the answers. You start with 39 questions that you rate on a scale from "Dislike Very Much" to "Like Very Much." Your results show why that career was a match. You can see an overview of the career, the average payscale (by area), the working conditions, required education, career paths, related careers, and even interviews of people in the field. Other resources include things like links to professional organizations and Occupational Outlook.

The Ability Profiler is designed to assess your abilities and see how they relate to careers that match your interests. This test must be scheduled with WorkSource.

Learning Styles Inventory asks questions about how you do different things. Here's an example:

When concentrating on something, I am more likely to:

• be distracted by movement or clutter around me
• be distracted by noise near me
• have difficulty sitting still 

Once you've completed the Inventory, you'll see what your learning style is -- visual, auditory, tactile, or a combination. You'll learn about your learning style, and see tips on making use of it, such as writing things down if you're a visual learner, reading aloud if you're an auditory learner, and acting out material with a study partner if you're a tactile learner.                 

In the Careers tab, you can search for careers by first letter or keyword in the Index. You can also look at school subjects and see what careers might be suited to people who enjoy a particular subject. Or, you can look at "Career Clusters" -- groupings of careers such as Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, Business Management & Administration, and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics. Finally, there is a separate section devoted to military careers. You can use the Index, look at Job Families (Career Clusters), or Service Branch (including the National Guard and Coast Guard).

In the Education tab, you can search for shools and majors by state, compare schools, and use a school selector tool to find a school with the right atmosphere for you (a private, co-ed, 4 year school in Montana that offers a geology major and has a badminton program, for example).

In the Financial Aid tab, you can search for aid, or submit information about yourself and see financial aid opportunities that might apply to you.

The Employment tab has a resume builder, a place to enter work experience, and hints for your job search -- writing the resume, looking for employment, job interviews, etc. Then there are tips for when you get a job offer. Finally, there are tips for after you've landed the job -- getting to the job site, addressings supervisors, introducing yourself to your co-workers, office etiquette, friendships, and much more.

The last tab is My Inspire Community. This has a place to correspond with career coaches (people working in the field), find work-based learning opportunities (for example: job shadows, internships), and find employers and career activities (for example: employer information, career fairs). This is the least developed of the interest areas. Once it is developed, it will be a good place to find out more information about local employers and life on the job.

While you're here, check out Inspire Washington.