If the recent cold weather has you wanting to stay indoors a little more, why not use the opportunity to learn something new? At the County of Prince Edward Public Library, we have created a number of new “how-to” videos, which you can view online. One series covers blockchain technology and will help you understand the basics of NFTs, cryptocurrency, and more.

If those terms are unfamiliar to you, don’t worry! Aaron, who has created most of the videos, ties these ideas into real-world and practical terms that you may already understand. These topics pop up in the news regularly, and it can be helpful to have a basic understanding to start with.

The other ongoing video series covers the use of the library’s new online catalogue. You can find the catalogue at peclibrary.org. In addition to the standard features you would expect from a library catalogue – such as placing requests and viewing what you currently have checked out – the new catalogue has some additional features including the ability for you to create lists of what you have read or what you would like to read. If you have other questions about the online catalogue, call Aaron at (613) 476-4130 or email [email protected]. Find all the videos on our events calendar atpeclibrary.org/events) or peclibrary.org/youtube .

If you have other tech questions, the library can help. People ask us a wide variety of questions – everything from “how can I make the size of the letters on my phone bigger?” to “how can I set up an automatic backup of my files?” and we’re happy to assist. You can ask about any operating system from iOS to Android to Windows and beyond (and if you don’t know what an operating system is, you can ask that too).

For 2022, we have added a new online resource called “Transparent Language Online”. Transparent Language Online is packed with pronunciation practice, speech analysis, grammar, writing activities, and vocabulary-building activities. The activities change as you progress through the language and keep it interesting. For example, one activity asks you to listen to a word spoken and try to choose the word you hear from a list. Another asks you to match a word in English to a word in the language you’re learning. It’s fun and interactive. This extensive language-learning program works on virtually any computer or mobile device through a web browser or mobile app. Find it at peclibrary.org and access with your library card and PIN. Assistance is available over the phone, video chat, or in-person by appointment.

To keep everyone safer, we are working with fewer staff members in the library at any one time. ensure that someone is available to help, call (613) 476-5962 or email [email protected] to book a time. You will get one-on-one attention from an experienced tech staff member with no fee. It’s all part of the library’s mission to help people learn and stay connected.

-Liz Zylstra