Learn fast and win a prize

Would you like to learn about computers and the internet, but don’t have the time or money to attend a formal training course? Would you like to be a powerful PowerPoint user? What about Word? Do you need some excellence with Excel? Would you like to win a movie ticket! Try Learningfast.

This online training service is available through the CityLibraries website. Just click on “Online Databases” and then choose “Learningfast” from the list of Business / News databases. Registration is easy (and free), just use your CityLibraries Townsville card membership number for the username, and the word ‘thuringowa’ for the password. You will also need to enter your name, address and phone number if you wish to be eligible for the prize draw.

Learningfast has two parts. The first part, ICT Skills Benchmark, consists of a series of self-paced tutorials. You can learn all about the basics of computers, through to advanced Excel and Word functions.
Of particular interest to Searchlight readers is the “Searching the Internet Effectively” module. It contains tutorials on Search Engines, Subject Directories, Meta Search Engines, Search Strategies, and even information about mailing lists, newsgroups and web forums.

Taking the 'pre-tests' of a module will help you to decide if you need to complete it, or move straight on to more advanced topics. Simply work through the multiple choice quizzes as necessary. “Learning Activities” displays training tutorials and guides you to update your required computer skills based on pre-test results. Each module will give you an indicative time for an average user to complete, so you know how much time to set aside. Tutorials are also printable for reference offline and for you to make notes.

To check your progress through the whole package at any time, click on “My Results Summary” on the menu. Your individual report displays date and time accessed, all activities attempted and % score for the last attempt. You can also print out the report.

Need any more reasons to check out Learningfast? The first ten people to register and complete at least one tutorial on Learningfast will receive a free movie pass to Birch Carroll & Coyle cinemas. There will be runner up prizes as well, so log on and start learning!

Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:
CityLibrary Aitkenvale 4727 8312
CityLibrary Flinders Mall 4727 9665
CityLibrary Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au

LibraryThing: a social space for bookworms

Do you like to keep track of the books you own or have read? LibraryThing is a social site that lets you catalogue your personal collections, keep reading lists and meet others who have similar tastes.

Sign up for a free account and register up to 200 books. Beyond this limit, you can pay for a subscription. Starting an account is as easy as choosing a username and password. To share details of your collections while remaining anonymous, select a username that isn’t your real name.

It’s easy to enter a book that you have read or found interesting using the ‘Add books’ feature. Just enter a title or author or ISBN to bring up a list of possible matches in Amazon or Library of Congress. Clicking on a title in the list instantly adds it to your library with an image of the cover and all available information including title, author, ISBN, publisher, date and so on. You can also add your own ratings, comments and tags as on Del.icio.us and Flickr.

You can make your collections private, but most people choose to make theirs public as they enjoy the social aspects of the site. There are many social networking features worth exploring.

This site is useful if you often choose books on the recommendation of others.
One way is to go to ‘your library’ which gives you access to your collection. Here you can select the people icon for a book that you have read to get recommendations and find out what other members have to say in reviews, ratings and discussion list conversations. There are also links to Wikipedia.

The ‘Groups’ area allows you to join over 1500 discussion lists, communities where members can discuss books akin to a book club. Take a look at the Green Dragon community for Tolkien, the largest and most active community.

Additionally, you can search the entire database, check out other member libraries, arrange your library by Dewey and place books on your blog.


Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:

CityLibrary Aitkenvale 4727 8312
CityLibrary Flinders Mall 4727 9665
CityLibrary Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au