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Help Desk Moving Into The Learning Commons

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A date has been finalized for the Killam Help Desk to move into its new location in the South Learning Commons.  On Tuesday November 10th the Help Desk in the basement will close.  The Help Desk will reopen in its new location during Friday, November 13th. 

During the three days it takes to move into the new location, including Remembrance Day, a temporary Help Desk will be in operation at the Technical Assistance Desk in the South Commons.  Due to space and security limitations machines will not be able to be dropped off for repair on Tuesday or Thursday after 4pm, and also all day Wednesday.  Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused during the move.  We’re sure you’ll appreciate the end result!

Book2Net Scanner In The South Commons

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The Book2Net scanner has been moved next to the Technical Assistance desk in the South Commons for the remainder of its trial.  If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should!  It’s an easy to use machine that allows you to scan images or text and save them as a jpeg on your USB.

If you need assistance ask the Navigator.  Don’t forget to leave some feedback, either right here or by filling in a comment card available at the desk.  We are very interested in hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

Touchscreen Print Stations Throughout the LC

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Following a successful trial of touchscreen technology on one of our Learning Commons print stations, touchscreen print stations have now been installed in all areas of the Killam Learning Commons.  To further complement printing in the South Learning Commons, another new HP P4515x laser printer has replaced the last remaining older model.

We hope you like the new print stations and would be interested to hear your thoughts, or any suggestions how they could be improved.

Maple Worksheets Printing

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In the Killam Learning Commons we are currently experiencing technical difficulties when printing Maple Worksheets.  This issue is being investigated and will be resolved as soon as possible.

Worksheets can still be printed by using the following method:

  • Files in worksheet format (.mw) will not print so it is necessary to save a copy in pdf format.  On the Maple menu bar click File>Export As…

  • Change the file type to PDF and save in the location of your choice.

  • Open the PDF file and print.

If you need assistance please ask at the Technical Assistance desk.  We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience while we resolve the issue.

iWork09 Installed on LC iMacs

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The latest version of Apple’s productivity suite, iWork ’09, has now been installed on all the iMacs in the South Learning Commons.

  • Keynote ’09 – the star of iWork brings a generous dose of Apple flair to presentations and makes PowerPoint look like a Stone Age relic.
  • Pages ’09 – updates have made Apple’s word processing application almost perfect.
  • Numbers ’09 – many enhancements have improved Apple’s spreadsheet application.

If you just can’t let go of Microsoft remember that Mac Office 2008 is also installed on our iMacs.

Learning Commons Workstations Updated

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The software on all Windows XP workstations in the Learning Commons is currently being updated.  All applications will have the latest service packs, patches, updates, versions etc to ensure visitors enjoy a smooth, productive experience.  A list of the most popular productivity software and versions can be found on the Learning Commons page.  In addition to these many more useful applications are also available.

The visual appeal of the desktop has also been improved with a crisp, clean wallpaper utilizing the Dalhousie colours.  Shortcuts to all applications are organized within folders so they are easier to locate.  Links are provided to the most popular web based services.  A brand new feature on the desktop is a link to Live Help – an online chat based reference service provided by Novanet Libraries.  This service is designed to respond to brief questions that can be answered quickly and effectively using online resources.

All updates are expected to be completed early next week.  As always if you have any suggestions about how our machines could be further improved don’t hesitate to let us know.

How to Scan Using OCR

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Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of images of text (usually captured by a scanner) into editable text. The process is not 100% accurate and review and editing of the document will be necessary.

The scanners in the Learning Commons are able to perform OCR and work best with clearly printed text eg a letter. The sharper the scanned image the better the OCR results will be.

The first step is to open the HP scanning software.  When scanning many people scan the item as an image, irregardless of whether it’s a picture or a letter.  In order to perform OCR you must scan as a document.

After choosing to scan as a document the file type to save to is also important.  If you choose to scan a document as a bitmap image for example the software will not be able to perform OCR.

I normally use the rtf file format. Note that OCR will be performed.

After saving the document open it in Microsoft Word and save it in the .docx format.  Remember the OCR process is not perfect and the document will probably require some editing.

Five More Scanners Available For Use

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As scanners are always in high demand in the Learning Commons we have purchased 5 new HP G4050 photo scanners to bring our total number up to 13.  All the scanners are located at the rear left side of the South Commons, look for the 3 yellow tables.

As well as being able to scan photos and documents, our scanners are also able to perform OCR which is a useful feature not many people are aware of.  Take a look at this guide, or ask the Navigators for assistance.

Improvements to Killam Learning Commons

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In order to integrate and streamline technical services, the Computer Help Desk and Hardware Services are being moved from the basement of the Killam Library into the South Learning Commons on the main floor.

Construction work will begin on August 10th 2009 and is scheduled to continue through the summer. We apologize for any noise and inconvenience, but we’re sure you’ll really appreciate the end result!

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