FAIRFIELD - The Fairfield Public Library will offer a wide range of hands-on and lecture-demonstration computer classes for all skill levels when the Technology Topics series resumes in September at the main library, 1080 Old Post Road, officials said in a statement.

All classes in the library’s 18-seat computer lab will use Microsoft Office 2010, a newly-released software version upgrade that was recently installed at both the Main Library and the Fairfield Woods Branch Library, the statement said.

The series will begin with Microsoft Excel Intermediate at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14. Instructor Jan Byrnes will offer tips on working with multiple worksheets, advanced formula functions and creating 3-D references, the statement said.
College instructor and website designer Alan Weaver will discuss "Optimizing Your Website" at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 p.m. in the Rotary Room, sharing ways to make your website more effective, including how to increase its visibility on Google, the statement said.

Additional topics will include using social networking sites Linkedin and YouTube to drive traffic to your site. Weaver will present The “Hidden” Google at 7 p.m. Nov. 18, exploring the many rich features of Google including cloud computing, Google Earth, and Google Business Services, the statement said.
Also, new this fall will be Mid-Day with Merry, a three-session mini-series offering the opportunity to explore hot and emerging technology trends with tech guru Merry Uk, webmaster for both the town of Fairfield and the Fairfield Public Library, the statement said.

Topics will include: Facebook on Sept. 15, Twitter on Oct. 6, and Flickr and Picnik on Nov. 17, all at noon in the Rotary Room. Each session will offer a 20-minute overview of a tech topic, followed by a Q&A session on anything technology-related. Bring your questions – no experience necessary, the statement said.

Technical trainer Susan McAteer is teaching two new classes this fall: Advanced Microsoft Excel 2010 on October 26 at 6:30 pm, and Linkedin – The Basics, Plus on November 9 at 6:30 pm. McAteer will also lead a two-part class, Introduction to Microsoft Access 2010, on September 23 and September 30 that explores the structure, benefits, and uses of a database. Instructor Jan Byrnes will be leading seven hands-on classes this fall, including: Microsoft Word 2010 Intermediate with Mail Merge on September 20 at 6:30 pm, Introduction to Microsoft Word 2010 on October 16 at 10:15 am, Introduction to MS PowerPoint 2010 on October 20 at 6:30 pm, Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2010 on November 20 and December 11, both at 10:15 am, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 Intermediate on December 13 at 6:30 pm.

Librarians Lauren DeNisco and Judy Sparzo will team up to offer Internet 101, three session hands-on class that will allow novice computer users to discover the valuable information available on the internet. What’s It All About on September 22 will provide an overview of the internet and how to search it, Fun Sites and Money Savers will be discussed on October 13, and I Need to Know – medical, legal, consumer, and financial information- will be covered on November 10, all meeting at 9:30 am. Mouse and keyboard skills are required.

A complete Technology Topics brochure with dates, times, and descriptions of all the fall classes is available at both libraries, and is also online at http://www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org/. Registration is required, and begins 1 month before each class begins.

Please call the Main Library at 256-3160 to register or learn more about the series. All classes are free and open to the public, with Fairfield residents given preference for limited seating in the hands-on computer classes.