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Library Class Descriptions

Schedule
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Be An Informed Citizen

   Take your civic duty seriously!  Election season is coming and that means it is time to learn about the issues and candidates that will be on your ballot. This class will survey government and voter information portals on the Web. After all, “the most important political office is that of the private citizen!”

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Book Reviews and Literary Criticism at Your Finger Tips

   Fretting about your next book group? Want to gain a deeper understanding of your latest novel's plot, themes, and characters? Have you read a meaningful work of non-fiction and want to know what critics think about it? In this class, you will learn how to find book reviews, literary criticism, and author biographical information available in libraries and on the Web.

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Computer Basics for 'Paper-and-Pencil' People

   By demonstration and hands-on practice, students will understand computer functionality and navigation - from hitting the “on” button to searching the Internet.  Part I introduces computer hardware and operating systems; Part II focuses on navigation through standard computer programs and the creation of a Word document; Part III explores the Internet via the MI home page.

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Do It Yourself Investing: Using the Library’s Financial Newsletters

    Learn to use the Library’s print collection of financial newsletters. Unearth the expert commentary and analysis of ValueLine, Morningstar, Dick Davis Digest, and others. Our extensive title list provides investment advice, analysis, statistics, and commentary.
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Doing Business in North America: Hoover's Online

    Learn how to navigate the Hoover's Academic research tool, which provides comprehensive and up-to-date company information, covering some 18,000,000 North American businesses, with deep insight on the leading 44,000 public and large private companies, as well as analyses of industry trends. View detailed company descriptions including financial reports, press releases, and key executive biographies.
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Effective Internet Searching: Google and More

    Assisted by the searcher’s best friend, the logical Mr. Boole, learn how to create effective search strategies that will allow you to pinpoint the precise information that you need. You will learn how to use search engines, subject directories, and how to navigate the “deep web".
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Email : Do the 'Write' Thing

    Especially for people who use more than one computer, travel frequently, or use public computers in libraries and schools, this class will help you set up a free email account that you can use anywhere in the world. Learn how to compose, send, reply to, and attach files to email messages using Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! Mail.

   
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Filing Taxes in the 21st Century

   Dreading Tax-giving Day this year? Tired of struggling to locate forms and that midnight dash to the post office? Relax. With a fast Internet connection, finding tax information is almost fun. This class will explore the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board websites. You will learn how to find forms, track refunds, calculate withholding, and identify tax code changes that may affect you.

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Investment information on the Web
   Free, comprehensive information on a myriad of financial topics is at your fingertips. This workshop introduces students to financial portals such as Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Marketwatch, Dow Theory Letters and more to find company profiles, securities valuation, stock rating services, trading statistics and financial reports.

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Kick-start Your Job Search from the Get-Go

   Discover how the job hunt has changed with the Internet explosion!  Learn to develop an effective job search strategy, how to use popular online employment databases such as CraigsList, CalJobs, CalOpps, and USAJobs, and how professional networking sites such as LinkedIn can be used for targeting job openings that meet your skills, training, and prior experience.
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Kick-start Your Job Search by Prospecting for Company Information

   Whether trying to find a job or advance to a better position, attendees will learn how to access and search authoritative web-based directories that identify key job prospects. Locate important background material on prospective employers' products and services, their industry and key competitors, company officers, plus associations that collect information on their member companies. Learn how to generate a list of companies that meet specific parameters covering companies big and small, public or private, manufacturers, service companies, or non-profits. Discover how to search full-text databases for valued information in secondary sources, ie. magazines, trade journals and newspapers, with feature articles and news about companies and their growth prospects.
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Make the Switch to S&P Online : NetAdvantage

    Get up-to-date and reliable answers to your tough business and investment questions ... and identify investment opportunities! This new web-based Library subscription includes company and industry information covering publicly traded U.S. corporations, together with Standard & Poor's independent and highly sophisticated and unparalleled investment research, opinions, and analysis of companies' core businesses, corporate developments, performance, ratings, and outlook.
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Newspapers Online: ProQuest Electronic Database

    This class will help you find abstracts and full text articles from the San Francisco Chronicle (since 1996), The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, China Daily and hundreds more domestic and worldwide newspapers online. Learn the basics of how to find the list of newspapers that are included in the database, how to search for articles and various options for printing, citing, exporting or sending the articles by email.
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Now Where Was That Article?

   This class is for those of us who cannot find that important article we remember reading, or for those of us who have an interest in finding current information on a particular topic. Learn to locate complete articles from a database that covers current events, popular culture, arts and sciences, sports, hobbies, health and business.
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Research Strategies Seminar

   In a small group and guided by a librarian, you will learn how to develop a research strategy tailored
to your needs and interests and how to choose print and web based resources. You must submit a topic forresearch at the time of registration. This class is limited to three participants, so act now!

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Skip the Phone Tree

   The City and County of San Francisco has been working hard to make government services more accessible. Learn how to quickly find the service or contact you need via SFGov.org and the new hotline 3-1-1. Find out how to get a marriage license, order vital records, pay your traffic citations or property taxes, report a pothole or broken streetlamp, and much more.

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To Your Health @ the Library
   
    People are increasingly turning to the Internet for answers to questions about their health. Learn about authoritative websites that are trustworthy, provide up-to-date information as you look for a doctor, evaluate medications, find a support group, watch a video in preparation for surgery, and more.
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Travel Resources Online
   
    Are you ready to be your own travel agent? Learn how to research destinations, find airfares, and book vacation packages using popular online travel sites and our collection of travel materials. Your next trip is only a click away!
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Welcome to JSTOR
   
    The Library's new archive of academic resources, focuses on articles written more than three years ago in the areas of economics, history, political science, ecology, mathematics, statistics, and sociology, as well as other key fields in the humanities and social sciences. The class will focus on using JSTOR to retrieve authoritative and scholarly information.


LOCATION AND TIME: 
All classes meet  from 10:00 to 11:30 am  in the 3rd floor Classroom.
There is no waiting list. However, "stand-by" is possible.  On the day of class, members may be admitted five minutes after class has commenced, if someone does not show up.

ADVANCE  REGISTRATION  IS  REQUIRED
Phone: 415-393-0102     Email: reference@milibrary.org


Revised: March 31, 2009