The Maxwell Blog

Phone Scams

March 13, 2019

You may have gotten “sales” calls that caller ID showed as coming from your own neighborhood (or not too far away) but turned out not to be from the number that was shown. Perhaps you called that number to give...

Fanfiction, Story Sharing Sites, and Online Samizdat

February 28, 2019

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, February 28, 2019 This month’s tech program will explore sites and apps for those who want to read literature that might not yet be ready for prime-time but that still might be just the thing...

Cutting the cord

January 24, 2019

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, January 24, 2019 The question of whether one can cancel cable TV comes up more and more. Though the answer still seems to be “It depends,” the venues for finding online video entertainment, documentaries, and...

Niche News and the Blogosphere

December 27, 2018

From Language Log to KnitHacker Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, December 27, 2018 Aside from seeing pictures and videos of cute dogs or cats, what do people expect from the Internet? One thing they want is solutions to problems, whether...

Online Book Clubs

November 29, 2018

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, November 29, 2018 Often after you’ve read a book that you really enjoyed, you want to discuss it with other people who’ve also read it. That impulse has long been one of the motives people...

Staying Secure Online

October 25, 2018

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, October 25, 2018 This month’s program will introduce various apps, techniques, and habits that can help keep your online life as safe as it can be on an inherently unsafe internet. The lack of safety...

The Taming of Google

September 27, 2018

Search Engine Tips and Tricks Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, September 27, 2018 The rumors of the death of the reference librarian have been greatly exaggerated. Just as electronic books have killed neither paper books nor the libraries that provide...

Finding Job and Career Information Online

August 23, 2018

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, August 23, 2018 The more things change, the more they stay the same. French proverb Whatever the world is, today, good and bad together, that is what Gutenberg’s invention has made it: for from that...

Ваша информация на Facebook …, er,

July 26, 2018

Your Information on Facebook: Controlling What Social Media Shares About You Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, July 26, 2018 As has become all too clear over the past year-and-a-half, what you share or view on social media platforms is probably...

Using the Google Docs suite

March 22, 2018

Nah… What’s up [Google] Doc[s]? Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, March 22, 2018 If you’ve worked with a suite of office software such as Microsoft Office, Apple’s iWork, or Open Office, then you are familiar with word processing apps, spreadsheets,...

Setting a Network up at Home

February 22, 2018

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, February 22, 2018 The modern household generally has several computers and other devices that could potentially communicate with each other. A network allows them to engage in that communication, whether it’s as simple as making...

Maxwell Bylaws

January 31, 2018

Amended and accepted in January 2018

Staying Safe Online in Public

January 25, 2018

Internet Safety out in the Wild Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, January 25, 2018 This month’s Tech Program at Maxwell will introduce various tools, techniques, and practices for maintaining digital safety when using mobile devices or laptops at public locations....

Computer, Wi-Fi, and Internet

January 22, 2018

Approved January 22, 2018

Room Reservation & Use

December 31, 2017

Adopted August 2011

Meet Libby

November 30, 2017

Overdrive’s New App Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, November 30, 2017 Overdrive says that eventually they will be discontinuing the old Overdrive app, so eventually only Libby will be available. Libby has a more attractive look and feel than the...

Zen and the Art of Computer Maintenance

October 12, 2017

Computer Fixes You Can Do Yourself Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, October 12, 2017 As the flowchart in the cartoon hints at, a big part of what separates the “computer geniuses” from “not computer people” is a level of comfort...

Buying a Mobile Device

September 28, 2017

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, September 28, 2017 Things to look for in shopping for devices Handout (PDF)

Dr. Google Will See You Now

August 24, 2017

Finding Reliable Health Information on the Web Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, August 24, 2017 It’s easy to find health “information” on the Internet. But which results are from reliable organizations? Even if a source is reliable, what facts are...

I’ve Come to Look for America

July 27, 2017

Using Digital Libraries on the Internet to Explore American Culture Maxwell’s Tech Program for Thursday, July 27, 2017 In the 1960s we hopped on our motorcycles and rode from town to town, following hints and rumors that promised interesting information...

Exhibits, Notices, Sales & Fundraising

July 17, 2017

Adopted July 17, 2017

The Sky’s the Limit

June 20, 2017

Understanding and Using the Cloud Maxwell’s Tech Program for Tuesday, June 20, 2017 In general, the Cloud refers to computer resources that are located on a network rather than on your own machine. In the media, the concept often gets...

Staying safe online

May 16, 2017

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Tuesday, May 16, 2017 There are two aspects to online safety: security and privacy. There is overlap between the two, but security refers to the steps you can undertake to keep your machine, your data, and...

Patron Code of Conduct

May 15, 2017

Maxwell Memorial Library is a public institution that wants to ensure all library patrons and staff feel welcome, safe, and respected while using the library. Toward this end, the library Board of Trustees has established its Code of Conduct. Maxwell...

Facebook for Beginners

April 18, 2017

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Tuesday, April 18, 2017 How to sign up for and tweak Facebook Handout (PDF)

Digital Library Basics

March 21, 2017

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Tuesday, March 21, 2017 eBooks & eMedia available at Maxwell Handout (PDF) Extended handout (PDF) Links for getting started with Overdrive General help Directions for Android Directions for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and so on) Help with...

Streaming Internet media to your TV

February 28, 2017

Maxwell’s Tech Program for Tuesday, February 28, 2017 With streaming media, TV shows and movies can be accessed over the Internet, so you can watch them as soon as you want. At first, this was only possible on devices like...

Unattended Children Policy

March 21, 2016

Adopted March 21, 2016

The first step toward discovery: Kids Mode

January 1, 2016

Kids Mode is a discovery tool to find family-appropriate content.

College Planning

January 1, 2016

Find information and resources for college planning