Weller Library to Introduce IT Academy

WAITSBURG - Weller Public Library is success­fully navigating the waters of technology while work­ing to bring their patrons on board. Earlier this year, the library provided local residents with access to the Washington Anytime Library, where members may access thousands of eBooks and audiobooks 24-7.

This month, the library invites patrons to increase their technological literacy through the use of the Mi­crosoft IT Academy (ITA) - providing free access to a wide range of Microsoft online courses.

Last week, Washington State Library ITA Project Manager Elizabeth Iaukea and Microsoft Representa­tive Angela Carlson met with Weller Library Man­ager Rosie Warehime and Waitsburg's Friends of the Library to set up and introduce the program. Microsoft's IT Academy is funded by the State with no cost to the local library or community.

The Academy provides over 400 self-paced, video- based courses that cover a wide range of products and programs. The goal of the ITA is to equip stu­dents of all ages with the skills necessary to succeed in today's increasingly technological society by providing equal access to technology training with no cost to the individual.

The interactive courses are presented in short seg­ments that can easily be paused and resumed as necessary. The Academy tracks where students are in each course so that they can easily resume exactly where they left off. Cours­es range from a very basic Digital Literacy course that introduces concepts such as types of internet connec­tions, bandwidth, and how to create and send emails and instant messages, to advanced courses such as working with Exchange and SQL Servers.

Basic computer users will be most likely want to take advantage of the Microsoft Windows and Office program courses. There you can learn how to navigate Windows 7, write a resume in Office Word 2007 or see what's new in the 2010 or 2013 versions of Excel. A certificate of completion can be printed at the end of each course, which may come in handy for job seekers needing to show familiarity with a program.

Weller Library will be offering a Getting Start­ed class on April 3 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the library. The class will al­low patrons to see what is available through the Microsoft IT Academy and will provide assistance in setting up an ITA ac­count. Students may then work through lessons from home or they may access their ITA account through a library computer if they don't have access at home.