What's New?

Our branches are either celebrating or anticipating the installation of Groovix. What's Groovix?

What's Groovix?!?
Groovix makes public access computing simple. Groovix is a software set up on LCPL's Web PCs. Currently you can use Web PCs powered by Groovix at the Central Library Computer Lab, Forty-First Avenue Branch and Lake Station-New Chicago Branch. By the start of Spring, you will see the new Groovix set up at all of our public web computers.

Just as with the "old" computers, you begin with your library card number (all 14-digits, no spaces) and your unique 4-digit personal identification number (PIN). Enter that info & your computer comes to life. If all computers are busy, use your library card number & PIN to reserve the next available computer.

The question comes up sometimes, especially if a patron is taking a computer class: Do you have Windows? Well, no, not on the new Groovix Web PCs. They are run on a Linux operating system.

Which version of Office do you have? The new Groovix Web PCs have the OpenOffice.org Productivity Suite. Quite similar to the Microsoft counterparts, we are finding that if you can use a Microsoft product, you will be able to manage OpenOffice programs. You will find programs that do word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and slide presentations.

How can I save my work? LCPL staff are quite happy to say that you can save your work to your usb stick, a floppy disk or on the desktop so you can email your work to yourself.

Can I print? Printing on Groovix is possible - and at some locations, you can even print in color! You will notice a new print dialogue box and another mouse click to send your files to the printer, but we will help you get used to this new method.

Help?!? Please, your questions are encouraged! Just as you are getting used to the new software, so are we. Please ask your questions! We will learn together!