Have an Office 2007 or Microsoft Works File That Cannot Be Opened? Introducing Zamzar . . .

Sometimes the documents we are working at from home may be too new or too different from the programs operating on campus. We may mean well to save files properly to the right format (such as Office 2003) but we forget. And now here we are on campus, and we want to work on and later print our finished homework assignments. What do we do?

As mentioned before last summer, we are now in a Web 2.0 environment. You need to convert a file so it will work with a computer on campus? Go to a site to do it for free!

Introducing Zamzar. Say goodbye to clogging up your hard drive at home with bunches of file converters. And don't feel at loss when you're using public computers such as those on campus where you can't download converters. At http://zamzar.com you can quickly convert your files within minutes and then get back to working on your assignments.

If you need any assistance, a librarian will be happy to show you how to do it (though remember, you cannot do this from our reference area computers--they do not read flash drives or disks).

Blackboard Help--Where It Is Now

As some of you may have noticed, our mezzanine has changed a bit with respect to our services. The WRAC Center has been reassigned to the left side of the Mezzanine, and the student computer lab, now with 50 computers is right in the middle. Face to face Blackboard help has also been moved to another place on campus. Melita Fogle will now provide direct assistance in room #3916, and as always you can also get help via Email. Information about how to get help is available at http://www.chabotcollege.edu/DistanceEd/help/

Have Questions?

One month and a half into the semester and you may already have your first research assignment. Anything you want to know about how to use Library resources, where to begin, come up with and narrow down your research topic? We are available on the left side of the reference desk and by phone at (510)723-7006 and by email at chabotref@chabotcollege.edu

Or . . . hit the Comments button and we will respond right here on this blog. Librarians are here to help you learn how to do research and help you find hard to find stuff. We're much more resourceful (as well as reliable and credible) than most web sites, so see us, contact us, or hit the "Comments" button, and make your research experience a bit more pleasant.