September
2004 Tidbits
- Accessing the Internet in a hurry
- MS Office keyboard shortcuts
- Reduce glare when working in Word
- Another Word tip: apply line spacing the easy way
- Adieu
Accessing the Internet in a hurry
If you're like me, you probably have a browser open on your computer all day long so you can quickly access the Internet whenever your little heart desires. Keeping that browser running, however, uses valuable system resources that you could be using toward other important tasks.
Consider this option: create an Address Toolbar! Here's how:
- Right-click on the taskbar and select TOOLBARS then ADDRESS from the shortcut menu.
- With your desktop showing, drag the new ADDRESS TOOLBAR to the top of your desktop. (It should "grab" the top of your desktop and stretch to fit it like your taskbar on the bottom of your desktop.)
- Configure it to use the AUTO HIDE and ALWAYS ON TOP features by right-clicking on the toolbar and selecting those features.
Now when you need to access the Internet, simply move your cursor to the top of your screen (it doesn't matter if you have something on your screen other than your desktop). When the Address Toolbar appears, you can enter the address of the site you wish to visit. Your default browser will launch and connect to the site you requested.
MS Office keyboard shortcuts
There are people who love keyboard shortcuts and people who hate them and some who might fit into both categories but just can't remember them. Well, for all you folks out there who are using MS Office, here's a short list of the ones you simply just have to know.
| Ctrl+C | copies whatever is selected |
| Ctrl+X | cuts (removes) whatever is selected |
| Ctrl+V | puts whatever was last cut or copied into the document |
| Ctrl+A | selects everything |
| Ctrl+Z | undoes the last thing you did |
| Alt+Tab | cycles through all open applications |
To get a more complete list of shortcuts, search for "keyboard shortcuts" in an Office application's HELP section or for an online list of Office 97, 2000 and XP (but not 2003) shortcuts, see http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/keyboard.aspx. You can also create your own shortcuts by going to TOOLS > CUSTOMIZE > KEYBOARD.
Trust me, keyboard shortcuts will make your life much easier!
Reduce glare when working in Word
Sometimes looking at a screen that uses a white background can make your eyes scream for mercy. In Word, you can change the default white to something that produces less glare. Follow these steps to try it out:
- Go to TOOLS, then OPTIONS, then click on the GENERAL tab.
- On the General Options window, check the box next to BLUE BACKGROUND, WHITE TEXT.
- Click OK.
The background of your document will now be blue and the text will show white. Don't worry! When you print the document, it won't print a blue page. It will print with the normal white background, black text, unless you have formatted the document in other ways.
This sure isn't for everyone, but it might be for you.
Another Word tip: apply line spacing the easy way
For some reason, I always struggle to find where line spacing is controlled in Word... I don't know why it's so hard for me to remember, but it is. I was thrilled to discover that in Word 2002, there is a new and improved feature that allows you to apply line spacing very easily.
On the Formatting Toolbar,
there is a new button that looks like this: 
What?!
You mean I can just click a button instead of searching through menu options?
COOL! Click on the down arrow on the right side of this button for a list
of line spacing options you can select from. Clicking on MORE will give you
access to the traditional Paragraphs dialog box where you can do more extensive
formatting.
I also discovered that there are cool keyboard shortcuts (yes, more!) for applying line spacing.
| Ctrl+1 | applies single line spacing |
| Ctrl+2 | applies double line spacing |
| Ctrl+5 | applies 1.5 line spacing |
These discoveries made
my day. I know what you're thinking... "GEEK!" But I know I'm in good company
with a lot of YOU! 
Adieu
Farewell until next time from the library system where all the computers are fast, all the books are worth reading, and all the librarians are above average!
This issue of Tidbits was written by Beth Carpenter, Web Services Manager for the Outagamie Waupaca Library System. Please send any comments or questions about this issue to Beth.
Supporting public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties