If knowledge is power, library can be serious power trip

Knowledge is power. If the public library is the repository of knowledge, then it must also be the seat of power. So why don't you go on a power trip and visit your Springfield-Greene County Library and check out these books and Web sites that will help you learn more about running your business?

Books @ The Library

"Palm For Dummies," 004.165 D, covers Palm III, Palm V, Handspring Visor and other models. This book gives all the tips, tricks and techniques that aren't covered in the little booklet that comes with your device.

Does anyone really know every useful feature and technique in a Microsoft Of-fice suite of products? The library has materials for both Mac and PC users that cover most versions; for instance, "Mac-world Microsoft Office 2001 Bible," 005.369 L, lays out the major components, as well as the latest Internet connectivity options and voice recognition.

Forthright in zeroing in on the technically clueless, "Networking For Dum-mies," 004.6 L, is aimed at users, build-ers, and administrators of local area networks. A lot of attention is paid to troubleshooting common problems. A small store or office might want to use this title in conjunction with "Small Business Networking for Dummies," 651.79 W.

Pertinent Web Sites

www.pcworld.com/howto

In categories such as "How It Works," "Bugs and Fixes," and "Tips & Tweaks" you'll find practical and timely solutions to everyday computer problems. Recent offerings include how viruses work, avoiding e-mail embarrassments and using the ten-minute PC tune-up.

www.everythingemail.com/email_ help_tips.html

www.ibiztips.com/email_archive. htm

Do the words "messy" and "unmanageable" come immediately to mind when you think of your e-mail? Almost everybody will benefit from the suggestions offered by these two sites and the links that they provide. Be sure to click on Bob Brand's "Pet Peeves" link at the Everything E-Mail site for an uncanny list of the same things that probably have you seeing red!

archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimerPrintable.html

The impressively titled National Center For Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides this beginner's guide to HTML. Useful for the would-be Webmaster or someone who just wants to get a general idea of how a Web page is constructed. Among the NCSA's premier accomplishments are the development of the Telnet application and Mosaic, the first readily available graphical Web browser.

(Mike DePue is the business librarian at The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell. For almost 20 years he has answered thousands of questions on as many topics.)