LIPs Common Concerns

• Zamzar - Free online file conversion
  http://www.zamzar.com/
• Create PDF Online free
  http://www.pdfonline.com/
• ExpressPDF
  http://www.expresspdf.com/

Another great way I discovered is the use of Google Document and Spreadsheet.

From Google.com, select from the drop-down menu under . Click on Document

Upload the document you are trying to convert to pdf and click on File >> Save as pdf.

Let me know whether thiis is useful to you.

1. I discovered that Universities in developed countries especially U.S. routinely post tutorials on software on their websites which include MsWord.
2. I also recognized that with Google, you could limit your search to university websites only by simply adding site:edu to the keywords
3. More importantly, Google also allow for search for synonyms of words. The one that was of value to me then was tutorials. So, in order to capture other web sites with keywords like HELP, TIPS, TRICKS, GUIDE ... I simply used the searched for synonyms of TUTORIALS by adding this ~ with the keyword i.e. ~tutorials
4. I decided to to focus on MsWord 2003. I typed in the full name and the edition together as a phrase i.e. "Microsoft word 2003". In most search Engines you must use "..." in order to search for the exact phrase.
5. Finally, I also needed to specify Mail Merge because that was the area of interest.
6. The final search terms used in Google looked more like this
   "Microsoft Word 2003" ~tutorials site:edu "Mail merge"
7. I got what I wanted.
   
8. Try searching for tutorials on MsPowerPoint

If you are able to read this, it certainly mean you are online. But how many of my African colleagues especially in Nigeria access the Internet regularly. We often feel too lonely and downcast when we are alone. You will never be alone if you cultivate the habit of visiting the net regularly. How regular? You may start now by visiting this web site called WebJunction http://www.webjunction.org/

WebJunction "is an online community where library staff meet to share ideas, solve problems, take online courses - and have fun. Register now (it's free)" What can you gain there. Many things! First, for general overview of the website, please visit the site map http://www.webjunction.org/do/SiteMap and you will be amazed the amount of resources available to you
· Policies and Practice
· Technology resources
· Buying and Funding
· Services to Libraries
· Learning center
· Community center

What I found very amazing were the fulltext articles on problems we are grappling with here in the third world.