Get some online help

Today's PlainTalk will be short and sweet - I'm working on making them all that way but often my enthusiasm gets the better of me!

First of all, for those of you who track your investments online: you can attend a free, virtual tour of the Morningstar Research Investment Center on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 3 PM. What you need: a phone and a computer with Internet connection. You will also need to register for this free event, so the Morningstar people can send you log-in instructions. To register, email librarytraining@morningstar.com
In your email, say you'd like to register for the virtual tour on September 30th and you must mention that you are a patron of the Des Plaines Public Library. Learn how the experts use Morningstar to keep tabs on their investments and then become an expert yourself.

Secondly, of more general interest: users of our Catalog can now recover their password via email if they have forgotten it. From any screen in the Catalog, look for the new "Password Help" button. You'll get two menu choices: "Forgot my password" and "User Password Change."

If you've changed your password from the generic "patron" one (everybody starts out with "patron," minus the quotes) and no longer remember it, click "Forgot my password" and type in your library card number. If you have an email address on file with us, your password will be sent to that email account.

Don't have your email account on file with the Library? Go to "My Account" and "Register for Email Notification." I find this service to be a lifesaver, as I am not so good about checking my phone messages. Use the "User Password Change" link to change your password. While "patron" can be easy to remember, it's also a less secure option, since thousands of other library users share that same password.

That's all for today - stay safe in the rain and fog out there!