Technology Instruction: Home

Open Labs

These sessions have limited seats to allow you to use our computer classroom to work on your own computer projects with personalized support from staff. You can practice your mouse and keyboarding skills, continue working on something from a class, practice for your Northstar Assessment, or work on something else! Our technology trainers will be available to assist you.  

Note: If you want to work on an existing project, save your file to a flash drive and bring it to the library, or just email it to yourself!

Registration, Attendance, and Cancellations

Registration is required for all group classes and open labs. You can also register in person at the Reference Desk in any of the MCLS branches. Register early, as in-person attendance for group classes is limited to 16 people, and 6 for Open Lab/Northstar Sessions. 

Please arrive on time. The classroom door will be opened ten minutes before the scheduled start time of a class. Class will start promptly at time posted. If you cannot make a class for which you are registered, please let us know by emailing techclass@mcl.org or calling 609-882-4050.

Important: If you fail to attend three (3) classes without notifying us all of your remaining registrations for the month will be canceled.

Questions about the class schedule? Want to sign up or cancel an existing registration? Notice a broken link or Google doc in this Libguide? Contact us at:

techclass@mcl.org

609-882-4050

Northstar Digital Literacy

The Lawrence Headquarters Branch is an official Northstar location. Northstar Digital Literacy, a program of Literacy Minnesota, is an assessment and learning tool designed to assess the skills needed to perform tasks on the computer and online. The program curriculum and assessments are backed by the nationally-recognized College and Career Readiness Standards (CCR).

Once you create your own Northstar Online Learning account, you can explore the free online modules, which offer lessons in Microsoft Office, Windows, Internet, and more! Test your proficiency in these essential digital skills and take practice assessments. You can also save your work, track your progress, and earn digital badges.

When you’re ready, come to the Lawrence Headquarters Branch to take the proctored assessments for the modules of your choosing. A passing score of 85% or higher grants you a Northstar Digital Literacy Certificate. Our technology trainers offer multiple opportunities each month to take assessments.

From the front door

• Enter the front door, the Circulation desk will be on your right
• Make an immediate left turn, the printers should be on your left
• Walk all the way down to a set of stairs, go down the stairs (or the ramp next to them)
• Keep walking forward until you see the sign on the ceiling that says Computer Lab. The classroom door will be on your right!

From the Mini Desk door (open 10am-2pm on weekdays)

• When you enter in the door, go immediately to the left towards the wall
• Follow the wall until you come to the first hallway on the left, which will have the sign on the ceiling that says Computer Lab