Bedford Borough Council logo Central Bedfordshire Council logo

The Virtual Library

Menu
Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Twitter Contact us on Facebook Home Page What's On Contact Us Help

IT in the Library

Back to Children Home | Back to Grown Ups Home

Need to use a computer?
You've come to the right place! 

You can ...........

    Boy and girl using a laptop
  • Surf the Internet for free in the library - with your permission
  • Make homework look special - type it up, add graphics, print it out.
    We've got Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Excel and Access.
  • Arena - the online library catalogue - search for books, CDs and DVDs
  • With a P.I.N find out what your family have got on loan, renew or request books from other libraries.
    Don't forget to request for free you will need to use your child's library card number and PIN.

Be safe online

The internet is an amazing place, but there are dangers. Don't be afraid to have a conversation with them about being safe online.

  • Don’t post any personal information online – like your address, email address or mobile number.
  • Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself. Once you’ve put a picture of yourself online most people can see it and may be able to download it, it’s not just yours anymore.
  • Keep your privacy settings as high as possible
  • Never give out your passwords
  • Don’t befriend people you don’t know
  • Don’t meet up with people you’ve met online. Speak to your parent or carer about people suggesting you do
  • Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are
  • Think carefully about what you say before you post something online
  • Respect other people’s views, even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views doesn’t mean you need to be rude
  • If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried: leave the website, turn off your computer if you want to and tell a trusted adult immediately.

For loads of advice and fun sites on how to be safe on the web (even certificates!) visit Safe Surfing in QuickLinks

What the library does to protect your child

  • All Internet access is filtered through the Borough Council filtering software. This software attempts to filter out viruses and any website that may cause offence - access is prevented to sites on the grounds of sexual, racist, defamatory content, etc.
  • However, this software cannot be 100% effective and material may get through that you may find distasteful, also some perfectly innocuous sites may be blocked.
  • We log Internet usage to help ensure that everyone is using it safely and legitimately
  • We provide guidance on how to be safe on the Internet – every time your child logs in they will see some simple rules and there are Safe Surfing websites on Quick Links

Why not join the library now?

You can join at your local library but remember to take one form of ID, showing your name and address. If you prefer you can join online now and collect your library card from your library of choice.


Page last updated: 26th July 2024