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Computers, Equipment & Software
About Our Network
Each department has a wide range of software available for public use. Our computers automatically reboot at the end of each session, wiping out any browsing history, passwords, forms, etc. and anything saved on the computer. We advise you to always save your work to a flash drive. All of our public PCs and laptops have Firefox installed with the HTTPS Everywhere and uBlock Origin plugins for your privacy. Learn more about the steps the library takes to protect user privacy in this FAQ.
Signing in to a Public Desktop Computer
Anyone with a Minuteman Library Card may use our public desktops. Sessions are 30 minutes long, but if there are free computers your time will automatically be extended for another 30 minute session. The clock in the upper right-hand corner of the screen tells you how much time remains in your session. When the clock reaches 5 minutes remaining, one of two things will happen. If there is at least one free machine, then your time will be extended automatically. If someone else has reserved the computer you are using, you will be prompted to save your work because your session will end in 5 minutes.
Minuteman Library Card Holder
Type your Minuteman Library Card number into the login box in the middle of the screen and then select the "Login" button. Please do not include spaces.
Guests
Guests may get a 1 day pass for $1 at the Print Payment Station (located next to the printer in the Adult Department). You will be given a receipt with your guest barcode on it. Then on one of our desktops, please type the string of characters that is printed out on your receipt and select the "Guest Login" button. Patrons in the children’s or teen departments should visit the public service desks in each area for their 1 day passes.
A one day pass is good for full computer access and 2 free B&W prints on any one of our public computers for that day. Money may be added to a one day pass at the same Print Payment Station where the pass was purchased. Please only put on the amount of money that you need, since any money left on the card will be wiped out at the end of the day.
Equipment
Adult Department
- 25 public desktops running Windows 7 (2 have large screens and large-type keyboards)
- 3 iMacs running OSX Yosemite for creative work
- 1 Windows 7 computer connected to a Microfilm reader (see "Other" tab)
- 1 Windows 7 computer dedicated to local history research
- 1 Express computer for 15 minute quick Internet surfing
- 3 catalog computers
- 2 iPads which are always available for use in the library. They’re loaded with some great apps, as well as books and magazines, and you’ll find them in the Periodicals Room on the 2nd floor.
- The adult department is home to a touchscreen ScanCenter station equipped with a flatbed scanner as well as a document feeder. The ScanCenter allows books and documents to be scanned to a flash drive, email, Google Drive, smartphone (via QR code), or printer. Documents can be saved as PDF, JPG, or TIFF files. The ScanCenter offers both black and white and color scanning, and features an image editing interface for adjusting scans, and can scan items up to 11 inches by 17 inches.
Children's Room
- 8 laptops
- 3 public desktops running Windows 7
- 1 Early Literacy Station
- 1 catalog computer
Teen Room
- 9 public desktops running Windows 7
- 1 iMac
- 1 catalog computer
Circulation Desk
At the Circulation Desk, you may checkout the following:
- 25 Lenovo Thinkpad Laptops running Windows 7
- Computer Mice
- Computer speakers
- Conference phone (only for use in the Mastrangelo Room)
- Laser presentation remote
- 2 Nintendo DSi
- Headphones
- Kill-a-Watt Energy Usage Monitor
- Micro USB chargers
- Apple Lightning and 30-pin chargers
- Ereaders/Tablets
- USB floppy disc drive
Other
Microfilm Machine
The Viewscan III microfilm reader, located near the second floor public computers, is connected to a PC and printer, allowing for various uses of the filmed records.
The library’s collection of microfilm is of interest to genealogists and local historians particularly. It has runs of the various newspapers published in Watertown-the Enterprise, the Sun, the Chronicler, the Press, and more. Also on microfilm are Watertown’s vital records that date as far back as 1630, many years of the Massachusetts census between 1790 and 1920, and Watertown-Waltham city directories from 1869 into the early 1900s.
Optelec ClearView Machine
The Optelec ClearView machine magnifies text and pictures with a zoom up to 65x. It is located next to the microfilm computer in the Adult Department. For more information on assistive technologies go to our Accessibility page.
Early Literacy Station
The Early Literacy Station is located in the computer area in the Children’s Department. It is an all-in-one computer with a touch screen that features over 50 educational games for children that span 7 curricular areas.
Scanner
The Adult Department is home to a touchscreen ScanCenter station equipped with a flatbed scanner as well as a document feeder. The ScanCenter allows books and documents to be scanned to a flash drive, email, Google Drive, smartphone (via QR code), or printer. Documents can be saved as PDF, Jpage, or TIFF files. The ScanCenter offers both black and white and color scanning, and features an image editing interface for adjusting scans, and can scan items up to 11 inches by 17 inches.
Software
Adult Department
- Adobe Reader
- Calculator
- DVD RW Drive
- Internet Explorer and Firefox
- JAWS
- Kurzweil 1000
- Microsoft Office 2007: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and InfoPath
- Microsoft Silverlight
- MS Magnifier
- Paint
- Primo PDF
- Quicktime, VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player
- Type To Learn
- Winway Resume Deluxe
- Zoomtext
Widescreen Monitors
Includes all of the software loaded on the adult computers
iMacs
- Adobe Air
- Adobe Creative Cloud (complete): Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and so much more
- Adobe Flash
- Adobe Reader
- Audacity
- Burn
- Firefox
- GarageBand
- IMovie
- IStudio
- Java
- Microsoft Office
- Quicktime (built in)
- Safari
- Scribus
- VLC
Children’s Department
- Adobe Reader
- Calculator
- DVD RW Drive
- Firefox
- Internet Explorer
- JAWS
- Microsoft Office 2007: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and InfoPath
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Minecraft
- MS Magnifier
- Paint
- Primo PDF
- Quicktime, VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player
- Sesame Street Ebooks
- Tumblebooks
- Type To Learn
- ZoomText
Children's Laptops
- Adobe Reader
- Calculator
- DVD RW Drive
- Firefox
- Google Earth
- Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Office 2007: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and InfoPath
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Minecraft
- MS Magnifier
- Paint
- Primo PDF
- Quicktime, VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player
- Scratch
- Sesame Street Ebooks
- Tumblebooks
- Winway Resume Deluxe
Teen Department
- Adobe Reader
- Calculator
- DVD RW Drive
- Firefox
- Google Earth
- Internet Explorer
- JAWS
- League of Legends
- Microsoft Office 2007: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and InfoPath
- Microsoft Silverlight
- Minecraft
- MS Magnifier
- Paint
- Primo PDF
- Quicktime, VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player
- STEAM
- Type To Learn
- Winway Resume Deluxe
- ZoomText
iMac
Includes all of the software loaded on the teen computers plus:
- Moho Animation Studio 12 (create your own animations and cartoons)
- Clip Studio Paint (create your own illustrations and comics)
- Gamemaker Studio 2 (make your own videogames)
- Gimp (image editor-has most of the features of Adobe Photoshop)
- Scribus (open source desktop publishing-an alternative to Adobe InDesign)
Laptops
- Adobe Reader
- DVD RW Drive
- Microsoft Office 2013: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and InfoPath
- Primo PDF
- Quicktime, RealPlayer, VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player
- Scratch
- Skype