Gadget Gifts

Did you get any gadgets for Christmas? A new phone? A TV or streaming device? Computer? Have you figured out how to use them?

You don’t have to be a genius or consult a “genius” to get started. Free help is available through your local library. Check their calendars for dates and times of classes and walk-in hours.

Cuyahoga County Public Library branches have walk-in hours every week for just this thing. Independent libraries including Lakewood, Westlake, Rocky River and Avon Lake offer the service as well. These are the libraries I know best, but you can find these services at Lorain Public Library System branches, too. The Medina County District Library is offering classes including Introduction to iPads for Seniors, taught by an Eagle Scout, at the Medina branch in January. Tech help also is offered at Summit County Library and branches in Lake County.

If you’re considering getting a new gadget, some libraries will let you check them out. You can take devices for a test drive — some are for in-library use only — before you buy. While you’re there, read what Consumer Reports says about the gadget you’re looking at. You could save yourself a lot of money.