Hi Caroline,
welcome.
If you are just starting out and if you aren't into computers or the internet,
then a good first step might be an astronomy mag.
I subscribe to 4 at the moment and I'd reckon
The Sky at Night Magazine would be a good choice for you.
In it you'll find a skymap that is designed for our latitudes
and an easy to follow guide on how to use it
It also has a sky diary for the month where they list important / interesting happenings.
The mag also comes with a CD and on it you will find a
'monthly roundup' short presentation by Sir Patrick Moore & Chris Lintott
which is very well done.
Other than that,
Any questions you may have ask away here!
