iPod sync question

I've heard various things from people as to how to sync my iPod to a new PC I just bought. I apologize in advance if this is so simple it's stupid, but a couple of people have told me I could lose my entire library if I "don't do it correctly". I've downloaded iTunes onto my new PC and someone in this forum suggested all I need to do now is just plug in my iPod and sync it to the new machine... but I'd like confirmation that this is OK to do. I've spent countless hours transfering music from hundreds of cds onto my iPod, so I can't afford to lose my library. Any feedback would be appreciated.