I did it! Completed my first 23 Things program, courtesy of the Minnesota multitype library systems. I'm already looking forward to another learning program in the future.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Moving on...
I did it! Completed my first 23 Things program, courtesy of the Minnesota multitype library systems. I'm already looking forward to another learning program in the future.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Evaluating 23 Mobile Things (the end!)
- Go back to your thoughts/ideas about mobile devices and apps. Has anything changed as a result of this experience? I would say the #1 thing that changed for me was my view of mobile devices not just as a personal tool, but as a tool that could be used professionally as well. As librarians, we often limit ourselves to recommending or suggesting resources we own or license in our own collection. Who's to say we can't recommend the Audiobooks app for our patrons clamoring for classic audiobooks in our Digital Library? Or the SignNow app for patrons who don't want to pay for our fax service? It goes back to my first post about building connections. Librarians using apps or recommending apps for patrons may be nontraditional connections, but they work!
- What were your favorite Things and discoveries? So tough to choose! I loved the hobbies app, because it made me take the time to use an app I've been meaning to use forever. Fooducate was one of my favorite personal discoveries that I've incorporated into my every day routine. Professionally? Thank goodness for discovering HootSuite and Pinterest! I also enjoyed documents, video, and presentations. Overall, Libraries & Reference was probably my favorite Thing, because I got to share some of my thoughts on apps I am pretty proficient in, as well as learn info I was able to apply to my work the next day. Plus, fingers crossed for AskMN....
- How did you connect with others doing the 23 Mobile Things? I loved following the blogs of people I know, as well as discovering new ideas and friends via Twitter. Oftentimes when I was stuck on a specific Thing, I would troll others' blogs for inspiration.
- Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you? I didn't expect how much I would make connections between the apps I was discovering and how to use them professionally. Or the trickle down effect it would have on my creativity. An app got me thinking about presentations, which got me thinking about creating a new class, etc. I also didn't expect how much I would look forward to this program. I started out with the goal of one app/week for the duration of the program. I thought I would look at it as more homework than I did, and would need that checklist to keep myself on track. And here I am, WAY ahead of schedule. I was having too much fun...or too many snowdays, or both!
- What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or content? Seriously, the only thing I would say is limit choices so I don't have to make decisions! :)
- If we offered a another 23 Things program like this in the future would you participate? Yes, yes, yes!
- How would you describe your learning experience in one word or in one sentence, so we could use your words to promote 23 Things learning activities to others? Refreshing! This program definitely freshened up my attitude towards work, my outlook on ways libraries can be involved, ideas for programs and connecting, what qualifies as resources, and more.
Hobbies (Thing #19)
Hobbies...other than reading you mean? Well, then that would be mixed marital arts (MMA), specifically the sports' biggest organization, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). I love it. I watch it on TV and live, I read and watch the news stories all week long, I follow fighters and journalists on Twitter. Basically, I just can't get enough. If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know this about me. If you don't know that about me, it might come as a shock. A librarian who loves to watch some of the most athletic guys in the world fight in the cage? Yep. In my opinion, its the best sport for fans, hands down!
iJudge Fights
iJudge Fights is an app that lets the fans judge fights for themselves (round by round) as they are happening, and then compare your score to other users and experts. It covers all of the major MMA organizations: UFC, Bellator, Invicta, and more.
I tried this app for the first time more than a year ago, but it kept freezing up and not submitting my votes so I deleted it. I decided last weekend's UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson II was a good time to try it again!
Starting with the first fight on the fight card, all the way to the last.
Fights can be stopped a number of ways: a fighter is knocked out, goes unconscious due to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hold, taps out due to a BJJ hold, doctor stoppage, the ref steps in, etc. If the fight goes the distance, the winner is determined by the judges' scores.
Following the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, bouts are typically three 5-minute rounds, with championship fights at five 5-minute rounds. It is a 10 point must scoring system, with the winner of a round scoring 10 points, and the loser scoring 9 or less. Rounds are scored based on: effective striking, grappling, agression, and cage control. At the end of the fight, the judges submit their total scores for each fighter.
This was the fight card lineup for UFC Fight Night last week, with the main event listed at the top and going down from there.
This app allows fans to judge fights round by round, giving 10 points to the round's winner and 9 or less to the loser. You also can move the slider in the middle for grappling, striking, agression, and cage control. In Round 1 below, my opinion was that Prazeres did all 4 better and completely, so I moved all the sliders 100% over to his side.
At the end of the card, you supposedly can vote for Best of the Night (Fight of the Night, Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night? or the new Performance of the Night?). I couldn't get this part of the app to load? I'll try it again next time.
All in all, this app gets two huge thumbs up from me! We loved having this app out to play along throughout the fight card, get involved, and see how good we are at seeing what is happening in the fight.
iJudge Fights
iJudge Fights is an app that lets the fans judge fights for themselves (round by round) as they are happening, and then compare your score to other users and experts. It covers all of the major MMA organizations: UFC, Bellator, Invicta, and more.
I tried this app for the first time more than a year ago, but it kept freezing up and not submitting my votes so I deleted it. I decided last weekend's UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson II was a good time to try it again!
Starting with the first fight on the fight card, all the way to the last.
Fights can be stopped a number of ways: a fighter is knocked out, goes unconscious due to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu hold, taps out due to a BJJ hold, doctor stoppage, the ref steps in, etc. If the fight goes the distance, the winner is determined by the judges' scores.
Following the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, bouts are typically three 5-minute rounds, with championship fights at five 5-minute rounds. It is a 10 point must scoring system, with the winner of a round scoring 10 points, and the loser scoring 9 or less. Rounds are scored based on: effective striking, grappling, agression, and cage control. At the end of the fight, the judges submit their total scores for each fighter.
This was the fight card lineup for UFC Fight Night last week, with the main event listed at the top and going down from there.
After you submit your opinion for each round, you can see how your judging stacked up against the iJudge Fights consensus, the experts, and your friends.
If a fight doesn't go the distance (complete all 3 or 5 rounds), and gets stopped due to tapout or referee stoppage, you "report a stoppage" and then judge the timing of the stoppage and rate the finish from 1-10. Judging the timing of the stoppage means, did the referee step in too early because the fighter could have recovered? Did he step in too late because the fighter was clearly injured or knocked unconscious? Did the ref step in at the right time? And finish points really is a matter of opinion. Was it a flashy KO? Will we be talking about that submission a year from now? I tend to be much stricter on my finish points than my husband.
All in all, this app gets two huge thumbs up from me! We loved having this app out to play along throughout the fight card, get involved, and see how good we are at seeing what is happening in the fight.
Discovering apps (Thing #22)
Droid of the Day
I've had the Droid of the Day app on my phone for more than a week now. Each morning I wake up with an alert on my phone telling me what the app of the day is. From the Dormi Baby Monitor to a game with physics (Domingos) to Mixology drink recipes, this app certainly gives you a variety. You can also access the list of previous DOTD apps. You're bound to stumble across something you just have to have...eventually! And in the meantime, you can laugh at all the stuff people spend their time creating, so others can spend their time wasting!
I've had the Droid of the Day app on my phone for more than a week now. Each morning I wake up with an alert on my phone telling me what the app of the day is. From the Dormi Baby Monitor to a game with physics (Domingos) to Mixology drink recipes, this app certainly gives you a variety. You can also access the list of previous DOTD apps. You're bound to stumble across something you just have to have...eventually! And in the meantime, you can laugh at all the stuff people spend their time creating, so others can spend their time wasting!
Quixey
This app is more my speed. I guess there's not a lot of browsing or serendipitous use on my phone. Usually, I know what I'm looking for. It's nice to know if there's an app I'm looking for, Quixey is the app to find it. I'm guessing many of the apps for 23 Mobile Things MN were discovered using this app?
Monday, March 24, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Free-for-all fun! (Thing #21)
Necessary apps
Apps I couldn't live without? All pretty simple ones that help me live my life on the go...Gmail, Wells Fargo (to find the nearest ATM), Walgreens (to reorder prescriptions), Redbox, Target, and DirecTV (for those panic moments when I forget to record my must-see shows!). I would guess most participants have similar apps for brands/companies of their choice.
Apps I love
The apps that 23 Mobile Things MN didn't include, that I love, and that I think a lot of other librarians use or would love to use ...Goodreads and IMDB. Because if there's one thing librarians love more than books or movies, its making lists of books and movies. We love to organize, review, and rate content. We love discovery tools. And these apps do both. I have no idea how I would keep track of what books and movies I have read/seen, want to see/read, am currently reading/watching without these apps! Goodreds especially also has the social element so that you can share your choices, opinions and reviews with friends.
Newly discovered cool apps
Finally, I attended the LibTech Conference at Macalester last week, and learned about two cool new apps I am looking forward to incorporating into my work life. At the "When Every Student has an iPad: Impact on the Library" session, librarians from Globe University discussed how they incorporated iPads in their info lit instruction sessions after their campus' initiative to issue every student an iPad. Namely, they use Socrative and Nearpod, both interactive student response systems. As they said, if you give students an iPad in class, but don't give them something to do with it, you will lose them as they will be using the iPad for Facebook, surfing the web, etc. By incorporating interactive presentations into your lessons, and allowing students to monitor their own understanding, they are engaged in the learning process. Our library system owns a handful of Nook Colors, which both of these apps are compatible on, and users often have their own devices. Though I don't have "students" per say, I can see myself using either or both of these apps in staff or patron training. Actually, I can't wait for my next training opportunity to try these out!
Apps I couldn't live without? All pretty simple ones that help me live my life on the go...Gmail, Wells Fargo (to find the nearest ATM), Walgreens (to reorder prescriptions), Redbox, Target, and DirecTV (for those panic moments when I forget to record my must-see shows!). I would guess most participants have similar apps for brands/companies of their choice.
Apps I love
The apps that 23 Mobile Things MN didn't include, that I love, and that I think a lot of other librarians use or would love to use ...Goodreads and IMDB. Because if there's one thing librarians love more than books or movies, its making lists of books and movies. We love to organize, review, and rate content. We love discovery tools. And these apps do both. I have no idea how I would keep track of what books and movies I have read/seen, want to see/read, am currently reading/watching without these apps! Goodreds especially also has the social element so that you can share your choices, opinions and reviews with friends.
Newly discovered cool apps
Finally, I attended the LibTech Conference at Macalester last week, and learned about two cool new apps I am looking forward to incorporating into my work life. At the "When Every Student has an iPad: Impact on the Library" session, librarians from Globe University discussed how they incorporated iPads in their info lit instruction sessions after their campus' initiative to issue every student an iPad. Namely, they use Socrative and Nearpod, both interactive student response systems. As they said, if you give students an iPad in class, but don't give them something to do with it, you will lose them as they will be using the iPad for Facebook, surfing the web, etc. By incorporating interactive presentations into your lessons, and allowing students to monitor their own understanding, they are engaged in the learning process. Our library system owns a handful of Nook Colors, which both of these apps are compatible on, and users often have their own devices. Though I don't have "students" per say, I can see myself using either or both of these apps in staff or patron training. Actually, I can't wait for my next training opportunity to try these out!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Games (Thing #20)
I'm doing Thing #20 out of order, because I found a really cool new app I want to try out for my hobby (#19), but that has to wait until tomorrow. So...
I love game nights with friends and family, playing CatchPhrase, Taboo, Wits & Wagers, Bezzerwizzer, and more. Computer games is a completely different story. I'm constantly getting invites from people to play Candy Crush, Mafia Wars, etc. Of those, I've tried just Dice with Buddies & Words with Friends, that I play for a while and enjoy, but the truth is, I'm not much of a computer games person.
I love game nights with friends and family, playing CatchPhrase, Taboo, Wits & Wagers, Bezzerwizzer, and more. Computer games is a completely different story. I'm constantly getting invites from people to play Candy Crush, Mafia Wars, etc. Of those, I've tried just Dice with Buddies & Words with Friends, that I play for a while and enjoy, but the truth is, I'm not much of a computer games person.
Word Games definitely hold the most appeal to me, so I tried Word Collapse. I would've tried Wordmaster too, but it wasn't compatible with my device. For what Word Collapse was, it was pretty fun!
You are given a puzzle that contains hidden words based on a theme. Your job is to find the hidden theme words within the puzzle, and do so in the right order. As you find words and select them, those letter tiles disappear and the remaining tiles move together. If you eliminate words in the wrong order and run out of moves, you have to start over at the beginning of that level. Word Collapse reminded me of the Bejeweled, except for with letters not shapes? There are 10, 20, or 35 levels within each theme, with more letters in the puzzle and more words to find within the puzzle as you increase in level. The "starter pack" or free version of the game has 15 themes for 185 puzzles. It didn't take me much longer than 10 minutes to complete the first three themes of animals, fruit, and cities, so I'd guess it won't take me very long before I complete the free version completely.
Education (Thing #18)
Seriously, Things with so many app options to choose from are terrible for the decisively challenged like me! So many of the apps appeal to me, so I end up trying a handful. Here are the Education apps I found that I could see myself keeping on my device for personal/fun reasons.
Advanced English Dictionary & Thesaurus
Simple app for the basic function of dictionary and thesaurus. Some entries have more in their WordNet than others.
Wordnet options include: Related to, Similar to, Hypernyms, Hyponyms, Holonyms, Domains, Meronyms, A value of, Antonyms, and probably more. In all honesty, I didn't even know what the definition of some of the WordNet options were, so I used the app to find the definition! Did you know that a hyponym is a more specific version of another word? i.e. beagle is a hyponym of dog, tulip is a hyponym of flower.
Within this app, I probably would only use the definition, similar to, and antonyms options. Otheriwse, I can see myself getting stuck in a vicious cycle down the rabbit hole following the WordNet trail.
B-Rhymes Dictionary
A fun app for finding rhymes of words. You can search for a word you have in mind or 'roll the dice' and B-Rhymes will generate a random word and its rhymes for you. As the app itself says, these are not A-Rhymes, but B-Rhymes, or almost rhymes.
Though it's a fun app, I don't know how applicable this would be to my life. Maybe when you read a word, but don't know how it is pronounced? Rather than looking up the phonetic spelling? It probably would be more helpful for kids' lit authors, poets, songwriters, etc. I'm pretty sure my family would consider it cheating if I pulled out the B-rhymes app when I draw the "Words that rhyme with luck" card playing Outburst...
To start, you are asked for basic info about yourself: gender, age, height, weight, activity level, if you want to lose weight or not.
From there, you can scan a UPC code, keyword search, or browse for a food item. Each product has a rating from A-F. You can view explanations for the rating, the nutritional values for the product, and healthier alternatives. You can see the info for my chocolate chip bagel below.
If you continue to use Fooducate, you can use Health Tracker to track your progress, among the same measures as above.
Advanced English Dictionary & Thesaurus
Simple app for the basic function of dictionary and thesaurus. Some entries have more in their WordNet than others.
Wordnet options include: Related to, Similar to, Hypernyms, Hyponyms, Holonyms, Domains, Meronyms, A value of, Antonyms, and probably more. In all honesty, I didn't even know what the definition of some of the WordNet options were, so I used the app to find the definition! Did you know that a hyponym is a more specific version of another word? i.e. beagle is a hyponym of dog, tulip is a hyponym of flower.
Within this app, I probably would only use the definition, similar to, and antonyms options. Otheriwse, I can see myself getting stuck in a vicious cycle down the rabbit hole following the WordNet trail.
B-Rhymes Dictionary
A fun app for finding rhymes of words. You can search for a word you have in mind or 'roll the dice' and B-Rhymes will generate a random word and its rhymes for you. As the app itself says, these are not A-Rhymes, but B-Rhymes, or almost rhymes.
Once you have selected a word, B-rhymes generates a list of words for you. The rhyming words are broken down into their parts, and color coded based on how well they rhyme with your original word.
Fooducate
Holy cow do I LOVE this app. It is a great place to check the nutritional value of foods you are eating, track what you are eating, and find healthier alternatives. It would be a great weight loss tool, though its also awesome for someone like me who simply wants to eat a balanced and healthy diet. (Also a great educational tool for my husband who thinks the blueberries in yoghurt count as a serving of fruit!)To start, you are asked for basic info about yourself: gender, age, height, weight, activity level, if you want to lose weight or not.
From there, you can scan a UPC code, keyword search, or browse for a food item. Each product has a rating from A-F. You can view explanations for the rating, the nutritional values for the product, and healthier alternatives. You can see the info for my chocolate chip bagel below.
If you choose to eat something you can add it to your Health Tracker. The main screen of Health Tracker shows a snapshot of your diet for the day, calorie goals, calories consumed, calories burned, and how many you have left. This is the awesome (not so healthy) food I've eaten on my Saturday on the go.
In addition to food items you've eaten, you can also add exercise, water, notes, and your weight to you your Health Tracker.
The more detailed screen of your Health Tracker shows your daily summary. This includes info about your food grades/calorie quality, calories, foodpoints, carbs/protein/fat breakdown, and "real foods" breakdown which measures how processed your food was.
I definitely will continue to use Fooducate! My goal will be to always have an average daily food grade of B or higher. My poor husband...this is going to drive him nuts!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Connecting to Community (Thing #17)
Minnesota 511
This app is a must-have
for all Minnesotans. It has been on my phone for years, and I check it
every morning in the winter, before even rolling out of bed. I am a
chicken winter driver, so days like today, I am constantly opening it up on my phone
to reassure myself that things have not gotten worse! Though I primarily use
the app to check winter driving conditions, you can also view road reports,
cameras, and traffic conditions. Road reports include construction,
accidents, closures, restrictions, and other miscellaneous pertinent
info.
In my use, I've found the winter driving
conditions to be fairly accurate. The different levels include:
-Good-green
-Fair-blue
-Difficult-light purple
-Hazardous/travel not advised- dark purple
If you click to see more detail, you can also
see when the conditions were last updated. They usually are reported
early morning and late evening, or if conditions change throughout the day.
Stay safe on the MN roads!
MN Museums
What a fun little app! I love all sorts of
museums, and am constantly dragging my husband to them. I'm sure he will
not be thrilled that I now have a new way to discover new ones! The best part
about the app is that it includes museums as large as the Science Museum of MN
all the way down to museums as small as the Moody Round Barn in Chisago City,
where I work. I don't think I'd ever use the add photos feature, but I like
being able to check off museums I've visited, as well as add ones I really
would like to visit to my itinerary. The app has all the pertinent info a visitor
would need to know for each museum: directions, address, and links to the
website. You can browse by type of museum or search by location or
category, both great ways to discover new places to visit.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Audio (Thing #16)
Audioboo
Recording a boo on Audioboo is simple; click on record. You can pause as many times as you need to within the 3:00 minute recording window. Then, you can save the draft boo or publish it. I found it weird that Audioboo put a random name in for my boo every time I recorded; the first one was "Sunnyboo." Of course I had the option to edit it, but why wouldn't the app just leave it blank for me to change? Once you click on publish, you can also add one picture as a background to your boo, describe your boo, and select a boo category, such as business, celebrities, etc. Then you can save and upload your boo to Audioboo. Once published, the boo is easy to share via email or social networks. It's also easy to delete a boo, like the test boo I created.
Finding content via Audioboo is much less fun fun. Perhaps is you know someone is using Audioboo you could follow them, but searching or browsing resulted in less than desirable results.
ipadio
I don't see myself ever making an audio recording via phone. Recording via audio is simple, as is editing the clip, adding images, title, summary, and tags. What I don't understand is why it defaults to geo-locating your device and including that as part of the phonecast info, if other users can't find my content via location.
It is also easy to upload, though you do have to go to the website version if ipadio to share your content via link. I also appreciate that you can make your broadcasts private, though that setting also is not easy to find. You can access your uploaded broadcasts on the app at a later time, just not share them. The ipadio app also does not have the ability to browse or search for other content, though the website does.
It is also easy to upload, though you do have to go to the website version if ipadio to share your content via link. I also appreciate that you can make your broadcasts private, though that setting also is not easy to find. You can access your uploaded broadcasts on the app at a later time, just not share them. The ipadio app also does not have the ability to browse or search for other content, though the website does.
The online world seems to think ipadio is preferable to Audioboo. I disagree. But really, why use either when there's a better alternative to both? The better alternative is what I discovered in SoundCloud.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud has all of the benefits of Audioboo and ipadio and none of the negatives. It really is a "huge social sound platform," with content from news outlets, comedians, musicians and more. Many of the podcasts I listen to are available on SoundCloud, all in one place. Rather than having to remember to go to the podcast website, all I have to do is follow the stream on SoundCloud and the feed will update when new episodes are released. It is also easy to search and browse for new content, as well as create playlists.
Most of the libraries I found on SoundCloud were music libraries, understandably so.
SoundCloud is also extremely easy to record audio of your own, to edit and add an image, to make public or private, and to share your published audio.
Audio in libraries. I can see this being implemented in a teen Summer Reading Program, where teens submit book talks on SoundCloud and share the link with the library as an entry into teen drawings. SoundCloud could also be used to create a podcast for employees, to share updates or need to know information. We could do a quick interview with an upcoming artist or author to promote their Legacy program. Another possibility is for instructions or tutorials, but I don't know that audio alone is as effective as having a video or visual element. Interviewing staff for historical record would be great as well. I don't know that these are realistic in the immediate future, but they are nice to brainstorm, especially knowing that you have a solid app in SoundCloud just waiting to be used!
SoundCloud has all of the benefits of Audioboo and ipadio and none of the negatives. It really is a "huge social sound platform," with content from news outlets, comedians, musicians and more. Many of the podcasts I listen to are available on SoundCloud, all in one place. Rather than having to remember to go to the podcast website, all I have to do is follow the stream on SoundCloud and the feed will update when new episodes are released. It is also easy to search and browse for new content, as well as create playlists.
Most of the libraries I found on SoundCloud were music libraries, understandably so.
SoundCloud is also extremely easy to record audio of your own, to edit and add an image, to make public or private, and to share your published audio.
Audio in libraries. I can see this being implemented in a teen Summer Reading Program, where teens submit book talks on SoundCloud and share the link with the library as an entry into teen drawings. SoundCloud could also be used to create a podcast for employees, to share updates or need to know information. We could do a quick interview with an upcoming artist or author to promote their Legacy program. Another possibility is for instructions or tutorials, but I don't know that audio alone is as effective as having a video or visual element. Interviewing staff for historical record would be great as well. I don't know that these are realistic in the immediate future, but they are nice to brainstorm, especially knowing that you have a solid app in SoundCloud just waiting to be used!
Friday, March 7, 2014
Infographics (Thing #15)
I Visual Info Touch
I love how this app is "designed specifically for tablets," but it is compatible with my Galaxy S4 and Infographics Hub is not. Bummer. Infographics Hub sounded awesome!
After I watched the tutorial, I created a basic infographic. Though the features are easy to use, there aren't many so you really are limited to creating very basic infographics. Nothing more sophisticated than I could create in Word, PPT, or Publisher. In addition, they were right when they said the app was designed for tablets. The screen doesn't format correctly to my phone, so the buttons are really small and hard to manipulate. Rotating the screen doesn't change the orientation either.
After I watched the tutorial, I created a basic infographic. Though the features are easy to use, there aren't many so you really are limited to creating very basic infographics. Nothing more sophisticated than I could create in Word, PPT, or Publisher. In addition, they were right when they said the app was designed for tablets. The screen doesn't format correctly to my phone, so the buttons are really small and hard to manipulate. Rotating the screen doesn't change the orientation either.
Nonetheless. My infographic. (Based off of their example of social media channels in the tutorial)
Monday, March 3, 2014
Videos (Thing #14)
As spring rolls around, public librarians everywhere start planning their school visits to pump kids up for Summer Reading Program. And I start planning my SRP video.
Two years ago, I was splitting my time between two libraries, and just didn't have the time to make school visits at my soon to be library home. So, I decided to make a SRP promo video instead. The school media specialist showed it to each of the classrooms at the two elementary schools in our service area. And it was a hit! All summer long, kids came into the library, "Hey, you're from that video!"
So, the SRP Youtube video stuck. Now, instead of hitting a few classrooms here and there, one grade and not another, or one school instead of another, the video gets show to each elementary classroom at the two schools in the last week before school ends. Having this option removes the logistical nightmare of my schedule vs. the teachers, cuts back on my time spent, AND (major bonus) guarantees that every child in the service area is reached. Our SRP numbers have risen each year, and I think it is at least partially attributed to the video.
That said, I was excited to find a new app to spruce up this year's video!
Socialcam
Socialcam was the perfect choice for me to try, because of the lack of time limits. 6, 30, or even 45 seconds isn't enough for my purposes.
Or not... the Socialcam for Android is a major bust. Apparently its compatibility depends on your Android, but either way it doesn't offer the full featured app that iOS has. On my Galaxy S4, I couldn't change filters or edit the video after it was taken. No adding music or tagging people. Just title, public or private, and share.
As it exists, Socialcam is no different than uploading an uncut video to YouTube.
Thus began my search for a no time limit free video editing/recoring app app. I tried WeVideo, QikCam, and countless others I can't even remember! I scoured other 23 Mobile Things MN blogs. Nothing was doing it.
And then, I looked at what was already on my phone...tadaa!
Samsung Video Editor
With Samsung Video Editor you can upload previous videos or record new ones.
You can choose from a handful of themes: romance, action, travel, family, and party. Or you can go with no theme at all.Once you have selected the theme, you can title the video. Then you can drag and add various clips (photo, video, audio) or record a new video. Once you have added the various components to your video, you go back to the review screen where you can edit things such as background music, video volume, filter effects, clip sections, and add transitions.
Samsung Video Editor also has an Auto edit feature based on the length you want the video to be, which works surprisingly well.
Exporting the video takes quite a bit of time, but then can be shared anywhere via MP4 format.
I definitely will be using Samsung Video Editor for my SRP video this year!
Two years ago, I was splitting my time between two libraries, and just didn't have the time to make school visits at my soon to be library home. So, I decided to make a SRP promo video instead. The school media specialist showed it to each of the classrooms at the two elementary schools in our service area. And it was a hit! All summer long, kids came into the library, "Hey, you're from that video!"
So, the SRP Youtube video stuck. Now, instead of hitting a few classrooms here and there, one grade and not another, or one school instead of another, the video gets show to each elementary classroom at the two schools in the last week before school ends. Having this option removes the logistical nightmare of my schedule vs. the teachers, cuts back on my time spent, AND (major bonus) guarantees that every child in the service area is reached. Our SRP numbers have risen each year, and I think it is at least partially attributed to the video.
That said, I was excited to find a new app to spruce up this year's video!
Socialcam
Socialcam was the perfect choice for me to try, because of the lack of time limits. 6, 30, or even 45 seconds isn't enough for my purposes.
Or not... the Socialcam for Android is a major bust. Apparently its compatibility depends on your Android, but either way it doesn't offer the full featured app that iOS has. On my Galaxy S4, I couldn't change filters or edit the video after it was taken. No adding music or tagging people. Just title, public or private, and share.
As it exists, Socialcam is no different than uploading an uncut video to YouTube.
Thus began my search for a no time limit free video editing/recoring app app. I tried WeVideo, QikCam, and countless others I can't even remember! I scoured other 23 Mobile Things MN blogs. Nothing was doing it.
And then, I looked at what was already on my phone...tadaa!
Samsung Video Editor
With Samsung Video Editor you can upload previous videos or record new ones.
You can choose from a handful of themes: romance, action, travel, family, and party. Or you can go with no theme at all.Once you have selected the theme, you can title the video. Then you can drag and add various clips (photo, video, audio) or record a new video. Once you have added the various components to your video, you go back to the review screen where you can edit things such as background music, video volume, filter effects, clip sections, and add transitions.
Samsung Video Editor also has an Auto edit feature based on the length you want the video to be, which works surprisingly well.
Exporting the video takes quite a bit of time, but then can be shared anywhere via MP4 format.
I definitely will be using Samsung Video Editor for my SRP video this year!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Presentations (Thing #13)
deck slideshow presentations
First things first, any presentation would be 100x's easier on a tablet than on a phone. If I had a tablet, this would be a whole different story. In no circumstance do I ever see myself creating a presentation on my phone. Editing? Maybe. But from start to finish? No way.
That said, for Thing 13, I played around with creating a combo presentation about how awesome 23 Things MN and Deck are. And I have to say, even on my phone, I enjoyed using the app. It was a painless experience. And, Deck does have a desktop version. The desktop and mobile versions look identical and have the same features. So a Deck account is still worth it for me.
If for no other reason than this. Too much text is something we are all guilty of!
That said, for Thing 13, I played around with creating a combo presentation about how awesome 23 Things MN and Deck are. And I have to say, even on my phone, I enjoyed using the app. It was a painless experience. And, Deck does have a desktop version. The desktop and mobile versions look identical and have the same features. So a Deck account is still worth it for me.
If for no other reason than this. Too much text is something we are all guilty of!
Also, creativity. Not so much my thing. Having built in styles is a huge bonus. The bummer? Most of the Styles you have to purchase or download.
Favorite thing: the desktop version has a place where you can "Rescue a Powerpoint deck"
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Books, books, and more books! (Thing #12)
All of these apps would be awesome...IF my problem was not enough books, rather than too many books!
As it is, I can see some awesome uses for these apps in libraries.
Wattpad
First of all, I downloaded and signed up for this app, expecting it to be all no-name authors, similar to the dozens of self-published books our patrons write and donate to us every year. I didn't expect to recognize a single name. Most of it is that, of course. But I was shocked. There are also reputable and well known authors who are using Wattpad as a place to launch and explore new storylines or short stories, share teasers to upcoming books, or just to communicate with their readers. Margaret Atwood, Ally Carter, Amanda Hocking, Kim Harrison, Marissa Meyer. Just a few I stumbled across in the first couple minutes of browsing!
As a reader, I don't see the social media aspect as very functional or useful.
More importantly, is what I DO see this app useful for: NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). And Wattpad agrees: Wattpad Loves NaNoWriMo. Many libraries are active in NaNoWriMo in supporting local authors. They host write-ins, open mics, roundtables, receptions, workshops, and more. Recommending Wattpad as a resource for NaNoWriMo authors to share their work with each other is a great idea! Fellow writers can edit and critique their work by commenting in-line throughout the story.
iStoryBooks
We all attended the awesome session at MLA 2013 by Kathy Kleckner about Screen Time and Early Literacy Development, right? No? Well the session talked about how parents who believe media is educational are more likely to use it. And children don't as well from a screen. American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for those 0-2. They also recommend no more than 1-2 hours per day for ages 3-5 (which sounds like a LOT to me). Media has no proven added value for children and early literacy. Bottom line, don't replace "real world experience" with technology for children. And the "real world experience" of handling a book is a key component of early literacy.
58% of parents say they use their device as a babysitter. That said, if they are using their device as a babysitter, this isn't the worst app they could use, especially for children a little older, preschool or early elementary aged. The stories are educational stories including stories about science, biographies, folklore and fairy tales, with printed text and audio narration.
I would be careful about recommending this app. In a pinch, if you don't have a book handy and mom is busy talking to say a doctor or checking out in the grocery line, it will do (for those older than 2!). Still, it doesn't replace the early literacy practices that our beloved AV sets/Book & Bag kits offer.
Free Books & Audiobooks
Both apps are especially awesome for libraries that don't have a digital collection of their own. Libraries with OverDrive powered digital libraries already have easy access to the "classic" eBooks via Project Gutenberg. Libraries with OneClickdigital powered digital libraries already have a subscription to the most popular eAudiobook "classic" titles. Both are max access in the same way the apps are. Plus, that way they give us those crucial stats we need and love! I can especially see school and academic libraries using these apps for classes, or even public libraries with Classics book clubs.
My favorite feature of Free Books is the "Surprise Me" option! Because sometimes, who doesn't need a little serendipity?
As it is, I can see some awesome uses for these apps in libraries.
Wattpad
First of all, I downloaded and signed up for this app, expecting it to be all no-name authors, similar to the dozens of self-published books our patrons write and donate to us every year. I didn't expect to recognize a single name. Most of it is that, of course. But I was shocked. There are also reputable and well known authors who are using Wattpad as a place to launch and explore new storylines or short stories, share teasers to upcoming books, or just to communicate with their readers. Margaret Atwood, Ally Carter, Amanda Hocking, Kim Harrison, Marissa Meyer. Just a few I stumbled across in the first couple minutes of browsing!
As a reader, I don't see the social media aspect as very functional or useful.
More importantly, is what I DO see this app useful for: NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). And Wattpad agrees: Wattpad Loves NaNoWriMo. Many libraries are active in NaNoWriMo in supporting local authors. They host write-ins, open mics, roundtables, receptions, workshops, and more. Recommending Wattpad as a resource for NaNoWriMo authors to share their work with each other is a great idea! Fellow writers can edit and critique their work by commenting in-line throughout the story.
iStoryBooks
We all attended the awesome session at MLA 2013 by Kathy Kleckner about Screen Time and Early Literacy Development, right? No? Well the session talked about how parents who believe media is educational are more likely to use it. And children don't as well from a screen. American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero screen time for those 0-2. They also recommend no more than 1-2 hours per day for ages 3-5 (which sounds like a LOT to me). Media has no proven added value for children and early literacy. Bottom line, don't replace "real world experience" with technology for children. And the "real world experience" of handling a book is a key component of early literacy.
58% of parents say they use their device as a babysitter. That said, if they are using their device as a babysitter, this isn't the worst app they could use, especially for children a little older, preschool or early elementary aged. The stories are educational stories including stories about science, biographies, folklore and fairy tales, with printed text and audio narration.
I would be careful about recommending this app. In a pinch, if you don't have a book handy and mom is busy talking to say a doctor or checking out in the grocery line, it will do (for those older than 2!). Still, it doesn't replace the early literacy practices that our beloved AV sets/Book & Bag kits offer.
Free Books & Audiobooks
Both apps are especially awesome for libraries that don't have a digital collection of their own. Libraries with OverDrive powered digital libraries already have easy access to the "classic" eBooks via Project Gutenberg. Libraries with OneClickdigital powered digital libraries already have a subscription to the most popular eAudiobook "classic" titles. Both are max access in the same way the apps are. Plus, that way they give us those crucial stats we need and love! I can especially see school and academic libraries using these apps for classes, or even public libraries with Classics book clubs.
My favorite feature of Free Books is the "Surprise Me" option! Because sometimes, who doesn't need a little serendipity?
Friday, February 21, 2014
Library & Reference (Thing #11)
Somethings old
OverDrive is kind of "my thing." I love it. Not a day goes by that I don't use the OverDrive Media Console app in at least one form. Audiobooks on my Android phone, eBooks on my Nook Color or Windows 8 computer. Plus, I do our Digital Library collection development, teach training classes, and a large chunk of the tech support for the region in person, via phone and email. For those of you who do the same thing, you know, tech support via phone or email is a whole 'nother ball game! You have to know what you are "looking at" without looking at it, to envision what your patron is seeing in your head. Because of this, of all the apps I use, both personally and professionally, it is easily the app I am most comfortable and familiar with.
Our library also has had the Zinio for Libraries digital magazine service since November, and I also use that regularly. Again I use it on various devices (Android, Windows, and the desktop Zinio Reader 4) so I am familiar with the different formats of the app. Zinio is fairly user friendly, so we don't get as many requests for tech support, though Recorded Books & Zinio offering free patron support also helps. The one big question seems to be that: 1) you go to your library's Zinio site to checkout, but you cannot read within the browser and 2) you read within the app, but you cannot checkout within the app. I think part of this is because OverDrive has trained us to get books and read within OMC. We've only had the service for a few months, but our use hasn't been quite what we expected. The expected feature from Recorded Books, due sometime this year, of either opting-in to automatically checking out the next issue or being notified when the next issue is available (I can't remember which), will be a welcome addition! For me as a user too.
I have also done quite a bit of work recently exploring the OneClickdigital service for our library. I am personally not a fan of the way they have separate apps, 1 for eBooks and 1 for eAudio. I approach our digital library searching for a title, and usually don't care which format I get the book in. Other users are only interested in a single format, and would only search the appropriate app. So I guess that boils down to individual preference. The apps and desktop Media Manager seem to have some other kinks as well, and not as many features as OMC, but its still a viable service. OneClick is also developing new apps and adding new content, so I expect it will become more appealing as we move forward.
Currently, our library does not have a mobile app or even a mobile site, but it is something we know we need to work on. I even saw a demo of a mobile catalog at some point...Quite frankly, our website in general needs work, and we know it. I will be attending the LibTech Conference in March and I plan on attending some of the website sessions to learn some tips, explore mobile websites, and get some ideas for us as we move forward. Relying on my "Intro to Web Design for Info Orgs" course from grad school, of course. ;)
Wow, can you tell digital library stuff is my passion? All of that without even exploring something new!
Something new
So here's the something new: ELM Mobile. Duh, we have ELM Mobile. I've never accessed ELM on a mobile device before. And it's awesome! Overall, I actually like the layout much better than the desktop version. The home page is clean and wording clear : research now, ask a librarian, plan your research, view help videos, find your library, and like us on Facebook.
First, I spent time exploring the mobile friendly databases, the majority of which are EBSCO databases, though Britannica is available too. Thank goodness Master File Premier is on there; patrons need their Consumer Reports. Probably my #1 reason for referring people to ELM is for access to Consumer Reports. Everything adapted wonderfully to my screen size, except the page to create an EBSCO account. For some reason, that graphics and wording on that page were misaligned.
I tested the Ask a Librarian chat widget, and said hello to Librarian Beth in South Carolina! I actually think I prefer the mobile version to the desktop of this widget. Yet another reminder of how much I'd like if our library participated in AskMN...
The Research Project Calculator and Find Your Library are identical in their mobile & desktop versions. Not as mobile feeling as the other aspects, but not still fairly accessible. Under the menu options: students, teachers, librarians, MN Community, About, FAQ, and Contact are very adaptable to mobile. The ELM Learning Center page is also less so, but still accessible.
Overall, I give ELM Mobile two thumbs up! I see people with tablets using it more than people like me on their phones, but its great either way. Oh gosh, you know what really be the icing on the cake? MNLink mobile...
Promotion
I think our library system does a good job of promoting its Zinio & OverDrive services. We promote them via blog, newsletter, press release, social media, and physical handouts in the library. And they promote themselves by word of mouth. In general, I think libraries do a pretty good job of promoting our flashier services, those services we have with the big $ contracts.
What we also do, is take for granted all of the wonderful databases and services available to us all via MN State Library Services, LSTA, Minitex, and...(who am I forgetting here?) Not just the mobile version, but in general. We aren't proactive in our promotion of ELM. If a patron comes to us with a research question, sure we use ELM. And we have the handouts, bookmarks, etc. laying around our branches. But we aren't promoting it via blog, newsletter, and social media. ELM isn't flashy, its something we're accustomed to, so we aren't excited about it. Well, that changes now! Exploring ELM mobile tonight was the kick in the butt I needed to be reminded of all the great resources available via ELM, the mobile version is a great bonus for accessibility, and I'm excited about ELM!
OverDrive is kind of "my thing." I love it. Not a day goes by that I don't use the OverDrive Media Console app in at least one form. Audiobooks on my Android phone, eBooks on my Nook Color or Windows 8 computer. Plus, I do our Digital Library collection development, teach training classes, and a large chunk of the tech support for the region in person, via phone and email. For those of you who do the same thing, you know, tech support via phone or email is a whole 'nother ball game! You have to know what you are "looking at" without looking at it, to envision what your patron is seeing in your head. Because of this, of all the apps I use, both personally and professionally, it is easily the app I am most comfortable and familiar with.
Our library also has had the Zinio for Libraries digital magazine service since November, and I also use that regularly. Again I use it on various devices (Android, Windows, and the desktop Zinio Reader 4) so I am familiar with the different formats of the app. Zinio is fairly user friendly, so we don't get as many requests for tech support, though Recorded Books & Zinio offering free patron support also helps. The one big question seems to be that: 1) you go to your library's Zinio site to checkout, but you cannot read within the browser and 2) you read within the app, but you cannot checkout within the app. I think part of this is because OverDrive has trained us to get books and read within OMC. We've only had the service for a few months, but our use hasn't been quite what we expected. The expected feature from Recorded Books, due sometime this year, of either opting-in to automatically checking out the next issue or being notified when the next issue is available (I can't remember which), will be a welcome addition! For me as a user too.
I have also done quite a bit of work recently exploring the OneClickdigital service for our library. I am personally not a fan of the way they have separate apps, 1 for eBooks and 1 for eAudio. I approach our digital library searching for a title, and usually don't care which format I get the book in. Other users are only interested in a single format, and would only search the appropriate app. So I guess that boils down to individual preference. The apps and desktop Media Manager seem to have some other kinks as well, and not as many features as OMC, but its still a viable service. OneClick is also developing new apps and adding new content, so I expect it will become more appealing as we move forward.
Currently, our library does not have a mobile app or even a mobile site, but it is something we know we need to work on. I even saw a demo of a mobile catalog at some point...Quite frankly, our website in general needs work, and we know it. I will be attending the LibTech Conference in March and I plan on attending some of the website sessions to learn some tips, explore mobile websites, and get some ideas for us as we move forward. Relying on my "Intro to Web Design for Info Orgs" course from grad school, of course. ;)
Wow, can you tell digital library stuff is my passion? All of that without even exploring something new!
Something new
So here's the something new: ELM Mobile. Duh, we have ELM Mobile. I've never accessed ELM on a mobile device before. And it's awesome! Overall, I actually like the layout much better than the desktop version. The home page is clean and wording clear : research now, ask a librarian, plan your research, view help videos, find your library, and like us on Facebook.
First, I spent time exploring the mobile friendly databases, the majority of which are EBSCO databases, though Britannica is available too. Thank goodness Master File Premier is on there; patrons need their Consumer Reports. Probably my #1 reason for referring people to ELM is for access to Consumer Reports. Everything adapted wonderfully to my screen size, except the page to create an EBSCO account. For some reason, that graphics and wording on that page were misaligned.
I tested the Ask a Librarian chat widget, and said hello to Librarian Beth in South Carolina! I actually think I prefer the mobile version to the desktop of this widget. Yet another reminder of how much I'd like if our library participated in AskMN...
Overall, I give ELM Mobile two thumbs up! I see people with tablets using it more than people like me on their phones, but its great either way. Oh gosh, you know what really be the icing on the cake? MNLink mobile...
Promotion
I think our library system does a good job of promoting its Zinio & OverDrive services. We promote them via blog, newsletter, press release, social media, and physical handouts in the library. And they promote themselves by word of mouth. In general, I think libraries do a pretty good job of promoting our flashier services, those services we have with the big $ contracts.
What we also do, is take for granted all of the wonderful databases and services available to us all via MN State Library Services, LSTA, Minitex, and...(who am I forgetting here?) Not just the mobile version, but in general. We aren't proactive in our promotion of ELM. If a patron comes to us with a research question, sure we use ELM. And we have the handouts, bookmarks, etc. laying around our branches. But we aren't promoting it via blog, newsletter, and social media. ELM isn't flashy, its something we're accustomed to, so we aren't excited about it. Well, that changes now! Exploring ELM mobile tonight was the kick in the butt I needed to be reminded of all the great resources available via ELM, the mobile version is a great bonus for accessibility, and I'm excited about ELM!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Another mile marker!
My goal was 1 Thing per week for the duration of the program, but I'm having so much fun I can't stop. And when you get snowed in...why not?
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Sharing Photos (Thing #10)
Instagram
I've been using Instagram for quite a while now, and its a great app for sharing photos, one at a time!
I do think Instagram adding a video option was a mistake. The sound is either on for all videos, and thus liable to play out loud as you're scrolling through your feed, or off for all videos, and then what's the point of a video? Except not to play out loud as I'm in a quiet place, scare me, and anger others. There isn't the option to turn your sound on for a single video while scrolling through your feed.
I find it fascinating that Instagram developed as a mobile app first and then a web version once it gained popularity. It's also a rare thing that the mobile app has more features than a web version; on Instagram you can only view photos in the web version, not add them.
One of my favorite things about Instagram is that it is not built to be a place for mass sharing of photos, but intended to be a instant snapshot of what's going on in your day. Usually just one photo per instance, so you have to be pickier about what photo you share. Sometimes one great photo is much more effective and attention-getting, where multiple photos may get lost in the shuffle.
I see Instagram being successful for libraries with only one location, and much more difficult for libraries with multiple locations, especially considering you need to add from a mobile device. Since our communications & social media come from a regional perspective, each of our 14 branches would need to have the app and access to a single account OR send their pictures to a single person who would then add the photos to Instagram, which then takes away from the "instant camera."
If I was a single independent library location, such as a college library or a library in a federated public region, I see would see myself posting images about daily life in the library as I stumbled across them. Great new incoming books; mom & child snuggled up reading on the beanbag chair; teen snuggled up with a blanket, coffee mug, & homework in front of the fireplace for 6 hours; weird things we find in the bookdrop... Here are examples of previous posts to my personal Instagram, that could have been posted to a library account with a few word tweaks here and there (my to our, etc):
Instagram is also a great place to host contests for patrons, requiring them to tweet pictures with a certain hashtag. For example, for Hot Reads for Cold Nights Adult Winter Reading Program, instead of having patrons fill out review forms, they could take a picture of the book cover, write their review in the caption, and use the hashtag #HotReadsforColdNights and tag @yourlibrary. Its an easy way for you, as the library, to turn around and reshare them via your various social networks.
You can ask the same thing of patrons who attend your programs & events. Its interactive and makes patrons a part of the documenting process!
Again, thanks to 23 Mobile Things MN for developing a list libraries on Instagram!
Snapchat
I downloaded and played around with Snapchat, and it's very easy to use, but I don't have a use for it. My phone is private enough, I am cautious about who I sent what to, trust those I do share things with, and don't send anything I am not comfortable being out there in the digital world permanently. I actually was shocked to see how many of my friends had it! I didn't know that anyone did.
Privacy & temporariness is both the draw and the con of Snapchat.
In a world where teenagers and children already have too much unrestricted access to the internet, early sexualization, and bullying, Snapchat provides an easier way for that to increase, without the risk of being monitored by parents or other adults.
An article on NPR, "Teens Dig Privacy," says that despite parental paranoia (I'm not a parent and I'm paranoid!) that Snapchat is primarily about sexting, it's not. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. And they can't prove it.
I don't see libraries adopting it large-scale at all, being extremely cautious about a lack of transparency. Also, since finding friends is connected to a mobile number, a library would have to have a separate number for that purpose (a Google Voice Number?) and find a way for patrons to know that number.
I've been using Instagram for quite a while now, and its a great app for sharing photos, one at a time!
I do think Instagram adding a video option was a mistake. The sound is either on for all videos, and thus liable to play out loud as you're scrolling through your feed, or off for all videos, and then what's the point of a video? Except not to play out loud as I'm in a quiet place, scare me, and anger others. There isn't the option to turn your sound on for a single video while scrolling through your feed.
I find it fascinating that Instagram developed as a mobile app first and then a web version once it gained popularity. It's also a rare thing that the mobile app has more features than a web version; on Instagram you can only view photos in the web version, not add them.
One of my favorite things about Instagram is that it is not built to be a place for mass sharing of photos, but intended to be a instant snapshot of what's going on in your day. Usually just one photo per instance, so you have to be pickier about what photo you share. Sometimes one great photo is much more effective and attention-getting, where multiple photos may get lost in the shuffle.
I see Instagram being successful for libraries with only one location, and much more difficult for libraries with multiple locations, especially considering you need to add from a mobile device. Since our communications & social media come from a regional perspective, each of our 14 branches would need to have the app and access to a single account OR send their pictures to a single person who would then add the photos to Instagram, which then takes away from the "instant camera."
If I was a single independent library location, such as a college library or a library in a federated public region, I see would see myself posting images about daily life in the library as I stumbled across them. Great new incoming books; mom & child snuggled up reading on the beanbag chair; teen snuggled up with a blanket, coffee mug, & homework in front of the fireplace for 6 hours; weird things we find in the bookdrop... Here are examples of previous posts to my personal Instagram, that could have been posted to a library account with a few word tweaks here and there (my to our, etc):
(Dessert for #BookClub tonight! Join us!)
You can ask the same thing of patrons who attend your programs & events. Its interactive and makes patrons a part of the documenting process!
Again, thanks to 23 Mobile Things MN for developing a list libraries on Instagram!
Snapchat
I downloaded and played around with Snapchat, and it's very easy to use, but I don't have a use for it. My phone is private enough, I am cautious about who I sent what to, trust those I do share things with, and don't send anything I am not comfortable being out there in the digital world permanently. I actually was shocked to see how many of my friends had it! I didn't know that anyone did.
Privacy & temporariness is both the draw and the con of Snapchat.
"Teenagers
and young adults like that their photos and videos are temporary. It
gives them more freedom to share silly or private expressions,
knowing that they won’t be stored for anyone to see again. There’s
no record left behind for parents or potential employers to find."
In a world where teenagers and children already have too much unrestricted access to the internet, early sexualization, and bullying, Snapchat provides an easier way for that to increase, without the risk of being monitored by parents or other adults.
An article on NPR, "Teens Dig Privacy," says that despite parental paranoia (I'm not a parent and I'm paranoid!) that Snapchat is primarily about sexting, it's not. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. And they can't prove it.
I don't see libraries adopting it large-scale at all, being extremely cautious about a lack of transparency. Also, since finding friends is connected to a mobile number, a library would have to have a separate number for that purpose (a Google Voice Number?) and find a way for patrons to know that number.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Taking & Editing Photos (Thing #9)
LINE Camera
Holy buckets! I don't know how/where I would use this professionally currently, but personally...wow! As someone with a hereditary double chin and dark circles under the eyes (thanks Sharbonno clan!), the Beauty feature is genius! Overall, its a fun app with plenty of filters, frames, and other fun editing features. If nothing else, a great place to spruce up your social media pics before posting.
The only thing missing is red eye reduction...which is about the only advantage Aviary has.
For both, I could do without the ads and the stamps/stickers.
ColorSplurge
Also a pretty cool tool, which I would love to use if I did more graphics/marketing for the library. Maybe when I do my Stuffed Animal Sleepover this year, I can make it look like the animals got into paint? I see kids especially getting a kick out of seeing things in different colors than they belong.
Holy buckets! I don't know how/where I would use this professionally currently, but personally...wow! As someone with a hereditary double chin and dark circles under the eyes (thanks Sharbonno clan!), the Beauty feature is genius! Overall, its a fun app with plenty of filters, frames, and other fun editing features. If nothing else, a great place to spruce up your social media pics before posting.
The only thing missing is red eye reduction...which is about the only advantage Aviary has.
For both, I could do without the ads and the stamps/stickers.
ColorSplurge
Also a pretty cool tool, which I would love to use if I did more graphics/marketing for the library. Maybe when I do my Stuffed Animal Sleepover this year, I can make it look like the animals got into paint? I see kids especially getting a kick out of seeing things in different colors than they belong.
Social Media Management Tools (Thing #8)
Let's
be honest, I spend a good amount of time on social media, both
personally and professionally. Although I generally am of the
opinion that the official app for said social media site is the best
best, the more accounts I add to my list of managing or contributing
to (another one this week), the better and better a social media
management tool sounds...
HootSuite
HootSuite
is fine for viewing your Twitter and Facebook feeds, though it
doesn't allow you to view the news feed for any Pages you manage,
just the Page's feed itself. I also don't like that you can
only search for Twitter contacts, not Facebook or LinkedIn contacts.
While you can at least like or comment on other's Facebook statuses, having LinkedIn connected to HootSuite seems even more useless, as the only thing you can do is view your news feed, see the most basic info about a connection, and post your own updates.
The only draw that would make me keep HootSuite is the ability to schedule posts. As the only person managing our library's Twitter account, currently, if I am away for the library or on vacation, the account goes unmonitored for long periods of time. And even days when I am at work, Tweets tend to come in fits and starts, when I have time on the desk amidst all my multi-tasking to browse through library news and post our announcements and events. I especially like the auto-schedule feature, which allows HootSuite to determine optimal impact.
The HootSuite app has a definite advantage over the web version. That thing is so cluttered it freaks me out!
Cloze
“With
Cloze people come first, everything else is secondary.” Well,
that's certainly true, though in my case most of the people were not
people I know personally but were sports media personalities. What's
not true is Cloze's ability to predict the most important things.
Cloze is extremely Twitter heavy, and also appears to give
emphasis to users with a high volume of Tweets. I do not quite
understand that algorithm!
The biggest pet peeve for me with this app was that if I wanted to go to an individual's full profile, at any one of the social sites we were linked, the buttons below would take me to the mobile website, not the app for the appropriate site!
Cloze
was by far my least favorite of these apps. Delete!
Buffer
Well, Buffer WOULD be the clear app of choice, IF it let you add more than
one Twitter account or more than one Facebook profile/page without
upgrading to the "Awesome Plan." It is super
intuitive, streamlined, and effective for scheduling posts. Definitely the most user friendly. But really, if you just have
one Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. do you need a social media
manager? Buffer's Awesome Plan costs a whopping $8.50/month,
for unlimited posts and to add 12 accounts. Yikes.
Lessons learned: I would use any social media management app to post but for the most part not to browse or search the sites, sticking to the official app for that purpose. And for posting, HootSuite wins out.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Content Saving & Sharing (Thing #7)
A Pinterest convert
A year ago, I was planning a wedding, and every single wedding vendor I met with said, "Oh you're so lucky to be planning a wedding in age of Pinterest! Isn't it just great?" Um no. Not at all. I hated it. Because I didn't get it. In typical librarian fashion, I was using Pinterest as a search engine. I would search something like "pink bouquet blueberries" and would see the same image over and over and over. I much preferred Google Images, or even the search function at TheKnot.com.
It wasn't until Leann's Apps in a Flash: 23 Mobile Things Preview webinar, that I began to see Pinterest as a visual bookmarking tool and was convinced to give it a try again. (Thanks Leann!) I am so glad I did. In the meantime, I've talked to several librarians who have said their library's Pinterest has much greater interaction and more followers than their Twitter. (And you know how much I love Twitter!) So, with permission from the powers that be, I started developing a Pinterest profile for our library. So far, our content mostly consists of bringing our print read-a-like brochures into the digital word, but also includes fun boards like "Quotes for Book Lovers" and "Special Days and Months of the Year."
Though I still don't love the search function on Pinterest, it has gotten much better.
I much prefer Pinterest as a browsing tool, both browsing my Home Feed and browsing categories. As such, I love the recommendations list from 23 Mobile Things MN for pinners to follow! More great libraries/librarians to get ideas from, which will refresh my Home Feed more frequently. One of the best things about our profession is the sharing that we do.
Pinterest is also a great place for us to share info we find elsewhere on the web with patrons & for them to engage with the content. The ability to link & share to our Twitter account is also a bonus, though it would also be nice to be able to connect to our library's Facebook page. Pinterest currently only allows personal Facebook accounts to be connected, even though we have a Business Pinterest?
The Pinterest app is super intuitive and easy to use! Just as user-friendly as the web version (maybe even more so since I don't have the Pin It button installed on my work computers) with all the same features. Anyhow, check out ECRL on Pinterest!
A year ago, I was planning a wedding, and every single wedding vendor I met with said, "Oh you're so lucky to be planning a wedding in age of Pinterest! Isn't it just great?" Um no. Not at all. I hated it. Because I didn't get it. In typical librarian fashion, I was using Pinterest as a search engine. I would search something like "pink bouquet blueberries" and would see the same image over and over and over. I much preferred Google Images, or even the search function at TheKnot.com.
It wasn't until Leann's Apps in a Flash: 23 Mobile Things Preview webinar, that I began to see Pinterest as a visual bookmarking tool and was convinced to give it a try again. (Thanks Leann!) I am so glad I did. In the meantime, I've talked to several librarians who have said their library's Pinterest has much greater interaction and more followers than their Twitter. (And you know how much I love Twitter!) So, with permission from the powers that be, I started developing a Pinterest profile for our library. So far, our content mostly consists of bringing our print read-a-like brochures into the digital word, but also includes fun boards like "Quotes for Book Lovers" and "Special Days and Months of the Year."
Though I still don't love the search function on Pinterest, it has gotten much better.
I much prefer Pinterest as a browsing tool, both browsing my Home Feed and browsing categories. As such, I love the recommendations list from 23 Mobile Things MN for pinners to follow! More great libraries/librarians to get ideas from, which will refresh my Home Feed more frequently. One of the best things about our profession is the sharing that we do.
Pinterest is also a great place for us to share info we find elsewhere on the web with patrons & for them to engage with the content. The ability to link & share to our Twitter account is also a bonus, though it would also be nice to be able to connect to our library's Facebook page. Pinterest currently only allows personal Facebook accounts to be connected, even though we have a Business Pinterest?
The Pinterest app is super intuitive and easy to use! Just as user-friendly as the web version (maybe even more so since I don't have the Pin It button installed on my work computers) with all the same features. Anyhow, check out ECRL on Pinterest!
Woohoo!
Earned a badge for 5 Things!
And...after 2 1/2 years, my beloved HTC Sensation bit the dust. I finally had to upgrade, to the Samsung Galaxy S4. I will be completing the rest of 23 Mobile Things MN on the S4.
And...after 2 1/2 years, my beloved HTC Sensation bit the dust. I finally had to upgrade, to the Samsung Galaxy S4. I will be completing the rest of 23 Mobile Things MN on the S4.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Creating & Editing Docs (Thing #6)
TRUTH: "When it comes to creating and editing documents, most people would probably still say they prefer using a computer over a mobile device. But there are some apps out there that are making creating and editing documents a little bit easier and we’re going to give you the heads up on some of them."
TRUTH: Polaris Office, which came on my Android phone, is not one of the above-mentioned "easier" apps.
I was really looking forward to exploring alternatives for Thing 6.
Cloud On
Sounds like a good place to start. I downloaded the app, created an account, and tried to add both my Google Drive and Dropbox accounts multiple times. Each time, this is what I got.
This left me very quickly frustrated. So over it. Moving on.
(I actually went back to the app the next day and both accounts had successfully been added, so I was able to poke around a little bit and it wasn't bad. I don't know what the deal was in adding my accounts, but CloudOn had already lost me.)
QuickOffice
Where CloudOn lost me, QuickOffice hooked me! Instantly. It was very intuitive, and making working not only in Word on my phone tolerable, but Xcel & PPT as well! Wow. Both accessing past files from my Google Drive & SD Card and creating and saving new ones were a breeze.
A computer is still obviously the #1 choice for creating and editing docs, but I will no longer feel limited to my computer. I will definitely be using QuickOffice as my default app for opening these file types in the future!
SignNow
A paper saving dream!
Where was SignNow when I was buying a house or planning a wedding? Seriously, with so many forms and contracts to sign, this would have been a huge savior.
I'm dreaming here, but I also would love to have a tablet at my library if for no other reason than for access to the SignNow app.
Currently, my library has a fax machine, but no scanner. The fax machine is connected to our one and only landline (there's hope of a new phone system in the near future!), so sending a fax prevents other patrons from contacting the library, staff from using the phone for other library-related duties, and requires staff time to send the fax. In addition, with longer documents, the fax machine often times out and fails to send. Printing & faxing also costs patrons $. Finally, many places patrons want to send their signed documents no longer even have fax machines.
Obviously, there would be some quirks and kinks to making SignNow a feasible option at work (patron instruction primarily), but a girl can dream, right?
TRUTH: Polaris Office, which came on my Android phone, is not one of the above-mentioned "easier" apps.
I was really looking forward to exploring alternatives for Thing 6.
Cloud On
Sounds like a good place to start. I downloaded the app, created an account, and tried to add both my Google Drive and Dropbox accounts multiple times. Each time, this is what I got.
This left me very quickly frustrated. So over it. Moving on.
(I actually went back to the app the next day and both accounts had successfully been added, so I was able to poke around a little bit and it wasn't bad. I don't know what the deal was in adding my accounts, but CloudOn had already lost me.)
QuickOffice
Where CloudOn lost me, QuickOffice hooked me! Instantly. It was very intuitive, and making working not only in Word on my phone tolerable, but Xcel & PPT as well! Wow. Both accessing past files from my Google Drive & SD Card and creating and saving new ones were a breeze.
A computer is still obviously the #1 choice for creating and editing docs, but I will no longer feel limited to my computer. I will definitely be using QuickOffice as my default app for opening these file types in the future!
SignNow
A paper saving dream!
Where was SignNow when I was buying a house or planning a wedding? Seriously, with so many forms and contracts to sign, this would have been a huge savior.
I'm dreaming here, but I also would love to have a tablet at my library if for no other reason than for access to the SignNow app.
Currently, my library has a fax machine, but no scanner. The fax machine is connected to our one and only landline (there's hope of a new phone system in the near future!), so sending a fax prevents other patrons from contacting the library, staff from using the phone for other library-related duties, and requires staff time to send the fax. In addition, with longer documents, the fax machine often times out and fails to send. Printing & faxing also costs patrons $. Finally, many places patrons want to send their signed documents no longer even have fax machines.
Obviously, there would be some quirks and kinks to making SignNow a feasible option at work (patron instruction primarily), but a girl can dream, right?
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Notetaking! (Thing #5)
Oh my gosh, is anyone else getting sick of creating new accounts? It would be nice once in a while if you could explore and experiment with apps, see their capabilities, before creating an account. Having unused accounts "out there" bothers me, so if I decide to delete the apps, I will also delete my accounts.
I love organization. I am constantly making myself lists, setting reminders in my Outlook calendar, and more. These apps should be so made for me.
Springpad
Some of Springpad's quick-add (or built in suggestions for) notebooks include Books and Movies, of which I already have preferred methods of tracking my to-dos and reviews. Goodreads and IMDB. If I didn't already use those apps and have a built-in collection, Springpad would be a great place to start, but I do, so...
What I essentially see myself using Springpad as is a Bookmark manager. Rather than having things I'm interested in bookmarked to a specific device, if I share the content to my Springpad account via the Clipper, I can access the info across any device. Like Delicious of the old days, except much much better.
Springpad would also be an awesome tool for project management among colleagues, especially those in different locations. Create a project notebook. Share it with your collaborators. Implement checklists, share documents, leave notes, use tags. I will definitely be suggesting Springpad for future work projects.
Whereas Springpad seemed like a cool app for storing a broader range of information (pics, recordings, URLs, etc), to me, it seemed like maybe it was a bit clunky for a time-management/to-do list tool. And it was missing some crucial elements, like prioritizing tasks, setting due time instead of just day, etc. So I moved on to...
Remember the Milk
Who doesn't want to try out a cute app with a title (and cow) like that?
Remember the Milk is exactly the opposite of Springboard's clunky. It is a simple way to organize & prioritize your to-do list and create reminders for yourself via email, text, or web-browser. As someone who is almost always multi-tasking, both personally and professionally, this is a great way to ensure nothing gets missed!
I was all excited about RTM. I started loading tasks for both work and home, things I need to do tomorrow and long-range projects. And then, came the reality check.
To me, the biggest benefit of a service like this is the ability to sync between web and mobile app interfaces. To be able to add info wherever I am. Most likely adding work tasks on my desktop all day long, and adding personal tasks wherever and whenever on my mobile app. Well, Remember the Milk only allows one sync/24 hours for the free account. For $25 dollars a year you can update to a pro account with unlimited syncs. Not going there.
Ultimately, I'll keep Springpad for bookmarking and project management, and keep searching for a task-management app.
I love organization. I am constantly making myself lists, setting reminders in my Outlook calendar, and more. These apps should be so made for me.
Springpad
Some of Springpad's quick-add (or built in suggestions for) notebooks include Books and Movies, of which I already have preferred methods of tracking my to-dos and reviews. Goodreads and IMDB. If I didn't already use those apps and have a built-in collection, Springpad would be a great place to start, but I do, so...
What I essentially see myself using Springpad as is a Bookmark manager. Rather than having things I'm interested in bookmarked to a specific device, if I share the content to my Springpad account via the Clipper, I can access the info across any device. Like Delicious of the old days, except much much better.
Springpad would also be an awesome tool for project management among colleagues, especially those in different locations. Create a project notebook. Share it with your collaborators. Implement checklists, share documents, leave notes, use tags. I will definitely be suggesting Springpad for future work projects.
Whereas Springpad seemed like a cool app for storing a broader range of information (pics, recordings, URLs, etc), to me, it seemed like maybe it was a bit clunky for a time-management/to-do list tool. And it was missing some crucial elements, like prioritizing tasks, setting due time instead of just day, etc. So I moved on to...
Remember the Milk
Who doesn't want to try out a cute app with a title (and cow) like that?
Remember the Milk is exactly the opposite of Springboard's clunky. It is a simple way to organize & prioritize your to-do list and create reminders for yourself via email, text, or web-browser. As someone who is almost always multi-tasking, both personally and professionally, this is a great way to ensure nothing gets missed!
I was all excited about RTM. I started loading tasks for both work and home, things I need to do tomorrow and long-range projects. And then, came the reality check.
To me, the biggest benefit of a service like this is the ability to sync between web and mobile app interfaces. To be able to add info wherever I am. Most likely adding work tasks on my desktop all day long, and adding personal tasks wherever and whenever on my mobile app. Well, Remember the Milk only allows one sync/24 hours for the free account. For $25 dollars a year you can update to a pro account with unlimited syncs. Not going there.
Ultimately, I'll keep Springpad for bookmarking and project management, and keep searching for a task-management app.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Keepin' up! (Thing #4)
In all honesty, I actually never got into RSS. Back in the day, I gave Google Reader a go but never really stuck with it. Now that I'm actively logging into Blogger for this program, I've added other 23 Mobile Things MN blogs to Blogger's "My Reading List" to follow.
Other than that, for the most part, I've been using Twitter to keep up since...what 2009? The MN and national library community seem to do a pretty good job of sharing related content there. And if all of you are culling this great info from your RSS feeds for me to mooch off of...sorry and thank you.
I downloaded and tried both Zite and Flipboard. Both were fine. Flipboard was better. Neither were great. I don't see either of them contributing crucial news I'm missing out on, but rather just another form of time-wasting! I ended up deleting both of them. Though it would be interesting to see how/if the information became more relevant as the apps got smarter or learned more about me. Maybe when I get a new phone
If you like to consolidate all of your social networking in one place, (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), for streamlining purposes, Flipboard is probably more for you. As I mentioned in Thing #2, I prefer to keep my social media activities separate. I log in to Twitter for interest-based news (libraries and MMA mostly), Facebook for personal news, Instagram for bored browsing of images (personal and celebrity). As my audience is different for each of these social media platforms in the content I share, so are the sources different for the information I am seeking. For this reason, if pressed, I would choose Zite over Flipboard...
Other than that, for the most part, I've been using Twitter to keep up since...what 2009? The MN and national library community seem to do a pretty good job of sharing related content there. And if all of you are culling this great info from your RSS feeds for me to mooch off of...sorry and thank you.
I downloaded and tried both Zite and Flipboard. Both were fine. Flipboard was better. Neither were great. I don't see either of them contributing crucial news I'm missing out on, but rather just another form of time-wasting! I ended up deleting both of them. Though it would be interesting to see how/if the information became more relevant as the apps got smarter or learned more about me. Maybe when I get a new phone
If you like to consolidate all of your social networking in one place, (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), for streamlining purposes, Flipboard is probably more for you. As I mentioned in Thing #2, I prefer to keep my social media activities separate. I log in to Twitter for interest-based news (libraries and MMA mostly), Facebook for personal news, Instagram for bored browsing of images (personal and celebrity). As my audience is different for each of these social media platforms in the content I share, so are the sources different for the information I am seeking. For this reason, if pressed, I would choose Zite over Flipboard...
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