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!
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