Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and libraries go together like

peas and carrots,

batman and robin,

peanut butter and jelly.

Librarians have figured out that good video enhances the information supplying experience AND makes everyone’s job easier.

The following school libraries have produced some quality tools and helps for their students.

At Norman High School students get help by comparing Google docs vs. word docs . After viewing this presentation students are prepared  to use and navigate the most use software applications.

Libraries also have a lot of fun with video. Students love to see their teachers having fun, as in the video below.

In the Unquiet Library students are supported in their assignments with help from teachers and librarians. In this useful and helpful production students receive guidance and help with their senior project.

In the school they get to see their librarian around and among the “people” as she shares the library with students at lunch.

The Pikesville HS Library serves the needs of its students by giving information about course selections and how to get financial aid in future schooling efforts.  In this video, students can view a presentation on financial aid that was at an evening event.

The students here also get organization and support with the following Pimp my Binder episode. With humor and known faces, students get tips on how to be more organized.

Bonnie Branch Middle School provides a review of how to prepare proper citations.

And students can catch a glimpse of friends just having fun in the library.

QR codes are a newer addition to library services.This little scannable visual will enable library users to find more information about anything they are looking for.  Brigham Young University uses QR codes to send patrons on an audio tour of the library and it’s most important elements. Librarians are using them to help patrons go straight to the library catalog to find more relevant documents. Another library links their current events to related information to help users know what special programs are available. Users can be directed to library services like study rooms, making appointments with a research librarian. Other libraries create links to mobile website and twitter pages, contests, popular books to recommend further reading, and video trailers that relate to what patrons need.

I wanted to get my classes excited about a new book that caught my imagination. 

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is the 2014 Newbery Award winner. According to Amazon:

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Timesbest-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

Here is a QR code to take you directly to the book trailer I made for this great new book.

I can see a lot of uses for QR codes in libraries. I'd like to encourage students to look farther than they planned with well placed codes on the shelves that will help with their research and book searches. I'd like to use videos to give information that students need and show what the library can offer them. I think it is important to be as close to the cutting edge as you can get when working with students, so I know that I will  follow, use, and try the latest technologies and formats that will help students with  their educational needs.

Blogging about blogging

Bloggity, Blog, Blog, Blog

I've had a personal family blog for about 5 years. There are about 5 people who ever read it, but it is a fun way to keep my parents updated on the comings and goings of my family since we live half a state away from each other. I found that library blogs are much more interesting than my family blog! There is just so much to see!

Blog readers are a thriving business with so many options. After looking around a bit I decided I wanted to stick with the Blogger dashboard reader mainly because I have so much invested into the resources I have on it. After 5 years, it would be quite a job to move everything over to one of the newer, more interactive readers. I did sign up for a Blog Lovin' feed, which is easy to navigate and emails me once a day with updates of the blogs I put on it. If given time I would probably make the shift into a more exciting and intricate blog reader. I looked at NewsBlur, but found my eyes blurring at the amount of information coming in. The real time feed made me a bit twitchy because I hate the feeling of being behind. I also looked at Bloglines but didn't like the look of the pages. I didn't dive very deep into the layout because it just looked too boring. I know, I know, and this from the lady who decided to stick with the original Blogger reader. It's not consistent because nothing is more boring that that, right? Well, it's comfortable, I have it set up how I like it, and sometimes change isn't on the menu. The really important thing about blogging is the blogs themselves.



My favorite library blog is Watch.Connect.Read. a blog by a librarian who has the best things to share. Mr. John Schu shares book trailers, lessons he does with his students, book release information, author interviews, and so many other neat things that this soon to be librarian hopes to incorporate into her library world.


My second favorite library blog is The Nerdy Book Club. It's not strictly library stuff. It's more about books and personal experiences and shared stories. It's great reading, inspires my teaching, and connects me with other book nerds, so in my mind, it's perfect as a library blog!


Another great library blog is The Mighty Little Librarian . This is a place full of information about all things library. Survey results from her school about how patrons perceive the library, dewey decimal updates and signage ideas, infographics, and so much more. This blog is updated regularly and is very visually pleasing.

The Adventures of Library Girl is set up in a traditional blog format and shares personal stories along with research to address the needs of many librarians. While not updated daily, it is a wonderful resource for all sorts of library stuff, and you know librarians love stuff! (As long as it is organized.)


The Busy Librarian shares lesson plans and information from an elementary librarian's perspective. Author interviews, book trailers and supplemental information all come together in a neat, appealing package here.


As I was exploring the world of library blogs I found that they are each unique to their community and provide what their readers want to see. Whether the blog is tied directly to a school and is chock full of information about their people and kids and events, or if it is more of an informational clearinghouse for what the blogger loves most in the world of libraries, I found that they are interesting, informative, and a wonderful tool to share with students and fellow educators.

I bet you are wondering about Tumblr. If not, start wondering because I know I wondered about it for quite a while. I had no idea if it was an organizer or a blog site or something else entirely. All I know is that I would see it pop up in the twitter feeds of college students and some celebrities. So I went adventuring and found something that made me step back and blink. It's a blog reader that hosts blogs and connects to other blogs, I think. I set up an account but it is still a work in progress. There is no telling how this will turn out, but I have given it a shot.  So, if you are feeling adventurous, feel free to check out my Book Stuff tumblr at http://mewillingham.tumblr.com/ . The one thing I don't need is another blog to run in addition to my studies, job, family, and social obligations, but life has a funny way of coming out differently than I plan most times.

Library services in the digital age

 Zickuhr, K, Rainie, L. Library services in the digital age, Pew Internet & American Life Project,  January 22, 2013, http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/Library-services/, February 3 2014. 80 pgs.

The infographic above was created to give you a brief glance at the highlights of information that were gleaned from a 2013 report about how patrons use the library and what they expect from the institution. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds that many library patrons are eager to see libraries’ digital services expand, yet also feel that print books remain important in the digital age.(2) Apps for checkout, technology "petting zoos", "Redbox" style lending machines, and "Amazon" style book recommendations would be eagerly accepted according to the study's respondents. I love these ideas for how to expand a library's offerings to its community. As the feel of the library shifts from a quiet, reading only zone to an interactive information playground I am excited about what the future holds.

I was interested to learn that 91% of Americans aged 16 and older consider the library an important part of their community, and that 76% of them think libraries are important to them and their families. However, only 22% say that they know all or most of the services that their library offers. It is clear from the difference in percentages that libraries need to do more to get their services and information into the hands of the public.

The study also noted that ethnicity is a significant factor in how one views the library. African Americans and Hispanics are much more likely to rate the library and its services as very important when compared to their Anglo neighbors. This leads me to believe that libraries should take note of how to better serve these populations.

After reading and considering the data presented within this report, I am confident that libraries will be an important part of the future of our free and learned society. As technologies progress, this institution will continue to provide information, community helps, and entertainment options for all who use its vast and varied resources.

Page count: 80/150

Online Organizers: Helps or Headaches?

In this assignment I got to review several online organizational tools. Task managements, file storing, idea organization, and usability were key factors in evaluating the tools. The platforms are as varied as their purposes. Some were easy to use and other, well, not quite so easy.

Workflowy

This organizational tool was a challenge to use, and I gave up. The organization of an ever expanding outline appealed to me initially, but once I tried to make it work I was stuck at every turn. I watched videos for support and just could not see how this was better than my trusty old paper notebook. I did not find any way to collaborate with others. I understood the tagging options for long complicated lists from my experience with Twitter, but don’t see a need for a list that big. I tried to make it pretty by changing the backgrounds, but you have to upgrade to the pro version for anything other than a white background and serif font. I admit to being a novice with online organizational tools. This one was beyond me. Their tagline is “organize your brain”. I think I will look elsewhere to organize my brain.

This tool could be used in the classroom to model hierarchical tasks and to help students understand outlining with main and subordinate topics. Research papers and project organization are the main school projects that pop to mind when considering how students could use this application.

Remember the Milk

This tool has many interesting options. It is a task organizer with emailed reminders, collaborative assigning options, and an easy to use interface. I like the individual tabs for work, personal, and study needs. I love that it will make a weekly (or daily, or monthly) calendar of tasks to complete. Tasks can be tagged and searched with an easy to find sidebar. There are options to connect with other Remember the Milk customers, and there are email reminders of tasks due.

For student use, I could see this tool being used to manage larger projects that require multiple steps and collaboration as well as simple personal organization. When trying to balance school projects, extracurricular activities, and family responsibilities, this tool can be utilized by all. The interface is very user friendly and the help screens are informative.

Wunderlist

It lists tasks. It connects to other Wunderlist users. It allows for easy subheadings and attaching notes from online documents. The online format was simple to navigate and nice to look at. There are options for organizing lists alphabetically, by date, and by assignee.  There is even a speak to print feature that allows users to simply speak the task and it shows up on the list. There is some customization allowed. I liked it much better than Workflowy, but not as much as Evernote. 
Students and teachers alike can use this for task organization and communication. 

Scribbless

It’s a list. On the computer. You can share it. That’s about it. No help screens. No cool functions. Just a list like I’d write on the back of an envelope. Eh, thanks, but I think I’ll stick with the envelope because there is no log in needed.

I don’t see why a student would need a list maker for online use, especially if it is not attached to a reminder set up. Of all the tools I looked at, this one was the least useful and customizable.

Evernote

This organization tool allows you to create notes and put them in a notebook. You can attach a date for reminder purposes. There are several places that offer to allow you to upgrade to premium status for additional features. The help tutorials are buried about 2 screens from the opening home screen. Once you find the help tutorial, I realized that embedding content is just a few clicks away using a simple drag and drop process. Evernote is very proud of its product and has offers to upgrade in several places.

This application would be very helpful for note taking and research with students. The share features would allow collaboration between students and instructors and the easy drag and drop process would be easy for novice users. This seems to be the premier product for organization because it can be customized in many ways and is transferable to many platforms.

Pinterest

Pinterest will organize your weblinks with a visual bulletin board system. This is by far my favorite online organizational tool. Here is my educational Pinterest board.

Visit Marie's profile on Pinterest.

I love how easy it is to "pin" a site for future use and how quickly items are retrieved. For students, this site could be a site to organize and store online resources for all topics. Students can find and store information on research reports, often visited sites, social networking, and so on and so on. It is like an online, interconnected warehouse.

Twitter - Changing lives 140 characters at a time

I promise I am not overstating the situation when I say that the single most valuable internet tool I have found to date is Twitter. In the past year, my personal professional development has expanded exponentially due to the easy access of information that I have found on Twitter by following leaders in the appropriate fields. When I look through things experts in the field of education are Tweeting about, I am amazed by the depth and breadth of our amazing vocation. Keep reading to meet some educational leaders and see what they are saying on Twitter.

Linda Braun @lbraun2000
This tweet led me to a great article about how to use the Kindle in research and the fun resource of Lifehacker. Finding out how to use existing technology and finding a new resource of information is a huge plus of the connectivity of Twitter.

A Student's Guide to Using the Kindle for Research #lis460 http://t.co/f0cK4oLmum
— Linda W Braun (@lbraun2000) January 17, 2014

Tony Vincent @tonyvincent
This tweet linked me to an article that showed new apps for students to use to show what they are learning.

Learn about 3 creative iPad apps for demonstrating learning (with examples & tips) → http://t.co/3RwaJqfjyV #ipaded #edtechchat
— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) January 16, 2014

Buffy Hamilton @buffyjhamilton
The Unquiet Librarian is a blogger and real life teacher librarian. She is constantly sharing insights and solving issues on Twitter. She also links to her wonderful blog. In the following tweet, she share shares a recent experience of a collaborative teaching lesson she recently completed with a colleague.

Writing Around Text onText Effort 2:Unplugged Conversations 4 Inquiry,Participation,&Social Construction of Meanings http://t.co/9iL22JLL9x
— Buffy Hamilton (@buffyjhamilton) January 20, 2014

The Daring Librarian @GwynethJones
I love this infographic because it shows specific things educators need to be focusing on in today’s learning environments.
This lady is a fan of Scoop.it! which seems to be a place to log and store articles and sites. I can't wait to explore that application in the future.

10 Social Media Skills for The 21st Century Teachers | Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

10 Social Media Skills for 21st Century Teachers INFOGRAPHIC Inspired by @BlueSkunkBlog via @21cif http://t.co/tlGqTnWUjQ
— The Daring Librarian (@GwynethJones) January 20, 2014

Jim Lerman @jimlerman
This guy is another fan of Scoop.it! In this tweet he shares an article about Google Drive skills for teachers that was found at Freetechforteachers.com .

Free Technology for Teachers: Five Essential Google Drive Skills For Teachers http://t.co/RNFc6nGW9i
— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) January 21, 2014

Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock
I first heard of Kathy Schrock back in the dark ages of the internet through her wonderful Elementary Language Arts website that helped this teacher with resources when I was just starting out. Her Twitter feed is chock full of interesting tidbits and resources. When I followed the following tweet, I felt a pang of nostalgia because I recognized her style of organization.

Adding my DST resources to #digstory http://t.co/7M0AohsF7b
— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) January 17, 2014

Schrockguide.net has already been added to my own resources page and should be added to yours as well!

As you can see, there seems to be no end to the resources that are available with just a few well placed minutes on Twitter. Well, maybe more than a few minutes.

Oh Facebook!

Oh Facebook! How we love to hate you! Whatever someone’s personal opinion about the social network giant, it is important to be familiar with the ins and outs, pros and cons, of using Facebook because it is a part of our world if we are online. Having a presence on Facebook is an option that many school libraries are exercising. I found many libraries using Facebook as a means of communicating with students, parents, and volunteers.

This format seems to be a great way to share information about recent or upcoming events, give shout outs to students and classes on campus, and highlight new offerings in the library. I saw several schools with current updates about upcoming author visits and new books that are available. The most interesting sites were those that allowed others to post on them because they could take questions and allow for interaction.

There are some drawbacks that I noticed. One is that most Facebook pages do not allow anyone other than the administrator to post on it. That removes the elements of interaction that make the network so popular. Another downfall is that students are moving away from Facebook to more real time applications like Twitter and Instagram. Therefore, it is becoming a communication tool with parents instead of a way to meet the primary users of the school library. That develops into a question of time whether or not a librarian wants to take the time to upkeep a tool that is not used by the primary constituent. Also, many pages are not very active. It's easy to forget to update and use the page once it is made. Without up to date information the page becomes a useless relic.

Facebook is a unique and easy way to keep people updated about the happenings at your library. It is up to the page administrator how interactive and helpful to make it.

Relaunch

For the last little bit of time, this blog has focused on books and reviews with an occasional video. (In order to meet requirements for a certain degree I am pursuing) As the ultimate Queen (Not this one --->) (or this one ----->) and ruler of this page, I am expanding the content of this space. It will now cover many exciting, new, and informative topics involved in internet literacy and aforementioned topics' relevance to library services. Let this proclamation serve as good notice for all spambots that read this page. Proceed with caution.