Lourdes Library

I think its time I start skipping around a bit on this list as to keep myself moving. I have tried hard (although obviously not hard enough) to incorporate social media into our library. I have had a Facebook page for the library for a few years now, but have always struggled to find things (or time) to do much posting to it. This past year I started a Twitter account for the library - but, like my personal account - I use it more to keep up with things rather than actually Tweet myself. I started using HootSuite as a means to combine the two accounts and I must say that it works pretty seamlessly. I like how you can post to both FB and Twitter with one tap of the screen. Truth be told, I actually prefer reading my Twitter feed better on HootSuite and find the search capabilities of the app easier to use/keep track of. Another thing I have done along these lines is to add the HootSuite extension (Hootlet) to my Chrome browser. I admit I haven't used it as much as I would like so far, but it does look like it will be a handy way to "Tweet" things directly from the web.

When I first got my iPad a few years back - one of the hardest things to do was to figure out the best way to create/work with documents (particularly in myPC-based work world). I started with CloudOn and also used an old version of Office for iPad. As I have moved more and more into the "Google-sphere", Quickoffice and the related Google apps have become my word processing apps of choice. I really like some of the things that Pages does, but (again) they don't always play nice with my IT department. With that experience already under my belt. I decided to give SignNow a try. I must say that I really like this app - it is incredibly easy to use and ends up looking very nice in the final product. The fact that you can add both handwritten and typed text to an existing document is really nice. I still need to do some playing around with the app to figure out all the ways to get a document into the app (I have only uploaded emailed documents so far) but I really can see this as being a very useful tool in the future.

Made by Bamboo Paper

Aside from being the title of one of my favorite Garth Brooks albums, this is also the feeling I get when it comes to trying to keep up with the wealth of information that is out there. I began using RSS feeds about a year and a half ago and finally settled on Google Reader as my aggregator of choice. With this service, I was able to have a one-stop shop for the blogs and websites that I turned to for news, tips and ideas. Like many, I was disappointed to learn that Google Reader was shutting down last summer. Desperate to keep my RSS-fix, I tried a wide variety of alternatives, including Flipboard and Zite. However, Feedly became my new #1 choice for keeping up with everything - mainly because of how seamlessly the transition from Google Reader was. For this Thing, I revisited Flipboard. While I don't think I will be leaving Feedly anytime soon - there are a couple of aspects to Flipboard that I find pretty appealing: 1. Layout/Appearance - I do like the magazine-themed layout of Flipboard. While I myself am stylistically challenged, Flipboard does present its content in a rather aesthetically-pleasing way. 2. Social media Incorporation - I am intrigued by how Flipboard allows you to include Facebook and Twitter feeds into its overall content. Admittedly, I only incorporated my personal accounts for this trial run, but I may go back and switch over to my professional accounts and see how that changes things. All-in-all, I believe I will stick with Feedly for trying to keep up with all the blogs and websites I like to follow, but am going to continue to play around with Flipboard to see if I can't make it a bit more useful in my day-to-day operations.

QR coding and the Google app are things that have been on my device pretty much since I got them. However, I did learn some new intricacies to them which should prove pretty handy. QRs - I have dabbled in them. One thing I have done is I have placed QR codes on books that we also own in digital format. So, if a student is perusing a big reference volume that has a QR code on the spine, they can just scan it with their device and it will take them directly to the digital version of the work. "Qrafter" has been the app I use for most of my QR coding work. What I like most about this app is that it not only scans codes, but also has capabilities to create and send out new codes. I did download and play around with the Redlaser app. I did like the ability to scan both QR and barcodes - but I don't think it has enough to get me to leave Qrafter. Google - I downloaded the "Google Search" app on both my phone and tablet as soon as it came out. Until now I have really only used it for quick searches (addresses, telephone#s, etc.). I hate to admit it, but I never even logged in with my Google account on the app until going through this Thing. I had no idea that I could directly access my Docs, Calendar, etc. all with this one app. My question now is - do I even NEED all the separate apps, or can this one take care of them all?

If I learned anything from this "Thing" it is this - while I do have the latest software running both my iPad and iPhone, I guess I am going to have to buckle down and upgrade my devices in order to take full advantage of what the most current operating systems have to offer. While I do take some pictures with my phone, I never use my iPad for photos because of the quality. It appears that the newer iPads are much more advanced in the photography department. I am also intrigued by the Airdrop capabilities of the latest products. A seamless way to share documents/photos/etc. between my devices would really be handy. If nothing else, at least now I have some ammunition for requesting some updated equipment. Hopefully my archaic devices will still suffice as I continue on to the remaining 21 Things!

Well, here I am a week after registering setting up my Tumblr blog and I am FINALLY getting around to my first post. I participated in 23ThingsOnAStick a few years back and found it to be a wonderful vehicle to help get me from examining and thinking about technology in my library to actually USING it. My goal for this round of "Things" is pretty much the same - I constantly am reading about librarians out there doing terrific things with the wealth of technology now available, its time for me to get myself in the game. This is my first experience with Tumblr and I am really hoping that it helps get me back in the blogging. I like the idea of being able to repost other people's contributions (most of them probably say it better than I would) and it seems like more kids are turning to this platform. Now that I am finally up and running, I look forward to checking back in (sooner rather than later) with Thing #2