Lesson 11: PLN

What does your PLN look like? You may already have a PLN, just didn’t realize your handful of favorite websites had a name. Share on your blog some of your online resources and what you have gained from them.

My PLN is based on websites, professional networks and personal friendships I have worked with or interact with regularly. I routinely view many publisher sites for news on upcoming titles or trends. I use goodreads, netgalley and edelweiss for ARCs. I also use my own Facebook page to network with other librarians and hear what they are doing that is new or different. My work in TLA has built a great network of people I can seek out for information and ideas. 

Lesson 10 Challenge

A patron visits your branch library and they only have $1.50 in their pocket.  They are trying to figure out if they can take the bus from your branch to the nearest McDonalds later today because they have an interview.  Practice using Google Maps directions and write in your blog about how easy/hard it would be to get to their interview by bus and about how much time it would take.

This was extremely easy since we have a bus stop nearby and are by a major highway. I thought the stop in front of us would be the place to start but a quick search on Google Map suggests walking to the other side of the highway and taking one bus down to the next major street.

This trip, including the 6 minute walk< takes 10 minutes.

The list guides you to the viainfo.net page, this trip would cost 1.30

Lesson 9 Challenge

I already had an account with Code Academy from about a year ago when I decided to brush up on my own coding skills. I had a hard time with some of the concepts and kinda gave up then. It is nice to see the program is a little easier to use then before. I would say this is the best place to send someone who is interested in learning but not sure where they need to start. Fortunately we have tons of books to help patrons who already have some coding knowledge but need a refresher or need to learn a new concept.

Lesson 8 Challenge

1. The benefits of having the meeting online rather than in person
2. Any challenges, inconveniences, or issues you encountered
3.  If you would meet online with this person again
4.  If you would meet with anyone else online, and who might that be
5. Would a traditional in person meeting have been better? Why?

I have done several work groups in a virtual format including Skype and Google Hangouts. One experience I will draw upon was a book group discussion using Google Hangouts with eight people. Five were in the room with me and two were online.

There are numerous advantages to meeting online including but not limited to the lowered cost of transportation and planning that would otherwise be devoted to organizing the time and place for everyone to meet and then finding the money to pay for their gas, or time to get there. Meeting online also provides everyone a work space where they can send and receive electronic documents or use references on hand.

Challenges include the need to eliminate distractions to focus on the meeting at hand instead of whatever else is in the room, the compatibility of everyone's computer to access the agreed upon platform, the need to have guidelines in place to avoid confusion about who is talking when and the inconveniences of reading more subtle communication such as body language.

For book discussions, I decided this was not the best mode of communication and did not continue with this group. There was a lot of opportunities for someone to dominate the conversation since they could not read the other's need to speak and one person was excluded completely when they lost power to their computer but was unable to get back into the meeting.

If there was a group I had already been working with in person that wanted to move to the virtual platform I think I would be open to that option on a limited basis. I feel we still need to connect in a physical setting to truly understand what is expected of us and more importantly celebrate our success and come to an agreement when needed. 

Lesson 8 Part 2 Challenge

I use both Overdrive and OneClickDigital all the time but found Overdrive way easier to use. 

I only refer to OneClickDigital when seeking the Pimsleur language program.

Lesson 8 Part 1 Challenge

Veronica Roth – Divergent
as of May 11 2016

Formats the book is available in---two, eBook and eAudiobooks
How many copies the library owns---57 eBooks and 17 eAudiobooks
How many copies are available----49 eBooks and 8 eAudiobooks

David Perlmutter, MD – Grain Brain

as of May 11 2016

Formats the book is available in---one eBook only
How many copies the library owns---14
How many copies are available----13

Lesson 7 Challenge

How many times have you come across a 404 page?
Too many to count although it was usually my own fault for typing in something wrong.

Have any favorites?
Recently encountered a fun website that took a poor girl's money with the promise of providing testing prep material but then disappeared when she tried to log in. I was able to provide our Learning ExpressLibrary as an option at the moment and I hope the website was just having problems.

Lesson 6 Challenge

The title I have recently used Novelist for is Karen Slaughter's Pretty Girls. This is the title we hope to use for our Adult Summer Reading selection so this is a good time to look at it's appeal factors overall.

I am surprised by some of the titles the appeal factors revealed. When I searched based on plot-driven, fast-paced, stalkers as my terms I got Catherine Coulter's Power Play and Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars.

When I searched suspense stories, fast-paced, murderers, stalkers as my terms I got Mary Higgins Clark's On the Street Where You Live and Peter Deutermann's Nightwalkers.

Lesson 5 Challenge

I have used LearningExpress Library for many years especially for ASVAB test prep which is big in our service area. 

It is a great resource to be aware of but there are limitations such as the Microsoft applications are only for 2007 versions and the licensing exams can sometimes be 2 years or older. I often doublecheck with current books and test versions before encouraging patrons to utilize the PDFs and test prep material. 

Lesson 4 Challenge 2

How many articles are in the May 2001 issue?
There are 29 articles in May 2001 issue.

Search for Consumer Reports volume 80, issue 9. How many articles are retrieved? 
There are 26 articles in September 2015 Vol. 80 Issue 9

Lesson 4: Challenge 1

Find and open the article titled “The Right Phone for You” in the results list. Select the version PDF. Click on the email option on the left of the page, enter your email address and mysapl11.5@gmail.com, in the To Field. For Subject put your full name and your location.
Done and done


Search for the June 2014 Consumer Reports issue by using the “Publication” and “Published Date” limiters. How many articles are there in this issue?
I found 36 articles

Exercise 3: Part 2: Marketing Tools

I am a Programming Librarian who enjoys Marketing. The more eye popping and catchy the better. Having said this, I use the template often and have found it easy to plug images from Thinkstock usually. I am going to post a flyer I am drafting right now. 

I have submitted a request to our graphics department for another image but found this one on Creative Commons for now. 

Lesson 2 Challenge

 Pick one customer service question and write 1-2 paragraphs in your blog about what actions you would take.

·         A customer shows you a “too good to be true” email about getting free money from Nigeria, and asks you to help them seal the deal with their banking information.

This situation has occurred in the library quite a few times and each time I must stop myself from laughing out loud. I have never been one to play the lottery or gamble but I understand the thrill of winning and sympathize with anyone who is hooked by this phishing scam. 

Whenever this is shown to me I quickly ask if they have answered back with any personal information. If they say yes, I suggest they contact their bank to ensure they are not compromising their account. I calmly explain this is a common scam that has ruined many before them and that they must now start to protect themselves. 

If they say no, I congratulate them on their caution, inform them they are being targeted for a scam, help them report it and then advise they block the addressee. I have hosted Fraud Prevention programs in the past and try to hold onto the material they provided. I also give out the telephone number of the presenter from Frost Bank if they would like to talk to a Fraud Expert if they wish. 

Exercise 1: Part 2 File Management-Dropbox

This exercise will go beyond work situations. For example, I am currently working with a committee and need to share a large amount of records on a regular basis. Google Doc  helps with the collaborative part but Dropbox comes to the rescue when I need to send out 20 PDF files and several images all at once. It has also become a good storage system if you need to share information and don't remember to bring the USB drive along.

Calling all Bloggers

Calling All Blog Writers!

Do you love to write? Do you have a passion for all things related to libraries? Better yet, do you want to write about the latest news in the library world?

Tutor.com is looking for librarians to be guest columnists on their blog! If you are passionate about your library, the library space, advancements in technology and how they have affected your library, they would love to have you guest write for them.

They will be recruiting for guest bloggers from now until the end of June, and your post will be published by the beginning of July. Does this sound like something you are interested in ?  email tutor.com at communityimpact@tutor.com

Lesson 11: Wrap Up

My first experience with self guided technology learning, or 23 Things, expanded my knowledge and increased the number of resources I now utilize for my job. This time around I was already familiar with most of these "cosas" and therefore it was not as eye opening as before.  I did appreciate the Snipping Tool Challenge. I have been enjoying looking at others posts and found some common ground on most topics.

I understand this is developed for all learners and all levels. With that said, the blog format is a little outdated for me but might be good for a newbie or someone unfamiliar with blogs.  I believe the lessons were a little text heavy when links and images could do the job as well.

I would suggest more information on shortcuts or tips that make the user experience easier for any computer user. For example, does everyone know they can increase the zoom view on their computer? Does everyone know how to organize and save files to their drive? Does everyone know the shortcuts for cut, copy and paste? 

Lesson 10 Challenge

The connection between government services and residents is both easy and clear if you know where to go. Never before can you search basic government information without the assistance of a clerk or at least a short trip to an office.

 Our library is located next door to a City of San Antonio Park. While very convenient and a nice attraction, a city park is also a target for graffiti on a regular basis. The City has implemented a nice mobile feature called the 311 Mobile App which allows anyone to report graffiti in Parks as well as many code violations, animal pick up, traffic sign missing, etc. I have used the app on three different occasions to report graffiti with pictures and detailed description of the location. Within 2-3 days a crew came out and removed and repaired the park.  I am able track each report on my phone and can even link into the other city services on the "Other City Info" page.   Conveniently, the library's website is also listed on the app.

Lesson 9 Part 2- Zinio

I have been reading the latest Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan, and Smithsonian Magazine since we got this platform.

Zinio is fun and easy to use but there are some limitations. If you have an older device it can be hard to load up a whole magazine.

The 7 devices the Zinio app works on is: : iPhone iPad Android Win 8 Mac PC Kindle Fire/HD/HDX

Lesson 9 Part 1 Hoopla

Top Titles in Hoopla on 10/17: Insurgent, Allegiant and The Husband's Secret

Hoopla is a game changer. They are giving people the same content that the library provides in a easy to use website or app. Audiobooks can be bulky to carry around. Hoopla removes the physical barrier to deliver the same content. Music CDs can get scratched or broken but with Hoopla the newest music is always available.

I have been listening to audiobooks, watching movies and listening to the newest music since the first day we got this. I love the always available/Netflix model with a reasonable limit of 10. I always max out. I have been telling our patrons about Hoopla and the ones that discover it come back and talk about how they are loving it!

Lesson 8 Part 2 Challenge

I have been reading or "listening" to audiobooks for a long time now so I jump between each and every platform routinely.

Here is my comparisons:

 Overdrive: the widest collection of titles combined with the ease of the app. I listen to a lot of books on Overdrive as well as read eBooks. I also use this platform during the summer to download free audiobooks from http://www.audiobooksync.com/. I recently listened to Dean Koontz Odd Thomas even though I had already read the book.

OneClickDigital: This app used to be complicated to use but it has gotten easier. Full of classics, OneClick has started including eBooks too. It is not easy to browse and it constantly asks for your password. I have recently listened to Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The audiobook worked well in wifi areas but had a hard time when I was not in wifi.

Hoopla:  I just finished The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I went from my phone app, to the computer website to my Nook with ease. Hoopla has the download feature that is nice if you are not able to stream. I had one problem syncing up between my phone and the website but I just closed out the browser and started again.

Lesson 8 Part 1 Challenge

Go to OverDrive’s catalog, find two of the titles listed below and provide the following information in your blog post:
Formats the book is available in
How many copies the library owns
How many copies are available

 I had to pick my Adult Summer Reading Program challenge winner Divergent by Veronica Roth 

Formats the book is available in: Audiobook (MP3 and WMA) and eBook (Kindle, OverDrive Read, Adobe EPUB)
How many copies the library owns: 98 ebooks, 15 audiobooks
How many copies are available: 32 ebook copies available as of today 10/17, 0 audiobook copies available today 10/17 (but it is available on Hoopla)

My second selection is Grain Brain by David Perlmutter
Formats the book is available in: eBook (Kindle, OverDrive Read and Adobe EPUB)
How many copies the library owns:14 ebooks
How many copies are available: 3 copies available as of today 10/17

Lesson 7 Part 1 Challenge

This selfie was used in the National Library Week project.