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.

Lesson 6 Part 2 Challenge

Social media as an negative...what a big topic! There are so many sides and issues I could write a book let alone a blog post. The availability of instant connection has diminished people's patience. Why wait to talk to someone when you can send a text? Why read a book when you can read reviews? Why ask the question when you can Google it? All that access to information is overwhelming just as the need to reach out and connect to others can take away from experiencing the moment. Then there those who decide to share too much too often. I love seeing what all my friends are up to, but I don't care what you ate for breakfast and I could do without the pictures of shoes and nails. Some might find this stuff interesting, but I just do not want to spend my time looking at that - thank you. TMI

Lesson 6 Part 1 Challenge

Social media is a tricky subject in light of filters and privacy. I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, Google+ and a couple others but cannot access most of this at work so I am using email more often. I have had an email account since freshman year of high school and I embrace new ways to connect with friends, family, colleagues and what I would call "like-minded" people. This means there is always a group of people somewhere that are thinking of the topics I want to learn about or talk with. With that said, I cherish facetime or "real live" conversations with friends and family. Our time is so precious that when I see the people I want to share my life with, I put down the phone and focus on them in the moment. I might take a picture and update my status on Facebook, but my focus is on the person who is in front of me - not the screen!

Lesson 5 Challenge

Those Keyword Challenges were tricky because the terms the challenge used to explain each category took me a little while to clearly understand. I get keywords, but the term "important ideas for which alternate words may be more effective" is a long statement as is "words that will probably have little effect." Once I got the idea the exercise was easier to do. There is also something to be said for experience. It takes some time working on a Reference desk to understand how some questions asked need to be restated to get the best results. You may have heard the statement "Librarians: the Ultimate Search Engine" that is because we try to ask the right questions even if the person asking the question isn't sure what answer they are looking for.

Lesson 3 Part 2 Challenge

LibGuides are what I would call "the icing on the cake." Not only do we have great resources and material, but this allows our professional staff to craft that information in a way that is relevant to our patrons and comes with a nice "librarian approved" sticker. I especially appreciate the EReader LibGuide that breaks down our many digital offerings based on type of device, format of data, troubleshooting and running Q&A.I have often referred this particular LibGuide to our savvy digital users who might need a little assistance and is not afraid to explore our site. I always mention the Q&A section and say "if you have a question, chances are someone has asked it before and we answered here." Now the staff LibGuides are a whole other thing. If the public LibGuides are the icing on the cake, these LibGuides are the "how to bake the cake." There is vital information that we need to do our jobs well. I use the Millennium LibGuide for basic questions about creating library cards, the Create Lists function and Holdings Editor guidelines. Even if I have already done X or Y procedure a hundred times, I check the LibGuide to ensure nothing is new or there isn't a better way to do it. I also rely on the Marketing LibGuide for flyer production and digital display formats. I turn to the Fiscal LibGuide for clarification on Refund Procedures and I visit the Reference LibGuide for technology tips and know-hows. Keep them coming SAPL staff.

Lesson 3 Part 1 Challenge

Learning Express is far and beyond the most popular database I refer patrons to use and I am constantly pulling up and reviewing. The testing material, eBooks, occupational assistant and computer skills components make this database priceless. Our community consistently requests ASVAB test prep material. When no books are available, or in addition to our print material, I try to direct patrons to use the Library Express Library to review the test, take practice tests and get the eBook. Several patrons have come back and thanked me for this advice since they want to begin practicing for this important test as quickly as possible.

Lesson 2 Part 3 Challenge Outlook

Loving the signature use. Here is my signature from my outlook account:

I had a hard time coming up with my official title. I used to use "Adult Services Librarian" but that can be a vague title. My manager suggest Assistant Branch Manager and with her blessings I feel this title is more reflective of my current position. I also played with several fonts till Arial just made sense to me and I did not want to bother with cursive looking signatures I have seen before. They can be hard to read and sometimes the computer doesn't understand the font. I also included our website as a hyperlink instead of listing it separately. This is to highlight the Library in general and bring people to our website easily.