Thing #23: Evaluate 23 Mobile Things

This "23 Mobile Things" was very useful to me.  It was good to explore apps in areas that I'm not familiar with.  It was also good to think about how these could be used professionally, in a library setting.  I use apps every day for personal use, but I have not used many apps in my work at the library.

I would definitely participate in another 23 Things programs in the future.  I completed the previous "23 Things on a Stick" a few years ago, and it was SO useful as well.  The 23 Things activities help "launch" me into learning things in technology that I otherwise wouldn't venture into (or even be aware of).  This is VERY useful.

Thing #14: Videos

I downloaded the Vine app for this "Thing".  This is really fun to use!  It's set up so that you can easily and quickly take and send videos to friend and/or post (via Twitter, Facebook, etc.)  This is going to be fun to use in personal life, now that I have a little puppy at home - and LOTS of relatives living far away - who want to see videos of little Becca!

I can see how this would be a handy app in the library setting as well.  Perhaps posting quick videos of summer reading program events on Facebook - would be a way to promote the library.

Thing #22: Discovering Apps

I decided to look at "Quixey"  for this "thing." I thought this was a useful site, as it allows you to search for apps by subject, and then limit by price if you choose.  However, I have found the best way to find out about good apps is by word of mouth!  The best apps I use were recommended to me by others. 

At a recent library all-staff annual meeting, people had the opportunity to share apps that they love.   One fellow librarian talked about the "Evernote" app.  She shared how she used it for both her personal and professional life.  I started using it shortly after.  It's a life saver for me!  This is the best way to find out about great apps: hearing from others and how they use them.

Thing 21: Free-For-All

My favorite app is "Calengoo".  I have been using it for years and I DEPEND on it to organize my life!  Basically, this is the mobile version of Google Calendar.  It syncs with Google Calendar, so that everytime I update Calengoo, Google is updated as well.

Among my favorite features of this app are color-coated events (so that I have a color for work related things and another color for personal).  I can set up "reminders" so that I don't forget an event. 

I can't live without this app!

Thing #20: Games

I downloaded the app/game called "2048".  This is a numbers app, that is SO ADDICTIVE!  I find myself playing it into the wee hours of the morning!  My son actually mentioned it to me - it's a game high school kids are loving these days.  Basically,  you move a grid of even numbers left, right, up and down.  The goal is to get the numbers to add up to 2048!  I have succeeded in doing this only once!

Thing #19: Hobbies

As I have a brand new puppy at home, I decided to download an app to help me deal with all the puppy training issues I've been having!  I downloaded the "Dog Tricks & Bark Machine" app.

This app includes training tutorials in one part and a sound machine in the second part.  The dog tricks section includes commands and tips on how to correct behavioral problems, such as chewing (currently my biggest problem with Becca!)

The "bark machine" part reproduces eight different sounds that get your dog's attention. They include a woof, meow, doorbell, high-frequency whistle that only dogs can hear and other sounds.

Thing #18: Education

I decided to download the Fooducate app for this "thing".  I found this to be a really handy app - for personal use (not sure that I'd ever use this professionally).  This is basically a great tool for monitoring calorie, nutrient, etc. intake.  It's great because you can look up caloric and nutrients for a given food.  It has other cool features: such as Daily Tips on the home page and the ability to scan a food item and get nutritional information. 

Thing #17: Connecting to Community

I decided to download the NNC Now app - for news, weather, sports and other information for Duluth, Iron Range cities, the North Shore, Superior and Northwestern Wisconsin- as both of my children will be attending college in the Duluth/Superior area next year!  This year, I often wished for an app I could easily access to find out if my daughter's college classes were canceled due the the horrendous cold weather!  This app will come in handy next year!

Thing #16: Audio

I downloaded the Audioboo app.  I remember a few years ago, shortly after my dad passed away, I was hanging onto a few of his wonderful phone voicemails.  Just to be able to hear his voice now and again.  I was wishing for a way to hang onto this recording and easily transfer it to a permanent place.  These audio apps I'm reading about in this "thing" would have come in handy! 

Off hand, I can't think of a way to use this app professionally.  But I'm sure there are ways it could be used in the library - perhaps to record programs?

Thing #11: Library and Reference

I decided to look more closely at ELM Mobile for this "Thing".  I work extensively with several other library apps (Overdrive, 3M Cloud, Zinio, OneclickDigital, etc.), so I thought I'd become for familiar with ELM portal.

As I delved into ELM Mobile on our library's IPAD, it occurred to me that the last time I tried to access Masterfile Premier, Academic Premier, and other ELM sources, several years ago, before it was available in mobile format - it was very awkward on my iphone!  I remember being frustrated because the limiting fields were hard to find, I couldn't see the text I was entering in the search fields, and I could read all the text of the article clearly on my device! 

Now it's a luxery to be able to use these sources on a mobile device!  Things appear on a mobile device as they appear on computer.  I can see how our patrons are much more likely to use these ELM sources now.

Thing #15: Infographics

It took me awhile to "grasp" what an infographic was.  I eventually realized I see infographics everyday!  (I just didn't realize that was what they were called!)  After not being able to find the Infographics Hub app on my app store, and then not being able to download the info.graphics app (because I haven't yet updated to 7.0), I downloaded the "Lemonly Infographic" app.  This app allows you to search infographics by category and also browse most recent infographics.

I can see using some of these clever infographics for something like a bulletin board at the library.  Or perhaps creating a clever infograph for library use: describing and promoting summer reading program, for example.

Thing #13: Presentations

I decided to download the Deck app.  I entered a quick "E-books at the Library" presentation.  I couldn't believe how simple it was!  And the presentation was really professional looking!  It was easy to add text for each slide, and also to add images from my iphone camera roll.  This is something I can see using at work, if I needed to pull together a quick, last minute presentation, without having time for creating a powerpoint.

Thing #12: Books, Books, & More Books

I decided to try out the "Audiobooks" app on my iphone.  It's amazing how many free audiobooks are available!  I downloaded Anne of Green Gables. 

The only drawback is that books are not downloaded, you have to stream the titles. 

I can see that this would be a good source for a patron/student frantically looking for an audio version of a classic - last minute (and the library's copies are checked out).

Thing #10: Sharing Photos

I downloaded the Instagram app for this "Thing".  I knew before that this was a great app for sharing photos, but I didn't realize until today that Instagram has a number of other features.  For example, you can edit your photos.  And you can actually take photos in Instagram (before, I was under the impression that you had to IMPORT photos from your phone photo album.

Thing #9: Taking and Editing Photos

This was a fun "Thing"!  I downloaded the LINE Camara app.  My favorite part of this app is the ability to create collages.  I created a collage of my family members quickly - by accessing the photos already on my phone.  I also experimented with the "beauty" feature, and adjusted nose size in some of my photos (very funny).

I can also see how this app would be useful in creating posters, bookmarks, and other handouts at the library.

Thing #8: Social Media Management Tools

Thing #8:  Social Media Management Tools:

I chose Twitter.  I have already been following a few people, but I never understood the finer details - of how to recognize when a tweet was sent directly to someone, etc.  This is the preferred social networking method for my young adult children.  Facebook is not as popular anymore among this age group.

Our library system has a facebook account.  But I am realizing that, in order to reach teens and young
adults, maybe we should have Twitter account as well. 

My 22-year-old daughter actually CONNECTS Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, so that if she posts on one, it'll appear or be connected to the others.  Interesting.

Thing #7: Content Saving & Sharing

Thing #7:  Content Saving & Sharing

I downloaded Pinterest for this "thing".  This is handy especially for posting pictures found on the web.  However, not as handy for saving and organizing text (articles, etc).  For both work and personal uses, I could use something that was better for text (I just don't save a lot of pictures).  Bitly looks like it would be better for text. However, it requires IOS 7.0, (and my iphone doesn't have enough memory left to update to 7! - Something I need to work on!).

The one thing I can see using Pinterest for is Storytime and summer book club ideas.  I'm always saving pictures of crafts, etc. that I find online.  Pinterest would be a good place to put these and organize them.

The cool thing about Pinterest is that other people can view what you've posted.  This is a great way to share ideas!

Thing #6: Creating & Editing Docs

Thing #6: Creating & Editing Docs

I downloaded the CloudOn app to my Iphone.  I successfully uploaded both a Word document and and a Publisher document to Google Drive and then uploaded from Google Drive to CloudOn. 

This app I really like!  I can see using it for both work and personal use.  It's a great way to work on/edit documents on my work computer and mobile device, and then have all edits be synced automatically.  Very convenient and handy!  In the past, I've wanted to edit Microsoft documents on my iphone, but I thought my only option was to download an expensive Microsoft app.  So this is an easy (and cheap!) solution!

Thing #5: Notetaking

Thing #5:  Notetaking
Use at least one of these apps and write a blog post about what you think about it and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

I downloaded the Springpad app to my Iphone.  This is something I think I would definitely use for personal use (rather than work).  I've been using the "Notes" app that came with my iphone, but there really is no way to organize these notes.  I also save recipes with my iphone "bookmark" feature.  This is also very disorganized, so I'm looking forward to playing around with this Springboard app - just so that I can get all this stuff organized!

Thing #4: Keeping Up

Thing # 4:  Keeping Up

I downloaded the Flipboard App to my Iphone.  I didn't realize this kind of thing was even available!  It's great to have everything all in one place:  Facebook, Twitter, CNN.  One of the disadvantages of the iphone 4, is that you have to go into each app to see if there's an update (unlike the "tile" format of the Windows phone, for example, where you have tiles of your favorite apps on the main home screen, constantly updating for you to see on one page.)

Thing #3: Utilities

Thing #3:

Use at least one of these apps and write a blog post about what you think about the app and how you may be able to use it personally or professionally. If you know of another app that would fit under this Thing, tell us about it in your blog, too.

I downloaded Red Laser to my Iphone.  I scanned one of our newer children's library books, and low and behold, a list came up with all of the local bookstores that carry this book, AS WELL AS LIBRARIES (including ours) THAT CARRY IT!  I didn't realize that libraries would be included!

I can see how this would also be useful personally, to scan an item and find the best deal locally for it.  Very handy.

Thing 2: Mobile Device Tips

I learned so many new things about my iphone!  This "thing" was very useful to me.  I use my iphone for pretty much everything: calendar (Calengoo app), email, My Fitness Pal app, grocery list (Grocery Gadget app), just to name a few.  But I am always up for learning about more apps!

One of the cool things I learned is that I can delete a digit in the calaculator app - just by swiping (right to left).  How handy is that?

Another thing that I learned is the "Undo Typing To Delete Typed Message" feature - where I can just shake my phone to undo a text message.  Very useful!

I also am realizing that I really need to update to the latest ios version: 7.0.4 - because  some of these features I'm learning about don't work with the older versions.

These tips will also help at the info desk, as we help patrons navigate their devices in using library e-services.

Thing #1: Blogging & Registering

Thing #1: Write a blog post for Thing 1 telling us what you hope to get out of the program:

The first "23 Things on a Stick" program (a few years ago) was SO helpful to me.  It helped "launch" me into the world of social media, apps, photography editing, and all the other things that were new at the time.

Although I have a smartphone and use and depend on apps every day, I am hoping this "23 Mobile Things" will expose me to new and useful apps that I am not yet familiar with.  Perhaps apps that would be useful to me in my work as a public librarian.