If you have trouble memorizing all of your passwords, you’re not alone. Now there are tools – called password managers – that keep you from having to memorize them all.
Jill Duffy of PC Magazine says, “Ever since I really understood what password managers are all about, it’s become my mission to convince everyone I know to use one. I’m not kidding. I feel very strongly about password managers. If you don’t use one, you should. Let me tell you why – and start with the disclaimer that many of them are free.” In her post about this online asset, Duffy highlights some of the best password managers. Her short overviews give you an idea of what password managers are all about, and what may be the best kind for you.
Duffy also has a video in which she gives you the basics of password managers. She uses her password manager, Dashlane, as an example:
As we move into the digital age, we are seeing books being re-purposed for a number of things. Artist Mike Stilkey re-purposes books as canvas, painting his images on their covers and spines. “Most libraries have thousands and thousands of books that they can throw away at any time,” the Los Angeles-based artists says. Since the books can’t be recycled, he makes sculptures out of the books, and then paints them. Stilkey has been doing this since 2006; his largest piece is made of 3,000 books and measures 24′ tall. Kathryn Bromwich of The Guardian has put together a post featuring his works. Click here for her post.
Looking for great websites for kids? The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has the answer! The ALSC, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has a working website, Great Websites for Kids, to which they add weekly. In the ALA’s post from last month, they say “Great Websites for Kids (GWS) features links to high-quality websites of interest to children 14 years of age and younger, organized into diverse subject headings from arts and astronomy to mathematics and museums and many more.” Each site entry includes a description of the site, as well as a grade-level rating. Users of the GWS site can rate the recommended sites, save their favorites, and share the sites with others who could benefit! Do you see one that stands out to you? Be sure to let us know!
Recently, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) came out with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning for 2014. The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration.
Subtext is one of these apps. The app is designed to help teachers with their Common Core instruction by encouraging students to analyze their material, clearly communicate what they think, and make connections to their real life experiences. A tip from AASL: “Teachers can assign an article to students and include the critical thinking questions directly in the passage so students will be able to connect the ideas as they read.”
Subtext is available on iOS or as a web-based app. It’s a great value because it is free and recommended for all grades K-12. See what educators have to say about Subtext:
Introducing our new monthly update – Notable Dates for your Noggin!Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration!
October is Book Month!
Other things to celebrate in October. . .
Did we miss anything? Let us know if we did!
For our calendar of library events, including conferences and library days, check out our Events/Initiatives page.
And for more Notable Dates for Your Noggin, check out our Notable Dates page.
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