Tag Archives: Resource

General, Public, School Media Specialist

Recommended App: Monster Physics

moster_physicsRecently, the 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.

One of those apps, Monster Physics, is a building app that lets students play with monsters to learn physics! By using 68 different parts including wheels, rockets, magnets and more, students learn physics through solving missions and building their own inventions. AASL recommends that Monster Physics can be used to explain basic concepts such as mass, force, friction, acceleration and more.

At .99 the app is only available on iOS and recommended for 3rd through 12th graders. Check out the promotional video:

For more apps, check out our 2014 Recommended App archive!

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

2013 Best Books: Self Help

Image by Czarina Alegre. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Czarina Alegre. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

I believe, one of the greatest abilities humans possess is the aptitude to continue to learn and grow from experiences. As the year comes to an end, and with a new one just beginning, this can be an opportunity to reflect on events from 2013. If you are in the process of searching for helpful resources, for yourself and/or your library, CMLE’s book list this week features the Best Books 2013: Self Help, by Library Journal (December 2013.) For additional books, click on the post from O (Oprah) Winter Reading by Leigh Newman, Don’t Go It Alone: 9 Books That Will Help You Clean Up Your Life.  O’s book list inspires and encourage positive changes both personally and professionally.

Special note: According to Brandon Gaille (November 2013), a small business blogger for entrepreneurs, “The self improvement industry [which includes a variety of market segments] is estimated to be worth $11 billion in the United States alone.” Gaille surmised that the American self help book industry is estimated to be worth $776 million.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Selecting an iPad Case

Image by TwelveSouth. Retrieved in Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by TwelveSouth. Retrieved in Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

The biggest selling features of an iPad is its portability and thin, light weight design. However, when you are on the go-to and from conferences, meetings, work and home, it can be tricky protecting any device from scratches and wear. Function meets design in a recent article by Lifehacker. Contributor Allan Henry hit the streets to find iPad specific protective covers. Henry explains why a select few made the list, in the article 5 Best iPad Cases (December 2013.)

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Recommended Apps: Shazam and SoundHound

Image by Berlin Career College. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Berlin Career College. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Have you ever been listening to the radio, heard a great song, and wondered about the title and/or artist? CMLE recommends using Shazam or SoundHound. Both of these apps identify songs and other media utilizing special sound recognition software. Results can be made available  in under a minute, allowing the user to view lyrics with an option to purchase the song. Interested in learning more about a song that you can’t seem to stop singing? SoundHound has an added feature in which the user is able to hum or sing the lyrics to initiate a search.

Note: Both of these products have a free version compatible with Apple, Android and Windows operating systems.

Tip: If you receive a device for the holidays, this is a quick and fun app to kick-start your learning.  Incorporate this technology into a mini research/trivia activity to engage your library users.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Massachusetts eBook Pilot Project

Image by AngryJulieMonday. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by AngryJulieMonday. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Yet another state recently launched a pilot project to provide statewide, equitable  access to eBook content. Fifty-one multitype libraries in Massachusetts will begin a six month pilot to offer eBooks to their communities. This project is an effort to further explore: different eBook lending models,  different platforms, and user experiences too. This project is managed by the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), in cooperation with its vendor partners—Baker & Taylor and BiblioLabs. Funding came from matching funds from MLS and through federal funds provided by the Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS). In Minnesota, a task force is meeting to discuss an eBook summit in 2014  to advance of the conversation of equitable, statewide access to eBooks in Minnesota. Read more about the Massachusetts initiative at MA eBook Project.

Later articles on this project are at

Additional article about MA ebook project….

Yet another article about the MA project