Tag Archives: Resources

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Google Cloud Print in Beta!

Printing… from your phone?! If you’re a Windows user and are lucky enough to have an iPhone or an Android smartphone, you can try out this new beta service now! Currently, your options for what to print are limited to select Google services. Additionally, it requires a special beta version of Google Chrome and will only send print jobs to printers that you’ve connected to your Google account. Review PCWorld’s article on this service, and follow the helpful steps they’ve provided to give it a whirl! Or you can bypass the PCWorld article and start directly with Google.

 Let us know how it goes in the comments area!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Staying App-licable with Apps!

An increasing number of libraries are developing applications (apps) for use on mobile smartphones. With a smartphone comes the ability to access a great deal of information and entertainment directly over the phone. More often than not, this information and entertainment comes to the user in the form of an app. Everything from games, to reference resources, to calorie counters, to ebook readers are available.  It’s really amazing what’s out there!

As patrons become increasingly comfortable and dependent upon their mobile phones and apps, it’s up to libraries to respond to this trend and develop apps of their own.

Recently, ALA recognized the Orange County Library System (OCLS) as a cutting edge library system due to their new app called “OCLS Shake It”.  “OCLS Shake It” is a downloadable app for the iPhone and iPad. It allows users to shake or scroll on their iPhone or iPad to have books, videos and other materials “suggested” to them by the library catalog. The app even allows the user to filter their results by genre, audience, and format. How fun is that?! The OCLS currently has five apps to share with patrons. Most of the apps were developed through partnerships with vendors.

Looking for more library apps? Check out this three part article on the top 30 iPhone apps from Ellyssa Kroski’s iLibrarian blog. Ellyssa also just shared Mashable’s  top apps to watch in 2011!

Locally, some of our Minnesota public library systems have an app available for the Overdrive Media Console. The Overdrive Media Console app allows users to read ebooks, listen to audiobooks, and find libraries… all on their smartphone!

What are your thoughts on apps? What are some of your favorites? What types of library apps would you like to see in the future? What types of apps would our patrons LOVE…if only we had them?

Image: ‘apps’ from  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ehecatzin/3287079932/

School Media Specialist

National Geographic Giant Traveling Maps

National Geographic has Giant Traveling Maps available for use by schools. The maps are the largest maps ever produced by National Geographic and require a gym or large room for use. Each map is accompanied by a set of activities and other materials. Currently maps for Africa, Asia, North American and South America are available for loan. Schools can borrow the traveling maps for $450 (for the minimum two-week loan). Each additional week costs $225/week.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Things 63 and 64 are here!

Check out the most recent Things on a Stick Newsletter at http://thingsonasticknews.blogspot.com/. Thing 64, written by Dayle Zelenka from Traverse des Souix Regional Library System/SMILE and Gina Zelenka from Blue Earth County Public Library, is titled Face-to-Face Social Networking for Libraries: Let’s Get Back to Basics. Thing 63, written by Dayle Zelenka as well, focuses on the new Droid X. Check it out now, and be sure to review some of the older posts in the archive – the multitypes were busy this summer bringing you the latest and greatest in technology via the Things on a Stick News Archive!

General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Information Literacy Programming with SCRATCH and SMILE: A CMLE Scholarship

The following report was submitted by a recipient of our new CMLE scholarship program.

Submitted By: Betsy Miller

For generations our family has loved visiting the North Shore.  When I received an email announcing that MINITEX was sponsoring a free workshop in Grand Marais this past August, I decided to attend.  The combination of Lake Superior, learning something new and FREE was definitely a winner.

 The workshop was Information Literacy Programming with SCRATCH and SMILE presented by Jennifer Nelson of the Hennepin County Library and Keith Braafladt of the Science Museum of Minnesota at the Cook County High School Media Center.  They gave us a great deal of information as we experienced a hands-on workshop of practical Web sites I will continue to use.

SCRATCH is new to me but has been around for awhile both in time and geographically as it is used all over the world. It is a programming language used to create interactive stories, games and animations. The home page is found at http://scratch.mit.edu/ giving over a million projects that others have created.  This is also the page where the free download is available for you to begin your own Scratch projects. There are several online tutorials giving you step by step directions to get started or to challenge you once you get going.  As a teacher I find Scratch Ed to be very helpful, http://scratched.media.mit.edu/,  giving resources and ideas for using Scratch in the classroom.

SMILE (Science and Math Informal Learning Educators) was also part of the workshop. This is a great online clearinghouse for math and science activities. The site, http://howtosmile.org/,  partners with the Lawrence Hall of Science, Exploratorium, New York Hall of Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Children’s Museum of Houston to bring activities of all kinds to kids of all ages.