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.)
Library Technology Conference 2014 registration will open on
Thursday, December 12, 2013, at noon, 12:00 PM CST.
Registration is limited to no more than 450 total participants. Once this level of participation is reached, registration will be CLOSED! Please register early in order to ensure your spot at the conference.
The 2014 conference will be held on March 19-20, 2014 at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN.
This year’s Library Technology Conference is again intended to provide an opportunity for library professionals and the technologists who support them to discuss the technologies that are affecting library services; to see examples of what libraries are doing with these technologies; and to provide a venue where participants can learn specific skills or knowledge that they can take back and adapt for use within their own libraries. The number of conference participants will be limited to no more than 450 in order to help ensure a quality conference experience and to help facilitate the interactive and hands-on nature of many of the sessions.
The two-day conference features two keynote speakers, Mita Williams and Barbara Fister, and will also include more than 60 conference sessions – traditional lecture-style sessions, hands-on/workshop sessions, interactive technology dialogue sessions, and poster sessions. From appification of information to tips for becoming a training video star, a wide range of library technology-related topics are covered during Lib Tech 2014 sessions.
We hope that you and other staff from your library will make plans to join us for this conference! For more information, visit the conference website.
Have additional questions or need more information? Please contact us at libtechconference@macalester.edu
Information in this posting was released by Minitex Tuesday, December 10, 2013 3:23 PM
Amazon is taking the phrase “special delivery” very seriously.
A recent article in MIT Technology Review (December 2013), discusses Amazon’s interest in launching a new delivery system using drones. Although this service is continuing to be researched, it has already been proven to be feasible. In 2012, these mini, propeller-based aircraft were used to deliver supplies to refugee camps in Haiti. Click here to read the full article by David Talbot titled: Separating Hype from Reality on Amazon’s Drones.
Fun facts: Specific to Amazon, Econsultancy (December 2013) released online holiday shopping statistics for this year in comparison to 2012.
Minnesota Educational and Media Organization (MEMO) has developed a list of Information and Technology Literacy Standards highlighting 21st century skills necessary to bridge K-12 and higher education expectations for students. The standards for grades 9-12 include;
As a library media specialist, how do you effectively teach these skills? This November, author Terry Heick shares several approaches to frame and effectively delivery content. The article, 11 Brilliant Ways To Frame Critical Content: A Complexities Chart discusses patterns, cultural trends, themes and more. At the bottom of the post Heick notes, “This isn’t an either/or proposition…take a standard–or concept behind a standard–and “refract” it through whichever of the following Depth or Complexity made the most sense according to that student’s knowledge-level.”
As an additional resource, TeachThought also published a visual information graphic on how to gauge understanding between a teacher and the learner(s.) Click here to view 27 Simple Ways To Check For Understanding, November 2013.
Have you now downloaded iOS7 and gotten somewhat acclimated to the new operating system? If you haven’t done it yet, you may want to review our recent post about the Apple iOS7 Guide. Then, if ready to download, allow ample time as it is a big download and simultaneous downloads have caused a few school servers to crash! So, theoretically, you should now be competent in the iOS7 world, right? If not, read on….
Make Use Of is a site that makes complicated things seem simple and they have come through again! According to them, since being on iOS7, “If you find yourself fumbling with your iPhone to make a simple phone call, locate and launch an app, set a reminder or wake-up alarm then you’re probably not using Siri enough. If you still don’t know about Siri or you’re new to the iPhone or iPad, Siri allows you to issue voice commands on your device, saving you the trouble of all the tapping, typing, and searching by hand.” See Do More With Siri Using the New iOS7 Siri Commands to learn more about getting Siri’s assistance.
I can’t help but notice that the Kindle Fire now has a Mayday button which brings “Amy” up on the screen to assist you in using your Kindle, and you just can’t help but like her! I know that many libraries use chat to assist patrons, but maybe we also need the face-to-face help! Something to think about…..
