Free Cool Web-Based Tools For You and Your Library
(organized in 11 broad categories)
Sandy Littletree
2008 National Institute for Tribal Libraries
October 21, 2008
We all use the web, but do you USE the web?
Are you taking advantage of all it has to offer?
My goals for today…
• Introduce (or reintroduce) you to some free cool tools
• Get y’all thinking about how you can start exploring tools you can– Use for yourself
– Or show to your patrons and community
(yes, I said y’all)
Have your own cool tools presentation
(Plus, it makes you look cool when you know about a few cool
tools)
Bookmarked sites
• Delicious.com\ohsharks Tag: TribalLibraryInstitute
Back in the early years of the web…things were a lot simpler
• Courtesy of the Wayback Machine: http://www.archive.org
What’s the deal with Web2.0 and Library2.0?
It’s all about customization and interaction
Web2.0
Basic cool tools
Category #1: Web Browsers
Moving beyond Internet Explorer
• Firefox!
• Addins, plugins, themes, extensions
Did you know…
• With Firefox addons, you can– Transform your browser into a 3D experience– Have one place to manage your social
networking sites– Add a toolbar to just search music– Select any word and choose from powerful
commands (Hyperwords)– The list continues (over 5,000 add-ons)
Introducing a new kid on the block…
The Ultimate Web2.0
Category #2: Social Networking Sites
Ning = social network for anything
Second Life
• Professional Networking
• Job searching
• Recommendations
• Gets your name out there
• Tell people who are looking for a professional job
Tools to Communicate with Patrons
Category #3: Chat Reference Services
Chat reference service• Have a screen
name just for the library
• Tell people what your screen name is
• Connect with patrons who aren’t able to come to the library
Embed a Meebo Widget
Everyone’s Doing It
Category #4: Blogs
Why use blogs?
• Free
• Easy to update
• Outreach
• Use instead of a traditional website
Try Twitterin
g
Let people know
what’s going on in your library
Ideas for using your library blog or Twitter account
• Post news, library events, community events, websites of interest
• Encourage comments
• Reuse content
• Repeat important information
Blog Search Engines and RSS Feed Readers
• Google Reader www.google.com/reader
• Netvibes www.netvibes.com
• Bloglines www.bloglines.com
• NetNewsWire (for Mac OS X) | www.newsgator.com
• BlogScope | www.blogscope.net
• BlogBridge | www.blogbridge.com
Google Reader
Ask them!
Category #5: Surveys and Polls
Survey Tools
• Gather information to do a community analysis
• Can still do print surveys—just do data entry to analyze the results
• Insert in your library’s blog, facebook page, website, etc
Find and Recommend Books
Category #6: Book sharing sites
Find and Recommend Books
• Librarything.com – Catalog your books– Find people with similar books and tastes– Librarything for libraries
• Goodreads.com– Share books with friends– Create virtual bookshelves: “to-read”;
“Southern fiction”
Discover, remember, recommend, share websites
Category #7: Bookmark Managers
• Firefox extension
• Citation management of websites, pdfs, files, images, links
Start Stumbling
Find, Create, Store Images
Category #8: Public Images
Explore Public Photos
• Share photos of your library with the world
Flickr.com
• Look for images to freely use and adapt under the Creative Commons License
Do Things with Your Images
• Slideshows: add to blog or website
• Moo: make business cards, stickers
• Qoop: Mash-up tools and templates
• ImageChef.com: Customize photos
• Zazzle: shirts, bags, mousepads, mugs
• Imagegenerator.org: Free custom graphics
ImageChef.com
Wordle.net
The Voice and Face of the Community
Category #9: Podcasts and Videocasts
Podcasting
• Record storytimes
• Record elders and their stories
• Indian Humor (clean, of course)
• Make tutorials for using the library resources
• Add to your blog or website
Videocasting
Avidemux
(free video editor)
Ideas for video casting
• Book reviews
• Library programs
• Library promotion : I love my tribal library videos
• Youtube (imagine searching youtube for “tribal library” and finding lots of videos showing what you all do!)
Get Google-fied!
Category #10: Google Tools
Google Calculator = Timesaver
Just enter a basic math problem in the toolbar(you don’t even have to press enter)
More Cool Tools
Category #11: More stuff to share if there’s time
• Internet Archives and the WaybackMachine
• WorldCat.org (free; plug-in available for Firefox)
• Internet Public Library: www.ipl.org • LibX.org (browser plugin for libraries) • LibraryElf.com (track your library books)• LibriVox: Free audio books of public
domain books• HowjSay.com (pronunciation guide)
Final Thoughts
• Slow or no internet connections– Encourage technology development
• You don’t have to be an expert on all the tools
• Recommend the LibrarianInBlack.net blog
Recommended
