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)

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.comohsharks Tag: TribalLibraryInstitute

Delicious.comohsharks

Back in the early years of the web…things were a lot simpler

Courtesy of the Wayback Machine: http://www.archive.org

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

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)

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

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

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

Free

Easy to update

Outreach

Use instead of a traditional website

Try Twittering 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

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 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

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”

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

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

Share photos of your library with the world

Flickr.com Look for images to freely use and adapt under the Creative Commons License

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

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

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)

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!)

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)

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

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

Ahéhee‘ Thank You! Sandy Littletree [email_address]