Rebecca Miller and Heather Moorefield-Lang presented on various tools for faculty including citation management tools (Endnote, Zotero, Mendeley), cloud storage options, research tools, task management, and presentation tools. They discussed the strengths and weaknesses of popular citation managers and cloud storage services. They also provided guidance on setting up search alerts and RSS feeds from databases and researchers. A variety of polling, concept mapping, and presentation tools were introduced as well.

1. Rebecca K. Miller
Heather Moorefield-Lang
Faculty Development Institute
Virginia Tech
November 2011

2. Rebecca is the College Librarian for Science,
Life Sciences, and Engineering
Heather is the College Librarian for Education
and Applied Social Sciences

3.  Citation
Management Tools
 Organization & Task Management Tools
 Cloud Storage
 Research & Information Management
 On-the-Fly Data Gathering Tools
 Presentation Tools
Q & A

4.  EndNote
 Zotero
 Mendeley

5. Strengths:
• Very sophisticated, robust product
• Available to all faculty and students at VT through a site
license
• No space limit for PDFs and other attachments
• Supported by VT Libraries, and a strong network of
other users
• Cite While You Write feature
Weaknesses:
• Steep(ish) learning curve
• No group/shared library function
• No real web component (other than EndNote Web)
• Expense (if researcher leaves VT)

6. Image from: http://www.hsl.unc.edu/Services/Tutorials/ENDNOTE/Get_started.htm

7. Strengths:
• Group library function
• Free
• Open source
• Intuitive/ease of use
• Cite While You Write Plug-ing
• Includes stand-alone & web-based components
• Syncing across devices
• Active user community
Weaknesses:
• 100 MB limit for attachments
• Support (since it’s not proprietary)

8. In your browser
On the web

9. Strengths:
• Free
• Desktop & web-based versions
• Syncing across devices
• Cite While You Write plug-in
• Social networking aspect
• Has an iPad/iPhone app
Weaknesses:
• 500 MB limit for attachments
• Support

10. This is the “web”
side—Mendeley
also has a desktop
version that will
sync with your
“web” version and
make sure that you
always have a local
copy of your library.

11. From: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/lls/choose_citation_mgr.html

12. The collaboration
aspect is HUGE.
Consider whether or
not the tool is
capable of creating
group or shared
libraries.

13.  Evernote
 LiveBinders
 Instapaper
 To-Do List Tools

14.  Easy to add in notes,
bookmarks, sites,
anything you want to
remember
 Create notebooks to
categorize your material
 Use multiple devices

15.  Download an
Evernote Web
clipper that will
be a part of your
toolbar. Click on
it to save any
website.
Designate
notebooks.

16. • Allows you to organize webpages,
images, videos, and other documents
• Includes an easy web clipper
• You can view examples of LiveBinders
that have been made public:
http://livebinders.com/welcome
• Great for collaboration, organizing
websites and other resources
• Often used as resource guides for
students or within instruction

18. Instapaper gives you a “read later” bookmark
You clip webpages, and then read them when you
have the time!
Instapaper is available on laptops, desktops,
iPhone, iPad, and e-readers

20.  Remember the Milk
 Toodledo
 TeuxDeux
 Todo.ly
 42Tasks

21. • Syncs with Google,
Outlook, Twitter, the RMT
app
• Collaboration/sharing
lists and tasks
• Data can be backed
up/exported

22. • Integrates with Google, outlook
• Data can be backed up/exported
• Has collaboration/share option
• Has many levels of organization
• Has a strong user forum

23. • Simple, minimalistic
• Tasks roll over from
day to day
• Does not integrate
with Google Calendar
or Outlook, but is
accessible via the
www and its app

24. Manage projects
and share with
others.
Assign tasks to
yourself or to
others and monitor
them.
Multiple
platforms from
desktop to
various
Smartphone
apps.

25. Simple to do
lists.
Organize by
project
Simple drag
and drop
features
Easy Edit

26.  Dropbox
 SugarSync
 AeroFS
 Box.net

27.  EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. (2011). 7 things you should know
about…organizing files in the cloud. Retrieved from
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7073.pdf
 Pinola, M. (2011). Dropbox v. the alternatives: which one is right for you?
Lifehacker. Retrieved from http://lifehacker.com/5818908/dropbox-vs-the-
alternatives-which-online-syncing-service-is-right-for-you
 Summary:
• Consider how much storage space you will need
• Consider the security and privacy issues
• Consider collaboration
• Consider syncing
• Consider organization options

28. 2 GB of space free
Store anything
you need to
save. Access it
from anywhere.
Share in groups/
collaborate

29. 5 GB for free
 Sync across devices
 Folder selections & privacy settings at the
folder level
 Collaboration and sharing at the folder
level
 Includes media streaming

30.  Stillin early beta
 Shares data across your devices
(unlimited amount of “storage”)
 Gives you an option of whether you want it
backed up in the cloud
 File sharing at the folder level

31. 5 GB storage space free
 Mobile app access
 Sharing and collaboration at the folder
level
 No password protected sharing at the free
level
 Syncing across devices

32.  LibX
 Email search alerts & RSS feeds
• Addison
• Summon
• PubMed
• Engineering Village
• Ebsco
• Google
 RSS readers
 Google Scholar

33. Develop here at Virginia Tech Libraries, LibX
is a tool used by libraries around the world in
order to help their users gain access to their
resources as efficiently as possible.
It lives in your browser, and quickly connects
you to VT Libraries information resources.
http://www.lib.vt.edu/libX/

34.  Read about RSS feeds:
http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/alerts/rss/
 Read about email alerts:
http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/alerts/publisher/i
ndex.html

35. Help page:
http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/alerts/books/addison.html

37. View the tutorial on RSS in Summon:
http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/screencasts/summon/summon-rss-feeds.html

38. PubMed offers BOTH email alerts and RSS feeds for saved searches.
You must create a (free) account with MyNCBI to do this.

39. Schedule your alerts.
Determine the format.

41. To save a search and generate an email alert or an RSS feed in
Engineering Village, you need to create a (free) account in
Engineering Village.

42. Set up your alerts in your
saved searches area.

43. RSS Feed for a Search

44. Save
Searches
and alerts
Mark
search

45.  Sign up for an Ebsco Account
 Free for VT users
 Can create alerts
 Can save searches
 Very user friendly

46.  Simply go to: http://www.google.com/alerts

47.  Google Reader
 Outlook
 Other Readers

48.  Associated with your Google account
 Is available as a gadget

49. Use your email client to have RSS
feeds delivered directly to your
inbox

50.  Web
• Bloglines
• My Yahoo!
• NewsGator
 Windows
• FeedDemon
• Awasu
 Mac OS X
• NetNewsWire
 Mobile devices
• Viigo
• Search for more apps!

51. You can use Google Scholar to help find VT Libraries
resources and send citations to your reference
manager.
You can set your preferences so that it works for you…

53.  Poll
Everywhere
 Answer Garden

54. • Free for up to 40 responders
• Saves data until you clear it out
• Does not allow response monitoring with the free version

56. Creates word clouds
from answers.
Can text or type in
answers.
It is completely
free.
Have the option to
do multiple choice
as well.

57.  PortableApps
 Prezi
 SpicyNodes

58. If you find yourself using computers that
are not yours, PortableApps ensures that
you have the software you need to run
the programs that you need, including:
• Browsers
• Office apps (e.g., Word)
• Multimedia apps (e.g., Audacity)
View the full list of available portable
apps: http://portableapps.com/apps

59. Online presentation
tool with a paid
desktop option
Zooming, sweeping
movement in
presentation.
100 MB free for
educators. Low pro
cost for educators.

60. Concept Map
presentation tool
Completely free
for individuals

61. Contact us:
 Rebecca Miller
millerrk@vt.edu
http://rebeccakatemiller.com
 Heather Moorefield-Lang
hmlang@vt.edu
http://actinginthelibrary.com