Social Media Management Tools
I'm going to be honest here. I am very deliberately choosing to not do this thing. I'm on Facebook, but no other social media site - on purpose. Perhaps I should be on LinkedIn, but I'm not interested in Twitter or Foursquare and am not going to create a profile to finish this thing. Even if I were on another site, I wouldn't want one update to cross platforms. What I post on Facebook isn't relevant or necessarily advisable to post on LinkedIn. And I don't want to tell everyone where I am when I'm out and about. I work hard to maintain what I consider a reasonable level of privacy.
I enjoy Facebook and am certainly online enough because of work - and that's part of it. I want to use social media, not have it use me. It's far too easy to spend hours and hours with this, and I just have too many other things to do! I haven't even installed the Facebook app on my smartphone - again on purpose. This way, when I sign in, it's deliberate, and not something I'm doing to pass the time and ignore what's going on around me. Truly, it's just not that important to get the latest cute cat picture right now instead of tonight at 9. There are times I've been disconnected from any social media for a week and not felt like I've missed anything important. So why add to it?
Saturday, April 19, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 9
Taking and Editing Photos
Photo Editor by Aviary
I tried this one and just wasn't wild about it. Yes, I could add some frames around a photo, or put in a caption or some other stuff, but it wasn't really photo editing as I think of it. You can't crop a picture, or reduce red eye or other fairly standard edits. I did manage to lighten a really dark picture I took somewhat, and had some fun playing with another shot, but I found the interface kind of clunky. I added a caption in the wrong place - because you couldn't see it against the background - but didn't realize it until I'd moved on to another function. Then the app wouldn't let me go back and change the caption - either to move it, or, as I recall, to change the font color. I ended up deleting all the changes and starting over. I can see teens having fun playing with it, and perhaps I'll use it to alter pictures for publicizing a program, but it won't be something I use on any kind of regular basis.
I did happen to find another website (not an app) I used once and will likely use again. I wanted to combine four pictures into one. www.quickpicturetools.com was just the ticket. It took a few tries to get it to work, but pretty soon I had my four combined images.
Photo Editor by Aviary
I tried this one and just wasn't wild about it. Yes, I could add some frames around a photo, or put in a caption or some other stuff, but it wasn't really photo editing as I think of it. You can't crop a picture, or reduce red eye or other fairly standard edits. I did manage to lighten a really dark picture I took somewhat, and had some fun playing with another shot, but I found the interface kind of clunky. I added a caption in the wrong place - because you couldn't see it against the background - but didn't realize it until I'd moved on to another function. Then the app wouldn't let me go back and change the caption - either to move it, or, as I recall, to change the font color. I ended up deleting all the changes and starting over. I can see teens having fun playing with it, and perhaps I'll use it to alter pictures for publicizing a program, but it won't be something I use on any kind of regular basis.
I did happen to find another website (not an app) I used once and will likely use again. I wanted to combine four pictures into one. www.quickpicturetools.com was just the ticket. It took a few tries to get it to work, but pretty soon I had my four combined images.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 7
Content Saving
I've used Pinterest for a couple of years now, nearly always for work. It's great! Since local libraries no longer use the CSLP program, with its suggested activities manual, I tend to get stuck. What does one do for Bookawocky? The term doesn't lend itself to inspiration. Pinterest to the rescue! I can troll it for ideas from others using the CSLP program, and have found great stuff that way. I've found lots of inexpensive or free things I can do with my teen patrons, too, critical given my small budget. I had a Hunger Games party and found ideas for that as well. It's so nice for collecting items like this. I really only have one board that's personal, and I use it for recipes.
I downloaded the mobile app. I can't see myself using it much. Other than taking a bit to figure out how to get to my pins and boards, it looks much the same as the full app. But it's that searching for content on my little screen, instead of a full one... I like multiple windows, too. And honestly, an 8 step procedure to pin a page on my phone is a bit much. Since I use the site mostly for work, I do most of my work on it at, well, work!
I've used Pinterest for a couple of years now, nearly always for work. It's great! Since local libraries no longer use the CSLP program, with its suggested activities manual, I tend to get stuck. What does one do for Bookawocky? The term doesn't lend itself to inspiration. Pinterest to the rescue! I can troll it for ideas from others using the CSLP program, and have found great stuff that way. I've found lots of inexpensive or free things I can do with my teen patrons, too, critical given my small budget. I had a Hunger Games party and found ideas for that as well. It's so nice for collecting items like this. I really only have one board that's personal, and I use it for recipes.
I downloaded the mobile app. I can't see myself using it much. Other than taking a bit to figure out how to get to my pins and boards, it looks much the same as the full app. But it's that searching for content on my little screen, instead of a full one... I like multiple windows, too. And honestly, an 8 step procedure to pin a page on my phone is a bit much. Since I use the site mostly for work, I do most of my work on it at, well, work!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 4
Keeping Up
I started this thing pretty skeptical of the whole Flipboard app. And then I struggled a bit figuring out how it worked. I finished setting my account up pretty sure I'd close my account after finishing this blog. But now I think maybe not.
I found the instructions for Flipboard incomplete, both the ones on the 23 Things site and on the Flipboard site. Perhaps it's obvious to more experience users, but it took me a while to figure out the difference between creating my own magazine and subscribing to something. In creating a magazine (at least the best I can figure it), you add articles of interest to a magazine about that subject. And nothing else gets added until you do it. When you subsribe to something, say a blog, it shows up under "My subscriptions" and you then receive new items as they come in. Once I got that straight, it all got a lot easier. It still took me a while to get the magazine part right, as I didn't realize you swipe up to get down to the cover to see your list of articles, so I kept thinking I wasn't adding anything.
I usually read all my work related feeds at, well, work, so having them available anywhere on my phone isn't a huge draw. But in looking over my subscriptions today in preparation for writing this, I realized it's a pretty nice way to get blog content. I can sit and read it at work. And maybe somewhere else if I'm stuck in line... I took a look at the news feed, too, and found a couple of things of interest to me there, so I might continue looking at it once in a while. The nice thing about the news feed is that, at least on the articles I looked at, it actually connects to articles of substance. It's not the crappy one paragraph stuff you see on news websites or yahoo or whatever - it's really got some body to it.
Color me surprised on this one - I may end up a fan after all.
I started this thing pretty skeptical of the whole Flipboard app. And then I struggled a bit figuring out how it worked. I finished setting my account up pretty sure I'd close my account after finishing this blog. But now I think maybe not.
I found the instructions for Flipboard incomplete, both the ones on the 23 Things site and on the Flipboard site. Perhaps it's obvious to more experience users, but it took me a while to figure out the difference between creating my own magazine and subscribing to something. In creating a magazine (at least the best I can figure it), you add articles of interest to a magazine about that subject. And nothing else gets added until you do it. When you subsribe to something, say a blog, it shows up under "My subscriptions" and you then receive new items as they come in. Once I got that straight, it all got a lot easier. It still took me a while to get the magazine part right, as I didn't realize you swipe up to get down to the cover to see your list of articles, so I kept thinking I wasn't adding anything.
I usually read all my work related feeds at, well, work, so having them available anywhere on my phone isn't a huge draw. But in looking over my subscriptions today in preparation for writing this, I realized it's a pretty nice way to get blog content. I can sit and read it at work. And maybe somewhere else if I'm stuck in line... I took a look at the news feed, too, and found a couple of things of interest to me there, so I might continue looking at it once in a while. The nice thing about the news feed is that, at least on the articles I looked at, it actually connects to articles of substance. It's not the crappy one paragraph stuff you see on news websites or yahoo or whatever - it's really got some body to it.
Color me surprised on this one - I may end up a fan after all.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 3
Utilities
I went on vacation recently, and tried out two of the utilities suggested for this thing. One I like and one I thought was pretty darn useless.
The useless one? Google Goggles. I know, it's hard to believe - a Google product not worth much. But that's my experience with it. I've read other reviews, and, while a number of people like it, just as many feel as I do. It looks easy to use, but it sure didn't deliver. In theory, you open the app, and point your device at whatever you want to identify or get more information about. The app scans across the screen and supposedly tells you what you're seeing, with links to related websites. We visited San Francisco on our trip, and I tried Google Goggles on both the Coit Tower and the Transamerica building. The program recognized neither of them. Now I'll grant you the Coit Tower, while very well known in SF, might not be well enough known to make Goggle's database. I do know they've been to SF, as the Golden Gate Bridge is in their tutorial! But the Transamerica building? Even if you don't know the name, I bet you've seen pictures of it. It is to SF what the Empire State Building is to New York City. The best Google Goggles could do, and that was through the GPS on my phone, was show me where I was on the map. Not quite what I was hoping for.
I had more success with the RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner. We also visited Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. I scanned the QR code at the steam vents and went to this page:
So why, you ask, does a QR code take you to this page? Well, this is a park with active volcanoes. And volcanoes emit dangerous gases. Those gases concentrate in different areas of the park, depending on the wind's direction. The park's public facilities were built with the prevailing trade winds in mind, keeping visitors upwind of the most dangerous gases most of the time. One section of road is totally shut off since an eruption in 2008, as it's too dangerous too often - it's that serious. And note I said most of the time. Winds do shift, and there can be dangerous levels of gases and particulates anywhere in the park. Rangers actually carry portable detectors with them that will beep if levels rise out of a certain range. Pregnant women and those with certain health conditions in particular must be aware of what's happening to protect themselves. Having QR codes scattered throughout the park - much of which is far, far away from the rangers - allows visitors to make sure the air is still safe. I'm guessing this might be among the more unusual uses of this app reported here!
We've also used readers to get to calorie counts on restaurant menus - handy when you're trying to track your intake. My library has a geocache that utilizes a code, and one of our other librarians created a code to get teens to a video book talk. I can see creating codes to lead patrons to information about upcoming programs, or to connect to more information about something we're doing. It would likely work best for teens, who are comfortable with the technology and unafraid of experimenting.
I went on vacation recently, and tried out two of the utilities suggested for this thing. One I like and one I thought was pretty darn useless.
 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coit_Tower |
 |
| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transamerica_Pyramid_July_2007.jpg |
I had more success with the RedLaser Barcode and QR Scanner. We also visited Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. I scanned the QR code at the steam vents and went to this page:
 |
| http://www.hawaiiso2network.com/havoalert.php |
We've also used readers to get to calorie counts on restaurant menus - handy when you're trying to track your intake. My library has a geocache that utilizes a code, and one of our other librarians created a code to get teens to a video book talk. I can see creating codes to lead patrons to information about upcoming programs, or to connect to more information about something we're doing. It would likely work best for teens, who are comfortable with the technology and unafraid of experimenting.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 11
Library & Reference
I tried out the Washington County mobile library app. I think that makes sense, since I work there and am thus familiar with what they offer and can judge what kind of access the app gives. And it's likely the only one I'd use, since I rarely use any other system these days.
I like the app. I found it intuitive to navigate and easy to read. The designers did a good job of not cluttering the screen and keeping things easy to read. The groupings are logical, with such headings at Search the Catalog, eBooks, My Account, Ask a Librarian, Locations and Hours. Tapping one heading opens up further options.
I hadn't know the app had a barcode reader (BookLook) that lets you scan a barcode and see if the library owns the book. I tried it out - way cool. It took me a bit to get the little window on the screen focused right on the barcode, but as soon as I did, the phone read the code and told me the library did indeed have it. No need to tell the app "go" - it's just that smart. I could easily have put the book on hold from there, but didn't, as I only wanted to see it work. I searched the catalog as well, again not putting anything on hold. I looked at the ebook function, but didn't go too far with it. Using it requires downloading yet another app, and, since I have no intention of reading an entire book on my phone, I chose to not install it. I find reading long things on my phone irritating, with the constant scrolling, plus keeping the font small enough to fit a reasonable amount on the page makes it too small for me to comfortably read for any length of time. But it did all look easy to do! I did not see any way to access the library's databases. My guess is that this sort of use is too complex to be done easily on something as small as a phone's screen. How would you manage to display of all the search parameters most databases offer? But the app could offer information about them, so users know they exist, what areas they cover and how to access them using another source. I also didn't see links to our reading pages/lists or Zinio. Again, my guess is this was done to keep the interface clean and intuitive, but not making any mention of them may well mean some users have no idea we offer these services. On the other hand, not mentioning something they can't access from a mobile device may keep frustration at a minimum!
Another heading allows you to explore classes, programs and events offered by the system. You can choose from several sorting options, such as age or branch. Since I concentrate on teen programming, I picked that. Again, it was easy to scroll through the offerings. But I didn't see a way to sort by branch and age, or any other combo. That might just make things too complicated on a small screen. To get detailed information about an event, the user simply taps the title. A link from the detail page allows registration in just one more tap.
Signing into my account was, again, simple and intuitive. It's a great way to see where you stand.
Honestly, I don't see myself using this much, although I think it's a great idea, given the predominance of mobile devices right now. I'm in the catalog all the time when I'm at work anyway, and don't see much point in pulling out my phone to put something on hold when I can just use the keyboard in front of my face! I might use the barcode reader if I find a book somewhere and want to get it, but that's probably about it. Maybe check on my account. If I didn't work here, I'm sure I'd use it more, as it's faster than turning on my computer at home and logging in. But, as it is, I see only limited use for me.
I tried out the Washington County mobile library app. I think that makes sense, since I work there and am thus familiar with what they offer and can judge what kind of access the app gives. And it's likely the only one I'd use, since I rarely use any other system these days.
I like the app. I found it intuitive to navigate and easy to read. The designers did a good job of not cluttering the screen and keeping things easy to read. The groupings are logical, with such headings at Search the Catalog, eBooks, My Account, Ask a Librarian, Locations and Hours. Tapping one heading opens up further options.
I hadn't know the app had a barcode reader (BookLook) that lets you scan a barcode and see if the library owns the book. I tried it out - way cool. It took me a bit to get the little window on the screen focused right on the barcode, but as soon as I did, the phone read the code and told me the library did indeed have it. No need to tell the app "go" - it's just that smart. I could easily have put the book on hold from there, but didn't, as I only wanted to see it work. I searched the catalog as well, again not putting anything on hold. I looked at the ebook function, but didn't go too far with it. Using it requires downloading yet another app, and, since I have no intention of reading an entire book on my phone, I chose to not install it. I find reading long things on my phone irritating, with the constant scrolling, plus keeping the font small enough to fit a reasonable amount on the page makes it too small for me to comfortably read for any length of time. But it did all look easy to do! I did not see any way to access the library's databases. My guess is that this sort of use is too complex to be done easily on something as small as a phone's screen. How would you manage to display of all the search parameters most databases offer? But the app could offer information about them, so users know they exist, what areas they cover and how to access them using another source. I also didn't see links to our reading pages/lists or Zinio. Again, my guess is this was done to keep the interface clean and intuitive, but not making any mention of them may well mean some users have no idea we offer these services. On the other hand, not mentioning something they can't access from a mobile device may keep frustration at a minimum!
Another heading allows you to explore classes, programs and events offered by the system. You can choose from several sorting options, such as age or branch. Since I concentrate on teen programming, I picked that. Again, it was easy to scroll through the offerings. But I didn't see a way to sort by branch and age, or any other combo. That might just make things too complicated on a small screen. To get detailed information about an event, the user simply taps the title. A link from the detail page allows registration in just one more tap.
Signing into my account was, again, simple and intuitive. It's a great way to see where you stand.
Honestly, I don't see myself using this much, although I think it's a great idea, given the predominance of mobile devices right now. I'm in the catalog all the time when I'm at work anyway, and don't see much point in pulling out my phone to put something on hold when I can just use the keyboard in front of my face! I might use the barcode reader if I find a book somewhere and want to get it, but that's probably about it. Maybe check on my account. If I didn't work here, I'm sure I'd use it more, as it's faster than turning on my computer at home and logging in. But, as it is, I see only limited use for me.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
23 Mobile Things: Thing 17
Connecting to Community
Going Out (Star Tribune)
I have to be honest and say I don't see myself using this one a whole lot. For one thing, many of the categories it has (Music & Clubs, Family Entertainment) aren't things that interest me much. We're not into the music/club scene and no longer have young children at home. We could use the segments for Movies and Restaurants & Bars - those are certainly possible. But I remain skeptical. How are items chosen? I can't find anything that says. In the case of Best Bets, clearly Star Tribune columnists are writing those, and that's fine. But what about restaurant listings? Who decides what makes it and what doesn't? More on this later.
The movie listings are certainly convenient if you're on the go, or not on a computer already. You can search by theater location or movie. Once you find what you need, there are links for theater websites and to showtimes, etc. You can reserve tickets right from here - handy. You get a short description of a movie, too, along with some review info (Rotten Tomatoes). Going Out also offers links to nearby resturants, and that's where I start to not like the site. I looked at the theater we go to most often and clicked on the restaurant link. There are at least four restaurants within a few blocks not listed. One of them is an Applebee's, so not exactly a small mom-and-pop operation that might slip under the radar. So does the Star Tribune get paid for who's listed? Is it based on staffer choice? If the latter, then why are many other Applebee's restaurants listed when you search by name, but not this one? And that's another quibble. While a few of them list city names in the title, most don't. How on earth are you supposed to find the one nearest you? Well, you can do some combining of categories. For example, you can choose "south suburbs" and then search for the name of a chain. I'm just not sure where the area I live falls in their categories... And what if you're traveling and don't know the local name describing where you are? It just seems to me you could miss an awful lot of good places that don't manage to make it into this app. The app also doesn't list all entries at once - I think it's 10 at a time. And they're not in alphabetical order - I have no idea what the order is, which, again, makes me wonder about how those decisions are made.
I do like being able to put in the name of a play or movie and find out where it is and all the relevant info, complete with maps and reservation links. It's convenient. But I get the paper every day anyway (that's clearly where most of it comes from - and, yes, I know I'm a dinosaur), so it's not uber useful to me.
Another problem: When searching for something like a play, with multiple dates, Going Out creates a separate item for each date, so a given play might show up a dozen times. And the date isn't visible in the title. Why not create one item for the play itself, with further links to performance dates/times?
Saint Paul Historical
Now this is an app I can see myself using. I'm a history geek, so this is right up my alley. I also live in St. Paul, so it's doubly golden.
I don't see any need to reinvent the wheel, so here, from their website (http://saintpaulhistorical.com/about), is what they're about:
Brought to you by Historic Saint Paul, Saint Paul Historical is a free mobile app that puts Saint Paul's history at your fingertips. Explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped the city's history. Click on any point on the interactive map to read historical narratives and to view images. Take curated historical tours of Saint Paul and share our stories and your experience using social media. Follow the project on Twitter @STPhistorical. ***ABOUT HISTORIC SAINT PAUL Historic Saint Paul was founded in 1998 by a group of committed citizens, with assistance from the City of Saint Paul. Our mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the historic character of Saint Paul neighborhoods. Historic Saint Paul works in partnership with private owners, community organizations, and public agencies to leverage Saint Paul’s cultural and historic resources as assets in economic development and community building initiatives. Historic Saint Paul envisions that our preservation work will result in an increased cultural, economic, and social value for the city. ***This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota through the Minnesota Historical Society from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.***
When you open the app, a map of the Twin Cities comes up, with a plethora of red pins all over St. Paul. Enlarge the map as needed until you can pick out individual pins. Click on the pin, and go to information about the particular building or area, along with pictures, some historic and some modern. The site also has guided tours. Pull up the menu (however that's done on your device) and choose Go To Tours. Pick a tour and there you go. It walks you through an area of the city, with different chapters for different segments of the tour. I imagine that's to make it easier to find the specific area you're looking for, instead of having to scan a really long document on what's likely a small screen.
Minneapolis has something similar at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/landmarks/WCMS1P-080694, but, as far as I can tell, they don't have a mobile app.
Going Out (Star Tribune)
I have to be honest and say I don't see myself using this one a whole lot. For one thing, many of the categories it has (Music & Clubs, Family Entertainment) aren't things that interest me much. We're not into the music/club scene and no longer have young children at home. We could use the segments for Movies and Restaurants & Bars - those are certainly possible. But I remain skeptical. How are items chosen? I can't find anything that says. In the case of Best Bets, clearly Star Tribune columnists are writing those, and that's fine. But what about restaurant listings? Who decides what makes it and what doesn't? More on this later.
The movie listings are certainly convenient if you're on the go, or not on a computer already. You can search by theater location or movie. Once you find what you need, there are links for theater websites and to showtimes, etc. You can reserve tickets right from here - handy. You get a short description of a movie, too, along with some review info (Rotten Tomatoes). Going Out also offers links to nearby resturants, and that's where I start to not like the site. I looked at the theater we go to most often and clicked on the restaurant link. There are at least four restaurants within a few blocks not listed. One of them is an Applebee's, so not exactly a small mom-and-pop operation that might slip under the radar. So does the Star Tribune get paid for who's listed? Is it based on staffer choice? If the latter, then why are many other Applebee's restaurants listed when you search by name, but not this one? And that's another quibble. While a few of them list city names in the title, most don't. How on earth are you supposed to find the one nearest you? Well, you can do some combining of categories. For example, you can choose "south suburbs" and then search for the name of a chain. I'm just not sure where the area I live falls in their categories... And what if you're traveling and don't know the local name describing where you are? It just seems to me you could miss an awful lot of good places that don't manage to make it into this app. The app also doesn't list all entries at once - I think it's 10 at a time. And they're not in alphabetical order - I have no idea what the order is, which, again, makes me wonder about how those decisions are made.
I do like being able to put in the name of a play or movie and find out where it is and all the relevant info, complete with maps and reservation links. It's convenient. But I get the paper every day anyway (that's clearly where most of it comes from - and, yes, I know I'm a dinosaur), so it's not uber useful to me.
Another problem: When searching for something like a play, with multiple dates, Going Out creates a separate item for each date, so a given play might show up a dozen times. And the date isn't visible in the title. Why not create one item for the play itself, with further links to performance dates/times?
Saint Paul Historical
Now this is an app I can see myself using. I'm a history geek, so this is right up my alley. I also live in St. Paul, so it's doubly golden.
I don't see any need to reinvent the wheel, so here, from their website (http://saintpaulhistorical.com/about), is what they're about:
Brought to you by Historic Saint Paul, Saint Paul Historical is a free mobile app that puts Saint Paul's history at your fingertips. Explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped the city's history. Click on any point on the interactive map to read historical narratives and to view images. Take curated historical tours of Saint Paul and share our stories and your experience using social media. Follow the project on Twitter @STPhistorical. ***ABOUT HISTORIC SAINT PAUL Historic Saint Paul was founded in 1998 by a group of committed citizens, with assistance from the City of Saint Paul. Our mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the historic character of Saint Paul neighborhoods. Historic Saint Paul works in partnership with private owners, community organizations, and public agencies to leverage Saint Paul’s cultural and historic resources as assets in economic development and community building initiatives. Historic Saint Paul envisions that our preservation work will result in an increased cultural, economic, and social value for the city. ***This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota through the Minnesota Historical Society from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.***
When you open the app, a map of the Twin Cities comes up, with a plethora of red pins all over St. Paul. Enlarge the map as needed until you can pick out individual pins. Click on the pin, and go to information about the particular building or area, along with pictures, some historic and some modern. The site also has guided tours. Pull up the menu (however that's done on your device) and choose Go To Tours. Pick a tour and there you go. It walks you through an area of the city, with different chapters for different segments of the tour. I imagine that's to make it easier to find the specific area you're looking for, instead of having to scan a really long document on what's likely a small screen.
Minneapolis has something similar at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/hpc/landmarks/WCMS1P-080694, but, as far as I can tell, they don't have a mobile app.
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