Apps for Librarians - Using the Best Mobile Technology to Educate, Create, and Engage

How can your library-and your patrons-benefit from mobile apps? This guidebook offers a solid foundation in "app-literacy," supplying librarians with the knowledge to review and recommend apps, offer workshops, and become the app expert for their communities.

Smartphones and other mobile devices that support downloadable applications-universally referred to as "apps"-can be used to foster productivity, conduct research, or read and study. Additionally, savvy librarians can better serve their communities by gaining expertise in mobile technologies and being qualified to make app recommendations to patrons. This book introduces you to the apps that can help you save time and increase your own productivity as well as serve as a curator and reviewer of apps and resident expert to benefit your patrons.

Apps for Librarians: Using the Best Mobile Technology to Educate, Create, and Engage will save you from wading through and learning about the millions of apps available today and direct you to the very best apps in areas important to education, the workplace, and professional development. Organized by function-reading, writing, reference, multi-media, and productivity-apps are profiled with the following information: title, developer, price, platforms, general description, examples of use, and key features that make it worthwhile for learning and creative work.

List of contents

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Mobile Is Here To Stay

Statistics on Mobile App Use

Natural User Interfaces

Mobile Devices Are Enabling Better Learning Experiences

Mobile Apps Are Improving Life for Those with Special Needs

The Digital Divide

New Roles for Libraries and Librarians

Chapter 2: Apps for Reading

Reading eBooks

Downloading and Reading Free eBooks

Reading Library eBooks

Access to Braille and Talking Books for the Blind

Reading and Annotating Documents

Saving Web Pages for Reading Offline

Reading News via RSS

Reading News with Smart Recommendations

Reading Magazines

Reading Magazines and Newspapers

Finding Book Reviews

Sharing Your Reading

Interactive Multitouch Book Apps

Chapter 3: Apps for Productivity

Managing Files in the Cloud

Managing Passwords Securely

Creating To-Do Lists

Managing Calendars

Accessing Your Desktop Remotely

Printing Wirelessly from iOS Devices

Accessories: Keyboards, Stands, Styluses

Chapter 4: Apps for Research and Reference

Dictionary

Wikipedia Client

Private Search Engine

Specialized Search Engine

Unit Conversions

Mapping

Mapping in 3D

Language Dictionaries

Language Learning

News Publications

Movie Listings

Movie Ratings and Metadata

Specialized Reference

App Reviews

Subscription Databases

Chapter 5: Apps for Taking Notes and Writing

Taking and Organizing Notes

Handwriting and Drawing

Voice and Lecture Recording

Speech Recognition

Scanning

Editing Microsoft Office Documents

Designing Posters, Newsletters, Reports, and More

Managing Citations and Bibliographies

Mind Mapping

More Apps for Taking Notes and Writing

Chapter 6: Apps for Multimedia

Viewing and Studying Art

Virtual Museum Visits

Drawing

Creating Art

Creating Comic Books

Making Photo Collages

Specialized Camera Tool

Editing Photos

Identifying Music

Listening to Radio Stations Worldwide

Listening to Streaming Music

Creating and Composing Music

Creating Beautiful, Musical Sounds

Playing Virtual Instruments

Playing Music with Others

Watching Videos

Streaming Videos from Your Computer to Your Mobile Device

Listening to Educational Lectures

Listening to Audio and Video Podcasts

Editing Movies

Chapter 7: Apps for Social Media

Twitter and Other Social Media Updates

Scheduling Your Social Media Updates

Managing Facebook Pages on the Go

Editing Your Blog

Sharing Photos with Filters

Sharing and Organizing Your Photos

Chapter 8: Apps for Communication

Audio and Video Calls over the Internet

One-on-One or Group Video Chats

Instant Messaging

Free Cross-Platform Text Messaging

Chapter 9: Apps for Content Creation and Curation

Creating Presentations

Presenting PowerPoint Slides

Creating Simple, Beautiful Presentations

Creating Interactive Books Very Easily

Creating Interactive Books for Apple's iBookstore

Screencasting and Interactive Whiteboard

Creating Designs for 3D Printing

Curating Web Content

Wirelessly Show the Display of iOS Devices on a Large Screen

Mirror Your iOS Devices on Your Mac or Windows PC

Chapter 10: Apps for Showcasing Special Collections

Showcasing Special Collections

Viewing Rare Manuscripts

Photo Exhibit with Walking Tour

Showcasing Exhibits

Chapter 11: Apps for Beyond the Library Catalog

Barcode Scanning

Kiosks

Mobile Library Catalog

Augmented Reality

Location-Based Check-Ins

Crowdfunding

Chapter 12: Apps for Professional Development

Resume Creation

Creating Your Personal Social Site and Making Connections with Colleagues

Searching for Jobs

Job Searching and Networking

Conferences

Scanning and Saving Business Cards

Attending Webinars

Chapter 13: Element of App-Literacy

Apple's iOS Human Interface Guidelines

Mobile Device Capabilities

Jailbreaking: What Librarians Should Know

Apple's Accessibility Features for Mobile Devices

Reviewing Apps: A Checklist

Chapter 14: Further Resources

Ideas for Using Mobile Apps in Your Library

How to Keep Up

Books

Blogs and Websites

Articles

Glossary

Index of Apps

About the author

Nicole Hennig, an independent user experience professional, helps librarians and educators to effectively use technology through her online courses, books, and webinars. She worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries for 14 years.

Product details

• Authors: Nicole Hennig, Hennig Nicole
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 24.09.2014
• EAN: 9781610695305
• ISBN: 978-1-61069-530-5
• No. of pages: 216
• Weight: 369 g
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Book trade, library system; IT, Internet and electronic resources in libraries, IT, Internet & electronic resources in libraries