Category Archives: apps

Welcome

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Welcome to the 23 Mobile Things course website!

The course is self paced, you can work through each lesson at your own speed and share what you’ve learned via Twitter using the #23mobilethings hashtag. Everyone works at their own pace, you may be familiar with some topics already while others may take longer. We suggest that you allocate approximately an hour per week to explore a “Thing”.

The course is freely available to anyone who has access to a mobile device (tablet or smartphone) to participate. The best way to ask for help is to use Twitter and tweet your question with the #23mobilethings hashtag.

The 23 Mobile Things are:

  1. Twitter
  2. Taking a photo with a mobile device:  Instagram / Flickr app / Snapchat
  3. eMail on the move
  4. Maps and checking in
  5. Photos + Maps + Apps: Historypin / What was there / Sepia Town
  6. Video: YouTube and screencasts
  7. Communicate: Skype / Google+ Hangout
  8. Calendar
  9. QR codes
  10. Social reading: RSS / Flipboard / Feedly / Goodreads / Pocket
  11. Augmented reality: Layar / Aurasma / Google Glass / etc.
  12. Recreation and some Angry Birds
  13. Online identity
  14. Curating: Pinterest / Tumblr
  15. Adobe ID
  16. eBooks and eBook apps: Project Gutenberg / Kindle / Overdrive / Bluefire / Kobo, etc.
  17. Evernote and Zotero
  18. Productivity tools: Doodle / Remember the Milk / 30/30
  19. File sharing: Dropbox
  20. Mobile music: last.fm / Spotify / Soundcloud / Rdio
  21. Voice interaction and recording
  22. eResources vendor apps
  23. Digital storytelling

Thing 23: Digital storytelling

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Digital storytelling plays an increasingly visible part in our daily lives. Mobile technologies and apps put the tools to capture and create stories into our hands every day and some organisations are also exploring ways to use storytelling via online tools to engage stakeholders. As the Shanachie team from “This Week in Libraries” often remind us, the mission of libraries includes the goals to “keep stories, make stories, share stories”, increasingly many of these are digital stories.  Your library clients and colleagues may have many different objectives for their digital storytelling activities (eg teaching ESL, compiling local history, sharing family history, collecting oral histories, presenting information in data visualisations and community engagement).

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

THINKING POINTS:

  • What roles does your library play in helping your communities to create, share and keep their own stories?
  • How much of the digital storytelling that is happening in your community right now will be accessible in five years time? How could the library keep a sample for readers and researchers of the future?
  • Are there priorities to consider when working with indigenous communities on digital storytelling projects? (eg. Kirsten Thorpe explores the Protocols for libraries and archives in Australia: incorporating Indigenous perspectives in the information field in her IFLA paper).
  • Can you help clients locate the resources they need for digital storytelling projects (eg. public domain or Creative Commons licensed music and images, storytelling apps and web based tools)?
  • What questions do you need to ask before setting up a digital storytelling project to capture local history? Prarienet have some useful tips to consider.

Thing 22: eResources and vendor apps

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Some electronic resources (eg. databases, eBooks, magazines, etc.) are accessible via apps provided by the vendors. This thing is not a recommendation of any particular vendor or product, but is designed to get you to think about your library client’s experience when they use these apps to access your content. Throughout 23 Mobile Things you will have discovered for yourself how variable the experience can be depending on the device you have, the connectivity in your area and the compatibility of apps. All of these factors are important for user experience (UX).

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

THINKING POINTS:

  • What information do the vendors collect from your clients via the app?
  • What use statistics do you get from vendor apps?
  • Are clients who use the app easily able to move to other library resources?
  • How do you evaluate vendor apps before offering them to your clients?
  • Which vendor apps could your staff use (e.g. library management system)?
  • In what ways does offering core library services via mobile apps change the way the library reaches people?

Thing 21: Voice interaction and recording

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Perhaps you’re already used to talking to your technology tools? Your library clients may prefer to use their own devices with text-to-speech and speech-to-text apps to take notes, search for information or as assistive technology. There are also many opportunities to create content for library collections and exhibitions by recording voice (eg. oral histories, local stories and literacy activities).

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

THINKING POINTS:

  • Could you use text to speech translation software to communicate with clients who speak other languages?
  • Could the computers in your library have software, headphones and microphones to allow clients to use text-to-speech and speech-to-text to browse? Is there a mobile alternative you could offer?
  • Would your library app be more accessible if people could ‘ask a librarian’ rather than trying to type / scroll on a tiny smartphone screen?
  • Could you use mobile devices to record and capture oral histories for your library collection?
  • If you’re designing an app for your library could you include voice recognition?
  • Do teachers in your community use speech-to-text apps in the classroom?
  • Do your clients like to ‘read’ by listening – can they choose a text-to-speech option on the ebooks in your collection? Audible allows a reader to switch “seamlessly between an e-book and a digital audio book”

Thing 20: Mobile music

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“The term Mobile Music generically defines digital content that can be directly sourced using a mobile device such as a smartphone (iPhone, etc.), Internet tablet, or other portable device capable of connecting to the Internet or a Wi-Fi network.” Source: About.com  The way music is distributed has been revolutionized. More and more people subscribe to streaming services where you pay for access to a big catalogue of music instead of buying an album or downloading a single. Music is one format that is frequently affected by geo-blocking so we hope these apps are available to you wherever in the world you are, if not please be creative and search out some that are.

Please beware that you may be asked for credit card details when you use some music apps. Where this is the case be sure to unsubscribe if you don’t want to pay to continue to use the service if a free trial period applies.

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

  • Soundwave is a new music start up that hopes to shake up music discovery on iPhone and Android
  • Music with a copyleft / public domain or Creative Commons license is available via this Android app
  • The Freegal Mobile Application is a free and legal way to access MP3 songs via subscribing libraries. If this service is offered at your local library there are mobile apps available for Android  and iOS devices
  • For more mobile music links to explore please check out the Pinterest board 
  • A 23 mobile things playlist from Jan

THINKING POINTS:

  • Has streaming changed the way you listen to music and how you discover new music – or if you are new to streaming – do you think it will?
  • Does your library offer a music download or streaming service for clients? How do you promote it?
  • Could you use Soundcloud to promote a local “Loud in the Library” or “Battle of the Bands” event featuring original music?
  • Producing digital music is one of the popular programs offered to teens at Chicago’s YOUmedia  library, have you considered music themed programming for your library?

Thing 19: File sharing and Dropbox

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File sharing  may bring to mind some illegal activities, but our focus is on using these types of tools legitimately delivering library services and optimising the usefulness of mobile devices.   Now that mobile devices allow you to work almost anywhere, how do you access the files you need? Will all the features of your favourite web app also be available in the mobile app version?

DISCOVER:

  • Dropbox is a filehosting service that provides cloud storage, file synchronization while also being very mobile friendly, with apps to suit iOS, Android, Kindle fire, iPad and Blackberry    Here is a module from a Learning 2.0 course that gives a great overview of how it works.   Dropbox even has apps that allow you drop specific things into it.
  • Skydrive is the Microsoft cloud storage service and a range of mobile apps are available for Android, Windows Phone and iOS  here is a free online tutorial to get you started
  • Google Drive  is a personal cloud storage service from Google that works with a suite of web apps and has mobile apps available for iOS and Android.See this free online tutorial about how Google Drive works.  If you haven’t already used a Google doc please try contributing to this one  by adding your top 3 blogs for keeping up to date with trends affecting the Library industry.

EXPLORE:

  • Google forms is one feature that works with Google Drive to create a form or survey and keep track of the answers in one spreadsheet.  Here is a tutorial to get you started  and a great summary overview.
  • Hojoki offers a single access point for a range of file sharing and cloud storage apps including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, Skydrive, Box and Cloudapp   it has mobile apps available for Android  and iOS.
  • Find more links on our Pinterest board.

THINKING POINTS:

  • Could you use Dropbox to share your slides or presentation after a conference?
  • How would you answer a library client who is concerned that file sharing is illegal?
  • Could Google forms be used to gather library client feedback?
  • Can you collaborate on projects with library clients and colleagues by sharing files?
  • Could you use a Google doc to collaborate with colleagues in other institutions to develop a program or plan an event?
  • Are you interested in working on projects with colleagues in other countries? It’s useful to know that the Google Drive web app suite supports 65 languages.

Thing 18: Productivity apps

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What are your personal productivity challenges? Productivity is about being efficient and effective and some tools on mobile devices can help organise tasks and schedule activities, provide reminders and help with motivation and time management. In this Thing, we’d like to look at a few of these tools.

DISCOVER:

  • Remember the Milk  is a task and time management app.  – There are apps available for Android, iPhone, iPad, and BlackBerry as well as a web app, sync for Microsoft Outlook, and Remember The Milk integrates with Evernote, Gmail, Google Calendar, Siri, and Twitter. You can even email tasks to your Remember the Milk account.
  • Doodle  is a scheduling tool, great for coordinating times for meetings with a number of people.  It has an a mobile friendly interface and an iOS app.
  • The Pomodoro technique is a productivity system that breaks work down into 25 minute chunks to improve concentration.  There are a variety of Pomodoro apps available for both iOS and Android.
  • Lift   is a goal setting app, helping you to set goals, monitor progress and tap into support groups (iOS and web versions available)

EXPLORE:

  • Find a timer app for your mobile device, you might choose a different one depending on the tasks you have in mind (eg. running a holiday activity game, timing intervals in an information literacy session or running a trivia quiz).
  • Mashable recommended  the productivity app CloudOn  for access to Word, Excel and PowerPoint files on your tablet or smartphone.
  • 30/30 is a combination of task manager and timer (Android app and iOS app )
  • There are more things to explore on the Pinterest board.

THINKING POINTS:

  • Could you use a tool like Remember the Milk as a mobile project management aid?
  • Could you display a timer on a tablet to count down during games as part of a holiday activity program?
  • Would you be able to coordinate meeting times for your teen advisory group or book club members using Doodle?
  • Are there some repetitive tasks that require focus and regular breaks (like stocktaking and reshelving) – could you Pomodoro them?
  • Could Lift   be used as part of a lifelong learning library program for adults allowing them to set their own learning goals and monitor their progress?

Thing 17: Evernote and Zotero

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Evernote and Zotero are two useful tools for library clients (and your own use), each with a slightly different function:

  • Evernote is a cloud based tool for note taking, organising and archiving information (including photos and sound recordings) which allows the user to create tags and to arrange information into notebooks.  Evernote also allows you to easily share information with others and syncs across platforms.  It is quite powerful and can search for text even in images (eg. photos of slides).
  • Zotero provides support to researchers and library clients in collecting, organizing and citing sources with the added benefits of synchronizing and collaborating.  It is an alternative to Endnote and Mendeley.  Although Zotero doesn’t have an official app available for mobile devices, it is quite mobile-friendly if you go to your Zotero website via your mobile browser.  There are several third party solutions available for Android and iOS.

DISCOVER:
Evernote:

Zotero:

  • Set up a Zotero account for yourself.  It might be easier to do this on your PC.
  • Visit your Zotero website via a mobile browser (smartphone or tablet).
  • Review the information at Zotero for mobile
  • Try the ZotPad (iOS) app for accessing your Zotero account

EXPLORE:
Evernote:

Zotero:

We have more to explore on the Pinterest board

THINKING POINTS:

  • Do you offer Libguides or other guides to using these types of tools for your clients?
  • Evernote has an API, what types of services could be developed for library clients?
  • Could library staff offering ‘roving reference’ services from a mobile app use Evernote to compile information for a client and share the notebook with them or send the files via email?
  • You can send Tweets and DMs to Evernote by including @myEN in your tweet.  Could you use this to capture useful ‘to do’ notes or as part of a workflow capturing tweets for business records?
  • You can share an Evernote file, perhaps this could be an alternative to sharing a Google doc for team note taking or other activities?
  • People often say they are too busy doing library work to research and write about it … would using Zotero to capture references and Evernote to clip websites, store photos and sound recordings make it easier to research and write ‘in the field’?
  • How could you use the combination of IFTTT and Evernote?

 

Thing 16: ebooks and ebook apps

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Ebooks are well suited to the convenience of mobile devices, but it is not a ‘one size fits all’ scenario.  Tablets and smart phones can act as ereader devices using apps, while other library clients may prefer to have a dedicated ebook reader (eg. Kobo, Kindle, Nook, Sony etc.)  Sometimes these electronic paper ereaders  are preferred over a tablet or smartphone because the screen may be easier to read in bright sunlight and the battery life is usually longer.   On the other hand a tablet or mobile device can have several ereader apps loaded providing access to a wider range of content.

Whichever type of mobile reading device your clients prefer, as library professionals we have a few challenges to consider:

  • assisting clients to find suitable ebook content in a marketplace where some content is free, some is added to library collections via subscriptions and some is only available for individual sale and cannot be offered to library clients
  • explaining to clients what DRM and proprietary formats are and why that means that not all ebooks can be read on all devices and some content that they would like to access is not available in their geographic region
  • hosting locally created content that is born digital (eg. local history ebooks, subject guides, etc.) and content that is converted to digital (eg. British Library eBook Treasures  )
  • assisting some clients who are learning how their own devices work and what content is available for that device as most ebook use in libraries is BYOD (bring your own device)
  • keeping up as ebook formats evolve and become more interactive like this example
  • working collaboratively with publishers to find effective models that allow readers and books to connect in both bookseller and library environments

DISCOVER:

EXPLORE:

  • There are a wide variety of options for delivering ebooks to clients, including links in your catalog, portals on your website, vendor supported apps, library specific apps and the Library Box .
  • There are a number of eBook related pins on our Pinterest board

THINKING POINTS:

  • How well do you know your clients and community?  What devices and file formats are most used in your community? Does the preference for device and file format vary across the ages and groups in your community?
  • How will you keep library staff up to date with the latest ereaders and apps?
  • How will you provide ebooks in languages other than English for clients?
  • How will you display and promote ebooks?
  • How will you manage inter-library-loan requests and suggestions for purchase from clients who prefer to read ebooks?

Thing 15: Adobe ID

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What is Adobe Digital Editions and why do I need an Adobe ID?

Adobe Digital Editions is free software that is frequently used to display eBooks (ePUB and PDF) on your PC or mobile device.  See the list of the Digital Editions Supported Devices.  If you want to download library eBooks you will often need to use Bluefire Reader and it works with Adobe Digital Editions, to access this program you will need an Adobe ID which is typically your email address and password for authentication and to sign in to your Adobe account.  Adobe ID is also used for other Adobe products eg Photoshop, etc.

DISCOVER

  • Where can I get Adobe Digital Editions software for a mobile device?
  • How do I sign up for an Adobe ID? If you already have other Adobe software, you may have an Adobe ID already. See the Adobe ID FAQs
  • Where do I get Bluefire Reader apps for my mobile device? (iPad and Android)
  • How do I use Bluefire Reader? Here’s a demonstration on Slideshare.

EXPLORE

THINKING POINTS

  • Do you provide information to guide your library clients in downloading eBooks and reader apps? Cranston Library have published instructions on Slideshare
  • What about different guides for specific devices? Waukegan Public Library have a guide.
  • Adobe Digital Editions allows ebooks to be transferred between multiple computers and mobile devices, do your customers read books on only one device or do you need to give them tips on switching between devices?
  • Adobe Digital Editions is compatible with screen reading software JAWS, NVDA or Window-Eyes on Windows and VoiceOver on Mac. Do you promote your ebook collections to clients with visual disabilities?
  • How does the user experience of downloading eBooks from your library compare to other experiences your library clients may have (eg. Kindle books, iTunes, Google books etc.)?