Thing # 11 : Library App

How did it take me so long to figure out that the Saint Paul Public Library system had an app!?  I haven't been this excited for an app since...well, I'm not sure.

I'm always checking to see what new books are in, or available as ebook or downloadable audio - but I get tired of always having to enter my library card number.  With this app, I'll be able to search, request, and check my account with one touch on my phone.  Can you tell I'm excited?

The library related app that I'm always a little disappointed in is the app for St. Kate's.  It links to tabs found in Kateway, but not the St. Kate's library.

Thing # 10: Sharing all those photos I just took.

I jumped on the Instagram band wagon rather late and am still figuring it out.  I primarily use Facebook for my social networking and photo sharing needs.  I like being able to message and chat with friends who are online at the same time.  But then, I'm part of the original facebook generation.  I've shared about half a dozen photos and found that the people that liked my photos are the same people that would like my photos on Facebook.  There is quite a bit of overlap.  Generally, I use Facebook to post multiple photos at a time.  Instagram is convenient for one photo at a time.

Thing # 9: Super Time Waster - Photo Editing

Oh no, I've been introduced to another time waster.  I needed another one of those like I need a hole in my head.  

Thing number nine is all about photo taking and editing apps.  I've never been much of a photo taker.  Before the advent of the "better camera on your phone than your point and shoot" I would always forget to  bring my digital camera along on outings or it would stay in my purse.  I allowed other people to be the photographers.  Since I bought my iphone in December, I have taken a few more photos, but my photo library pales in comparison to most other people's.  

I've played around with photo editing with the software including in the iPhone as well as Instagram.  I've changed the setting or cropped, but that's really the extent of my photo tweaking.  I downloaded Photo Editor and played around with a couple photos.  It's a fun little thing, but not something I see myself using very much.  I was able to put a bowtie and pipe sticker on a photo of my cat, which is cute, and I might share with my sisters, but I feel a little old to be playing around with stickers and backgrounds - and I don't take selfies.  Hah!  

I know that my students will be taking selfies and playing around with photo editing.  I suppose I could use it in some capacity in my library, but I think I'll leave the photo editing to the kids.  

Thing # 8: Wait, there's an app to manage your other apps?

I admit, I was rather bemused when LeAnn Suchy mentioned apps specifically made to manage social networking accounts. I thought, wow, you have to have a pretty huge online presence to need anything like that. I chose HootSuite simply because of the cute owl logo, and logged in with a decent amount of incredulity. Although like many of the apps I've tried, I'm not sure if I'll use it very often, or even at all after this semester, I can see how it could be useful.

One of my biggest challenges with using Twitter has been how overwhelming it can be. I resist following more people/organizations because my twitter feed just becomes filled up so quickly. With HootSuite, I was able to create lists, for example, I now have an Authors I follow on Twitter, and a Library-related twitter list. This will make it easier to find exactly what I'm looking for and perhaps even allow me to follow more people.

Thing 7 - oh Pinterest...how I love and hate thee.

For mobile thing # 7, I'm documenting my relationship with content sharing and saving website and app, Pinterest.

 My use of Pinterest started a couple years ago with just a couple of boards: fashion and food. I steadily added a few more boards, some I kept up with, and some I abandoned after just a few pins. I was really into it the first few months after I opened an account, but like most things, my interest in it came in cycles. I got frustrated with how much of a time-suck it was at times. It was like bingeing on all these items or sites that caught my fancy. Then, I would lay low for several weeks.

Whenever I open Pinterest, my front page reads like the woman's magazine I subscribe to, Real Simple. My family and friends mostly post things like recipes, clothing items, beauty tips, house organization and furnishes, and of course, wedding ideas. So. many. wedding. things. My older sister is getting married next spring, and there are a couple of secret boards a select few of us have been posting ideas on. It's fun, but also...a terrible time-suck! Now that I am inching closer to graduation and career, I plan to start using Pinterest has a medium to compile teaching ideas such as lesson plans, books to buy, and projects to create. 

I was told by my mentoring media specialist at my fieldwork placement that I "absolutely need" to have a pinterest account for the job. I am following her and my head is spinning with all the tips and ideas. It will be nice to have a place to put all the best ideas from the various blogs I follow. Overall, I enjoy Pinterest and find it useful, but oh so dangerous!

Thing # 6 - Creating and Editing Docs

I am one of those many people who prefer to write and edit documents on either my laptop or a desktop computer. That has not changed after playing around with mobile thing # 6. I downloaded Quickoffice and tried making a document and editing a spreadsheet with it.

 Not surprisingly, I hated it. It was frustrating not being able to view the full scope of whatever I was working on, typing was a pain, and the little intricacies of modifying a spreadsheet available on a full size computer with a mouse were dearly missed. I most likely will not be using Quickoffice again, but I can see how in certain rare instances, it might be useful to be able to quickly change the spelling or add something to a document.