The Daring Librarian

Choose the Twitter Dark Side Here's something cool I recently stumbled upon!  Just like I really enjoy the dark or reverse version of the Kindle App - there's a Night mode version for Twitter! It turns the screen a dark blue with reverse type. Both on the mobile version and the desktop. So easy on the eyes! So conservative for your batteries! So good for the environment! OK, so these days only one of those things above are actually true, and it's a personal choice.  Yeah, apparently - you don't really need Blackle anymore - though it still looks fab to me! I really just find the lighter text on a dark background restful and relaxing to read. Thus, my blog has always had a darker background.  Back in the day with CRT monitors some said it did help with headaches, eye fatigue, and saving on energy. Today, with LCD screens and different technologies this might not still be the same. (You can Google it, and there are reports on both camps) - I'm not here t...

Using The Magic Words "Pilot Test!"   Last year I mentioned at the bottom of my Amazon Echo blog post that I was trying something NEW in our library, a BYOD Charging station.  It consisted of a tall AV cart with 2 USB charging hubs and I bought a bunch of multi-ended charging cords. It was on the honor system - come into the Media Center, plug in your device, check out a book or read, and charge while you were here. Still had my disclaimer, though! Your device, Your Responsibility It worked like a dream for months! Until one kid had a beef with another and a tablet, left on it's own over many class periods, went missing. Le sigh. Unbowed, undeterred, and stubborn as all get out, I went back to the drawing board!  Three years ago, while still on the ISTE Board of Directors, I was touring the fabulous Hillwood High School Library   in Nashville, and I saw this amazing bank of lockers in a school library that had electrical outlets in them! WOW! It blew...

  #X Before You Drive Here's a news story written by our MHTV correspondent, 8th grader the uber awesome herself, Stephannie J. "AWESOMENESS TV and many of your favorite celebrities, including James Maslow, Demi Lovato and R5, have joined the movement to stop texting and driving and you should, too! Check out this video featuring some of your favorite YouTubers. Weekly Chris looked pretty good in that video, am I right ladies? (Steph's words, not mine!) So how can you join the movement? Go to itcanwait.com and take the pledge. Spread the word and make this known! #itcanwait "  Thanks Steph! We grownups need to model this for our kiddos. Like transparency and creating a positive digital footprint, we don't have any credibility if we're texting and driving the same time we tell teenagers to X before you drive. My new crosover RAV4 (Squee!) has hands free paring with my phone and I will use that - but I don't touch my phone when I drive...

Not if, but when your school turns to mobile learning, will your library be ready? Information technology presents librarians with an opportunity to facilitate the transition to mobile learning. Facilitators, which will include a student panel, in this hands-on, BYOT session will highlight strategies to virtualize library services for tiny screens. Participants will practice using tools for building virtual, hand-held libraries, and will leave this session with a toolkit to expand virtual library services. I'm both happy and sad to say that our Pre-Conference workshop at #AASL13 ( American Association of School Librarians ) is S OLD OUT! W00t! Sad because I feel in a way this blog post is a tease, 'cause if you're not already booked it's too late but happy because that's always the worry that no one will show up! Three years ago I blogged about this topic , but WOW...how things have changed since then! We can't wait to share some new ideas ...