The Daring Librarian

Last year I blogged about EduCon from my couch whilst the snow piled up outside around me and I vicariously enjoyed & participated in this innovative concept for an exchange of ideas. This year I'm not only going but I'm honored to be involved with two different conversations. More about that below! You may ask what is EduCon, an unconference, and why a conversation? A Conversation NOT a Presentation: Viva la Unconference! My gorgeous mentor Joyce Valenza has written a must-read SLJ article about the EduCon unconference experience: "It's networking at its best," says Valenza. "It's critical, especially, that librarians network. It's clear to me that nobody knows who we are. I don't think we've gotten the word out. But we can't be in our buildings alone anymore." Dare to be Out There! More than ever we need to be "out there" not only in our school, local districts but on the state & national level. If you have ...

The super cool author of some of my most favourite books The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stoopid Tales & T he True Story of the Three Little Pigs will be holding a live webcast for kids in March! It's FREE to sign up (and yes, to my MHMS Kids, we're so there!) and uber cool author of Trackers, Skeleton Creek, & friend of the MHMS Media Center - (See his signed posters below! Thank you SLJ Summit! Muwwa!) Patrick Carman will be the host! From the website: "Walla Walla Kids Read will webcast JON SCIESZKA, one of America’s most beloved children’s authors. This FREE event is hosted by Patrick Carman. Consult the events page for exact times, then sign up below if you would like to broadcast the author appearance in your classroom or library. All presentations last approximately 45 minutes and are presented on the web as they happen" Visit the site for FREE Downloads: Poster Community Event Poster Flyer Bookmark Press Release Activity Guid...

a long graphic for a long post. fitting. I had a great time over break having a lovely Tweetup Lunch with some of my favourite Maryland iPad experts! As I'm still an iPad newbie I thought it only fitting to put it to them: What are Coolest iPad techniques, tips & tricks and most loved and must have APPS!?? Guest bloggers Donna Anderson the Digital Librarian21 @digilibrarian21 Joquetta Johnson, the Digital Diva @accordin2jo and Selena Ward the Tech Tiger @thetechtiger 3 educators who are amazing, forward thinking, and yes..DARING! (& fun, too! YAY!) So as not to pay favourites I'm going alphabetically! And if you were expecting a SHORT blog post on this...heh heh Not so much... This one is lusciously lovely & long....Enjoy! iPad Tweetup with Appalicious Apps by Donna Anderson aka Digital Librarian 21 "The iPad Tweetup went very well and we had nine awesome folks show up. I’m even in the process of planning another iPad tweetup. Stay tuned for ...

With the caveat IF you're a dedicated reader The Kindle has changed my life as a reader. After turning [cough] 40 I couldn't read regular books comfortably with or without my new (cute) reading glasses (& forget paperback books!) and I stopped reading as much as I used to. [sad face] During a Bethany Beach VaCa or summer break I used to read at least a book a day! Heck, I read the last Harry Potter in like one (long) sitting! (ok, it was 5am! but still) Thus, the Kindle, with it's comfy E-Ink better than paper display which allows for reading in extreme lighting situations and minimizes eye-strain, and it's ability to change font size has changed all that. I am back to reading again and it feels SO RIGHT! iPad-Licious! I've been thinking about this for a long time - holding out to buy an iPad for gen 2 -(and if you follow me on Twitter you know that I happily lost that fight) I even got a smaller NEW graphite Kindle for Christmas for travel! (see above ...

(Click above for more sizes & to download or to embed! ) As promised! Please feel free to Take, Use, Share! Creative Commons - Share Alike! Like these Comic Tutorials? I have a whole slew of 'em! From Blabberize, Customizing Blogger & blog design, downloading YouTube videos to your HD to a Two part Twitter Primer - I seem addicted to creating these bright fun direction sheets! Enjoy! What Techie Topic or subject would you like to see me do next? Leave a comment with your suggestions! (ps. Dear Howard Rheingold...don't worry I'm still working on yours for the book! Hush hush) UPDATE! My Mini Moo QR Cards Arrived! -- and they WORK! They scan beautifully & auto launch to this blog...woohoo! AND I got my Zazzle QR Code Square Buttons! and they work, too! BUT...the shiny surface seems to take a little longer so maybe wearing them will be easier to scan than under my stove lights! LOL Will this end my geeky QR Code Obsession? Should I splurge for a QR Code Hoodie? ...

Geek Chic: I am addicted to a few things. OK... I have guilty pleasures. Fine Coach handbags, & Fine (and/or funky/steampunk/freaky/unique) Jewelry - basically Self-Indulgent Fripperies and geeky tools & swag. (Oh and Bravo TV reality shows) Get the hippest geekiest social media hipster bling from Zazzle. Use my favorite QR Code Generator , grab your QR Code PNG, & start designing! Wear your QR around your neck for a coy geeky promo of your blog, wiki, or site. Go to Zazzle : Click on CREATE & go to the custom create page Look for Necklaces-NEW ! Go to the bottom Right & Click Choose your style - choose Square Upload your QR Code pic - adjust size Add text under the QR code if you like - you can change the font & size. Voila! ( see cool examples from my friends Diane Cordell, Shannon Miller, & Joquetta Johnson at the bottom !) Buttoned Down: Proudly pin your QR Code to your chest at conferences and in addition to handing out your MooCards like candy y...

QR Codes are popping up everywhere! On the back of my Sephora catalog, windows of shops, and in my library! They're already big in Japan - and now in New York & LA. Calvin Klein Jeans recently put up three billboards - 2 in NYC and 1 in LA - to promote the brand’s upcoming campaign for Winter 2010. Rather than a racy montage of scantily clad models, but with a bright red QR code - all the rage in Japan - under the words “Get It Uncensored.” The code allows you to use your smartphone to scan the image, being lead to an exclusive 40-second sexy commercial - "It’s often difficult to measure engagement with billboards, and QR codes help advertisers better measure their impact." The commercial might be sexy but I think the QR code is even HOTTER! -Mashable Source: Lauren Indvik They look cool, matrixy, and very graphic... but what heck ARE they? A Quick Response (QR) code is a two-dimensional or 2D bar code which can be interpreted by any mobile phone with camera ca...