Fun with Free Stuff

Who doesn't love free? Who doesn't love free services that help you manage work and time? Erin the Librarian recommends the following (FREE!) apps that can save a ton of time:

• Dropbox - sync files/folders between computers or online (no more swapping your thumb drive between work and home)
  
• Google Sites - create collaboration spaces that are public or private; project or resource management
  
• Zotero - Firefox extension that helps organize and cite resources
• BibMe - search for books or journals, create bibliographies in virtually any format (APA, MLA, etc.). Save them online or as RTF to your computer
• DimDim - online presentation/meeting space with co-browsing, shared whiteboard, conference calling, etc., all within your browser
  
• Twiddla - online meeting space, with conference calling and shared whiteboard, all within your browser
  
• SlideRocket - create and publish online presentations
• TokBox - video chat and video mail
• LovelyCharts - create org. charts, mind maps, floor plans, etc. Save them online, or export them as image files
• Remember the Milk - create online to-do lists, manage deadlines

Oh, there are lots more, but this should get you started. Stuck on how to use one (or some) of these? Contact Erin the Librarian at Pacifica, and she'll help you out (for FREE!) ;)

2.0 Directory

I found this directory the other day which links to all the Web 2.0 sites out there. Go2Web20.net is great for awareness--just mouse over the logo of each site for quick sense of what it is--and might have some great library uses. The site is now set up with various categories.
If you discover a 2.0 site you like and find useful, please do share it with us.

Horizon Report from Educause

The Horizon Report is an Educause-created document about technologies that will affect education.

From the abstract for the 2009 report:

The annual Horizon Report is a collaborative effort between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). Each year, the report identifies and describes six areas of emerging technology likely to have a significant impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression in higher education within three adoption horizons: a year or less, two to three years, and four to five years.
The areas of emerging technology cited for 2009 are:
• Mobiles (i.e., mobile devices)
• Cloud computing
• Geo-everything (i.e., geo-tagging)
• The personal web
• Semantic-aware applications
• Smart objects
Each section of the report provides live Web links to examples and additional readings.

Educause Western 2009

The Educause Western Regional Conference is taking place in April 2009 right here in San Francisco. Today is the last day for early registration.

Direct from the site:

The theme, “Finding Common Ground Among Shifting Technologies and Expectations,” sets the tone for exploration of shared challenges and the possibility of shared solutions. Although we come from different backgrounds (institution size, funding model, Carnegie class), we face very similar technological issues and opportunities. Likewise, we share the same goal of providing excellent service to our faculty, staff, and students in order to provide optimal teaching and learning opportunities. This conference provides a golden opportunity for outreach and collaboration.

Anyone going to go?

Surveys over the Web

Surveymonkey.com makes it easy to deliver surveys over the web. It is free if you want to do small scale surveys - 10 questions, 100 people surveyed, but even the fee-based options are workable. It might be something to check out for library related information collection, or for helping patrons conducting research.

Positively Productive, Project-wise

Tired of project management that requires multiple meetings and 50,000 accompanying emails with 10,000 attachments? Wish you had version control on your materials so you could figure out which is the most recent document? Try Google Sites, a free password-protected or public arena that can be used for dynamic project management either on your own or collaboratively with a group, department, office, herd, flock, gaggle, what-have-you. Integrate documents, presentations, calendars, spreadsheets, video or any number of helpful gadgets. Create a productive space for you and/or your colleagues; save time, get clarity, make progress. Not sure how to get started? Contact Erin the Librarian at Pacifica, she can help you out.