Partnership Incentive Award: Libraries and Free Driving Tests

Does your library offer free driving tests (car, motorcycle, and commercial) to your patrons?

If not, then you probably haven't heard about an awesome partnership between libraries and Elegant E-Learning. We're excited to highlight them today for two reasons:

1. Elegant E-Learning offers a free online driver's ed to libraries and their patrons. It is also ad-free and really easy to setup, with a special URL with your library's name. They do not keep information and there is no authentication needed. Best of all - these driving tests not only help teens and new drivers with preparing for their first driver's license, but they also provide tests for motorcycles and commercial vehicles. So many patrons can benefit from this!

2. And, from now until May 1st, 2017, every library who signs up will be automatically added into a $500 drawing. Five lucky libraries (and that's public, school, and academic libraries) will be selected.

So, if there is anything you do today, why not check out their website and sign-up? In May, you might be really thankful that you did this.

Full disclosure: I should mention that a few months ago, Elegant E-Learning's founder, Andrei Zakhareuski, contacted me and asked for ideas on how he can reach more libraries. We had a great conversation and the $500 drawing was one of the ideas that came out of it. (Thanks to my background with trying to get teens to participate in programs.) I really hope this idea helps many libraries participate! If you were always meaning to add this to your website, now is the time to do it.

(I also want to note that he did not ask me to write about his program nor paid me to do it. I am happy to share this partnership because I really think it'll benefit everyone.)

Get Out of Email Hell: 4 Week Challenge

What is email hell?

• It is when you spend a lot of your time writing emails.
• It is when you can't find an attachment that someone sent.
• It is missing important information or forgetting to respond to emails.
• It is opening your email and being overwhelmed by how many are sitting in your inbox.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

If you want to make changes and start reclaiming your inbox, join us in the 5minlib Get Out of Email Hell: 4 Week Challenge. It officially starts on Monday, October 17th. We break out the latest techniques for you to easily manage it all.

Because let's be honest. Our digital space is just as important as our physical space. Being organized and having a solid process can only increase your productivity and decrease your stress. Who doesn't want that? Join us on the 17th!

4 Week Challenge: Get Out of Email Hell

Day 1: Monday (Archive Folder)

Create a folder called "Archives" and move everything from your inbox to it. EVERYTHING. Congratulations, you're now at Inbox Zero! Have no worries, we will help you clear our your Archives folder, but it is much easier integrating your new process (which you'll learn over these 4 weeks) with an empty inbox.

Day 2: Tuesday (Follow-Up Folder)

Create a folder called "Follow-Up". This is the place your emails will go that you cannot quickly respond to, but eventually need to. Comb through your "Archives" folder and your current inbox, and move all appropriate emails over. Schedule on your calendar a day and time you'll carve out to respond to these emails.

Day 3: Wednesday (Block Time for Email)

Turn off email notifications. You don't need to know the instant an email appears in your inbox. Decide on when you will check your email during the day (right when you come in? Lunch? Thirty minutes before you leave for the day?) and plan at least 30 minutes to go through it. (Plan to check it twice a day if once is too little.) Tell your staff to call or visit you if they need a quick response. Too many emails unintentionally left unanswered because we open them when we don't have the time to answer, then we forget to respond. Be conscious of your time and do email on your own terms. Minimize those distractions for greater productivity in general!

Day 4: Thursday (Unsubscribe)

Search your email for the word "unsubscribe". All newsletters and email lists will appear. Unsubscribe from any newsletter that you never make time to read (or perhaps never even intended to sign-up for in the first place). From this point forward, if you get junk email that you do not care for in your inbox, immediately unsubscribe from it.

Day 5: Friday (Clean-Up Inbox)

Apply the above rules to your current inbox. Make sure when you leave today, your inbox is close to zero. Remember:

• Don't keep an email in your inbox if it requires a task -- move it to the correct folder, and add the task to your To Do List.
• If you need more time to respond, move it to the "Follow-Up" folder and make sure you schedule in your calendar a reminder to respond.
• Unsubscribe from newsletters you don't want.

Day 6: Monday (Create Important Folders)

Go to your "Follow-Up" folder and carve out some time to clear it out. If conversations are completed, delete or move them to a special folder, any folder that makes sense to you (like "Director", "One Book, One Community" or "School Collaborations", etc.). Try to go generic first and then break it down to smaller folders if you find it is getting too big. Having too many folders can make things get complicated. For example, you don't need a folder for every staff member you work with -- you can have a generic "Staff" folder and then separate folders for those you email often ("Director", "Website Team", etc.).

Day 7: Tuesday (To-Do List Tool)

Decide on a To-Do List tool. I use Trello, but there are many apps you can use (Here's a great list) or even a paper calendar. From now on, when an email comes in that you need to do something for, move it out of inbox (delete or archive it into the appropriate folder) and mark it on your To-Do List. Make a note in your list where you saved the email for future reference.

Day 8: Thursday (Read Later Folder/Folders)

Go to your Archives folder and sort it by sender. Pay attention to the emails from organizations. After Day 4's purge, all that should be left are your favorite organizations (Maybe new book news, or Goodreads updates, or publisher emails). Make a filter/rule for them and have them skip the inbox, going directly into a "Read Later" folder. Then schedule in your calendar a weekly day/time when you will read that folder, especially if it is for professional development. (Alternately, you could roll all of these newsletters into one email using the program Unroll.Me if you use something like Gmail. It doesn't work for every email, though, like Outlook.)

Day 9: Thursday (Schedule Follow-Ups)

Are you keeping emails in your inbox because you are waiting for a response? Move them to the right folder and then set a day/time in your calendar to follow up. (Or, if you are using Gmail, you can download Boomerang, which will email you a reminder if no one responds within a set amount of time. You can also schedule emails to go out at a later date/time, which could come in handy.)

Day 10: Friday (Clean-Up Inbox)

Apply the above rules to your current inbox. Make sure when you leave today, your inbox is close to zero. Remember:

• Don't keep an email in your inbox if it requires a task -- move it to the correct folder, and add the task to your calendar/To Do List.
• If you need more time to respond, move it to the "Follow-Up" folder and make sure you schedule in your calendar a reminder to respond.
• Unsubscribe from newsletters you don't want.
• Create filters/rules to move unessential email to a "Read Later" folder.

Day 11: Monday (Digest Mode)

Make sure all of your Electronic Discussion Lists are set to digest mode, not individual emails. You'll get one email at the end of the day that groups together all correspondence. (If you are not on any electronic discussion lists, definitely check out ALA's Lists to get started!) Note: I used to have these redirected to a folder, but ended up never checking it. Now, I leave them in my inbox with a mental deadline -- they are deleted/archived by Friday, whether I read them or not.

Day 12: Tuesday (Create Rules to Immediately Filter the Unimportant)

Create a filter/rule to direct unimportant email (like order confirmations and deliveries from places like Amazon) directly into folders, skipping your inbox all together. You don't need to divert brainpower to those emails and you can easily access those folders on the rare occasion that there is a problem (i.e., can't find something that should have shipped). TIP: If you have to forward these emails to your administrative person, see if they can be added to the account directly, so they can get the email notification when you do.

Day 13: Wednesday (Make Templates)

Look through your sent email to see if there are any questions that you receive frequently. Select one of them and write a generic response template. (Perhaps you get a lot of questions about volunteering at the library or someone is interested in learning more about one of your monthly programs, etc.) Save this response so the next time you receive an email, you can quickly pop this in and hit send. (I actually save this in my drafts but you don't have to.) From this point forward, whenever you get a common question, make sure you save your response.

Day 14: Thursday (Touch It Once Principle)

Adopt the "Touch It Once" Principle. Since you have now scheduled when you will focus on email, you can focus on using your time efficiently when you're in your email. This philosophy means that when you open an email, you finish all tasks needed to then file/delete that email. No emails hanging overhead, no forgotten responses. And, best of all, you'll be saving all of that time you would have used rereading or avoiding the email.

Day 15: Friday (Clean-Up Inbox)

Apply the above rules to your current inbox. Make sure when you leave today, your inbox is close to zero. Remember:

• Don't keep an email in your inbox if it requires a task -- move it to the correct folder, and add the task to your calendar/To Do List.
• If you need more time to respond, move it to the "Follow-Up" folder and make sure you schedule in your calendar a reminder to respond.
• Unsubscribe from newsletters you don't want.
• Create filters/rules to move unessential email to a "Read Later" folder.

Day 16: Monday (Invoices and Bills)

Make a plan for dealing with invoices and bills. Email may not be the best place to store them, especially if you have to process them later. You can use IFTTT to automatically send them to Dropbox or Evernote, which is much easier to find documents than email. If you need to follow-up, move them into your follow-up folder or To Do List.

Day 17: Tuesday (Email has Limitations)

Understand email's limitations. It isn't great for sensitive subjects, conflict resolution, or any topic that requires a lot of back and forth. Use email instead to plan a meeting (face to face if possible, or just over the phone). No matter how nicely worded an email is, miscommunication is bound to happen. You can avoid many problems just by talking it through, watching for verbal, facial, and body cues, and saving yourself many emails in the process.

Day 18: Wednesday (Be Direct)

Make your emails short and to the point. Start off with your main point and then support it afterwards. Try also to think ahead and avoid future emails. If you are looking for a meeting day/time, give your schedule for next week (don't make them play email tag to find the best time). Use bullets to clearly make your points, and follow-up with a phone call if it is important. Most importantly, make sure your signature ALWAYS provides your phone number and address.

Day 19: Thursday (Find More Efficient Tools)

Are there ways you are using email that could be done more efficiently elsewhere? Perhaps it is better to create a Google Form for common questions, so you can get all the information you need without having to email back and forth multiple times. Or perhaps you are trying to setup a meeting with a group of people and can use using something like Doodle to make it easier and involve less emails.

Day 20: Friday (Share Challenge with Someone)

Congratulations!

You have completed our 30 Day Email Challenge. Reflect on the past tasks and see what worked well for you, what didn't. Make changes as you see fit and schedule a time each week or month for you to "clean out" your inbox so that you can remain on top of it!

Today's task is a call to action. If you participated in our email challenge, please let us know in the comments below, or tell us on Facebook/Twitter. If you found it useful, pass this challenge along to someone else and/or tweet about it on Twitter with the hashtag #5minlibEmailChallenge. 

Let's save each other from Email Hell. 

Downloadable Entertainment

You've gotten home on Friday night, ready for a nice, relaxing weekend, when all of a sudden, it hits you: you finished your book and you don't have another one! What's a librarian to do?! Luckily, you don't have to suffer a weekend of boredom as long as you have a reliable internet connection. No, we don't mean surfing the web. We mean Downloadable Entertainment from your library!

Of course, not all of these services are available at all locations, but if your local library doesn't offer it, take a peek at what your county or state capital library has. I don't know about every state, but I do know that, in many places, you can often get a free e-card and use it to access online amenities from home.
 

 

 

 

OverDrive

Ah, yes, the OverDrive Media Console. In many cases, this was a librarian's first look at ebooks, but things have changed a bit over the years. In case you're unfamiliar, OverDrive is a library-funded service that lets you download ebooks, periodicals, and audio books, and stream video to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Pros: 

• Smartphone, tablet, and computer apps (available for iOS, Android, Chromebook, Mac OS, Windows, and Windows phone) for easy downloading. Seriously, I've gotten so good at this that I can find and start downloading an audio book for my commute while I'm brushing my teeth.
• The app is also super searchable and browsable - you can limit by genre, reading level, language, and also limit to what's currently available.
• A very friendly website. Plug in what you like, and it will help you find books and videos that you're interested in. It also gives recommendations based on what you've read or looked at before. (The website also has a detailed "Help" section, with videos.)
• Integration: Did you know that you can actually connect your Facebook account and your GoodReads account with your OverDrive account? It will link together all the libraries for which you have a card (for me, this is the library in which I work; the library in the town where I live; and the state library), and you can see all the items that are available at each location, and all the devices in which your account has been used.
• You can now suspend your holds! This is a big, big plus for people who either have several books checked out (sometimes everything comes in all at once and you know that you can't finish them all within two weeks), or you might be unavailable during a certain time period. Don't lose your place in line, but don't lose your chance to read the book if it comes too soon, either!
• You can renew select titles! If nobody is in line for a book, OverDrive will let you renew a title (if it's not available, it will put the book on hold for you). When you renew/re-download a title that you've had before, guess what - it picks up right where you left off! Bookmarks and last page read remain unaffected. 
• OverDrive will send you an email and let you know when a book you have on hold is ready for you. Of course, this is only helpful if you check your email. OR! You can have OverDrive automatically check the book out when it's your turn! Bonus - as long as you can get the book read in your two-week window.
• Download it, or stream it online. This works for both audio books and video content. You can use your computer, or a tablet or smartphone (Apple iOS or Android, only).

Cons:

• Sometimes that book that you're dying to read has a waiting list, and because everyone with a library card has as much right to read it as you do (in your whole network, no less), there can sometimes be quite a wait. (But it'll email you when it's your turn, which is nice.) 
•  A finite number of titles you can have at any one time. This isn't really too much of a con, though, because even in the small network in which I work, you can get 3 titles at a time, and as soon as you return one, you can get another. (I usually have an audio book, an ebook, and a backup for whichever of those I'm closest to finishing. But, again, some people have multiple library cards, which means even higher limits.)
• Not that this comes up much anymore, but... Downloading to non-tablet devices can be a pain. So you want to read that book on your Nook ereader? You first have to download Adobe Digital Editions to your computer, then download the book, then plug in the device to the computer and upload the book into the ereader. It's not that hard to do, but it's very hard to explain to someone who just got a device for the first time and isn't really tech-savvy. (That said, the troubleshooting section of the website is excellent.)

 

 

 

 

 

Hoopla 

Hoopla is your best friend when you want streaming videos but don't want to pay for cable or subscribe to a service. They have audio books, movies, television shows, comics, music, and ebooks. You create an account with your library card, but then log in using your email and password. Borrowers can enjoy several free titles a month (the number varies depending on your library's subscription, but is often around 8 titles per patron per month). Simply stream online or download to your device.
Pros:

• Free! No strings attached!
• Nothing to download, if you don't want to. If storage is at a premium, you're in luck: you can stream this media, so it won't take up space on your device. If you want to download and take it on the go, you can do that, too - simply download the app.
• New, popular items. No, really! They update their catalog weekly.
• No waiting! Seriously. You can get the Hamilton soundtrack, or The Girl on the Train without having to worry about digital rights and the fact that there's only one copy available - thanks to simultaneous usage, everyone who wants it can use it right now.
• Another easily browsable website, and a great free app for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.

Cons:

• Limited - You only get a finite number of titles a month, and that counts full movies, full audio books, and full music albums (even ones with multiple discs). BUT - each episode of a tv show counts as a single use, so don't dream of marathoning Downton Abbey just yet.
• Streaming. Streaming is awesome, right? There's nothing to download! Unless you're listening to an audio book and they decide to retire it and rotate the collection. Those books can be many, many hours long. The good news is, you get a full 21 days to listen to them, which is great, if you're in a listening mood! 
• Also, streaming means that you need a reliable internet connection, or you're going to use a lot of data.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freegal

Freegal (the name is a combination of "free" and "legal") is the music service you've been waiting for. All you need to do is log in with your library card and PIN, and you've got access to over 11 million songs and 15,000 music videos. (Some libraries have Freegal's streaming music service, and others only have the downloadable music option - check with your library to see what's available to you.) Freegal works with Sony Music, in order to provide access to some quality artists. Some libraries have even suspended adding to their CD collections, opting instead to subscribe to Freegal. You can download a set number (which varies per library, but usually around 3) songs per week, and you can also stream music (though there is a limited time per week that you can stream - our local library allows 3 hours of streaming per day, which is pretty nice).
Pros:

• You can keep the music! Once a song is downloaded, it is yours to listen to, burn to a CD, or add to a player.
• Yes, there's an app for that. The Freegal app is available on Apple, Android, and even in the Amazon store if you have a Kindle Fire.
•  No ads! Other live-streaming music services, like Spotify or Pandora, will either require a monthly fee, or sporadically play ads between songs.

Cons:

• Limited usage. You can get only a limited number of songs per week. Songs, not albums. Choose wisely. 
• If you download a music video, that counts as two songs. Be aware.
• Limited variety. Yes, there is lots to choose from, and there's some really great stuff in there, but you might not find the exact song you're dreaming of.

 

 

 

 

 

Zinio

Do you like magazines? Have we got an app for you!  Zinio (billed as "The world's largest newsstand") is available for libraries, and let me tell you, I really enjoy this one. Each magazine has full-color spreads, which you can read online or download to a tablet.
Pros:

• New content and back-issues! Download with a click, and enjoy.
• Keep your older issues as long as you want them. If you have the storage, you can keep them forever.
• A wide selection of magazines. Zinio offers titles from Highlights to Forbes, ESPN to Good Housekeeping. My library recently got Zinio with a pre-selected assortment of titles, and I am still amazed at the titles that are offered. Included are big names like National Geographic and Martha Stewart Living, and also niche publications like Golf Digest and Vegetarian Times. There are titles for kids, too! The specific magazines available will depend on your library's subscription.
• No limits - download as many as you want!
• Email notifications - get a message as soon as a new issue is out.
• Fully searchable. Not only can you search for keyword or title, but you can actually search the articles inside each publication. DUDE.

Cons:

• Zinio also has a website where you can purchase content, which can be confusing when you're first trying to look through it. (But it's ok - you don't need to spend a dime. Just make sure you login through your library and not zinio.com.)

Online Classes

If you're thinking of spending a little more time working on something - and maybe getting a little more out of your time than just temporary entertainment - consider taking an online class. Many libraries have subscriptions to systems such as:

• Mango Languages - Have you ever wanted to learn a language but you didn't have time or money to take a class, and Rosetta Stone is just way too expensive? Check out Mango Languages. They have 72 languages to choose from, and a great smartphone/tablet app that tracks your progress. There's even a version just for children.
• Gale Courses - These are 6-week online courses that are taught by industry professionals in a variety of topics, for all ages. From "Introduction to Guitar" to "Project Management Fundamentals," they've got you covered. You even get an Award of Completion when you finish a course, so you can prove that, "yes, I've taken a class on that."
• Lynda.com - Lynda.com is affiliated with LinkedIn, and has about 1500 courses to choose from, all of which are on-demand (no waiting for the next class session to start). The website will also give you recommended Learning Paths, so that if you're interested in, say, becoming a graphic designer, it will set out which classes will be helpful for you to achieve that goal.  This has a more professional slant than Gale Courses does, and focuses more on skills that will help you in a career, than just ones that you do for fun. Still, though - why wait to learn a new skill?

Still Bored?

We hope not. There are lots of options out there to choose from. Did we forget one of your favorite donwloadable entertainments? Please let us know in the comments here, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter.

8 Simple Photography Tricks Every Librarian Should Know

Let's talk about library photography. If you are lucky, newspaper reporters will come in and cover your programs. But even if they do, it is still important to take your own pictures of your events for the library website and social media, at the very least. However, photography is something that they don't teach you in grad school, so we're left to our own devices. Over the years, I've learned a few tricks that have upped my photography game. Maybe you'll find these helpful, too.

#1. Camera type does matter!

I couldn't believe how much of a difference it made when we bought a DSLR camera, the Canon EOS Rebel (thanks to the our teens voting for a Photography Makerspace). Sure, you might get some great shots with a regular camera or on your phone, but even leaving the DSLR camera on auto, it automatically blurs the background. Overnight, I became a better photographer! It is worth the money to upgrade.

#2. Focus on patrons, not your performer.

A photographer expert gave me this great tip that I never even realized -- if you focus on the performer, you are giving that performer free publicity. But if you focus on the faces of your patrons enjoying a performance, you are giving your library good publicity. Just make sure you get their permission before you post the photos online.

#3. Take pictures behind your performer.

So, to help you get a good spot for focusing on your patrons' faces, you should plan ahead. Ask the performer to move a few feet out into the audience and then station yourself behind them. If your patrons are sitting on the floor, lie down on your stomach so you'll get a good angle.

#4. Natural light makes the best pictures.

I learned this trick when I was taking shots of my newborn. Nothing looks better than bathed in natural light. Use this to your advantage -- focus on the people who have the best natural light on them. If you are in a room that has no or little natural light, turn on as many lights as you possibly can ahead of time to increase the quality of your pictures. (Especially since you'll want to turn off the flash if you are taking photos during a performance.)

#5. Focus on the eyes.

Even if you don't have a DSLR camera, many cameras these days have a function where you can pick a focus. When you're trying to get a great shot of a specific patron, make sure you're focused on the eyes. When the eyes aren't sharp, the picture won't look right.

#6. Be creative!

The subjects of your photos don't always have to be centered in the frame, or looking at the camera. Frame the shot with a bookshelf, to remind the viewer that the event was in a library. Get behind a viewer at a program, so you're looking over their shoulder to see what they see. Or, if you want to avoid faces, focus your shots on the finished products.

#7. Add the photography release to your registration.

There is a big debate about whether or not a library needs to have a photography release form. If you decide to do this, make it easy for yourself and patrons and include it right into your registration. If it is paper sign-up, you can hand them the release immediately afterwards. If it is online registration, even better! In my previous job, I worked with Eventkeeper to format a section to our online template form that was the Photography Release statement and asked them to mark "yes" or "no" if they accept these terms. I used this registration template for ever major event, but technically patrons only need to sign the form once and it covers their lifetime. But however you do it, it is good to have the majority of the releases done so you only need to worry about walk-ins at your event. (It also makes your newspaper reporters very happy to have this done ahead of time.)

#8. Create a Photographer Volunteer Role.

Lastly, if you are trying to run a program, it is really hard to also find time to take pictures. To solve this problem in my previous library, I created a volunteer role for in-house photographers. We opened it up to teens and trained them for a few days, then they could select which of the upcoming programs they wanted to cover. It worked out well for us and the teens really enjoyed it and took impressive shots. I made sure they downloaded their pictures on my computer before they left and then I used them for our social media, making sure to give the teen photo credit. It was a win/win partnership for us!

Do you have any photography tips? We'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Hijack Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads: Install the free Library Extension

Wouldn't it be awesome to easily see which of your "Want to Read" Goodreads books are currently available at your library? Or, perhaps, you're searching on Amazon for that title that you keep hearing about, and, after reading all of the reviews, you want to instantly find out if your library has a copy?

Well, now you can!

One of my favorite Chrome extensions is the "Library Extension" by Andrew Abrahamowicz. It is free and available to all libraries! If your library isn't on the list (there are over 1200 on it at the moment), you can request it via his website and he'll add it within a few days!

What We love:

1. The extension connects your library's catalog to sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads. 

So, when you are viewing a book or ebook, you can easily see if it is also available at your library. For Amazon and Barnes & Noble, the extension appears on the right. In Goodreads, it appears in the middle, under the editions.

Amazon Screenshot

Goodreads Screenshot

2. It is so convenient to use! 

You just click the "borrow" button and it brings you to your library's catalog, directly to the book you wanted.

3. It allows you to harness the great browsing and searching power of Amazon and Goodreads, but easily see availability from your library's catalog. 

I've also used it to make sure my collection has the top rated books, quickly finding what I was missing and then ordering. It can also be helpful when developing Reader's Advisory lists.

4. You can connect to as many libraries and consortiums as you want. 

Just remember to go back to your extension after you install it to click on "tools" and then you can select what libraries you want to see. Or just go to this handy link after installation: chrome-extension://chkgcmmjoejpekoegkedcpifgfhpjmec/config.html

5. Fabulous customer service. 

They quickly add new libraries when requested (usually within 24 hours) and fix any bugs that you come across (from books being linked incorrectly to books not showing up when they are indeed available). This is impressive work from a free extension! They do want to know of any problems, so please let them know.

How Does It Work?

This extension connects your library's catalog to these sites. They use the title and author for matches between the two catalogs, so sometimes (since we all know how great our library catalog works), it may not work properly. But in my experience, the bugs have been few and far between.

They do search for ebooks, too, but they are currently only able to do that for OverDrive, so if you don't have an option for ebooks for your library, that's probably the reason why.

For those of you concerned about privacy, they DO NOT track your browsing history.

Future Updates

This extension only works for Chrome right now, but they are working on a  Firefox extension. You can sign-up to be notified of when it is available.

Unfortunately, they do not include audio books, CDs, or video games. They do plan to offer a premium version in the future, and I hope they include this option in that package. Currently, they do not make any revenue off of this extension (which makes their fabulous customer service all that more impressive!).

Check it Out!

We cannot convey how much we love this extension and what Abrahamowicz has created -- and for free! One of the hardest jobs for libraries to do is be part of patrons' every day lives. This extension allows us to be integrated onto the sites that our patrons are visiting more than our own catalog. So valuable for everyone in many ways.

Definitely worth five minutes checking it out and seeing how it works. It might even be worth an extra minute telling other librarians and patrons.

How to Create a Floating Book Collection

When I was working on my Masters in Library Science, I had the opportunity to intern at a public library and volunteer at a local high school media center. It was through this combination that we realized there was a need for pleasure reading at the high school, but no budget to fulfill it. Since the public library had a lot of fiction books, there was a great opportunity for a collaboration.

YAY, Collaboration!

Getting both libraries together, we developed an idea of having a floating fiction collection where the public library would lend books to be housed at the school for a few months. Utilizing Google Forms, we came up with a simple process that worked for everyone, allowing us to keep track of books and who had checked them out. It worked really well!

Since then, I've created many floating book collections and learned much. Here's how we did it:

Why a Floating Collection?

1. School libraries could have a minimal fiction budget. When I visited all the schools at my previous job, I learned that some libraries had a great budget, but others had a small budget (if any at all) and were only allowed to buy books that supported the curriculum.

2. Schools may also have a slow processing time. Another school I collaborated with said it took four months for their book order to be approved by the administration. So, even if they can buy their own books, they may not be able to put it in the hands of teens.

3. Public libraries do have a budget, especially for fiction, but their limited open hours may conflict with teen schedules and the location of the library may make it unattainable for teens to visit if they don't have transportation.

Benefits

1. During my internship, we watched student readers grow from three teens to over 20!
2. Teens became excited over new books!
3. School Librarians could count on their arrival and saved much time with not having to process them themselves.
4. The YA Librarian had a chance to highlight forgotten but great reads.
5. Circulations increased - both for the school library and the public library.
6. This program is easy to implement!

What You Need

1. Internet access
2. Google account
3. Library card for your school
4. Books you're willing to part with long term

How It Works

1. We created a Google Form that looked like the image below. The form worked for checkouts, the spreadsheet (second image) was great for seeing who had which book.
2. The YA Librarian selected 20-30 books and checked them out on the School Library's library card. They updated the list on the Google Form.
3. The YA Librarian dropped off the books to the school.
4. The School Media Specialist displayed the books prominently in the library.
5. When teens checked them out or returned them, the School Media Specialist used the Google Form.
6. Two months later, the YA Librarian came with new books and took the available books back, checking them in and clearing them from the school's library card.
7. The School Media Specialist was responsible with following up on students to make sure books are returned; however, if any weren't back by summer vacation, the books were marked "Lost" and the public library bought a new copy.

The Check In/Out Form

Spreadsheet, available to only the librarians

Want to Create Your Own?

Don't reinvent the wheel! We created a template for you:

1. Make a copy of our Google Form and update it.

2. Make a generic "Floating Collection" library card and then check your books out on it.
3. Type the title of these books on the Google Form for checkout. (We did them alphabetically by title.)
4. Save the live form URL on your laptop or email it to the person checking the books out.
5. Go to the new location and start checking in/out books on this form to your patrons!

Tips

1. If you select books that are part of the series, keep in mind they won't return to your shelves while they are at the school. (Missing first books in series might discourage new readers.)
2. I didn't send over new books unless I bought a second copy. I pulled older reads that were lost on the shelves.
3. If a book was checked out multiple times at the school, I did check them in multiple times on the school card to reflect that for our records.
4. We included a section for special requests so teens could ask for anything specific, including the next book in the series.
5. If your schools have summer reading books, they might return the favor and let you circulate their copies during the summer. :-)
6. Lastly, this process will work anywhere that you want to have a floating collection -- nursing homes, comic cons, etc. We only had two books not returned since I started this program five years ago, and that's because the students had moved away.

And that's how it worked for us. I'm sure there are other ways to run a floating book collection, too. If you decide to use this idea, please let us know in the comments!

Canva for Work - Free for Libraries!

As you all know by now, I am a big fan of Canva. I've talked about it a few times on here... I cannot recommend it enough. It is the perfect program for people who are ready for something more professional than Microsoft Word/Publisher but less intimidating than Adobe InDesign. Personally, I've found it so easy to use and it's upped my design skills.

But a new development has made me even more excited about Canva. A few months ago, they rolled out Canva for Work, which takes the free Canva account and upgrades it with a paid subscription for special features. I was intrigued, but I didn't try the trial because I was afraid I would fall in love with it and I wasn't ready to pay. But then I got a tip from the Libraries & Social Media Facebook Group that Canva for Work is free for nonprofits. I was disappointed to learn they asked for a 501c(3) nonprofit form first, which we don't have, but then I found out they do accept Tax Exempt forms.

I immediately upgraded my work account. They put it on a trial mode and then when the trial ended, they accepted our nonprofit status. Yay!!!

And I LOVE IT. Here's a picture tour of all the goodies:

In the first photo, I was pleased to see that my personal account was separated from the Canva for Work Team Account. I have to click on my library account to access all work designs.

Easily move between your personal and work accounts!

When you switch over to the Canva for Work Account, your dashboard adds a few new features. As you can see below, you can easily see your own designs, the designs that were only shared with you, and your whole teams' designs, called the "Team Stream."

Simple but upgraded dashboard

When you go to "Your Brand", you can make your own templates for Presentation, Facebook Post, Twitter, Instagram, Flyer, Pinterest, Invitation, Letterhead, Business Card, Gift Certificate, Poster, Card, Facebook Cover, and Custom. What a time saver! We use Custom to make images for our Website Slider and our Digital Picture Frame.

Scroll down and make templates for flyers, social media, and more!

The Brand Kit is really awesome! You can save your own colors and they'll default to the top of your color palette in any document. You can upload fonts and set each heading to different font types and sizes. And you can upload your logos for easy locating later.

Brand Kit Part 1: Set your own color palette. These colors default to the top of Fonts, Background, and Elements.

Brand Kit Part 2: Set your own fonts and sizes. Upload the fonts you want!

Your Brand Kit fonts show up in EVERY template as the default setting.

Brand Kit Part 3: Upload your logos for easy locating later.

Brand Kit Logos appear under "Uploads",
in their own folder.

One of the big advantages with Canva for Work is that you can use it with a group of people in your organization. So, you can invite up to ten people to join your "team" and you can set them to be Administrators, Template Designers, or just Members. All teammates can create and share designs. Template Designers are in control of the templates and brand kit and Administrators can do that as well as manage team members.

The benefit of being part of a team is that you can easily show your design to ONLY team members. When you finish your design, you can click on "Showing" in the top right and you'll see that option.

The images will appear in the Team Stream and anyone can easily make changes to it. They just click on your image and then click "Remix". No more having to email everyone through the share option on each design when you want some feedback. So simple and easy to use!

Just click the green "Remix" to make quick changes.

But of course, the greatest feature is their "Magic Resize" option. You can take any design, go to File and then choose which formats you want it in. It was pretty impressive. As you can see below, it kept all the images in the correct proportions and just changed the background size behind it. It wasn't always perfect (sometimes there's too much space and not enough design), but still a huge time saver!

All the options for resizing your current design.

 Example of Resizing:

Size: Small Flyer

Size: Facebook Post

Size: Twitter

And that ends our photo tour. If you really enjoy Canva, I highly recommend upgrading to Canva for Work and applying for the nonprofit status. There is so much to gain and all you have to do is scan in a copy of your Tax Exempt form.

Thanks, Canva, for supporting nonprofits!

For more articles on Canva, check out:
Canva: Make Easy Designs in Little Time
5 Secret Tricks to Using Canva Like a Pro

Top 15 IFTTT Recipes to Save You Time

I recently took a webinar about Evernote and the presenter asked the audience how many people use IFTTT. I use it all the time, but I was surprised to see that most of my fellow audience members hadn't even heard about it.

Folks, if you don't know about IFTTT (https://ifttt.com), take a seat. You're going to love this!

IFTTT originally stood for IF This Then That. (They've since shortened it to just IFTTT.) It allows you to connect two applications (or an application and a product) together so they'll run seamlessly, with no additional work on your part. So, if Thing One happens, then Thing Two automatically happens.

You can use it to connect your social media accounts, to automatically alert you when snow is predicated, to send you a text when a certain person emails, etc.... The possibilities are endless!

In fact, there are so many possibilities (there are 220 apps and products that you can connect), one might find it a bit overwhelming to use at first. Never fear -- we picked the top 15 recipes that would be useful to any librarian ("Recipes" is what you make when you connect two apps/products together):

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

Keep track of receipts, invoices, and orders with these two options!




Who is going to come to your program if snow is on its way?


Order something important for your program? Get shipping updates on your phone.


Keeping track of Reference Interviews, interlibrary loans, people using computers? Here's a fun one.

STREAMLINING SOCIAL MEDIA

You can connect most of your social media networks together, but be careful. You wouldn't use Twitter hashtags on Facebook and you wouldn't post as often on Facebook as you would Twitter. So, pay attention to the best uses of each social network and connect appropriately.


Plan out your tweets on a shared Google Calendar!


I wouldn't send all your Instagram photos to Facebook, but the ones you want, just include a special hashtag on Instagram and it'll immediately appear on Facebook!


Make your library's blog posts go social on all accounts (make a recipe for each of your social networks) as soon as you hit send!


Upload photos only once and it'll appear on all social networks!


One profile picture for all, uploaded just once...

FINDING NEW PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Easily people who are tweeting with local hashtags (like your city) with this recipe -- it puts all users onto a list (which can be public or private) and you can easily reply, like or retweet local patrons WITHOUT following them.


What are your patrons posting on Instagram? Find out with this useful daily digest!

FUN ONES

You can make a recipe for Android or IOS!


Does your SO never know when you're heading home because you leave at different times? This recipe is for you:


So, we hope you'll find some of these recipes useful and will become comfortable with using this program to make some of your own recipes. If you use any others, please share the URL in the comments so other readers may also benefit from your great find!