Thing 7

Lots of new information in this one "thing" -- more than can be properly digested in one sitting. But this is definitely a case where one is moved to revisit applications in the near future.  The OPAL and ELM webinars had some interesting offerings (though somewhat sparse at present -- summer downtime, perhaps?)  Come fall (when Miss Shelved has pots of free time  ;>) we shall try to join in.  Once again, we shall respond to the prompts:

• How do we use e-mail?  It has revolutionized school district communication on so many levels.  We use it for a brief weekly newsletter (Friday Media Moment) that offers information on services available, new materials, training sessions, and all-around problem solving. On a more basic level,  teachers can be sitting at home, remember that an appointment must be made or books requested, and put out the message at their own convenience.  In fact, Miss Shelved has been know to ask colleagues to put a request in an e-mail even after having a casual encounter.  Short-term memory being what it is, it's nice to have it in writing.
• Online reference (via IM or texting) will change the face of college libraries, where research goes on round the clock and libraries have extended hours. Until public school libraries are open during non-school hours --
• IM is wonderful for people most likely to be near a laptop for most of the day.  Our district's tech staff, for example, stay connected and can offer excellent, immediate  support to one another as they troubleshoot in their various buildings. This is less of an option for elementary teaching staff (including teaching librarians) who are less likely to be "on" while students are present. Though the school secretary also stays "on" all day -- so she is able to send and receive sensitive information privately. 
• Minitex had a recorded session on advanced search strategies.  It was a tad annoying in that none of the "live" action -- the actual searches -- were recorded.  Only the canned PowerPoint slides (also available as a PDF) and the voiceover are available.  But there was still good information offered -- if only the URL for "Search Engine Showdown" -- which in this case was the basis of most of the presentation anyway.  Frankly, it was more interesting to peruse the site at leisure than to fade in and out of paying attention to the seminar.  Don't most of us loath seminars, anyway?   However, we have experienced software training via webinar and believe this will be the wave of the future: no travel, real world conditions, no chit-chat, and completely personalized.