Archive for the ‘Guides’ Category

Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones – The Daring Librarian has created an excellent comic tutorial guide to How to Create a QR Code In 3 Easy Steps.

Yesterday Apple released it’s biggest upgrade to date with iOS 5 which is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch, and the iPad/iPad 2. And it will be preloaded on the 4S. The reason that this upgrade is so important is that it ushers in the “PC free” era as Apple calls it, meaning that it frees its devices from the computer. Users will now be able to use iTunes on their devices and will not have to plug them into a computer in order to sync, download media, and organize their content.

Here are some helpful resources to get you started with iOS5:

iOS 5 – 200+ New Features for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch – Apple

iOS 5: Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade – Mashable

Why iOS 5 is a Big Deal – CNET

Everything You Need to Know About iOS 5 in Seven Minutes – Lifehacker

Apple’s iOS 5 Update Now Available For iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch – TechCrunch

iOS 5: The Top 10 New Features – Gizmodo

iOS 5 Review – Engadget

How to Set Up and Configure All the New Features in iOS 5 – Lifehacker

15 iOS 5 Tips and Tricks – CNET

Foursquare “Radar” Taps iOS 5 to Alert iPhone Users of Local Activities – Mashable

How Twitter Integrates With iOS 5 – Mashable

Debbie Hemley at the Social Media Examiner discusses 20 Ways to Improve Your Google+ Knowledge. The new social network by the search engine giant is fast becoming a major player in the social networking community. This quick primer will get you up and running in no time! Here are just 5 of her helpful recommendations:

• #1: First things first: Get started with Google+
• #2: Engage and learn
• #3: Watch and learn
• #4: Use Google+ Help
• #5: Spark interest on Google+

The new social Q & A website Quora has steadily increased in popularity since its launch last year. Similar to Twitter with regard to establishing a network of people who follow you as well as those you follow, Quora enables users to both ask and answer questions, join groups and follow topics, and vote on best answers to all questions asked. I have recently joined the addictive social network and have found it quite easy to navigate and participate in. If you’re wondering how you can jump in and take part, check out some of these resources!

How To Use Quora: A Comprehensive Guide – Social Times

Getting Started on Quora: A Step-by-Step Guide – Inigral Insights

Frequently Asked Questions About Quora – TechCrunch

Quora: Frequently Asked Questions for New Users – Quora

12 Ways to Use Quora For Your Job Search – Mashable

How to Build Your Reputation on Social Q&A Sites – GigaOm

9 Ways to Get More Out of Quora – Mashable

How Small Businesses Can Use Quora – ReadWriteWeb

Quora Launches an iPhone App – Mashable

Alan Henry at Lifehacker posits that Facebook Is Tracking Your Every Move on the Web; Here’s How to Stop It. This helpful article discusses what to do to ensure that your privacy is protected.

“For quite some time now, Facebook’s user tracking hasn’t been limited to your time on the site: any third-party web site or service that’s connected to Facebook or that uses a Like button is sending over your information, without your explicit permission. However, Winer noticed something mostly overlooked in last week’s Facebook changes: Facebook’s new Open Graph-enabled social web apps all send information to Facebook and can post to your profile or share with your friends whether you want them to or not. Essentially, by using these apps, just reading an article, listening to a song, or watching a video, you’re sending information to Facebook which can then be automatically shared with your friends or added to your profile, and Facebook doesn’t ask for your permission to do it.”

Andrea Vahl at the Social Media Examiner discusses Five Facebook Changes and What You Need to Know. This detailed post takes a look at what Facebook’s new additions and enhancements mean for marketers. Each of the following changes is discussed in-depth:

1. News Ticker
2. Smart Lists
3. News Feed
4. Subscribe feature
5. Timeline

Infographics and data visualizations have become incredibly popular ways to impart information while keeping your audience engaged. As a result, a slew of user-friendly, free online applications have been created which enable users to create their own information graphics. Here are five such tools that I think are particularly valuable:

Wordle - Create beautiful and fully customizable word clouds with this free tool. Simply paste in your text and click “Go”, or specify your own color scheme, layout, and fonts.

Instantly create a word cloud for your blog or website by entering the RSS feed! Here’s a Wordle for iLibrarian:

Visual.ly is a brand new online application which allows you to create detailed data visualizations and infographics such as the one below. They are still in private beta-testing, however you can sign up for an invite now. And in the meantime, you can browse the Showcase of over 3,500 of the best infographics on the Web.

Twitter Visualizer – This fun tool quickly creates a personalized infographic of your Twitter persona based on what you tweet. You can create a solo infographic such as the one created for me below, or compare yourself to tweeting celebrities.

Creately let’s you build organized concept maps, flowcharts, and diagrams for free. Although they do have subscription packages, users can create 5 public diagrams with the free account. They offer an easy-to-use interface with drag and drop shapes that will have you mind mapping in seconds.

Tagxedo - Create a beautifully shaped word cloud from your blog, tweets, delicious tags, news topic, or any RSS feed. Tagxedo lets you customize words into stunning images.

Visualize.me syncs with your LinkedIn account to create a stunning infographic of your experience, education, and skills. You can customize how much or how little is displayed within the easy editing interface. Fonts, colors, and backgrounds are all editable as well. Each position and educational entry can be moused-over to view the full job/school description that is found on LinkedIn.

Jacob Gube at Mashable offers 7 Best Practices for Improving Your Website’s Usability. This in-depth guide to making your web presence more usable includes a detailed discussion of each topic as well as illustrative screenshots.

• 1. Keep Content as Concise as Possible
• 2. Use Headings to Break Up Long Articles
• 3. Help Readers Scan Your Webpages Quickly
• 4. Use Bulleted Lists and Text Formatting
• 5. Give Text Blocks Sufficient Spacing
• 6. Make Hyperlinked Text User-Friendly
• 7. Use Visuals Strategically

Are you looking for ways to better engage your blog readers? If so, you’ll want to check out Charlene Kingston’s 7 Tips to Increase Your Blog Comments on the Social Media Examiner blog. This detailed article provides screenshots and discusions of the following tips:

• Tip #1: Check your blog comments settings
• Tip #2: Ask for comments
• Tip #3: Write a blog comment policy
• Tip #4: Provide comment instructions
• Tip #5: Respond to comments
• Tip #6: Make people feel good about their comments
• Tip #7: Build community with your replies

Social Media guru Chris Brogan writes a quick guide to how to Start Now on Google Plus. This brief tutorial discusses key areas that will help you get your footing and bolster your presence on this new and popular social network. Here are the subjects discussed:

• Start With Your Profile
• Create New Circle Structures
• Find People to Circle
• Post Interesting Things
• Sharing is Caring
• Comments Are All the Rage
• Try a Hangout

QR or Quick Response barcodes are 2-D tags which can hold information such as URLS, contact information, photos, and more. They are read using a barcode reader and mobile phone’s camera, and they have become an increasingly popular way to do mobile marketing and promotion. Libraries have begun to adopt this new mobile tech and are using it in many innovative ways to put their services and resources in front of the their patrons. Here’s a quick guide to get you started creating your own QR codes for your library or organization.

Why Use QR Codes

Ways Libraries Are Using QR Codes

Best Practices

Christina Warren at Mashable writes about Cloud Computing: The Layperson’s Guide to Distributed Networks. If you’re still in the dark about this latest buzzword, you’ll want to check out this quick article.

“The idea behind cloud computing is that software, services and information can be provided to users over a network connection and through a web browser, rather than running locally on a computer or a local network server.

Popular cloud applications like Google Docs and Salesforce.com offer users robust ways to manage and access content, and the beauty of the cloud is that the content is accessible from any web browser or connected device.”

The folks at Educause have put together a new “7 Things” guide, this time describing 7 Things You Should Know About Gamification. “Gamification is the application of game elements in nongaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior. In business contexts, gamification is used to create an engaging dynamic—such as the points system created by Weight Watchers—and to build brand loyalty.” As usual, the quick reference resource answers the following questions:

1. What is it?
2. How does it work?
3. Who’s doing it?
4. Why is it significant?
5. What are the downsides?
6. Where is it going?
7. What are the implications for teaching and learning?

Librariantom has put together this excellent brief tutorial for how to create custom QR codes for your library using Mojiq. I can’t wait to make one myself!

Melanie Pinola at Lifehacker has created a A Guide to Google+ Privacy and Information Control. This excellent post has all you need to know to get set up on Google’s new social network:

“This guide will take you through setting up Google+’s circles with an emphasis on how they work from a privacy perspective, how to control what others can see about you on your profile, your options for selectively sharing posts with others, and some miscellaneous settings you’ll want to tweak—like only allowing friends to start Huddles with you.”