1. Cool Tools for Academic
Reference/Instruction
Librarians
Jenny Dale
UNC Greensboro
Image credit: Tools by zzpza on flickr. [CC BY 2.0]

2. Tutorials!

3. Do you ever make tutorials?
A. All the time!
B. I’ve tried it before.
C. No, but I’d like to.
D. Never, and I don’t ever want to.

4. Jing
• What?
– Free downloadable screencasting software
• Where?
– http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
• Why?
– Free! Easy! Fun!
– Create screencasts or screencaps on the fly

6. Screenr
• What?
– Cloud-based screen recorder
• Where?
– http://www.screenr.com/
• Why?
– Free! Easy! Web-based!
– Create screencasts and share instantly, even on
iDevices

7. Screencast-o-Matic
• What?
– Cloud-based screen capture recording
• Where?
– http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
• Why?
– Free! Easy! Records up to 15 minutes!

8. Image credit: Wheel by Pauline Mak on flickr. [CC BY 2.0]

9. ANimated Tutorial Sharing
Project (ANTS)
• What?
– Repository of library/research tutorials
• Where?
– http://ants.wetpaint.com/ (project website)
– Videos uploaded to YouTube and Blip
• Why?
– Repository of tutorials that are not library-
specific
– Easy sharing and embedding

10. MERLOT
• What?
– Peer reviewed online teaching and learning
materials
• Where?
– http://www.merlot.org/
• Why?
– See what’s already out there and what’s been
done well

11. Learnist
• What?
– Like Pinterest, only fewer pictures of food
• Where?
– http://learni.st
• Why?
– Find relevant boards and share them with
students and colleagues
– Create your own boards to organize useful
websites, tutorials, and videos

12. Dynamic presentations!
Chemistry Day 001 by pennstatenews on flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0]

13. Prezi
• What?
– Free Flash-based and web-based presentation
tool
• Where?
– http://prezi.com
• Why?
– Creates slick, dynamic presentations
– Good for classroom, professional
development, and even self-paced tutorials

14. Projeqt
• What?
– “dynamic presentations for a real-time world”
• Where?
– http://www.projeqt.com
• Why?
– Easily integrate images, videos, PDFs
– Take an existing presentation and make it fancy

15. In the classroom and beyond!
Classroom in the Afternoon by Thomas Favre-Bulle on flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0]

16. How often do you teach or train?
A. Teaching is life, the rest is just details.
B. I teach fairly often.
C. I teach once or twice a semester/season.
D. I never teach.

17. Google Docs
• What?
– Cloud-based document creation and sharing
• Where?
– http://drive.google.com
• Why?
– Create interactive class activities that can be
shared publicly and edited by students

19. Bubbl.us
• What?
– Free, web-based concept mapping software
• Where?
– https://bubbl.us
• Why?
– Students can create their own concept maps in
class to help brainstorm keywords and search
terms

21. PollEverywhere
• What?
– Free online survey tool
– Accepts responses from web interface as well as
mobile devices
• Where?
– http://www.polleverywhere.com
• Why?
– Real time assessment data

22. Google forms
• What?
– Easy to use form-creation tool
• Where?
– http://drive.google.com
• Why?
– Great for assessment and surveys
– Could be used to create dynamic online
worksheets

23. How do you keep up to date with
technology and tools?
A. Blogs
B. Colleagues
C. Conferences
D. A combination

24. Keeping up through NCLA
• Visit the Technology and Trends Roundtable
Blog:
http://nclatechandtrends.wordpress.com
for information on upcoming webinars and
other professional development events!