Thing 7 Communication tools

After reading the productivity tips for email, I agree completely and actually do all of those already. I check email about 4 times during the work day. Our school email gets bogged down with riff-raff--you know those jokes that aren't really funny, or the chain emails that are ridiculous and mostly untrue. I do delete most of them, and when I get fed up with them, I refer them to our school website where they can check if what they are sending is really true.

Email, however, is a very useful and efficient tool for providing information quickly to those who need it. We use if for quick messages, meeting information, workshop ideas and emergency information. Being able to communicate with teachers and staff is very important, and email provides an efficient way to communicate to all staff members.

As for IM, I do have a Yahoo Messenger account, which of course, I can't access at school. But I would love to IM with any librarian out there who is willing to chat about 23 things. Send me an email address and I will add you to my contacts on Yahoo Messenger. ( I will see if our techician will allow that site on my computer at school)

I have used Messenger for several years now, because I chatted with my Armenian teaching partner during our Project Harmony year-long project. Connectivity was an issue with her at that time, but when we could get through it was very useful as we planned our lessons for each other's classes. We also did an instant chat with Armenian students--of course this had to be prearranged to make sure all of us were online because of the time difference in our two areas. I also IM with my daughter who was in the Peace Corps, and phone calls were very expensive and IM was free. We still use that from time to time.

I am fascinated by the IM Reference aspect for school libraries. What a great tool that would be if we could get our students out of the nasty sites they like to text message to each other with--that is why we do not allow it in our school district. The language they use is inappropriate and downright filthy at times. (Beats me how they got around the firewall, when I can't get into any blogs or messenger services from my computer)--But a 24/7 reference center WOW!

I don't have the option for text messaging on my cell phone (it's in the car, primarily for emergency use). I have sent messages a couple of times, but I am so slow and so illiterate when it comes to texting, that I prefer to use email or regular phone calls. I have a problem with the shorthand used in texting--basically it is Greek to me. But, I can see the advantage of being able to text to students/patrons who use a cell phone as their primary source of communicating. No doubt this will be a common practice in the future BFNIDTY (but for now I don't text yet).

I have participated in Minitex webinars and I feel they are a valuable tool for communication, especially for those of us in remote areas. They provide a way for us to get new information, or training on new technology via a web conference. I learned all about the Gale resources via Minitex, and this was efficient and economical for me, as I usually have to travel several hours to get to a conference that might last an hour.

Although I am not proficient in using all of these communication tools yet, I do realize their importance for out patrons/students and the impact they will have on their learning and their ability to have access to library resources and tools basically at their fingertips.

Whew! 7 done, 14 to go! My brain is full!