What is a #Hashtag Anyway?

If you’re a beginning social media user, you may have bumped into this weird symbol:

That symbol, commonly known as a pound or number sign, is now known in the social media world as a hashtag.  It was originally made popular via twitter, but has gained popularity through many other social media programs like instagram, facebook, and google+.

A hashtag is a means of categorizing a conversation.  Think of it like a folder, except each item can be placed in multiple folders by applying multiple hashtags.  In programs like twitter, placing a hashtag allows you to join a conversation or track one that is already in progress.  It also ensures that whatever you have written will be read by others interested in the same hashtag.

For example, if you write a twitter post that may be of interest to your colleagues, you might want to use the #ltps hashtag. All you need to do is type “#ltps” anywhere in your tweet and anyone following the #ltps hashtag will read your message.  Always using that same hashtag will ensure that you stay in that conversation. 

Hashtags can be temporary – as in a hasthag for a specific education conference – or they can be permanent.

And you can make a new hashtag any time you want!  Make one for your classroom or for a particular lesson plan.

My favorite hashtags to follow are #edchat, #edtech, and #libchat.  There’s a hashtag for every hobby and profession though, so give it a try!

Chrome Webstore

In my last post I talked about the Tweet Deck Chrome Extension, but let’s dial it back a bit and talk about how to find it and what the Chrome Webstore is anyway.

Think of the Chrome Webstore as a free way for you to “pimp out” your Chrome browser.  You can change the color using themes.  You can add small programs (like the Tweet Deck Chrome Extension) to make your life easier.  There are even games you can add to your browser, not that you’d ever play them in school *wink*.

To get started, visit chrome.google.com/webstore/. It should look something like this:

On the left you’ll see categories through which you can browse, or you can use their search bar for something specific (like the Tweet Deck Chrome Extension).

Poke around and see what you can find.  From video creation to productivity improvement, there’s something for everyone.

Tweet Deck Chrome Extension

Are you a twitter hater? I was too until I found the Tweet Deck extension for the chrome browser!

As a quick recap, a browser is the program you use to access the internet. In our school we have two choices: Chrome or Internet Explorer (IE). Each has their strengths and weaknesses and the ability to add smaller programs to tailor them to your needs. Since our student’s 1:1 devices are Chromebooks, which only use the Chrome browser, I’m always looking for new tips and tricks to make using Chrome better for both students and teachers.

My latest fave is Tweet Deck. Tweet Deck is a free Chrome extension that allows you to monitor multiple twitter accounts and hashtags at the same time! Before I found Tweet Deck I hated Twitter. I didn’t know how to stay on top of it despite trying a dozen different iPhone apps. And trying to keep me to 140 characters or less was a learning curve too. The whole thing was confusing and overwhelming.

But with Tweet Deck I can see everything – my notifications, lists, hashtags, etc. – at a glance. With just a couple minutes a day you too can finally join the Twitterverse. In our next issue I’ll be sure to explain a bit more about Twitter and how to navigate the Chrome Web Store so you can find Tweet Deck – and other goodies – to make your life easier. Or you can of course just swing by and I’ll be happy to show you.

Do We Still Need Paper Books?

Has anyone ever asked you why we still need libraries because e-books are the wave of the future?  Or perhaps you have a golden opportunity to renovate your library and you're wondering if you really need all those books since e-books don't take up any space!  

I am 1/2 way through a $100,000 renovation myself and have been asked these questions - and many like them - multiple times.  I have come up with the following arsenal of responses and thought they might come in handy for you: 

The Right Questions to Ask While Genrefying Your Fiction

Someone recently asked me how I pick where a book would go if it meets multiple genres.  The truth is, it is extremely rare that a book ONLY falls in to one genre.  Many westerns have romance in them.  Time travel stories can happen entirely in the past and therefore be attractive to historical fiction readers.  I can go on and on with examples.  

Fortunately I've had a lot of practice genrefying when I used to work for Realms of Fantasy, the short fiction magazine.  I was one of their editors and part of my job was helping authors to classify their stories so they market them to the right publications.  And I really enjoy figuring out what genres can be applied to a book, believe it or not.  Applying genres to a book is really similar to listing its subject headings.  

It isn't always foolproof, but I ask myself the following questions when I'm trying to genrefy a book, and they usually do the trick for me:

Let the Fiction Genrefying Begin!

I am so excited to announce that we have begun the process of genrefying the fiction section in our high school library media center!

There is a lot of controversy involving this topic in the library world, and for good reason.  At the end of the day, helping our patrons find what they're looking for is one of the core functions of our existence.  Anything that threatens that goal can turn librarians in to very scary people because it matters so much to us.

However, we believe that genrefying our fiction will serve our patrons better.  Here's why:

Weeding the Library: Trials and Tribulations

Let's first begin with the definition of weeding.  I like Arizona State Library's definition because it's quick and easy:  "Weeding (also known as deselection) is an essential element of collection development that ensures the library’s materials are useful and accessible."

Useful and accessible.  Those are the two biggies and they affect one another.  If your library is filled with non-useful items, the useful ones are no longer accessible.  If your library is filled with useful items, they will be easily accessible.

I am about to weed my library again and I want to make sure I do it right.  I know I didn't last time and I want to correct that.  That not only means taking my time and depending on resources like CREW:  A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries, but that also means getting the input of my teachers.

But sometimes getting the RIGHT input can be a challenge.  That's why I'm writing this post, in the hopes of explaining what information library media specialists really need when they ask, "give me a reason for keeping this book."