QR codes are little images containing information that transmit the contained information when a person snaps the image with their cell phone. QR codes can contain all kinds of information, from contact information and VCards of librarians to links to websites, tutorials, pages with chat widgets and more. This cybertour explores different options for creating and using QR codes, and potential uses in libraries.

Android is getting just as popular as Apple's iOS and other mobile operating systems. In this cybertour, see Android App Inventor in action and how easy it is to click and drag various components that will fit like a puzzle into a completely functional Android application.  

In an era where applications are available nearly anytime, anywhere, information technology and businesses are forced to keep pace. This session investigates digital collections management for new media and how organizations have transformed their processes to select, acquire, and serve digital collections through technical innovations.

This cybertour illustrates how finding information in one university catalog has become easier and faster.  It shows how Elsevier’s APIs can be integrated to improve finding, discusses the implications on new web based library services, and highlights customer responses.

Our super searcher and successful business woman shares her secrets for keeping customers happy, key tools, and more.

Keeping our clients up-to-date and informed about trends is important for them but also for those of us with planning responsibilities. Using waste management as an example, this cybertour illustrates how to see research trends in science.  It shares tips, techniques and findings.

As libraries continue to push resources online and library users visit us online, reference services continue to move online as well. New and old software options, ranging from free to fee, can help us offer online, interactive reference services via chat, instant messaging, text messaging (SMS), and more. Come explore these communication options along with evaluation of real-life implementation issues.

This fast-paced demo highlights free programs that libraries can use to track, analyze, and measure the usage of Web-based library services. It covers tools for counting visitors to a service or a Web page like meters and those that track and analyze Web-based activities and events.  Looks at Google Analytics, Active Meter, StatCounter, GoStats, eXTReMe Tracking, and more.

Building an a native app for a mobile platform often requires extensive programming in Objective C or Java. This may be a time or skill-prohibitive process for many librarians. But it's possible to build off of existing apps or build an app with an intermediary tool that doesn't require high level coding. This cybertour shows how to use a barcode scanner app from a webpage, how to build a webpage with an iPhone-app-like interface, takes a look at Google's Android App Inventor toolkit, and more.

A look at where mobile technology is going and how it can be used by libraries to meet the expectations of users.

There are many ongoing and successful efforts inside and outside of government to make government information available on the Internet, free to all. Advocates for open government, as well as the disseminators and users of government information, have encouraged the release of caselaw, statutes, public records, publications and other data held by federal, state and local governments. Learn what information is out there, how it's being used, and how you and your users can access it and contribute to Gov 2.0.

Whether you're designing library services, programs or websites, the objective of providing a positive customer experience to a wide and diverse audience remains the same. This cybertour focuses on the characteristics that keeps people engaged and talking, like social sharing and endorsement; shares tips for enhancing the stickiness of your services, programs and sites; and illustrates with some great real world examples.

Have a look at how libraries and universities in the US and Europe are using a platform that runs on all phones and networks to deliver fast and easy catalog searches, access to reading lists, blogs and tweets and enables patrons to check-out and renew books directly from their mobile phones.  Customized mobile apps are highlighted.  Come and see the possibilities for your environment.

You want to redesign your website or start a new marketing campaign, and everyone's talking about using "personas." What are user personas and how are they helpful to library work? In 15 minutes, we'll talk about what a persona is and walk through the basics of creating one.

Burns shares results of an IMLA funded project and research conducted by New York City's public libraries that focused on: How students use the web for homework and; How HomeworkNYC, a website devoted to supporting student homework needs, was and wasn't used by tweens and teens in New York City. She shares results of focus groups with teens that showed they were looking for homework support from the online spaces that they inhabit - Facebook, MySpace, Google, Wikipedia, and so on.  Hear about the apps they have created and how they are now being used.

Many organizations have begun to develop restrictive IT and web policies that restrict a library's ability to experiment with new methods of providing library services. Cloud computing can be used to cheaply/freely to experiment and enhance user experience. This talk explains what the cloud is and how a library can leverage it by providing specific examples such as Dropbox, Google's online suite of resources, Flickr, and Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).

Social networking allows libraries to do more than just market to particular audiences. We can use tools like geocaching, social networking, and Photoshop to create and nurture community by interacting with our audience. Hear some tips for reaching the Gen X & Y crowd.

Successful information architecture, smooth site navigation, logical menu structure, and intuitive interface design all rely on knowing where users expect to find needed information. Card-sorting is a simple, user-centered, low-tech, and powerful technique that can explore how users group related concepts together, help Web designers develop a usable structure and sensible navigation paths that better reflect user mental models. Presenters share the process, findings, recommendations for the site improvement, and ideas for overcoming roadblocks and enabling full realization of a truly user-centered redesign.

This cybertour looks at the world of online security, both on the server and at home. It shares tools that work to keep your website safe, looks at how to stay safe on public wifi networks, and discusses best practices to stay safe at home.

Our super searcher shares the latest tips on searching and using alternative search engines. Always on top of the industry, Ojala's cybertour is not to be missed!

You're a virtual library serving distance education students or public library clients. You live and die by remote access. Things go wrong. Clients contact you by phone, chat and e-mail. Their logins aren't working. They try to access your resources and get strange error messages. They click on PDF links and nothing happens. How do you help them diagnose and resolve their technical issues? Hear how one library uses front-end technical support for clients and back-end tools for librarians.

This cybertour shares new and little-known Google services, tools and features that can help improve Internet life. Google changes so often this cybertour will put you on top of the latest and greatest tips, tools, and services.