Blogs and Blog Feed Readers

Blog Feed Readers
I chose Feedly as my favorite feed reader because of how minimalistic it looks. I get distracted easily, so for me this provided all of my information in a clear and concise format. It keeps all of my blogs and information organized, so I can find it quickly and efficiently. I also really enjoyed the fact that it seemed to give me the most bang for my buck when utilizing the free version. It allows me to follow up to 100 sources which seems to be more than the average feed reader free version. Feedly also lets me watch YouTube videos and read full-text articles without being distracted by other ads and things on my screen. I also really like the fact that Feebly is an app, so I can access it anywhere whether I'm at home or moving about and accessing it from my phone. When looking into the Pro plans again I am drawn to the fact of how organized and straight to the point that it is. It allows you to search for keywords throughout your feed, and you are also able to add notes and highlight. What a great resource this has the potential to be. Feedly also encourages collaboration which is something that we, as librarians, need to constantly be doing. Feedly allows you to share everything from your boards, notes, and feeds with your teammates in order to research and share ideas together. I did notice that even though Feedly's pro plan is more costly than the other feed reader sites, I feel as though you get more for your money. Some of the other feed readers are free, like Blog Lovin' which is set up very similar to a Pinterest like format. For me, this keeps my mind constantly running and Feedly's clean appearance helps me stay focused and able to navigate through easily.


Blogs to Follow:
1. http://www.mightylittlelibrarian.com/?author=1
Tiffany Whitehead is a school librarian and speaker with a passion for learning, reading, technology, and travel. She has served as the prudent for ISTE’s librarian network and was recognized as one of the emerging leaders 2014.  I chose to follow Mighty Little Librarian because I absolutely love all of the topics she discusses throughout her blog. It is done in a neat and legible format and gives me a great inside perspective on everything that a librarian truly does. Great ideas for me to try to implement some version of in my own library. I also love how she discusses her own experiences as well as her thoughts and feelings. This makes me feel connected to her and maybe not as nervous to try some of these ideas because as a librarian we must take risks.

2. http://travelinlibrarian.info/
Michael Sauers is currently the Director of Technology for Do Space in Omaha, NE. He has been training librarians in technology for the past twenty years and has also been a public library trustee, a bookstore manager for a library friends group, a reference librarian, serials cataloger, technology consultant, and bookseller, I chose to follow Travelin' Librarian because I love how he incorporates his love for technology into the field of being a librarian. He gives us ideas on how to incorporate technology seamlessly into the library every day and in a fun, new, inventive way. I love how the blog is organized and straight to the point.

3. https://tompkinslibrary.edublogs.org/
This blog was created to help the Tompkins High School students with their reading, research, and technology needs. I chose to follow Tompkins Library Blog because it gives me great inspiration on what my blog could potentially look like for my campus, and how I could implement some of these ideas when I run my own library. This blog was made with both the student and the librarian in mind.

4. https://davidleeking.com/
This blog is about the social web, emerging trends, website management, digital experience, social media, and libraries. David Lee King is the Digital Services Director at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, where he plans, implements, and experiments with emerging technology trends. I chose to follow David Lee King's blog because I love how he discusses the emerging trends and how that translates into us using them in the library setting. He gives ideas that I may not have ever thought of. His blog makes it easier for me to stay up to date with things that are going on now, and how I could use this knowledge to better my library. I also really enjoy when he discusses the topics of how to apply social media and website management to our own libraries and how we can utilize these to our advantage.

5. https://jenny-arch.com/
She started her library blog in January 2011 to share knowledge with other library students and librarians.  She is currently an adult services librarian whose collection development areas include adult fiction books and audiobooks, speed reads, and digital content. Follow her blog for information on all these topics, as well as for insights about being a librarian today. I chose to follow Look out, honey, cause I'm using technology because I love her ideas on how to incorporate all types of technology into a librarian. This blog also gives me inspiration for my future blog at my own campus. Everything is organized, and there is so much material to look through and utilize. It is an amazing wealth of information! 


Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/analwayslearningbookworm