Thing 8 and Thing 9-Organizing Yourself

Wow...Evernote! I had never heard of it until cpd23, but I'm hooked.  Funny enough, just after exploring with Evernote, we received a massive upgrade on our computers at work, to include Microsoft Office OneNote. After playing with Evernote (and discovering it wouldn't sync through the filters at work), I was happy to begin the transition to OneNote.  However, OneNote does NOT have an Android app yet.  Yes, there is an app for the iPhone, but if you don't have a Windows phone, you don't have OneNote. Sigh..two good tools, each with a drawback. Which to choose? (Yes, that means I'm ready for suggestions, feedback, or sympathy.)

Google Cal...love it...use it for work, personal, sharing with parents and teachers. Next project, to see if I can link the calendar with my catalog system for sending out reminders by email to faculty and parents. I'll need to explore our newly updated catalog software and find out what goodies are in the upgrade, then on to tech support to see if my dream is possible. Wish me luck!

Image credit: http://www.overhall.com/products.htm

We should be good at this organizing stuff, right?  We're librarians!  We create extensive catalogs linked to a wealth of print and digital resources. We meticulously shelve print items.  We sort, stamp, quantify, label, tag, bind, file and more. Here's the rub though.  The sheer quantity of stuff, both print and digital, paired with many, many interruptions (Not a complaint, we're in the business of being interrupted.), and mixed in with extreme multi-tasking can be an organizing nightmare. The wealth of organizing tools available to us can become overwhelming all on their own. Sort of reminds me of all the weight-loss aids that say, in the fine print, "when paired with low calorie diet and exercise." None of the tools are magic pills. A tool is only as good as it is used. We're exploring, learning, evaluating, but in the end, we must choose and use a few basic tools that help us. Tools we can integrate into our personal style. Tools that work best for our libraries and our patrons. Our next task is to become proficient with our chosen tools. Use them consistently and with great skill and share the knowledge with others.