Sunday, November 1, 2009

Week 8, Thing #18

This post was posted via the online productivity tool, "Zoho Writer." I read the information in Classroom Learning 2.0, a discovery resource, as well as the brief explanation of features presented when I first signed in. I am quite excited about the possibilities of Zoho Writer. I opened a previous Microsoft Word document while I was investigating Zoho and started comparing the two. Both seemed to have similiar features. I was quite shocked at how easy it was to simply sign-in and get moving with the Zoho Writer.
I can absolutely see why this feature would be popular for those who travel. My first response was imagining how nice it would be to not have to carry my zip drive from work to home on a daily basis. Though the features on the toolbar were named differently than on Microsoft Word, I had little to no difficulty maneuvering my way through the options. I appreciated some of the added features (such as the option to publish in various forms and to various places.) I also liked the ease in adding an emoticon. (I love adding them for emphasis in less formal writing.) I did, however, miss the clip art feature available in Microsoft Word. I was able to copy and paste the URL address of a picture and essentially "paste" that picture into the document. I was not able to adapt the justification of the picture such as sending to back, tight against text, etc. Perhaps that feature is available, and I was just unable to find it. Overall, I liked this program very much and look forward to sharing it with my colleagues and friends.

(document posted via Zoho Writer)

Laura E. Zuraski

LS 583 W4

Library, Literature, and the Young Adult

July 31, 2009

Critical Response Paper

Mondowney, JoAnn G. Hold them in Your Heart: Successful Strategies for Library Services to at-Risk Teens. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2001.

Hold them in Your Heart: Successful Strategies for Library Services to at-Risk Teens is an excellent resource for all readers entering or already working in any library setting. Mondowney shares all of her insight regarding her work with at risk teens, which really solidifies her love for this focus group, and backs up the information and suggestions she provides. The text is divided into seven chapters: Lessons Learned, Making the Case for Library Services to At-Risk Youth, Public Library Services for Youth-At-Risk: The San Francisco Bay Models, Strategies for Gaining Support, Conducting a Youth Needs Assessment, Are We There Yet? Planning and Evaluation, and Money Talk: Grants and Gifts, Beyond the Bay: Model Programs Elsewhere. The chapter titles along with the content within them make this text a great read from cover to cover or a reference material for at-risk and general library services. After reading the text, many points including factors necessary for success, library models, and the extensive list of special projects make this book an invaluable resource for any librarian.

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