Ballerina Snowflakes

Dancing is as intense and vigorous as any other sport I've seen so I wanted to embrace it this summer by making these little beauties.

I love the grace and elegance of ballerinas so building them with a snowflake seemed like such a charming option. I discovered that there were actually two options. One was a simpler model that would work better with your younger participants, while the other has a bit more detail in the figure you cut out (the one on the right).


While I know that this is a very winter-y concept I don't mind at all and I doubt very much my teens will either.

Original concept and instructions via krokotak and krokotak v2.

Beating the Winter Blues, Techie Style

So,  it's cold and wintery out. And the next paid holiday is months away. How do I beat the Winter Blues?

I play with new, or at least new to me, apps. I only use free apps. Sometimes I get lucky and get a Paid app for free! Once I got MS Office apps for free. How awesome it that?

So, here are some of my favorite free apps:

Photo editor: Snapseed

Weather: Weather Undrground

Password Keeper: Dashlane

To Connect with Teens: Snapchat

Face Animator: Nito

Social Media: Hootsuite

Write on a Tablet: Inkredible

Games: Bad Piggies

Let the summer preparations begin

I'm kicking off the plans for the Summer Library Program 2016 with my favorite summer wardrobe add-on: My Headband.

Wait no, not that one.


Last summer's theme was all about Superheros so I created this little beauty.

You Can Learn To Code!

Mark Zuckerburg and Bill Gates believes kids should learn how to code.

I agree. But I think anyone who wants to learn code can do it at the library!

Never, fear my fellow librarian friends. You don't need to be a techie, know a techie or even be techie adjacent to learn coding or help your patrons learn coding. All you need are computers with Internet connection. Just point interested parties to the right websites.

The Nebraska Library Commission has resources.

• Code.org
• Codeacademy
• CoderDojo
• Hour of Code
• Khan Academy
• Made w/ Code
• Sew Electric

They even help you create a Coding Program:

• How to teach a CoderDojo Class

And there is no age limit:

How an 8-year-old teaches coding at libraries like @SantaClaraLib w/ her board game @Coderbunnyz: https://t.co/RgnIxBJvo5 (by @philshapiro)

— TS4Libs Team (@TechSoup4Libs) February 23, 2016

Windows 10...should I upgrade?

For just a few more months (until July 31, 2016), Microsoft is offering to upgrade your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 computer to Windows 10 for free. But should you take them up on the offer?

As a IT Consultant that is constantly on the road fixing Windows computers at 54 public libraries, I know Windows OS. I know updates. I know reinstalls. I know building the thing back from a hard blue-screen-of-death crash. I like Windows 7. It runs well for Windows. It's stable.
I don't like Windows 8 or 8.1 and its made for touch screen setup. To me, Windows 8 in any version is just as bad as Windows Vista.

Windows 10 is better that Windows 8. It's almost as good as 10. So, if you have Windows 8.1, please upgrade to 10.
If you are happy with Windows 7, stay if you want. But know that you will eventually have to upgrade to 10, when your current computer bites the dust.

Things to know before you upgrade:
BACK UP ALL YOUR FILES! That means photos and documents and personal information. The upgrade should keep all your information, but I have had a couple upgrades "eat" files that I could not recover. It's just good practice to back up files when you are messing with an Operarting System (OS) anyway.

Windows 10 is set up to track you and your computer use!
But you can turn those setting off. After your computer has downloaded and initiated the upgrade, you are taken to a setup screen. From there you can turn off data sharing options.
Also, after 10 is installed, go to Start-->Setttings-->Privacy and turn off sharing there.

Teens in Winter

As the Holiday season approaches I like to get in the spirit for my teen department.

One way to celebrate-why with that holiday classic

That's right. Gremlins is a sure-fire hit for your teens.

TDay

Happy Thanksgiving from your favorite Book Geeks!

How Jennifer feels nearly every year....