For the past year I have been using an online organizational tool called Evernote to put my work and personal life in order and I can now say that this tool, whether used on my desktop or with the app on my iPad or Android phone, has become so invaluable I’m not sure what I did without it. There are many ways that Evernote helps me stay on task and compiles my random thoughts and notes, but I am going to focus on how I use Evernote as a children’s librarian. I use the keyword tagging, notebook organization, and searching tools to put the following ideas in use:
– While browsing in bookstores I take pictures of the covers of children’s and teen books (or the ISBN’s) with my phone and upload them to my Evernote app so I can access these titles for possible consideration in the library’s collection when back at the library.
– I clip ideas for crafts, games, and programs from blog postings or parts of websites, including pictures associated with those ideas.
– I type my notes for every meeting I attend into Evernote and can look back at any point for what was discussed on a certain topic by using the keyword search. I also take pictures of notes that have been written on a whiteboard and can use the word-recognition feature to search within the handwritten notes.
– Within all of my notes, I create checklists of to-do’s and can search for both finished and pending tasks.
– Conferences have never been easier to manage with all of the information I need in one place for easy access to my flight information, hotel reservations, restaurants I want to try, conference session notes, etc. Even tracking expenses during conferences is simple- I take pictures of my receipts and submit them electronically.
– I keep my contacts list always accessible by scanning in business cards which makes them searchable by any words on the card.
Since I have access to Evernote wherever I am through the mobile app, I can always log ideas or inspirations that come to me at any time. I would love to hear if other children’s librarians are using this resource and what other ideas you have come up with!
Jennifer Salas
Youth Services Coordinator
Martin County Library System
Andrew Mahon
Yes, I use Evernote just about every day. Like you, I also have a few dozen “books to buy” in a note (for my at-home library). Actually, I just discovered a new add-on app for Evernote, called ShopAdvisor, that sends me alerts when any of those books (or other “things to buy” in my other lists) goes on sale. I found it on the Evernote site — http://www.evernote.com/about/trunk/.
I am also using it for my Christmas shopping this year.
Jennifer Salas
I will definitely have to check out ShopAdvisor- that sounds like a great add-on!