BLOG READERS
I researched several blog readers: Bloglines,
NewsBlur, Digg Reader, G2Reader, Taptu, Bloglovin', and Feedly, looking at the
web pages of each and reading reviews and comparisons posted on the
internet. The majority of the reviews I
read talked about the demise of Google Reader (7/01/2013) and which RSS feeds
would transfer Google Reader over with ease.
Since I have never used Google Reader, this was not one of my concerns.
Bloglines
(also available for iPhone) was described in a review as easy to use and
organize, with individual news items able to be clipped, emailed, and blogged. However, the feed item display cannot be
customized and it doesn’t offer smart playlists.
NewsBlur (also available for iPhone,
iPad) will sync 64 feeds in the free account.
Premium service is $24/year. Its
feeds are grouped by folders and it allows nested groups. It has two views: a list view of continuous
stream of full articles and a split view presenting an adjustable list of
articles with a full article view at the top.
However, NewsBlur offers no search feature.
Digg
Reader is described as simple and elegant. But you cannot sign up with a username and
password; a connection to Google is required.
It does not support OPML file uploads and offers no way to search your
feeds.
G2Reader
is a simple, cleanly designed reader that does support OPML uploads. It lets you enter keywords in the setting so
that they appear highlighted any time they show up in your feed content.
Taptu’s
interface design is portrayed as vibrant and sexy, with mobile apps. However, the reviews also say that the
service has kinks that need to be ironed out, and that it cannot upload OPML
files.
The two Blog Readers that stand out in my investigations
are Feedly and Bloglovin'. Many reviews I read tout Feedly because it is a good alternative for those who knew and
loved Good Reader and the transition is rather seamless. It is easy to navigate, displays links to
Facebook and Twitter, has a 3-pane view, and is able to be customized with
themes and category views. It is pretty,
if that is important to you. However, it
requires installation of a browser extension or plug-in for each browser you
use and doesn’t support Internet Explorer 8.
A Google account is required.
Feedly may actually be the better organizer since its lets you drag and
drop to create new categories and is easy to customize. Though many reviewers found Feedly to be best
overall, I think it was because it was most like Google Reader. Feedly transfers folders from Google Reader,
where Bloglovin' only transfers blogs.
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| Bloglovin' |
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| Feedly |
Since I'm not a mourner of Google Reader, I actually chose to sign on to Bloglovin'. It works on my computer,
iPhone, and iPad. It seems to be more
simple and efficient. You don’t have to
click back and forth to read and comment on different blogs. It is easy to search and add blogs and you
can add a Bloglovin’ button to connect with Readers. A number appears at the top of an unread post
from the feed, it opens in a new tab that takes you to the actual post on the
website. When you have read the post,
you click “next post” on the Bloglovin’ bar and it moves you to the next
blog. The blogs are more spaced out than
in Feedly and so you don’t feel cramped.
While Feedly might be better-looking, Bloglovin is more practical.
(Plus, it made me hungry for McDonald’s.
I’m lovin’ it!)
BLOGS I FOLLOWED
1. In Tumblr.com, I chose to follow Chapel Hill High
School Library’s blog at http://librarytiger-blog.tumblr.com/.
Their latest post shows book covers of
class Algonquin books in honor of Black History Month. They also have many pages of pictures from
the past in recognition of Black History Month. Their post is used for book recommendations,
book/movie trailers, quotes, and photos of school events. I chose to follow it because they post to the
blog just about daily and highlight many books.
They include many photos, animations, and video clips which are visually
pleasing.
2. I found The Adventures of Library Girl through a
Google search and added it to my blog reader.
The information is relevant and timely. This is definitely one I will
return to regularly. http://www.bloglovin.com/link/blog?blog=2944817&link=aHR0cDovL2xpYi1naXJsLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbS8yMDExLzA5L215LWN1cC1hbmQtY2VpbGluZy1ydW5uZXRoLW92ZXIuaHRtbD9zaG93Q29tbWVudD0xMzE1NDAyOTE1MTA5I2M1MjA4MzU4MzQwNTEyNDg5MDMz&frame=1&frame_type=b.
The latest post talks about the importance of first
impressions and how every wall, shelf, and bulletin board is an opportunity to
show evidence of how library work matters.
In another post, information and statistics were provided about schools
adopting 1:1/BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Programs and the Teacher Librarian’s
role. It’s all about information
sharing, not book collecting. On
December 29th, she posted eleven questions about libraries that can
be used for professional resolutions:
1.
How will you make a
difference for students?
2.
How will you make your
work the answer to the priorities/problems that keep your principal up at night?
3.
How will you use student
data to make instructional and programmatic decisions?
4.
How will you measure
success?
5.
How will you connect the
dots between your work and student learning?
6.
How will you share this
data with your administrators and community?
7.
How will you ensure your
diverse population sees themselves in your space (as well as in your
collection)?
8.
How will you dispel
negative/outdated library stereotypes?
9.
How will you grow your
PLN?
10.
How will you help
strengthen our profession by sharing your work beyond the walls of your school?
11.
How will you make sure
everyone who walks into the library sees a focus on students (instead of
stuff)?
In my favorite post she says, “It's time for all
of us to ask ourselves
some tough questions relating to the focus of our work and the impact it has on
kids. It's not enough to just work hard. It's not enough to be
exhausted at the end of the day. The hours we spend with children must
matter. The work we do on behalf of students must result in measurable
outcomes.”
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| Perception Flowchart |
3. I chose School Library Journal RSS Feeds because
it has useful information for school librarians, including news, highlighted
books, and pertinent articles for both the library and the classroom. http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6341825. I found it by searching for school library
blogs in Bloglovin’. The posts are
plentiful and informative.
It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information. It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out. I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools. What a great source of information!
It lists and links great free resources for K-12 teachers and school librarian/media specialists. I clicked on a link titled 64 Sites for Digital Storytelling Tools and Information. It lists information about digital storytelling and online tools that I can’t wait to explore and try out. I am overwhelmed by the media sources listed under the various tabs: Authors, ESL, Free, Free EBooks, Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Graphics, History, Infographics, Language Arts, New Teachers, PE and Health, Reference, Science, Teacher-Librarians, and Web 2.0 Tools. What a great source of information!
5. I decided to follow Library Displays, https://www.bloglovin.com/feed/blog/3835629,
because I’m going to need all the help and ideas I can get when I become a
librarian. The post shows lots of book
displays and posters. Here is a great
idea for a Valentine display.
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| Love Matches in the Library |
6. Okay, just when I
was about to submit this blog, I found this great middle school blog I want to
share. It is by Goldenview Middle School
at http://goldenviewlibrary.blogspot.com/. They have streaming photos of student
artwork, colorful picture-links to database trials, ASD Reading Games with
colorful graphics, library happenings with many photos, step-by-step
instructions for searching Google Images by usage rights, District Bookmark
Winners, and so much more. I was amazed
that a middle school could have such a rich blog!
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