Tuesday Tips March 26, 2019

TECH TIP:  DocScan App to Make PDFs on your Phone

I don't know if you have done the health insurance audit yet, but you will need to upload documents including marriage licenses, birth certificates, copies of joint accounts, etc.  I used DocScan on my phone to take pictures of these items and then turn them into PDFs that can be uploaded to the audit.  DocScanis a free app you download to your phone:

  

Once you've opened it, you take a picture of the document and size to the edges you want:

  

You can add multiple pages by hitting Next and taking more pictures.  Once done, you hit Save.  You can then Export the PDF files to yourself through email or uploading to your Google Drive.  This is a great option if you are at home doing this and don't own a scanner!

BOOK TIP:  Sadie by Courtney Summers

This is the story of Sadie, a young woman who goes missing after the brutal death of her sister.  A family friend reaches out to a radio show to help investigate Sadie's disappearance.  This book is perfect for fans of the podcast Serial or S-Town, as the story goes back and forth between the podcast transcript and Sadie's story.  Fast paced and compelling.  

Tuesday Tips March 19, 2019

TECH TIP:  Tasks Feature Updates in Google

Tasks is another great organizational tool built in your Google Suite.  You can access it from the left hand toolbar of your Gmail or Google Calendar by clicking on the Task logo that looks like this:

  You can then add in any items you need to complete.  A recent update is that you can now set Dates and Times on which you need to complete these Tasks.  These dated items will now show up in your Google Calendar and you will get a notification to complete them.  You can also set an item to repeat if it is something that you need to do every week.

BOOK TIP:  Freshman Self-Selected Books

Emery Gagnon brought in his freshman English classes yesterday to select their own book for independent reading.  I'm always interested in what students pick without any direction, as it gives me ideas on where to build the collection.  Realistic  and fantasy dystopian fiction were the most commonly selected genres.  Here are a few of the title they picked:

• Dear Life, You Suck by Scott Blagden:  A young man in foster care considers suicide until meeting a new friend.
• The Selection by Kiera Cass:  In futuristic Illea, young women compete to marry the prince.
• Unleashed by Sophie Jordan:  In a future world, those who test positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, are sent away to an internment camp.
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting:  Violet has the ability to sense murderers and sets out to stop a serial killer. 

Tuesday Tips March 12, 2019

TECH TIP:  Boston Public Library eCard

Cam Powell is living in Sweden currently, and Mike Powell asked if there is a way for him to get ebooks in English that he could read while there.  I showed Mike how to get a Boston Public Library ecard which would allow him to download ebooks, databases, magazines and audio books from any computer.  Any Massachusetts resident can get a Boston Public Library ecard from going to this link and registering.  Once you've got your ecard, you have access to all the Online Resources (which includes movie and tv show streaming) that the Boston Public Library offers.  

In order to access the ebooks, go to this link:  https://bpl.overdrive.com/ and log in with your Boston Public Library ecard information.  You can then download to your device!  

This is an incredible resource for all Massachusetts residents, take advantage of it!  And I hear Cam is happily reading a Tom Clancy book 

BOOK TIP:  Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

This novel was on all kinds of Best of Lists at the end of the year, including the New York Public Library, The Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal.  It is the story of Darius Kellner, an Irani-American who has depression and is often picked on at school.  He struggles with not fitting in and never feeling enough.  When his grandfather in Iran is sick, the family goes to Iran to visit.  It is in Iran that he meets Sohrab, who becomes a much needed friend.  A wonderful story of acceptance and learning to be comfortable in your own skin, flaws and all. 

Tuesday Tips March 5, 2018

TECH TIP:  Undo Send Gmail Feature

Have you ever hit Send on an email only to go "Oops"?  You can use the Undo Send feature on Gmail, which gives you up to 30 seconds to undo the send on the email and retrieve it back.   Here's how you do it:

Then when you've hit Send and need to undo:

BOOK TIP:  A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

One of my favorite paintings is Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World.  I love the mystery of the scene, is she going or coming? The detailed brushwork and the struggle of this young woman with a disability.  It makes me think and wonder.  

I recently read the fictionalized account of this painting called A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline.  It follows the relationship between Andrew Wyeth and Christina Olson the subject of this painting.  I loved it!