Top 5 TLDR Technology Tools for Your Library

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Top 5 TLDR Technology Tools for Your Library

IMAGES: Generated by Bing Image Creator, https://www.bing.com/images/create, prompt: "a librarian using technology in a library".

In case you missed my previous posts on Educational Technology Resources, 10 Online Applications You Should be Looking At, 10 Accessibility Ideas for Your Library, or my 10 Social Sites to Help You in Your Library, here is my top 5 TLDR list of my favorite technology tools for you and your library in no particular order.

1. Canva

Ok, so this might actually be my favorite. I use Canva — personally and in the library — to create flyers, announcements, slide shows, videos, logos, graphics, book covers, signs, and phew, the list goes on! The free version gives you a lot of options, which is pleasantly surprising. For (currently) $120 a year you can get access to Canva Pro which gives you access to everything. Or maybe your school would invest in the educators account which gives you access to more than the free account but less than the Pro. This program is not just for teachers or librarians, students can use it for almost any project as well. No matter what you choose, it's a whole lot cheaper than Adobe Creative Suite and far easier to learn.

2. Social Media

Whether you're using Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, X, Pinterest, TikTok, or other social media sites, they are an excellent outreach tool for library advocacy. Newsletters can let parents know what you are doing in the library, but they sadly may not be read. Advocating where parents and the community are doom scrolling reaches them where they are already going. It's about you meeting them rather than them meeting you. Remember, parents are not the only ones who vote on school budgets and the more people you can show how your library is impacting student achievement goes a long way once budget season begins! Just remember to ask your school for permission before creating accounts promoting your school library. Some schools may not allow it, others may only allow certain ones.

3. Classroom Microphone

A classroom microphone is more than just getting your point across, or making it loud enough for the people in the back. A classroom microphone is different than a microphone in an auditorium where it projects your voice up to the rafters. Instead, a classroom microphone is an excellent accessibility tool that makes it so whoever is speaking sound like they are sitting right next to you. This allows anyone who is hard of hearing to be able to hear you wherever you are in the classroom or library. Using it all the time means no one is singled out for not being able to hear, and it is useful for all students, not just a select few.

IMAGES: Generated by Bing Image Creator, https://www.bing.com/images/create, prompt: "students using technology in a school library".

4. QR Code Generator

This may seem like the simplest of technologies, but QR codes are a great way to have students access exactly what you want them to. Need to direct students to a Google Form? Make that link into a QR code. Need students to access a specific part of a website? Make that link into a QR code. What to share a great book talk about a book on display? Make that ... see where I'm going with this? Students are using tablets or laptops in schools which are equipped with cameras. Use that camera functionality to prevent wrong addresses from being typed and quicker access to what you are doing. Plus, one QR code can assist an entire class or more.

5. My Bib

Helping your students make works cited pages or bibliographies from their library research has never been easier. My Bib allows students to make bibliographies by project, change easily between APA, MLA, Chicago, and more — even if it was already created in another format. They can share projects if they are working in groups, copy or download full bibliographies, and copy and paste in-text citations. It assists students in creating citations for websites, books, journals, videos, and so much more. Students can search for their resource, copy and paste a link, or manually enter their source in an easy-to-use form so citations are right every time. I have used other citation cites and this one is my personal go-to.


What would you add as your top technology tools to use in your library? Tell me in the comments below!

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