(Guide time: 1hour 10 minutes.)

What are online tools?

Web 2.0 is a platform for working, communicating and collaborating. The Web can now provide services to multiple customers across a network, therefore taking away the need to use a specific computer with particular software installed on it.

This Thing will outline some useful tools available online that can make your work easier and more productive.







(c) Exfordy/Flickr

Why use these?

Online tools are usually free, can offer functionality in various areas and can be accessed from any PC that is connected to the internet, meaning that they can easily be accessed by many people at any time.

Examples

Staying in touch Communicating over the Internet is now all about chat, phone calls and video calling. Most of this software is available from any computer, making communication flexible and usually free. Webmail (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail) Skype Web Chat (Messenger, Meebo, MSN Messenger) Twiddla (web conferencing)	Contacts and calendars These tools allow you to manage your schedule and arrange meetings with minimum fuss. Google Contacts Google Calendar Doodle (for scheduling meetings)
Office suites Forget Microsoft Office. These perfectly acceptable online office applications are easy to use, can be accessed on any computer and even permit you to write your document in collaboration with others. Google Docs Zoho	To-do lists If you need an online personal assistant then you could do a lot worse than use a to do list. Remember the milk Todoist
Online storage Have a document too big to email? Then consider these utilities. You can store files in the cloud and share them with others if you send them the link. Docstoc Sugarsync Slideshare (for storing and sharing Powerpoint presentations)	Editing photos Many powerful photo editing tools can be found online for free. They're fantastic for removing red-eye, cropping, resizing and adjusting exposure. Picnik Fotoflexer Pixlr Photoshop.com
Organising notes and creating scrapbooks If you're the kind of person that writes on post-its, or leaves scraps of paper in your pocket with reminders of interesting things to do or see, you might be interested to hear that you can now dump notes, photos, Web clippings and much more into an online account. If you are a creative, crafty person you can create virtual scrapbooks with your digital photos, personalising your albums with themes. Evernote Scrapblog	Organising your music Enjoying music is often a social thing, and the cloud now provides a way in which you can share you favourite tracks and receive music recommendations based on artists you already listen to. It's now also possible to keep your music collection in the cloud thereby releasing you from the anxiety of potential hard drive failure. last.fm Spotify (may be blocked on some computers) Maestro.fm

This table discusses just a fraction of the online tools available to you. There are too many to list here! Take a look at this list of online productivity tools, organised by function.


(c) OhDearBarb/Flickr

What are libraries doing?

Library services working on projects with staff based in different locations make use of Doodle to arrange meetings, or Google Docs to edit documents. Slideshare is commonly used to provide access to training and information to library staff. Calendars allow many people access to and the ability and update timetables. Libraries can reduce the need for travelling to meetings by using services such as Twiddla.

Activities

1. Watch this video from commoncraft about Google Docs: Google Docs in Plain English

2. Let's explore Google Docs.

• You should already have a Google account. Sign in.
• On the Google homepage, expand the 'more' drop down menu (at the top of the page) and select 'Documents'
• Have a play and create a new document, presentation or spreadsheet. The 'Create new' button will help you do this.
• Save your document (it will save automatically in Google).

After working on a document, it's possible to share it with others so they can make edits if necessary. The 'Share' button will allow you to add the email addresses of colleagues you want to share the document with. They will receive a link in their email to the documents you have invited them to take a look at. Working on the same document together avoids the hell of emailing alternative versions backwards and forwards. (Note: there are data protection problems if you use Google Docs to store, for example, membership databases. But you wouldn't want to do that, would you?)

3. On your blog reflect on the value of Google Docs. Would it be of any use in your work or home life? Were there any drawbacks or problems you experienced?

4. Find out how your library service is using online tools like the ones mentioned above.

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