Got files? Drop (it in the) box

Cloud storage services have been around for awhile and are a great way to make your files accessible no matter where you’re located. Among my favorites is Dropbox because it goes beyond simply making your files available to you from any location. Dropbox allows you to share files and folders with others (with your permission, of course!). So, rather than just being able to access your files, you can use it as a place to share documents with co-workers, store and retrieve documents for students, and share photos with your family and friends.

“I usually just use Google Docs for that”

Dropbox can integrate with your other files and folders, appearing right alongside them.

And that’s fine. Google Docs is still a better solution if you’re looking to do synchronous collaboration on a report or presentation, but Dropbox can function just like a folder on your computer, making it more integrated into the workflows to which you’re already accustomed.

It might be possible that your organization has a networked drive or intranet that you use for sharing files (we have both here at Towson). These are both reasonable solutions to this, but both can be difficult if you need to access something at home, as many block access from off-campus. This also causes issues if you’re collaborating and sharing files with someone outside your organization. You might also run into storage and file size limitations with both of these solutions. Dropbox does have a limit of 2GB for free accounts (a subscription can get you up to 100GB). Our entire network drive is 10GB so 2GB for your own use is not so bad.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Now what?”

Getting a Dropbox account is easy, as is installing it on your computer. (There’s also a web interface for computers on which you can’t install or haven’t installed it.) To create an account, click the Login option in the upper-right corner and choose ‘Create an account’. Enter your info and voila!

Click 'Login' and then 'Create an account' to setup your account. Click the 'Download Dropbox' button to install it on your computer.

Click the ‘Download Dropbox’ button to install the Dropbox folder on your computer. (You’ll need admin permissions for this.)  This will download the install file to your computer. Double-click the file to start the install process. Dropbox will ask you where you would like the folder to be located (e.g. on your desktop, inside another folder, etc.).

Once everything is installed, you’ll notice the Dropbox folder (at whatever location you assigned it) and an icon in your taskbar.

Both of these will give you access to a variety of Dropbox functions.

Several Dropbox functions can be accessed from the taskbar icon.

The taskbar icon provides a shortcut to your Dropbox folder (either on your computer or on their website), a menu of recently changed files, and options to change your preferences, including moving the Dropbox folder to a new location.

Right-clicking on files and folders within the Dropbox folder will bring up your usual menu of options with the addition of a Dropbox option. From here, you can manage the sharing permissions of individual files. For any files that are in your ‘Public’ folder, you can also get a URL, which you can send to those who aren’t privy to the wonderful world of Dropbox.

What do I use it for, you ask?

I have two primary uses for Dropbox at the moment. First, as a person who constantly finds myself working at home (not recommended), I often use Remote Desktop to access my work computer. This is great, but there are times that I really need my work files on my home computer to print them or listen to them, etc. I used to email these to myself, which was a hassle and unnecessarily clutter my Inbox. Now I simply drag the needed file to Dropbox on my work computer and (almost) instantly have access to it on my home computer.

Second, I am currently serving on two work groups with members outside my organization that require files to be shared. We’re not collaborating on any documents necessarily, but a certain amount of file sharing is needed. One group is sharing video recordings, PowerPoint slides, and PDF reports. The reports and slides contain links to the video recordings. (One of the nice things about using the Dropbox folder is that your file structure stays in tact, so links to other content in the folder should still work.)  The other group is dispersing several Word documents amongst members of the group to facilitate a peer review process. The group coordinators have access to all files and the reviewers see only those files that they are reviewing.

I’ve also used this occasionally to gather content from clients and family for whom I do website development. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re emailing large files back and forth to someone, Dropbox can help you keep your Inbox clean and prevent potential confusion over the newest version of a file.

I’m sure that many other uses for Dropbox exist, and I’d love to hear how you’re using it (or would like to use it). What other cloud storage services are you using, and how do they stack up to Dropbox?

Guest Post: Presenting with Prezi

A good presentation is interactive.  However, many of you have probably had to suffer through someones overly ambitious presentation featuring scrolling marque, sound effects and flying headlines.  It is easy to get caught up in the details and end up with a presentation that is too interactive.  Keep this caveat in mind as I write to you about a presentation tool called Prezi, which can help add a little zip to your library instruction session or conference presentation.

Prezi is primarily a zooming presentation tool.  Users can combine text, images, video and more to create a compelling big picture which is navigated by zooming in on various details.  After signing up for an account, you can start with a blank slate or you can copy the presentations which are public and insert your own content.  The simple ability to move into and back out of your presentation holds the potential to be eye catching as well as nauseating.  Friendly help tips will pop up to show you how to use the Prezi controls and there are numerous videos and example Prezis which highlight various facets of Prezi and provide how-to instructions on simple to complex issues.

The key to making a good Prezi is to have a good presentation.  The zooming capabilities should highlight your keypoints, take your audience through a story, keep them engaged and prime them for discussion.  My favorite example of this is below (click to view the Prezi):

The overall goal of this Prezi is to present information on the connections between learning and playing.  This is clear from the title and the initial large image of a game board.  You then zoom into the board and follow through various key points on each square.  Both the visual image and the content of the presentation are engaging.  Of course, everyone is not going to have the time or the artistic ability to plan, implement and draw a graphic which epitomizes their learning outcome.  However, Prezi will allow you to load powerpoint or keynote slides and you can simply use the zoom and path features to move between slides and emphasize various points.  With a little more work however you can breakdown your presentation contents and build a memorable presentation that your audience members can come back to on their own time.

Credit: Sara Nixon, Towson University, Albert S. Cook Library

Practical application of a Prezi for a library can come in many ways.  I have seen some “prezumes” aka Prezi Resumes as a way to showcase your work and could be a consideration for the librarians out there job hunting.  However, as attention grabbing as a prezume might be among numerous applications, impractical organization of your information might be a turn off to a search committee.  Prezi is best used as a presentation tool. Teaching a library information session with a Prezi can do more than guide students through your points.  The ability to move and rotate your screen, side to side, up and down, in and out, etc allows you to express more than a linear relationship.  For example, basic research cycles could be presented in Prezi as a large graphic, and as you teach the steps the Prezi can follow along, moving back and forth to emphasize how information is refined as we research.  Because the presentation is available online, students can move through the presentation at their own pace, rather than being a passive observer they can interact with your presentation.

The downside of Prezi comes from the lack of certain features many of us have come to expect in presentation tools.  For instance, you cannot hyperlink text in Prezi, instead you must type out an entire URL.  Also, the freedom to zoom can hinder you as you are trying to make consistently sized points because there is no defined font size.  Additionally, a certain time commitment is required if you are dedicated enough to make a Prezi worthwhile.  It will take time to learn the new technology, and time to make the visual aspects appealing and effective.

In the end, you’ll hopefully have a presentation that takes you and your audience through a story, keeps everyone engaged, makes your content memorable and sparks a discussion.  Keep an eye out for interesting presentations and start building your own ideas for what can improve your digital library display!  Hopefully some of you will be catching quite a few soon at ALA 2011 in New Orleans!

Laksamee Putnam is a new Research & Instruction Librarian at Towson University, Albert S. Cook Library.  She is specifically liaison to the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics.  Laksamee holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana.  Her research interests focus on the use of emerging technologies and social media in science.   Find out more about her here or follow her on Twitter!