Nancy is Assistant Dean for Library Services at Muscatine Community College.  She writes: "I am a librarian, teacher, Emergency Medical Tech, firefighter, bicyclist, middle-aged, couch potato. I love what I do and the students I have the honor of serving".

Nancy's Top 10 Tools as at 3 August 2007

1. Microsoft Outlook 2007 and the World Wild Web
   • Easy secure way to communicate with my world
2. Web Page for my library (Muscatine Community College Library)
   • I can find out whatever I want to know
   • I can order from a choice of over 6 million books, DVDs, CDs, and Videotapes for free to be delivered to my library
   • I can stay informed about current events in academe and the world
     • CountryWatch
     • Britannica Online
     • EBSCO
   • Keeping up with how students learn
   • Reading books online
     • NetLibrary 
   • The more I use our resources the better I can teach other how to use them
   • The more I search for information, the better choices I make in purchasing resources for our students (online databases and suggested websites)
   • Keeping up with the field of library and information science
   • Keeping up with the writings and research of colleagues
   • Getting others opinions to keep me on my toes and know what the enemy is up to
3. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access 2007
   • I can write thoughts and save them for later and quickly find them when I want, save them online or on storage media to use on another machine almost anywhere or print quickly to edit on paper and store. Why Microsoft...I’ve used it for years and don’t have to waste time learning a new method.
   • I can use to show my students examples before they attempt a procedure
   • I can store information in a way that I can get even more value out of it with statistics and lists and transfer that data to the more convenient form, Access to PowerPoint for instance.
4. Yahoo Mail
   • I can open and feel fairly secure about my communications being private and available to me 24/7. Have the ability to send photos to friends and relatives quickly.
   • Only requires one sign in and has new sign in security
5. Books on CD
   • I spend a lot of time in a vehicle. I can read for pleasure and/or education, often enjoying good acting skills.
   • I love stories, real or imagined.
   • Real joy.
   • Can make recommendations to students, and friends on good reads.
6. Digital camera
   • For pleasure and giving pleasure, especially to young people who like to see their own faces.
   • For examples in teaching
   • Easily communicated using Outlook, Office, Yahoo etc
7. Google
   • Extremely fast way to answer questions and verify information for me, students, faculty, staff and community
   • Google News
   • Google Earth
8. Cell phone
   • Lets me stay in communication with students, staff, faculty, friends etc. In a rural area, before cell phones, my students had to make a long distance call in contact me, now it is free for them and easier.
   • Leaving messages for students is much more reliable since it is his or her personal phone and I’m not hoping a relative actually writes down my name and number and gives it to my student in a timely manner.
9. eCompanion through eCollege
   • A place student can go on the Web to keep up with class. A reliable (if I am) way for students to get assignments, submit homework and communicate with classmates whether they are in a real or virtual class
10. High speed printers
    • Some things still need to be printed and it is a wonder not to have to submit jobs to a Department and wait for delivery or pick up. I can instantly from my desk, print articles, tests, test results, photographs, graphs, class notes, etc. in as many copies as I can afford.