I got a new computer at work last week. Before that happened I backed up my documents and configuration files. I also made a list of my installed applications to be reinstalled on my new system. I thought I’d post the list to show what’s in the computer toolkit of a typical Electronic Services Librarian.
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016
The standard office suite of programs. We just got access to Office 2016 so I am testing it with our ILS (Voyager) and learning its new features to help staff when they upgrade. I’ll also look for any new integration features with SharePoint.
Adobe Master Collection CS6
From this suite, Dreamweaver and Photoshop get used on a regular basis. The main library website uses a content management system, but we still have some standalone sites that are built using individual HTML pages. Dreamweaver is useful for those. Photoshop is used on an almost daily basis to edit photos, graphics for the website and social media, screenshots for instruction, library signs, and more.
Adobe Acrobat X Pro
Acrobat Acrobat Pro is used to create, edit, and convert documents to PDF. Most of the documents we upload to our institutional repository and staff intranet are in PDF form, so this tool is essential.
Notepad++
Sure, you can edit code in Microsoft Notepad, but I prefer Notepad++ for its added benefits. Features include color-coded text based on syntax, collapsible code sections, code autocomplete, enhanced find and replace, and multiple files in tabs (with file history memory).
You can download Notepad++ for free.
Snagit
Snagit allows you to take screenshots and capture video, then mark them up with highlighting, boxes, arrows, speech bubbles, etc. This program is really useful for creating tutorials on using a website or piece of software.
WinSCP
WinSCP is a free FTP program. I use WinSCP to transfer files to various webservers, download export files from our ILS, and upload bibliographic and holdings record files to vendors. It also features a built in PuTTY terminal function to connect to and execute SSH commands on remote servers.
You can download WinSCP for free.
Prish Image Resizer
This simple utility installs to Windows 7 and can batch resize photos right in Windows Explorer. Select photo(s), right-click and select Prish Resizer. The app gives a few options for photo size and location to place the resized files. A similar feature with fewer options is included in Windows 8 and Windows 10.
You can download Prish Image Resizer for free.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes is a free anti-malware program that is easy to download and install. I run it periodically on my own computer, but also use it to find and clean up suspected malware on other staff computers. It is one of the utilities I keep on my USB drive when helping staff troubleshoot and fix issues with their computers.
You can download Malwarebytes for free.