Wunderlist- a free to-do list manager

We’re big fans of any tools that help us stay organised here at Bright Ideas. There are plenty of to-do list managers out there but our favourite service is Wunderlist.

Wunderlist is available for free on Mac and PC as well as a wide range of mobile platforms. It synchronises seamlessly across all of your devices, so lists can be created on your computer and then checked off on your phone. You can also keep track of tasks by setting importance or due dates.

One great feature of Wunderlist is the ability to create a number of different lists, so you can view tasks based on one project or see all of your upcoming tasks in your inbox. As soon as you check off a task it will be greyed out, then later it will disappear from view to keep your lists tidy.

If you love pen and paper you can print off your lists and you can share a list via email for others to contribute to your projects. The developers have also released a more comprehensive shared project management tool called Wunderkit which we’ll explore in a future post.

While some people will still feel that the best list management tool is a pen and paper, we find that being able to set alarms on tasks within Wunderlist helps us stay organised. And you’ll get almost the same feeling of satisfaction clicking that little check box as you do crossing off an item on your handwritten lists.

For a guide to getting started and managing lists, watch our screencast below (Best viewed in full screen 2.42 minutes).

 

Worldcat

Worldcat is a catalogue that links users to approximately 10,000 libraries worldwide and contains details of over 1.2 billion items.

People interested can use Worldcat just as a catalogue, to see if an item is available in a library near them. The advantage of using Worldcat is that if you are a member of several public library services, one simple Worldcat search can list where the item is located. By simply selecting what type of item you are looking for (books, DVDs, CDs and articles), entering a search term and then your postcode, Worldcat will then list the libraries nearest you that hold that item. Often Worldcat can give you the distance from your postcode to the nearest libraries with the item. Users can also set their ‘favourite’ libraries which will be listed first. Currently some of the Victorian libraries that have their holdings listed on Worldcat are:

Please be aware that some results pertaining to libraries holding particular items are not always 100% correct. Some items are listed in Worldcat results and some are not. Not sure whether that is a Worldcat issue or participating library issue.

However, users can also signup for a free account that enables them to add content to the Worldcat website. Currently lists (think Librarything or lists created in Amazon), bibliographies and reviews can be added to the site. Users can modify or delete their own review, ‘but other users can edit information that has been contributed under Details (similar to Wikipedia).’

For those library staff out there that occasionally need to do some original cataloguing if items cannot be found on SCIS, Library Link Victoria or Libraries Australia, Worldcat is a great last resort before having to invent the wheel yourself.

Worldcat are also currently trialling Worldcat mobile where according to their website, users can:

  • Search for library materials—Enter search terms such as keywords, author or title
  • Find a WorldCat library near you—Enter your ZIP, postal code or location in the Libraries Locator
  • Call a library—Highlight and click the phone number in a library listing to place a call
  • Map a route—Find the fastest way to a WorldCat library using the mapping software already on your device
Worldcat mobile
Worldcat mobile
Currently this service is only available to residents of the US and Canada, but here’s hoping for wider coverage once the trial is complete.