Online Safety - Do you know what apps your kids are using?

This week on the blog we're talking about keeping kids safe online. This week the Shreveport Times reported that the Bossier Parish Sheriff office had warned against a troubling new app that is rising in popularity among area youth, called BurnBook. You can find the article on the Shreveport Times website here.




The BurnBook app - named after a concept found in the movie Mean Girls - allows you to connect to a local community, such as a school, and share secrets and comments about other users in the community. 

The BurnBook app gives it's users the illusion of anonymity and freedom from consequences. What would you say to someone if you believed they would never know it came from you? However, with this app as with all apps the anonymity is just an illusion. There is no such thing as anonymous. Any users issuing threats can and will be tracked by law enforcement. 

Burnbook may be the newest app to worry parents, but it is just one of many. That is why it is important to be familiar with the apps on your child's phone. 




According to the 2013 McAfee Digital Study
Seventy-four percent of parents admit to not knowing about their children’s online behavior, but 46% of youth say that they would change their online behavior if their parents were paying attention.
The CommonSenseMedia.org website has an in-depth list of apps that parents should be on the lookout. You can find the list here on their website.

How well do you know the apps on your child's phone? Do you recognize the symbols below?


App Spotlight - Apps for Gardeners!

Today is the official first day of spring, which for many people means it's time start thinking about this year's garden. That is, for those of us who haven't been planning all winter. Today we're going to talk about what may be a surprising source of gardening help - your smartphone! There are several apps available today that can help you plant your garden, whether you're an amateur or an old pro.




Garden Time Planner by Burpee

Garden Time Planner app from Burpee is a valuable tool for information on when to sow, transplant and harvest your plants. You add the plants you plan to plant and it will automatically create a timeline and reminders for you based on your region. This app also includes information on local weather, a database of plants and how-to videos. 


This app is free and available in iTunes and Google Play

Garden Squared

This app allows you to plan any kind of garden - container, raised bed or square foot. It also has information from starting with seedlings. Users can also journal their experiences for use the next year. 

This app is free and available in iTunes and Google Play

Garden Compass

According to their website: 
If you have a plant, pest or disease you need identified...look no further. The Garden Compass Plant and Disease Identifier app allows you to take a photo and submit it to our team of expert horticultural garden advisers who will identify it for you, as well as provide you with specific product recommendations to resolve any problems you may have. As your photo passes up the queue you will be kept informed as to its progress.

This app is free and available in iTunes 

Garden Manager

The Garden Manager will allow you to set a reminder to water you plants daily. You can set multiple alarms. This app also allows you to keep a photo log of your plants. 


This app is free and available in iTunes and Google Play


Are you planning on planting a garden this year? Tell us in the comments below! If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter

You can also now follow Bossier Library on Instagram and Pinterest!

Website Spotlight: Good Reads

 This week we'll be discussing GoodReads, a website that allows you to track the books you've read, make lists of books you plan to read, and keep up with what you're friends are reading. There are several websites that allow you to do the same thing like Shelfari or LibraryThing, however GoodReads is the only one we are familiar enough with to offer an opinion.

Setting up an account with Goodreads.com is easy; all you need is an email address.



Keep track of the books you have read, will read and are currently reading by adding them to your bookshelves. There are three default bookshelves, but you can add personalized shelves.


While it's nice to be able to keep track of my reading habits, my favorite part of the GoodReads website is getting recommendations for new books to read. One way to receive recommendations is to rate the books that you have read. You can give between 1 and 5 stars to a book, which allows GoodReads to makes suggestions for you based on how well you enjoyed a certain book. For example, if you rate the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams very high, the site might then suggest books by Terry Pratchett. 




Another way to see  When you sign up for the site you can choose to link your account with your Facebook account to find any friends that also like to use GoodReads. You can also find them by email address, if you prefer. Adding friends allows you to see their updates - what are they reading and how did they like it? I have found many new books that I wouldn't have thought to read because a friend read it first. 




Goodreads is also available as an app for your smartphone or tablet. this means you can keep track of you books and get recommendations anywhere! Even during otherwise boring tasks, like standing in line at the supermarket. Find it on  iTunes (for Apple)  and Google Play (for Android).


Do you use GoodReads or another site to keep track of your reading? Tell us in the comments below! If you have an idea for blog posts or questions/comments, you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter

You can also now follow Bossier Library on Instagram and Pinterest!