File+sharing+&+version+control

One of the roles we identified for a librarian is a "Collaborator." School librarians collaborate with administration, parents, community members, and students, and especially with fellow teachers as they develop curriculum. As Empowering Learners puts it, “The teaching of 21st century skills requires that all aspects of teaching and learning are built on collaborative partnerships” (p.20).

Many schools have shared network drives that allow anyone in the faculty to access files, but network drives are limiting: you can't necessarily access your work from outside of school; parents, students, and community members don't have access to the drive; if the network goes down, you can’t access files; and some network drives have space limitations.

There are many services that offer free solutions to these problems, but the two I’m most familiar with and can’t live without are Google Docs and Dropbox.
 * **BENEFITS OF GOOGLE DOCS & DROPBOX** ||
 * Both || Google Docs only || Dropbox only ||
 * Unlike a shared drive, can be used with external people, too, like guest speakers or public librarians.

You can access your own files at home (you don’t have to email yourself!)

Files can be worked on simultaneously and are updated immediately

Can be accessible to as many people as you invite

Secure

Intuitive || <1 GB FREE 20 GB - 5 USD per year

Stellar search capability like all things Google || <2GB FREE 50GB: $9.99/month 100GB: $19.99/month

Web-based and on hard drive (requires an install), so accessible when you can’t access internet

Stores all types of files

Maintains the document source formatting because it’s actually a file

Folder-based organization

Can be sent to someone who doesn’t have a Dropbox account || You have to sign up for accounts for each, but both are pretty simple once you do. I think Dropbox is the more intuitive of the services because you can drag and drop items just like you do in a Windows interface.You can also work on the document in your Windows interface and it will update online!