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40+ iPad Apps Librarians, Teachers & Students Love

Carrie Oakley

School librarians and teachers wear many hats at one time. Besides managing their space/classrooms, they also organize activities, reach out to the school community and enhance the feel of the library, making it a timeless treasure that welcomes students to read, learn and explore the power of media.

The iPad can help add some flash to learning tools that get kids hooked on learning & library resources. Try these 40+ iPad apps librarians, teachers and students love!  

Fun and Organizational iPad Apps for Librarians

Whether you’re looking to get creative or organize your life, nearly every librarian will find these iPad apps fun and useful.

iBooks

This e-reader allows you to sample a page of many books before you decide to put in an order.

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Kindle

Like iBooks, this is an e-reader app that’s powered by Amazon. It’s different because it offers a far wider variety of books than iBooks.

Stanza

This app is a standout because it works across the board with your iPhone or Touch, allowing you to catch up with your reading or selections no matter what toy you’re working with.

Howcast

Learn how to do anything and everything from this clever video app that brings how-tos right to your screen.

Tweeterena 2

If you’re only tweeting on the iPad, this is one of the best apps since it’s scaled to fit the larger screen.

Box Net

Box Net can be used for work or play and allows you to back up your work so it’s accessible online.

Outliner

Outliner helps you organize and get things together at the library and otherwise.

Barnes & Noble

Here’s another e-reader and believe or not it has titles you can’t find with the Mac or Amazon e-reader apps.

Touch Karma

For the librarian that deals with small children, this app helps point out at-risk children and those who are star pupils and may need more of a challenge.

Docs Anywhere

This app allows you to check out your docs anywhere. Whether it’s Excel, MS Word or a PowerPoint presentation, you can get it on your iPad with this app.

gFlashPro

Most librarians are always learning. This fun flashcard app allows you to explore subjects you already know and find out trivia for things you don’t.

World Book – This Day in History

Improve your history knowledge with history tidbits for the respective day. This is great for posting on a library’s website or bulletin board daily.

Pages

This is the Mac word document app that allows for easy and creative documents. Use it for library newsletters or handouts.

Lanschool Teacher’s Assistant

If your library is considering allowing iPad apps for loan, be sure to install this app that will block certain content from the device and allow you to monitor the sites patrons are visiting with the library’s property.

History – Maps of the World

Maps of the World isn’t just for history buffs. It’s useful for getting geographically familiar with the material you’re reading and sharing fascinating geography tidbits with students and patrons.

Keynote

This fantastic app is made for librarians who have to create presentations. There are pre-made templates and graphics, allowing you to fill in the blanks.

Free Books

This app is completely free and gives you instant access to many books including classics like Great Expectations and The Great Gatsby.

eClicker

If you’re a librarian at a public library or work with older students, this app is useful for getting immediate feedback on various messages you send out.

Sundry Notes

Get organized in one convenient place with Sundry Notes. This app also gives you the ability to search Google and Wikipedia.

Netflix

Get cozy with the iPad and check out the movies available through the Netflix app. This is a great resource for librarians since many libraries are now making DVDs available for the public to check out.

Pandora

Crank up the tunes with Pandora. If you’re already a Pandora user, you can log in with this app and you’ll automatically have your favorite stations at your fingertips.

Scrabble

Librarians are usually word smiths, making Scrabble a favorite pastime for those who’ve sought a career among words.

OmniGraffle

For the librarian who loves to get creative, OmniGraffle provides a great app for creating layouts and getting artsy. A favorite of designers and developers, this app will get your creative juices flowing.

Bento

If you love to organize everything in your life, Bento is for you. The iPad version even has a section for surfing the web while organizing.

Tweetdeck

Keep up with your students or community by getting on Twitter and chatting about what’s going on at your library.

Work iPad Apps for Librarians & Teachers

When it comes to making the grade in the work place, librarians will benefit from these nifty apps that make life easier.

 

Pages

It’s the same program you know and love for your Mac computer, updated so it’s fit for the iPad. Use it to create memos, newsletters and any other word document.

iNapkin

Like scribbling your random notes on a napkin, only far more sanitary and easier to keep up with. Librarians will appreciate this app because it keeps all of your notes in one place and allows you to categorize.

Evernote

This is the ultimate note-taking app. Organize your thoughts on”paper” or use the audio function to talk aloud and have your iPad do the work for you.

Moodboard Pro

Love to whip up an inspiration board? Use Moodboard Pro to create and organize nearly anything going on in your life or your library.

Dropbox

For the librarian that loves having technology on his or her side, consider Dropbox for allowing your smart phone, computer and iPad join forces.

Osfoora HD

For those who tweet exclusively for work, check out this app which supports multiple Twitter accounts allowing librarians to share and interact.

Dictionary

Need a definition…right now? Dictionary takes care of it for you with just a few taps.

Wikipanion

Wikipedia fit for the iPad. This allows you to look up authors, time periods and more to help your patrons out if they have a question.

GoodReader

Check out this app for saving web pages and then checking them out when you don’t have wifi access.

Quick Office

With this app, you’re basically taking your entire office on the road. It allows you to create and edit MS Word and Excel documents.

The Guardian Witness

This is the iPad version of The Guardian newspaper, which can give you a perspective of world news from the other side of the pond.

Newsrack

For news from around the world, check out this app that displays all of your news in a layout fit for the iPad.

Offline Pages

Save entire web pages and pick up reading right where you left off when you were near a wifi hotspot.

Audiobooks

Because even librarians don’t have all the time in the world to sit down and read every book they’re interested in. Now you can download literature and listen on your commute or while in the office. This is also a great feature for students struggling with learning disabilities. They can absorb the content

ICDL

This is an amazing app and a great resource to share with parents who also own an iPad. There are thousands of free children’s books available in many languages.

iAnnotate

Check out this nifty app for reading PDF files and editing your own PDF files, even after they’ve been saved.

Librarians are using technology to run their library with ease and stay in the loop with the iPad. This tool makes it easy to keep up with schedules, deadlines and the latest in reading.

What apps do you find most helpful in your classroom or library? Share in the comments section!