Will skills like acting and directing soon be added to the list of qualifications on a typical library job ad?
Maybe not.
But there are a lot of interesting ways that librarians are using video to promote librarianship, library services, library resources and themselves. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for media services librarians in public and academic libraries alike. So, learning a little bit about video editing (e.g., Windows Movie Maker for PCs, iMovie for Macs and a variety of open source options) and video sharing (e.g., YouTube & Vimeo) might be well worth your time and effort.
The following are just a few examples of how video is being used in innovative and creative ways…
Documentary: The Hollywood Librarian
The Hollywood Librarian has been making the rounds for a while now (since 2007). I still haven’t gotten an opportunity to see it, but I’ve heard great things in that this is an important look at the world of librarianship through the eyes of librarians themselves (and a celebration of the job as such).
Services promotion: Zombies, ninjas, robots & more
Last summer, the wonderful folks at McMaster University Library set aside their inhibitions and made a series of videos highlighting services they offer, from pirate-assisted reference to laptop lending with the help of a ninja and late-night hours (just be mindful of the zombies…).
For more samplings of McMaster University Library’s cinematic achievements, check out:
- IT Helpdesks in the Library
- Laptop Room in Mills Library
- Ninja Laptop Lending
- Pirates at the Research Help Desk
- Self Checkout Robot
* If you’re attending the Ontario Library Association Super Conference this year, you should also consider attending: Video Killed the Radio Star, But Made My Library Awesome! to learn more about this initiative. This session will be held by MAC librarians on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 9:05 AM. For more information, visit the OLA Super Conference 2010 Web site.
Resources promotion: Introducing the Rap’n Librarian
A former classmate of mine, Michael Manchester, recently (and expertly) put together a humorous and informative series of videos promoting children’s materials that are available on his Web site, http://www.rapnlibrarian.com. A big thumbs up for this effort, which was inspired by a course taken at the University of Western Ontario.
Self promotion: “Coming out” as a librarian
I came upon this little gem while researching librarians’ use of Twitter for an upcoming post and I like it a lot. This video was created by MLIS student Lindy Brown for a Digital Media course at Florida State University and documents her “coming out” as a librarian.
