These outdated views of what libraries were create a negative impact on our libraries and tend to erode support for libraries with this logic: if libraries stand for books, and if books can be downloaded from the cloud at the drop of a dime, then why do we need libraries? Library members and frequent visitors know better. In fact, our regulars have been visiting public libraries for so long they have witnessed our transformation from pre-computers to free Wi-Fi and can testify to how libraries have impacted their lives.

Not only do the new videos align with the E’s of Libraries, they support the initiatives of Project Outcome, which focuses on outcome-based reporting favoring impact over numbers and helps librarians demonstrate to local funding authorities the difference the public library is making in the lives of their local residents. And if increased viewing, creating, and sharing of video content is the direction our society is headed (see Pew Research Center’s log of articles about online videos), then certainly our clever and creative use of these videos in our own libraries can be quite impactful.

So, how do we put these videos in the front of those who need to see them?

Because the films were intended for you to use in your library, they are devoid of library names or patron names, making them perfect for repurposing. Extend the E’s of Libraries brand by not only posting the videos to your existing media channels but also consider creating additional digital content. For example, when posting information about your library’s job events link to a locally created web page that displays the video created for employment and relevant statics[1] to accompany that video:

• Every day, 300,000 Americans get job-seeking help at their public library.
• In a year, 30 million people use library computers and internet access for employment or career purposes.
• Ninety-two percent of libraries provide access to online job databases and resources.
• Seventy-six percent of libraries help people complete job applications online.

Perhaps people who do not normally view the library as a place to get job help will think twice after seeing the video.

Consider using them in local PSAs, incorporate them into your talks and speeches, and play them at your next Friends meeting. The videos can also be created as a tool to request additional funding. For example, if your library is seeking to be that entrepreneurial spot in the community, show the video to your funders and let them know that you aspire to be that place, and that you need their support to get there.

The possibilities are endless! What’s most important is that you use them. If you found an impactful and powerful way to use the videos in your library or have some ideas on how you might use them, you are welcome to post in the comments below.

Resources

PLA Premieres Library Advocacy Video Series at National Conference

Project Outcome – Looking Back, Looking Forward

Public Library Association Conference in Denver showcases new advocacy series

Public Library Association Advocacy Videos

References

[1] “Employment,” Libraries Transform, accessed May 18, 2016.

The post Can Videos Change Perception that Libraries are Only About Books? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Our library has dabbled in videography for the last few years. What is a bit different about our approach is that mostly our videos have been done by tweens or occasionally younger children. Edited by adults and teens, these videos show our library from a young person’s point of view. This summer our library was chosen to receive a YALSA/Dollar General Teen Intern Grant. The idea was that our interns’ primary responsibility would be to make videos of the different summer programs. Paying our interns to create videos showcasing the programs and activities of the library was quite an experience. We learned a lot and so did the interns. As a result of this experience, we are beginning to talk with some of our presenters of adult library programs about videotaping their programs and posting some or all of their presentations on YouTube. Here is what we learned about how to make library videos a success.

When do you post a video? It seemed that posting videos on weekdays instead of weekends got more views. In this day and age of constant connectivity, you would think when you post wouldn’t be an issue, but it seemed to be. Additionally, posting a video and sharing it amongst social networks cast as wide a net for viewers as possible. Also, we learned to post as soon after the event as possible. Sometimes due to schedules we wouldn’t get videos up until a couple days after an event. That definitely affected the number of views.

Sound or no sound? Sometimes programs lent themselves to be recorded as a collection of photographs strung together in a slide show format. Some were video clips spliced together with spotty sound. Putting royalty free music in the background was a great alternative to a silent slideshow. However, sometimes finding royalty-free music could be a challenge. Some sites lead you to believe they provide royalty-free music but in fact, do not. These sites embed ads in their music so when you use their music in your video, ads pop up. Many of these ads were inappropriate for our intended audience. Unfortunately, you don’t discover this until you go to play the video. It’s sneaky and hard to distinguish even for adults. The interns ran into this several times where they thought they were using royalty-free music but were not.  We definitely didn’t want these ads, so we had to remove the music and re-upload the video.

Advertising your videos? We posted a link to the videos from the library’s Facebook page as well as Twitter. We created a playlist for summer reading and made it prominent on our YouTube channel. We encouraged people to share the video on their personal Facebook pages. We would have liked more  sharing, but with this being the first concentrated use of videos as advertising we didn’t get many. People who did watch them tended to say nice things about them. However, as a purely “numbers game,” it wasn’t as successful as we would have liked.

Who edits the videos? We have had great success with young children (kindergarten and first grade) up through high school students taking videos. Editing, particularly stringing bits of video together, we discovered was probably best left to high school aged children and adults. However, we had a staff person who uploaded the videos. That provided one last check to make sure everything was as we wanted it!

What equipment to use? We currently use three Kodak Zi8 “flip cams.” They are handheld video cameras that take HD video and still photos. We originally purchased these cameras based on their durability, and so far they have continued to work well with our videographers. Regarding editing software, we used the software that shipped with the cameras, and it did a decent job for editing and was extremely easy to use. At some point in the future, we may look to upgrade our cameras and possibly move to a more robust editing software. For now, however, this technology worked well for everyone involved.

Good luck with your videos. We’re interested to see what other suggestions you have. Share your tips in the comments below.

The post Embedded Videographers first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Summer Reading Club 2015 – Read to the Rhythm from Vernon Area Public Library on Vimeo.

The video itself took approximately two months to make, from the initial concept to the finished product. Three Youth Services Librarians, including myself, were on the SRC promotional video team and we decided that a current hit would be a good way to engage all ages. Once we picked “Uptown Funk,” we had to write the lyrics! Youth Services Librarians are known for their creativity and silliness, and our crew is no different. We knew what main points we wanted to cover and filled in the lyrics to go with the original melody. We made sure to emphasize that it really was for all ages. We then recorded our lyrics on GarageBand and used a karaoke version of “Uptown Funk” as the main track.

At this point, it was time to storyboard, which turns out to be the most important element of making a great, professional-looking video. It’s also a great way to keep the filming process on track. You can google “storyboard template” for a variety of free templates. We had an idea of how to visualize the video based off our lyrics and then combined moments similar to the original music video. We used the library’s camera, a tripod, and iMovie and GarageBand on our library’s Macbooks to do the film and soundtrack editing. We didn’t use anything that most public libraries wouldn’t already have on hand!

For more creative shots, we used duct tape and taped our camera to a library cart for stability. We also recorded more footage than we needed in order to ensure that we had enough material to work with. How did we convince other departments to participate? By gently reminding them that “it’s for the children” and by bringing donuts for all participants as friendly bribery. We filmed for an hour before the library opened one morning, and for an hour after the library closed one night, with all participating staff paid for their time (something we had discussed with all of our department heads ahead of time).

One caveat of making a quality music track and music video is that you do need to have at least one person on your team who is comfortable working with or learning to work with iMovie and GarageBand. If no one on your library’s staff is familiar with this technology, you can use lynda.com for some training if your library has it available, or search on YouTube for instructions. Once you know the basics, you’re ready to make a promotional video that engages the library staff and your patrons. Plan ahead and you’ll have a rollicking start to next year’s Summer Reading Club!

The post Summer Reading Club Promotional Videos first appeared on Public Libraries Online.