Week 7: Multimedia

Videos – YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion

The Internet is now an interactive, visual space (also known as Web 2.0, new and improved!). YouTube is one of the most popular social networks. Video is great for storytelling, library promotion, instruction or for a comedy sketch. People spread videos online through social media sites. When a video receives thousands of views in a short time, it’s called going “viral.” This video is a great example of using video to tell a story:



 

The tools for making videos are available to nearly everyone. A smartphone, digital camera or iPad can all make videos that can be posted on YouTube. Lots of tips and tools for creating videos can be found online too. Here’s a helpful list:

Windows Movie Maker

5 free tools for creating a screencast 

Top 5 Movie Maker Apps

 

Videos can also liven up a blog post (you see where this is going, don’t you?).

 

THING #16 – Embed a YouTube video in your blog.

Most blogging software has a video component that lets you embed (like “insert”) a video that has been uploaded to a site such as YouTube. When you are in the “create a new post” screen, select the video icon to open a search box.



 

Choose to select a file From YouTube and find a video. Team23 has a particular fondness for Mr. Rogers and auto tuning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzXaFbxDcM

You may need to adjust for formatting of the video within your blog post. It moves around like a photo, so you can reposition it quite easily.

Note: There is another way to insert a video from YouTube, Vimeo or other sources without using the video icon. On video sites there is usually a Share feature that provides code for embedding the video. All you need to do is copy and paste. 

 

Podcasts 

Another multimedia feature of Web 2.0 is podcasts. Podcasting is like amateur radio. All you need is a microphone and sound recording software and you can create a podcast. People often join together to record their discussions on various topics, from technology news to Harry Potter. They upload their recorded conversations (audio files) to a website or to Apple’s iTunes, and then fans of the show can download the files to their own devices (if you don’t have a device you can just listen through computer speakers).

Team 23 is a big fan of the CBC podcasts available on their website and listened along with Canada Reads.

 

 

DIY Professional Development

Podcasts and videos can be great tools for professional development, whether an author interview, book review, instruction video like we’ve used in our 23 Things posts or debates about library issues (like CBC Radio Q’s debate on the future of libraries which you can hear by clicking on the Listen button).

Many online trainings are archived and made available so you can watch or listen at a time convenient for you.

• The Booklist Webinar Archive – includes hour-long sessions for Graphic Novels, Reluctant Readers, Non-Fiction, Audiobooks and more…
• School Library Journal Archive – includes session on new YA and picture book releases…

Try one of the many thought provoking TED talks available on their website. TED is a nonprofit that brings people from Technology, Entertainment and Design together at conferences to share ideas.

 THING #17 – Find a video or podcast to watch or listen to that relates to libraries (aka DIY Professional Development) using the sites mentioned above.

Summarize some of the key points from the podcast or video on your blog. If you’ve watched a video and you’re really keen, you can even try embedding it in your post!

Cool Extra Thing: Video conferencing

Video conferencing is a great way to feel like you are “there” with anyone, anywhere while saving the money that would be involved in traveling. There are even free video conferencing tools available so you could save the money of having a long-distance call. All you need is a computer or device with a webcam. You can conduct meetings or interviews. Some authors will even do author readings with libraries and classrooms through video chat.

Explore some of the online tools or apps available for video conferencing. Remember that many tools will not work on your work computer.  If this happens, try to use a public access workstation or a device that is not connected to the GNB network.  For example, a laptop that connects to the Internet via the library’s wi-fi service.

Facetime (iOS)

Skype

Week 6: Catch Up

This week is for you to catch up if you’ve missed any of the Things or need to write your blog posts. Team23 would like to congratulate you on making it halfway through the program! Now’s the time to reflect on your experience so far and to ask Team23 if you have any questions.

Hang in there! You’ve done some great work so far and learned some amazing new skills.



Image from Mobarrett.net

If you’re already caught up, you get a well deserved break.

If taking breaks aren’t your cup of tea, go back and further explore some of the tools you learned about in previous weeks.

Week 5: Images, Part 2 - Pinterest

Pinterest is an image sharing website that allows you to “pin” images – either images you created or that you found elsewhere online —to virtual bulletin boards (called “pinboards”). Pinboards are usually themed so that you can easily organize your pins and so other people can discover them!

Pinning an image from a website will create a link to the image’s source. This is a fun, attractive way to bookmark useful sites for future use because you can look at a picture to easily remember why you thought it was interesting in the first place.

Follow other Pinterest users to see their pins show up on your homepage. You can find new ideas, “re-pin” onto your own pinboards or “like” photos.

Thing #13 – Register for a Pinterest account

Go to www.pinterest.com and Join Pinterest. Register using your email or use your Facebook or Twitter account.

 

Using your Facebook or Twitter account is a good way to build a following because it is easy for your friends and followers from those accounts to find you. You can customize your setting so your Pinterest activity is posted in those accounts as well. 

 

Next you’ll want to add the Pin it button to your web browser to be able to pin photos to your Pinterest account from websites.  For instructions on how to add the Pin it button go to https://pinterest.com/about/goodies/

Thing #14 – Create a Pinterest board

When you create your account, you will start off with a few preset boards. To create your own boards hover over your name in the top-right to see the menu and select Boards. Then click on Create a Board

 

Name your board and select a category to make it easier for others to find. Then Create Board.

Thing #15 – Find library related Pinterest boards to follow

Library related Pinterest boards generally fall into one of two categories: marketing or inspiration.

Libraries use Pinterest to:

• Pin book covers. Many libraries feature the covers of new books. Read-alike lists for popular books such as the Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey make great Pinterest boards. Or how about Staff Picks? “What NYPL is Reading” contains reading recommendations by librarians. Or you can showcase a collection, like Edmonton Public Libraries’ “Aboriginal Collection at EPL”.
• Show off the library. “NYPL Photos” showcases cool photos of the library.
• Share archival material. Skokie Public Library’s “Skokie History” board focuses on buildings, people and events from the history of the village.
• Advertise programs., Edmonton Public Library advertises their movie nights by posting pictures of the movie posters on their “EPL Film Series” board.

Libraries and library staff can find and share ideas for:

• Library design. For planning renovations (ex. “Library Design”, created by staff in the AWK Library Region.
• Library displays. There are thousands of photos on every topic you can imagine!
• Programs and craft projects. In the York region, staff shared ideas for the 2012 Summer Reading Club using a collaborative board, Library-SRC 2012-Superheroes.

Hint: search for the term “library” in Pinterest. Narrow the search to “Pinners” and you will see which libraries are pinning.

Cool Extra Thing – Create an image and post it to your blog or pin it on your Pinterest board

As we learned last week, images are protected by copyright law. Using images on Pinterest offers no exceptions. The Pinterest user agreement says that users should only post that which they have copyright permission to post and the company that owns Pinterest absolves itself of any liability.

Make sure you have the right to use the images you pin. Pin book covers from the library catalogue. Pin images that use the Creative Commons license. If the website or post you are pinning from has its own “Pin it” button, the creator is giving you permission to pin. Always give credit to the creator of an image and always link to the original source of the image. For more information, look at Pinterest’s section on pin etiquette.

You avoid copyright issues by posting original images. To upload and pin your own image click on Add

Then select “Upload a Pin”

 

Browse to find an image file you’ve saved on your computer, select which pinboard you would like to  post to and Pin it.

Use some of the tools you learned about last week to create your own image and post it to your blog or pin it to your Pinterest board. It could be something that promotes your library, libraries in general or reading!

 

 

Week 4: Images, Part 1

Images and Copyright
 
There are millions of digital images online. Finding them is easy. Trying to figure out whether or not you can reuse them can be challenging. Like books, images are protected by copyright law. Artists of all mediums generate income from their works and copyright helps them control how people use their works. Some artists grant people permission to use their images with Creative Commons licenses.

There are different types of Creative Commons licenses, read about them here. You should always give credit to the author when you reuse their image.

There are also image banks of copyright-free images. Some of them are free (Wikimedia Commons, morgueFile) and with others you pay per image (iStockphoto, Dreamstime). Another option, sometimes the quickest, is to create your own images! Get creative with your digital camera or mobile device. Put your design skills to work in Microsoft Word or Paint to create a custom logo.

 
This video offers a few more hints for finding digital images:
 


THING 11 – Find a Creative Commons image and add it to your next blog post.


Image by raider of gin via Wikimedia Commons

Need a hint? Search Wikimedia Commons for “animals reading.” Don’t forget to follow any Creative Commons guidelines (attribute work to the author). Staff members can review NBPLS image use guidelines here.










Image Generators 
Image generators let you easily create fun images without the extra work of tracking down copyright permissions. Why use them? To engage patrons, as marketing tools, or just to impress your friends and family! You’ve probably seen the results from image generators all over Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and other social media sites. People love them!

Image from: http://coccinellevoyage.tumblr.com/post/15400512684

Image generators can be great tools for promoting library events and services. Studies have shown that photos on social media have more views and are shared more often than plain text.

THING 12 – Use the Wordle image generator to create a word cloud. Share the image on your blog.

Go to www.wordle.net. Click on Create and follow directions to create your world cloud image. This video has some pointers.

 

Cool Extra Thing – Get on the meme wagon and create your own hilarious image! Read about the meme movement and see some examples here. The sites below are used to generate memes. Warning! Some memes will be offensive. Just look away.

• http://memegenerator.net
• http://m.quickmeme.com/make
• http://cheezburger.com/Builder

Here’s a couple we made! These images are known as “Success Kid” and “One Does Not Simply.”

Want to learn more?

• How to create a meme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWdWXSDb0FU
• Memes as art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Zyswk07vg
• All about the Philosoraptor meme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucoU0c5kvZw

Week 3: Social Reading

After you finish a good book, what's the first thing you want to do? Talk about it with someone else!

Social reading is just a new term for what readers have always been doing: sharing their thoughts and feelings about books with other people. Add in social networks like Facebook and Twitter, along with interactive websites dedicated to book talk, and you have a social reader's paradise.

Companies are now jumping on the bandwagon and adding social reading features to their eReading devices.

Now doesn't that make you want to grab a book and start sharing? It's easier than you might think!

Our very own catalogue now has social reading features for patrons and staff. After setting up an account, you can:

• Comment on books you've read
• Suggest similar titles for a book
• Create and share lists of your favourite books
• Follow other readers with similar reading interests
• Share books or lists on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

These are all elements of social reading.

THING #7 - Set up an account in the Vision catalogue.

Go to http://vision.bibliocommons.com and find the Log In to My Vision button.

Use the barcode number on your library card to login the first time. Use this Vision FAQ sheet if you need help setting up your account. If you want your account to be anonymous, avoid using your real name in your username.

THING #8 - Create a list in Vision.

Now that your account is set up, it's time to start sharing the book love! Go to My Vision, My Lists to Create a New List. The FAQ guides on the right-hand side of the catalogue's screen can help you along. Add a few book titles to your list. The topic is up to you!

THING #9 - Share your comments about a book in Vision.

Choose one of the books in your list and click on its title to go to the full item record. Click on Add a Comment to share a few words about the book. Don't be shy, people love seeing what others thought about books they've read! And your username is anonymous. Your comments will show up at the bottom of the page, under Community Activity.

Hang in there, only one more Thing to go this week!



THING #10 - Follow a reader with similar reading interests in Vision.

Search for a popular or classic book that you've read. The goal is to find an item record with a lot comments under Community Activity. Click on the username (in blue) of the reader whose comment you like the best. If the reader has a public profile, you can view the books they've read. Click on Follow to keep track of the books this reader reviews. Now when you click on My Vision, you'll see the items that the readers you follow share, and usually how they've rated them. Keep a watch out for 5 star reviews and you could discover your next great read!

 

***Don't forget to write a blog post about this week's Things on your blog!***

Cool Extra THING - Join a social reading website.

Create a Goodreads account. There are mobile apps available for Goodreads for rating and reviewing on the go. Search for the app in your mobile device's app market.

How does social reading in Goodreads compare to in Vision? That's something to blog about.

Week 2: Social Networking (Twitter)

Twitter is a micro-blogging service (think mini, 140-character blog posts!) that allows you to send and receive short, snappy messages called tweets. You can follow other people and see their tweets on your homepage. It is a way to create a customizable, real-time, personal newsfeed.

How is Twitter useful?

• Current awareness: many use it to receive breaking news.
• Networking: connect with people who share similar interests. Follow local personalities, groups and businesses to know what is going on in your community.
• Marketing: promote programs, events or workshops to a large audience quickly. Showcase new books and other items of interest.
• Updating: let people know of any changes to services or open hours, library closures and catalogue downtimes.
• Sharing: tweet images and links to interesting articles and websites
• Spread the news: using the retweet (RT) function is a great way to spread news and ideas in a word-of-mouth style.

 
Terminology

• Tweet: A noun AND a verb. A 140-character message and the act of posting it.
• Follow: “Follow” people to subscribe to their tweets.
• Feed: The stream of tweets you see on your homepage is made up of updates from users you follow.
• Handle: Your username.
• @: place it before someone’s handle to address a public message to them.
• Retweet (RT): to indicate that your tweet was originally posted by another user.
• Hashtag (#): use to categorize your tweet so it is grouped with tweets of the same tag. A hashtag allows others to find your tweet based on its topic.

(Twitter has a full glossary here)

For more information, watch the video below and take a look at the Help section on Twitter.

 

THING #4 – Set up a Twitter account

Unless someone has set their privacy settings otherwise, you can view people’s Twitter posts without creating an account and logging in. In order to contribute and set up your own feed, you will need to create an account.

Go to twitter.com and enter your details in the New to Twitter boxes. Follow the prompts to activate your accounts.

 

 

THING #5 – Find library related accounts to follow

 

There are so many accounts on Twitter (over 140 million and growing!) that it can be overwhelming to find people to follow. You can follow people you know at first, then branch out and find someone who posts information you’re interested in. When using Twitter, don’t just follow the people you like, follow the information you want!

Start by finding library related accounts to follow. Need inspiration? Try searching for libraries, favourite authors, publishers or professional journals. Find someone with similar interests and see who they are following.

THING #6 – Tweet

Now that you have had a chance to see what others are tweeting, it is time to join in the conversation. Click on the icon in the top-right



Compose a 140-character message and post. Try adding a hashtag (#NB23) or directing your message (@…) to another NB23 participant.

If you see an interesting tweet, click Reply and add your two cents or use Retweet to post it for your own followers to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***Don't forget to write a blog post about this week's Things on your blog!***

 

 

Cool Extra Thing – Tools for Twitter efficiency

There are tools to help you manage your Twitter account. Some of them even let you manage your other online accounts, like Facebook, LinkedIn etc. in one place.

Tools like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck let you schedule tweets to post ahead of time. Crowdbooster lets you track retweets, see how far your tweets are reaching and other stats.

What is HootSuite?

 

Try these tools. Which one do you think is more useful?