Hawaii Library Association 2007

  YouTube Librarian

Dave Brier & Tiffini Travis

Videos on YouTube about libraries and librarians are increasingly common. We look at 40 of these videos in this program. With this sampling, you will become more informed about the diverse depictions in and uses of library related videos on YouTube. The selected videos fall into one of these five categories:

1. Marketing the Library

2. Depictions of Libraries, Librarians, and Patrons

3. Contests

4. Instruction

5. Just Plain Fun

 

Included in this program are videos made by library staff as well as patrons. When watching the videos, consider the differences between how the library presents itself and how patrons present the library. Although many of the videos were selected because they were creative or comical, our hope is that they will do more than entertain you. We hope the program will influence the way you think about YouTube videos as well as bring out the director in you and inspire you to become a maker of YouTube videos.

 

Our program was inspired by the first InfoTubey Awards at the 2007 Computers in Libraries Conference. Additionally, we looked at Nancy Dowd’s blog Library Videos – The Best Of at http://libraryvideos.blogspot.com/ as a source to find some of the videos. The videos in the Contest section were largely drawn from the Thomson Gale’s librareo video contest.

 

Many of the entries begin with a description of the work in quotation marks. These brief descriptions are provided by the person who added the video to YouTube and can be found in the About This Video field.

What are you waiting for? Grab your popcorn and brace yourself for a whole bunch of fun in this whirlwind tour of library videos on YouTube!

 

Interviews with the filmakers full WORD handout


 

MARKETING THE LIBRARY

Libraries use YouTube videos to promote their library. YouTube offers you a way to get the word out about your library’s programs on a shoestring budget. The videos below illustrate how some libraries are doing using just that. Interviews with several of the people who made these videos are included in the Interview section of this handout.

1. The Wizard of Oz - a Tale of Library Circulation – Salt Lake County Pub. Lib.

     “Originally presented at the 2007 ALA Conference in Washington DC. A simple tale about library circulation. Presented by Salt Lake County Library.” Added to YouTube on June 25, 2007. Views: 2,105 (as of 11-3-07). Running time: 2:09.

 

2. Seneca Library Holiday Song – Seneca College Library

     Sexy, in its own nerdy way, the Seneca College Holiday song offers smooth vocals,

tasteful guitar playing, and a song with a catchy hook that encourages patrons to come the L-I-B-R-ARY. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing this after the program! Read an interview with the creator and star of this video, Michael London, in the Interview section (Interview 1) of this handout. Added to YouTube on 01/03/07. Views: 8,504 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 4:50.

 

3. The L-Team – Williams College Library

     “If you have a research question, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... the L-Team!” Nick Baker, a Reference and Web Services Librarian at Williams College, created this video. Nick, a child of the 1980s, drew on the popular action adventure television series the A-Team. Read an interview with Nick Baker in the Interview section (Interview 2) of this handout. Added to YouTube on February 14, 2007. Views: 17,077 (as of 11/3/07).  Running time: 1:40.

 

4. Denver Public Library: Summer of Reading

      “Kitty takes a summer job only to realize he'd rather be at the Denver Public Library reading, competing in a DDR tournament, hanging out with librarians and so much more. Good kitty. Music by the Hot IQs!” Read an interview with Cassi Pretlow, one of the video’s creators, in the Interview section (Interview 3) of this handout. Added to YouTube on May 1, 2007. Views: 6,488 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 4:12.

 

5. We Love Our NJ Libraries – New Jersey State Library

     “New Jersey residents love their libraries- here's what they say.”  Read an interview with Nancy Dowd, the video’s creator, in the Interview section (Interview 4). Added to YouTube on February 12, 2007. Views: 9,073 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 1:37.

 

6. The Adventures of Super Librarian – McCraken County Public Library

     “Faster than free internet. More powerful than a stack of reference books. Able to multitask while providing outstanding service. It’s super librarian!” The video stars Linda Bartley, McCraken County Public Library Youth Services Library Assistant. Read an interview (Interview 5) with Jay Hite, McCraken County Public Library’s Technology Coordinator, about this video and another McCraken County Public Library video, Dr. Duck @ Your Library. Added to YouTube on July 19, 2006. Views: 131,374 (as of 11/1/07). Running time: 36 seconds.

 

7. Dr. Duck @ Your Library – McCraken County Public Library

     “Who's the coolest duck of them all? Dr. Duck, and he's back for the fall. With his doctor's bag full of words, You just know he's one hip bird. Join the duck and his friends, for Story Time, It's free! It won't cost you one thin dime. Every Thursday at ten and one, There's books and singing-all sorts of fun. You don't need an appointment to see the coolest duck in the aviary, Just come on in to the McCracken County Library.” Added to YouTube on September 8, 2006. Views: 2,674 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 37 seconds.

 

8. Come See What's Wow! Now! @ Your Library  – McCraken County Public Library

     “Need a break from life's cacophony? The McCracken County Public Library's Quiet Reading Room is the perfect peaceful retreat.” Added to YouTube on August 9, 2006. Views: 846 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 1:00.

 

9. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Birmingham Public Library

     “Read all about the stars with books checked out from the Birmingham Public Library.” Added to YouTube on April 28, 2007. Views: 358 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 36 seconds.

 

10. What's Up Jan 29-Feb 4  - Arlington Heights Memorial Library

     “Highlights of upcoming programs: Kid's Programs and Friends of the Library Sale.” Added to YouTube on January 26, 2007.  Added to YouTube on January 26, 2007. Views: 3,227 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 2:55.

 

11. Augustana Information Literacy DVD trailer - University of Alberta

     “This trailer was created to advertise the 30-minute DVD we made on Information Literacy at the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta in Camrose, Alberta, Canada (more info on DVD at http://www.augustana.ca/library/infol...” Added to YouTube on February 28, 2007. Views:  937  (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 48 seconds.

 

12. Penn & Teller with Houdini at the Library of Congress

     This video is from the “Memory & Imagination: New Pathways to the Library of Congress,” the first film ever commissioned by the Library of Congress. This entry invites you to think about how you can use YouTube to explore your library’s special collections and hidden treasures. Added to YouTube on June 1, 2006. Views: 34,644 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 3:26.

 

13. Knowville – Second Life

     “A hyper tour of Knowville's Teen Library Second Life Portal. Filmed and currently housed at the SJSU School of Library and Information Science Virtual Campus.” Added to YouTube on June 17, 2007. Views: 521 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 2:46.

 

DEPICTIONS OF LIBRARIES & LIBRARIANS

YouTube videos contain representations of libraries, librarians, and library patrons. The videos in this section show examples of how these groups are being portrayed in YouTube videos.

 

14. Hot Blonde in the Library – Mercedes-Benz Commercial

     In addition to providing an illustration of the popular dumb blonde stereotype, the video, an ad created for Mercedes Benz, also features one of the enduring perceptions of libraries, that they are quiet places. Added to YouTube on January 22, 2007. Views: 29,276 (as of 11/3/07). Please note, this video has been posted by various people under different titles. The accumulated views are well over 100,000. Running time: 36 seconds.

 

15. UHF Conan the Librarian – Weird Al Yankovic

     “Conan The Librarian segment from Weird Al Yankovic's one and (so far) only movie, UHF (1989).” Added to YouTube on 10/6/06. Views: 126,565 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 41 seconds.

 

16. Ninja Librarian

     “Trouble in the Library Very funny short film. Great Ninja Action.”  Added to YouTube on November 8, 2006. Views: 21,059 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 54 seconds.

 

17. The Library Rap

     “A group of high school students rap about the library as an afterschool hangout.” Added to YouTube on May 24, 2007. Views: 3,539 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 1:53.

 

18. Work @ your library – Nebraska Library Commission PSA

     "Watch this recruitment public service announcement to find out if a library career is right for you." Added to YouTube on December 4, 2006. Views: 3,936 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 1:08.

 

19. The Angry Librarian

     “A frustrated state employee gives a spacey girl a hard time.” This is one of my favorites! The video has 516 comments and many of these are worthwhile reading. Added on September 9, 2006. Views: 261,274 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 5:10.

 

20. March of the Librarians – Nick Baker

“Didn't you wonder where your librarians disappeared to last January? Ten thousand of them were in Seattle for an American Library Association convention.”  Nick Baker, the director of the L-Team, was there to capture the bizarre congregation on video. This video draws on the film “March of the Penguins”. Read Interview Added to YouTube on February 7, 2007. Views: 147,033 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 4:58.

 

21. Betty Glover Library Workout Tape Ad

     Finally, a solution to the sedentary lifestyle of most librarians. The Betty Glover Workout Tape teaches librarians to utilize the tools around them to break down that cellulite and tone those buttocks.  According to the maker’s description on YouTube,“This was a project I did in college at ASU for class. Yes, I also worked at the library, and Betty Glover (an incredibly sweet lady) was my boss. This was way before non-linear editing. It's a bit dated, but still holds up pretty well, I think.” Added to YouTube on September 16, 2006. Views: 91,402 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 4:40.

 

22. Library Limbo – Cornell University

     “Study-time cycles in Uris Library with 1920's style animation. A student project made at Cornell University in Lynn Tomlinson's Film 325 summer course.” Added to YouTube on July 30, 2006. Views: 2,697 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 2:54

 

23. A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto

     “A manifesto by Laura Cohen, 2006. Video slideshow mash up by Soren Johannessen, Copenhagen.” The video features scenes from the annual Burning Man gathering. Added to YouTube on November 9, 2006. Views: 28,740 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 3:54.

 

24. Borrowing Books from the Library…permanently

     “Students desperate to study steal books from the library.” Added to YouTube on November 24, 2006. Views: 1,778 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 1:58.

 

24.5 How to Steal A Library Book

         A gentleman gives step by step instructions on how to steal a book from the library. Added to YouTube on July 24, 2006. Views: 5,755 Running time: 1:50.

 

25. The Librarians Promo

     This video is a promo for a new Australian comedy television series The Librarians. Added to YouTube on October 8, 2007. Views: 4,444 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 56 seconds.

 

CONTESTS

Libraries, companies, and associations offer video contests as a way to market their library and engage their patrons in creative ways. Typically, the theme is a variant of  “Why I Love My Library.”  Cassi Pretlow of the Denver Public Library and Heather Peterson of the Eden Prairie Library share their experiences with sponsoring a video contest in the Interview section of this handout (Interview 7).  Visit  http://gale.cengage.com/librareo/ to learn about Gale’s “I Love My Library” contest. Gale’s contest offers a $10,000 prize and attracted 175 submissions. The winner will be announced at the 2007 ALA Annual Conference.

 

26. Discover a New World at Columbus Public Library

     “A pop-up book combining digital still images and live footage in 3 dimensional space. The submission is based on a theme of discovering a new world at the Columbus Public Library.”  This amazing video is one of the top five finalists in Gale’s libareo video contest. Its simply wonderful.  Added to YouTube on May 24, 2007. Views: 7,317. Running time: 1:59.

 

27. Thank You Note – Green Gables Elementary School Library

     A beautiful, creative, and inspiring video. This video is one of the top five finalists in Gale’s librareo video contest. Added to YouTube on May 25, 2007. Views: 6,215 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 1:59.

 

28. Hemmingway The BookWorm – Video Contest Submission – Towson, Public Library, Maryland

    Hemmingway the Bookworm persuades the mayor not to cut the library’s budget.  This hilarious video is one of the top five finalists in Gale’s librareo contest. Added to YouTube on May 23, 2007. Views: 4,498 (as of 11/3/07) Running time: 1:58

 

29. Video Contest Submission - Niles North High School Library

     “A flipbook story about how much we love our library and the magic it creates. Made completely with digital stills!” This video was entered in the Gale librareo contest. Added to YouTube on May 24, 2007. Views: 2,009 (as of 11/3/07).

 

30. Video Contest Submission – Allen County Public Library

     Zombies need libraries too. Additionally, check out the “Zombie Bloopers” video that shows the shooting of this film and some funny things that happened during production. Added to YouTube on May 18, 2007. Views: 10,294 (as of 11/3/07). Running time: 1:49

 

31. Video Contest Submission - Dozier Middle School

     This video touches on why you shouldn’t rely solely on information retrieved from the Internet in your school projects. Fortunately, the students in this video have the smarts to include information obtained from the library in their project. This video is a top five finalist in Gale’s librareo video contest. Added to YouTube on May 20, 2007. Views: 8,000 (as of 11/3/07).  Running time: 1:59.

 

32. Video submission contest for I love my Library – Patrick Henry High School Library

     “Rap commercial” from Patrick Henry High School’s Library. Added to YouTube on May 25, 2007. Views: 599 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 1:19.

 

INSTRUCTION

Libraries are using YouTube videos to supplement their instruction efforts. Below are four different types of instruction videos

33. Finding Time in the Penn State Libraries

     “This video documents a search for Time Magazine via the Penn State Libraries web site. It was created by Ellysa Stern Cahoy for the 2007 CIC Libraries conference, as part of the presentation 'Interface = Instruction.” Added to YouTube on March 16, 2007. Views:  16,068 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 1:12.

 

34. Music Research Tip

     This is one odd video. An alien avatar provides instruction tips for music research. Added to YouTube on October 8, 2007. Views 98 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 30 seconds.

 

35. Boolean Operators

     I wish I had  how to use Boolean operators when searching in library subscribed databases.” Added to YouTube on May 29, 2007. Views: 1,320 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 3:10.

 

36. Searching Online Newspapers with LexisNexis

     “Demonstration of searching electronic newspapers using Lexis Nexis Database.” Nothing fancy here. This entry has been includedto provide you with an example of typical instruction video. Added to YouTube on February 19, 2007. Views: 427 (as of 11/4/07).

 

JUST PLAIN FUN

The entries below are just plain fun.

38. Miss Teen USA 2007 – South Carolina answers a question

     Although this video does not focus on libraries, map librarians might find this video particularly amusing (or frightening). There is another version of this video that has subtitles to help you keep up with Miss South Carolina’s thoughts. The next time a politician is hesitant to provide increased funding to libraries, have them watch this video! With over 17 million views since August 2007, this is one popular entry. Added to YouTube August 24, 2007. Views: 17,730,624 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 48 seconds.

 

34. Silent Library with Ernesto Hoost

     In the spirit of MTV’s television show Jackass, a group of young men play ridiculous pranks on each other in a Japanese library (and try hard not to laugh). If you like The Three Stooges type of humor, you’ll love this. Added to YouTube on June 7, 2006. Views: 960,208 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 9:54.

 

35. Library Dominoes

     Watch hundreds of books go down like dominoes in a library. Added to YouTube on March 15, 2006. Views: 44,443 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 22 seconds.

 

36. Interval Library

     "What happens after hours" type of thing.” Watch the moving stacks in the basement of your average library. Added to YouTube on June 27, 2006. Views: 32,512 (as of 11/4/07). Running time: 2:33.

 

 


This page is maintained by

Tiffini Travis
University Library
California State University, Long Beach
Please send questions, comments, and suggestions to the email address above.