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Libraries As Microcelebrities Pecha Kucha
1. Libraries as Microcelebrities: Using YouTube to Promote Library Services to Your Community Presented by Melissa Kiser, Information Technology Librarian Allen County Public Library ACPL Library Camp August 25, 2009 [email_address] @mekiser
My name is Melissa Kiser I am the Information Technology Librarian here at the Allen County Public Library My e-mail address is mkiser@acpl.lib.in.us I am mekiser on Twitter Iâm going to talk to you all about why you should put videos on your library homepage
Microcelebrity definition: One who gains a cult or mainstream following due to viral internet distribution. Does not refer to those who have gained limited or cult followings through traditional media. Does not refer to has-beens or "B-list" celebrities. I thought it was funny that in this example, they use Clint Howard as an example of a D-list celebrity. Poor Clint!
This is not the point of making library videos! When I started making these videos, I didnât dream of becoming a microcelebrity. I certainly do not have a cult following and nothing I have ever said has gone viral!
The point is, to make your library a microcelebrity. By that I mean being followed on the web by users of social media (they will find you if you aggressively market your library through social networking sites) BUT ALSO Being followed in your community outside of your virtual presence . Ultimately, we want lots of people to come to our library buildings!
But libraries need a face on your page and the promise of a person who will talk to them about library stuff I think we should go one step further and use a strategy of talking about community stuff as well as library stuff, and tying that community stuff back into what weâre doing. Itâs a win-win situation!
How? pick a format and stick to it: ⊠introduce myself ⊠state date of video/events ⊠list big events going on ⊠be at an event that you mentioned the week before ⊠group events together if possible (all at one agency, all one type of event, all one age group) ⊠talk about a service we offer, physically or virtually
Tie in anything NON-LIBRARY-RELATED âȘ Dunkin Donuts âȘ Book Clubs page (Book Talk feature)
Videos are great for deadlines âȘ PINs--gave lots of reminders before deadline âȘ SRP--mentioned in previous four videos
try to go to a different library each week gives a feeling of traveling around you could even do a Where's Waldo type of thing
talk as if the patron is standing in front of me, don't follow a strict script unless necessary (or really really tired) nothing too fancy schmancy needs to look very casual and off the cuff, "man on the street" feel have A LOT of energy keep them relatively short to accommodate attention spans
incorporate something I enjoy knitting farmer's market Tin Caps baseball then my joy and enthusiasm comes through I like to run and Iâm planning in the future to do a video incorporating Fort-4-Fitness
Format of videos Light Iâve learned a lot about lighting from making these videos. Having a good light source is so important and itâs very hard to do without extra artificial lights.
Iâve also learned a little about the âRule of thirdsâ and where to frame myself in the video. Iâve had a lot of help from Sean, who has a book coming out in the fall, âCreating Library Videos and Webcastsâ from Neal Schuman
Iâll just mention of few examples of some of the videos Iâve done We put a weekly video on the website but I tried to give them some kind of focus. In this one I talked to our mayor at his first Fort Wayne Bike Summit, which took place here at the library. It was a big deal!
In the Farmerâs market video, I went to the very first afternoon of a new farmerâs market here in town this spring Then I went back to the library and showed books and magazines as a way of tying the two together.
I July we had a Diaper Daze and Underwear Charity Drive, so I talked about that in my weekly video. This was a request for the person who organized it because we asked patrons to donate as well as staff.
Back in the early summer we decided to push E-mail notification in one of our videos. Didnât even require a screencast, just used screenshots.
Tin Caps: ⊠very big controversial project ⊠turned out beautifully ⊠huge source of community pride ⊠team name is funny (Pot Heads) ⊠located a block away from library Theyâve broken all kinds of records so I think I need to get this into one of my videos. Iâll wait till the playoffs!
This kind of sums up why I think itâs important to do my videos. Johnny was always behind the desk or in front of the curtain. Jay Leno gets out there does his Jaywalking bit, and I like the idea of having a âMan on the Streetâ feel in these videos. It shows weâre not afraid to step out from behind our desks our outside our libraries. Letâs not be like Johnny! Thank you.