Screencasting uses in libraries
I used Camtasia to do my screencast, and was really impressed by easy it was to use. I found I really enjoyed doing it! So far, this has definitely been my favorite project for this class.
I also really enjoyed watching the different videos that other libraries have made. I was impressed by how great they looked, and what a positive image they projected for the libraries. Everyone looked like they were having a good time, and seemed friendly. I was really impressed with Pima County's idea to make "movie" trailers about books. I watched the one on "The Catcher in the Rye" (a longtime favorite book of mine), and thought it was a great way to get more reluctant readers interested in and excited about reading an assigned book. Lily the mouse interviewing the staff at the Allen County Library was another favorite. I saw so many great uses of this technology: to do book reviews in creative ways, to make the library staff seem more welcoming, to highlight what new services were available at the library, to record special events so patrons who missed them could still see them later, and to teach patrons how to use different library services. I also saw the drawbacks: patrons with dialup can't load such large files and it slows computers down. Like most things, once again, the problem is keeping up with ever changing, more expensive technologies. The patrons that can't do it will be left behind, unable to take advantage of the great online services libraries now offer. But for libraries serving a tech savvy public, or who are able to offer these technologies to the public to take advantage of in the library, videos and screencasts seem to be an excellent way to get information to the public.
