Recently in videos Category

The next Project Play Date will take place this Friday, May 22nd at 10 AM via GoToWebinar. We are honored to have Helene Blowers, founder of the Learning 2.0 phenomenon and inspiration for Project Play, joining us to present "Innovation Starts with I." Here's the propaganda:

Innovation has become such a bandied word these days that in some organizations it’s now an expectation for library staff to be innovative from the ground up. So, where does “innovation” really come from? and how do you kickstart something at an organizational level that is, by its very nature, connected to the elusive waves of individual creativity? The answer: Innovation starts with “I.” This session will explore how the I, YOU, WE of organization cultures are involved in responding to the needs and desires to innovate and change.

In 2007, our presenter was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal as one of the 50 most influential people shaping the future of libraries. The discovery learning program, Learning 2.0: 23 Things, that she created while serving as Technology Director for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (NC) has launched a world-wide 2.0 learning sensation and has been replicated by over 700 organizations in 15 countries, including our very own Project Play.

I really hope you'll be able to join us! Please sign up today to be sure not to miss this exciting event. If you have any questions about it, feel free to give me a call.

Speaking of Helene Blowers, I came across a great video from the Aarhus Library on her blog last week. Here's the blurb:

User-driven innovation is on everybody's lips. But it's not easy to find out what it is all about: Participatory design, workshops, questionnaires, social technologies, user-generated content, personas, scenarios, observations etc. Aarhus Main Library unleashed the users in the period 2007-2009 and worked with various methods of user involvement in the libraries.

Here's the video, in case you're interested:




Looks like an intense process, but what a great way to engage your users and have them take ownership in what the library becomes in the community!

> contributed by Beth

I've written about Seth Godin in Carpe Hootem before. I subscribe to his blog and read his books, because he inspires me to challenge myself. I recently read his latest book called Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (also available on OverDrive) and loved it, so I was thrilled to find him talking about tribes on TED.com. (BTW, TED.com has loads of other inspirational videos on a huge variety of topics. Take a look!) Here's the blurb for Godin's video:

Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing and revived a human
social unit from the distant past: tribes. Founded on shared ideas and values,
tribes give ordinary people the power to lead and make big change. He urges us
to do so.

Sound interesting? Take a look at the video:



Who is your tribe? What is your passion? Who can you inspire to support and engage in your services today?

> contributed by Beth

Helene Blowers recently blogged about the Columbus Metropolitan Library's Homework Help Centers. They're doing more than just providing space and assistance, they let kids print their papers for free, live chat help, and they provide free school supplies when needed. Check out this brief video to learn more:



There has been a lot of focus on helping job seekers lately, which is obviously very important. But what about the children of struggling households? Adopting some of CML's ideas could be really helpful to them.

By the way, Helene Blowers will be our presenter for the May Project Play Date. Sign up now to join us on the 22nd for "Innovation Starts with I."

> contributed by Beth

National Library Week and summer library programs offer great opportunities for using the 'casting equipment available at OWLS! Create a booktalk video feature for your website to highlight great books during National Library Week. Here's one great example from the Chappaqua Library, called Approved by Experts. Or how about setting up a video camera and asking people to share why they love their library. The South Carolina State Library did just that! Take a look at the result:


Check out loads of other exciting examples from libraries across the country in the CastingKit @ Delicious links, then request the equipment you'd like to borrow from OWLS for your project. Need a little help? Never fear - I'm happy to lend a hand!

> contributed by Beth

Unfortunately, there's a long unnecessary introduction, but this is very funny!



> contributed by Gerri

A new feature has been added to InfoSoup, and its name is "My Lists." This feature allows you to save materials to lists that you name and describe, and then allows you to manipulate your lists via sorting, deleting titles, or creating new lists. View the screencast for a quick demo of how it works and give it a try today.



Feel free to post your comments or questions about My Lists here.

> contributed by Beth

This video from flixxy.com, although humorous, highlights how difficult new technologies can be for people.  Even now, we can't assume that people are Internet savvy.  The video made me think of the spectrum of abilities, talents, skills and knowledge that our patrons present us with.  I think it is critical to hire a diverse staff.  Also, we need to keep offering continuing education opportunities to our employees. As a team, then, we can offer our best service to this amazing spectrum!  I know that I have to have more patience with patrons and not expect them to necessarily know what I am talking about! After conducting a good reference interview to test the waters, I can tell whether I need to adjust my teaching up or down.

> contributed by Elizabeth Timmins, Director, Muehl Public Library, Seymour

The "Forgot Your PIN?" feature has officially been added to InfoSoup. Patrons can now reset their own PINs if they have an email address associated with their patron account. View the screencast for a quick demo of how it all works or try it for yourself on the My Account page in InfoSoup.



Feel free to post your comments or questions about this feature here.

> contributed by Beth

Another great video has been released by Common Craft. Check out Phishing Scams in Plain English and learn how to keep your personal information safe from those who are trying to trick you into giving it up.




> contributed by Beth

The Common Craft Show on YouTube offers a variety of Explanations in Plain English - short videos designed to explain topics or applications in an easy-to-understand, simplified way. Topics covered include (but aren't limited to): social media, electing a US President, Twitter, wikis, RSS, blogs, and social bookmarking. They are fantastic tools to share with your patrons when they are asking about some of the latest web applications or current events, and better yet, you can embed them on your website to make them even easier to find.

Their latest video is Web Search Strategies in Plain English. Check it out and see what you think!