YouTube

YouTube is a great new way to again, access and share information. To get a better idea of how libraries might be able to take advantage of YouTube, I researched and found the following statements on an ala website: "One of the possible uses for YouTube is a storehouse for instructional videos with a link that could take the viewer to the library’s Web site for more information.America’s CareerInfoNet has used YouTube to list their videos about different occupations. This Web site is not exactly library oriented, but take a look at the YouTube page they created. The page titled joemnscu, states it purpose, it has career videos. It provides a link back to the main Web site and they have loaded 149 videos to date. Why couldn’t a library film its various services, load them to YouTube, and then make the link available on its Web site for its patrons? It is not hard to imagine how beneficial this could be to a variety of patrons: students who need help when the library is unavailable, an instruction method for distance education students, and another method of directing possible patrons back to the library catalog. Another creative use of YouTube for a library can be as a method of introducing resources... Why not combine a video added to YouTube with library services training? Williams College Library did exactly that with the video entitled “The Library Mystery Tour.” One video viewed was very simple, yet very dynamic in concept. In addition to giving written, step-by-step directions to the library, why not add visual helper, as well? Imagine how much simpler it could be to guide your students to your library Web site and have them click on the link that takes them to the library’s YouTube account. Libraries could also create tutorials to teach your students how to use databases and put them on YouTube. You could purchase screen capture software, such as SnagIt or Camtasia and build tutorials about what software the library has to offer and how to use it. The Georgia Tech Library created a step-by-step guide like this for its engineering students. These four examples are only the beginning of how YouTube can be used to help develop libraries, provide services, and meet the needs of the patron. Do not be afraid to use this service to improve your library. This is yet another way of directing the patron back to the main resources we provide for them, letting them know that the library is able to keep up with the 21st century."