Thing 20: YouTube

I have used YouTube many times before, and just recently read in a library blog about putting book trailers on it to be shared by librarians. I did a search using the various library terms and found that there is a wide variety of videos, both in subject matter and in quality. The videos were for the most part were being used for marketing purposes to advertise an event or library or for instructional purposes.

I noticed that many of the same videos appeared using different search terms. I found a K-12 Database video for Region 20 that was very useful for explaining the services available on the databases. The tag line was "Imagine a Library As Big As Texas," which I thought was very effective. The video ended by instructing viewers to ask their school librarians how to use the databases and it provided an Internet address. There was a Texas Reading Club video by the City of Round Rock that was very well done. It was promoting the summer reading program and used puppets and children as actors. There was also a School Library Media Centers Rock video with a collage of pictures and good music. I also watched a review of the Kindle.

Searching under Events led me to a story hour reading by students and a video of celebrities such as Bette Midler and Barbara Walters talking about the importance of libraries in their lives. I searched under Book Trailers and found a wide variety of quality. There was a trailer for The Recess Queen that was very poor, and one on Found by Magaret Peterson Haddix that was well done. I think videos could be used by librarians for library instructional videos, and definitely for book talks. It would be wonderful to share these and have them available. Libraries should be marketed just like any other service, and YouTube is now an advertising venue.