Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and QR codes are great tools librarians can use to promote their libraries and the services they offer.  Below are a few examples of school libraries around the United States using YouTube in fun and creative ways.

Norman High School

Most Helpful for Students

This video uses the Normal High School mascot to show students how to use the library.  The tiger uses different components of the library including the online catalog, checking out books, playing games and puzzles, and using online resources.  This video is fun to watch and a great idea for promoting your library services in a fun and entertaining way.

Videos that Students Would Like Best

Students would love this video because of the rock ‘n roll music. It a short 35 second clip that would grab their attention and quickly conveys a message. It also helps that the librarians are “rocking it out” at the end of the video. Who wouldn’t want to see crazy librarians?

The Unquiet Librarian

Most Helpful for Students

How-to videos are extremely popular on YouTube. This video explains to students how to create a wiki page for a specific project. While the video is based on a project, the steps taken to create a wiki page can be used to help students in other projects.

Videos that Students Would Like Best

This video has fun music and shows how students are using the school library. Students will like this because they will see their friends and it will also make them want to visit the library.

Pikesville High School Library

Most Helpful to Students

This video helps walk students through the course advisory process. Students can always reference this video if they have questions and a person in the advisement office is not available or closed.

Videos that Students Would Like Best

Bringing a cultural phenomena into the library is a great way to get students interested in the library. It will show them that the library is not just a place for academics, but a place for fun as well.

bbmsmedia

Most Helpful to Students

Girls will find the video helpful because the librarian highlights books that have a strong female lead characters. It’s an online book talk that students can watch on their own time.

Videos that Students Would Like Best

This is a fun service announcement from the school library. At the end of the year, I am constantly trying to get all the library books checked back in. This is a fun play on a popular song that will instantly grab the students attention and hopefully get your books back into the library before you have to do inventory.

How I use Videos to Promote my Library

Here are some examples of videos I've made to promote my library.  I highly recommend you purchase a professional license to Animoto. You can insert pictures and videos and you have more formatting options. Your imagination is your only limitation.

Here is one video I made to promote our book fair.  The students LOVED it! Especially the outtakes.  I love my teachers!


Here is another video I made to introduce the science fiction genre.  When I would look on YouTube for examples of different genres, I always found something that I didn't like in the clip or it didn't fit my community group.  My solution was to begin using Animoto to create my own.  This software has changed how I teach and also changed my students' expectations of what they will see when they come to the library.



Booktrailers

Book trailers are  a great way to get kids interested in different types of books and authors they are not familiar with and to promote the resources of your collections.  I love making booktrailers and incorporate them where they fit into the curriculum I teach.  Here is one I made to show my students.  This author is visiting our school in October and I wanted my students to be familiar with his books.  I didn't have time to read all the books during their library time, so using booktrailers made it easy to familiarize my students with the author's entire collection.

  When a skunk first appears in the tuxedoed man's doorway, it's a strange but possibly harmless occurrence.  But then the man finds the skunk following him, and the unlikely pair embark on an increasingly frantic chase through the city, from the streets to the opera house to the fairground.  What does the skunk want?  It's not clear -- but soon the man has bought a new house in a new neighborhood to escape the little creature's attention, only to find himself missing something...This slyly hilarious tale brings together picture book talents Mac Barnett and Patrick McDonnell for the first time.

Scan me to see a booktrailer for The Skunk by Mac Barnett

Example of How Libraries are Using QR Codes

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) - TSCPL used QR Codes as part of a reading initiative.  The library chose a specific book and created events around the book that were advertised throughout the community.  Using QR codes, the library created a scavenger hunt and partnered with other businesses to send patrons from one establishment to the next in search of the next QR code which would ask questions about the book and provide the next clue. A prize was given at the end of the hunt.

The San Diego State University library has started using QR in the online library catalog.  I went into the online catalog and searched for books about influences on technology.  Once I drilled down into my results, the record included a QR code with more information.  I wish we had QR codes when I was getting my undergraduate degree. 

How I am going to Use QR Codes

We have just implemented a new reading program in our lower school.  Students are selected to video a book talk that will air on our morning announcements.  I think it would be a great idea to make a QR code for each book talk video and place a QR code on the cover of the book they are reviewing.  Other students could use their iPads or smartphones to view the video.  The QR code could also link them to other topics, such as other book the author has written, information relating to what the book was about,  and recommendations for similar books to check out.  I think it would also be fun to use QR codes to promote events like book fair.  Posting QR codes around campus can give students anytime access to fun videos and information.  It would also be fun to have a Mystery QR code posted on my library website or possibility printed on the bookmarks I hand out.  Each week I could have a link to a new video or website that I would like to promote to my community.

Tumblr and Blog Readers

I have to admit that I was not familiar with Tumblr as a social media platform.  So, before I even started to complete this assignment, I had to research what Tumblr was and what it did.  Tumblr is a microblogger that connects readers with those of similar interests.  Librarians are using Tumblr to connect with others in our industry.  They share ideas, look for employment, and engage readers in topics that are transforming our industry. I found blogs from book reviews to trends in technology.  Librarians also use Tumblr to connect with their communities outside the physical space of the library.  With the popularity of blogs on the Internet and the infinite choices available, it can sometimes be hard to keep up with your favorite blogs.  In my case, I am mostly accessing my blogs from my smartphone.  When I’m on my phone, I do not have access to my Bookmark bar and I can never remember the url.  That is where Blog Readers come in handy.  I chose Bloglovin’ (https://www.bloglovin.com/) as my blog reader to view all my favorite blogs in one location.  Setting up an account was quick and easy.   I found it very easy to locate blogs by either typing in the url, blog name, or subject area I was interested in.  Bloglovin’ gave me multiple suggestions for other blogs I might like based on who I was choosing to follow.  Check out the emails I received just hours after opening up an account.  

I like the interface (on my phone and my workstation) and I can catch a quick glimpse of what my favorite bloggers are posting. Below is a sample of my personal favorites blog feed:

I can also quickly like or share a feed and re-post on my blog. Check out how I re-posted from the amazing blog post from Great Kids Books on the fantastic new novel by Brian Selznick:

Bloglovin’ is not the only Blog Reader out there.  Other sites include

• Freely (https://feedly.com/i/welcome)
• NewBlur (https://newsblur.com/)
• Digg Reader (http://digg.com/reader)

It’s important to look at all the Blog Readers to see which one fits you best.  I chose Bloglovin' because of the interface and how easy it was to set up. You may prefer one of the others listed.

What to see some of my favorite blogs? (nod your head yes please).  

URL: http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/

Why I love this blog?

As librarians, we are constantly developing and reinventing our collections.  This blog give a quick book review and is very visual.  Along with our usual sources for making purchasing decisions, this is another great resource at our fingertips.

URL: http://www.freetech4teachers.com

Why I love this blog?

With increasing technology wants and decreasing technology budgets, this blog helps bridge the technology gap.  Not only is the technology free, but this blog gives ideas of how to implement the technology in your curriculum.  The layout is fabulous and so easy to skim.  Once you find something you're interested in, you can click on the link for more information.

URL: http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/

Why I love this blog?

I am OBSESSED with book trailers.  Of course, that is coming from someone who refuses to miss the previews when going to the movies.  My students love book trailers and I use them frequently to engage my students.  Book trailers naturally tailor themselves to students who use more than one learning method. Not only do you hear the book, but you visually see the book.  Instead of searching YouTube’s endless amount of clips, this blog takes the best of the best and I can quickly make a determination if I can use it in my teaching.

URL: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Why I love this blog?

My teachers are constantly using mentor text for reading and writing.  This blog helps me help my teachers with suggestions of different books to use in their curriculum.  At the beginning and the end of the year, I sit in planning meetings with our the lower school teachers.  Having this as a quick reference is a must in assisting in their planning and increasing the value of library resources.

URL:  http://schoollibrarydisplays.blogspot.com/

Why I love this blog?

I am “creatively challenged” when it comes to displays in the library.  And because I’m not good at it, many times I will let it fall to the wayside.  This blog not only gives me pictures, but also a detailed description of how the display was used and how successful it was.  The should rename this blog “Library Displays for Dummies”.

Check me out on Tumblr: http://the-ls-librarian.tumblr.com/