video & outreach & librarians

Eric and I were talking about our library and wrote a blog entry on how we think our library is doing in terms of outreach. When you type it all out, we are not doing too badly!

The importance of videos in library outreach and instruction is something that seems to be getting more and more important, with the rise of YouTube as the second most popular search engine as well the likely increase in distance education.

Anecdotal support for the importance of video in libraries (which is point number 4 here):

• I have been recognized by students who have seen one of our library videos of their own free will! (Not even in a classroom setting.) They came across our videos when they happened to be doing a YouTube search on 'UT Arlington' or 'UT Arlington libraries.'
  
  
• This mention of our videos in this post on teaching through video at In the Library With a Lead Pipe.
  
  

  The University of Texas at Arlington has started a series of “Librarian vs. Stereotype” videos that are engaging and informative while still getting their message across.

Feedback on UT Arlington Librarian vs. Stereotype videos!

Looke what a Twitter search on 'Librarian Stereotype' brings up!

UT Arlington Library Outreach (YouTube Channel & Facebook)

Occasionally, after we meet with students we will get feedback like "I wish I had come talked to you sooner" or "I did not know that you helped undergraduates" and so we have talked about ways in which we could reach out to students to say "Hey! We are here for you! Come ask us questions, we love that stuff, for we are librarians!"

We started with the idea of maybe making a facebook fan page but we wanted to have something to put on the page. Then we thought of making mini-ad-type videos to show how accessible! and fun! and helpful! librarians can be!

And so, BEHOLD! The UT Arlington Library YouTube channel!


Here are some blogs that have mentioned our videos (positively, even). Yay!

Promoting & Poking Fun @ Your Libary at CogSci Librarian

Librarians vs. stereotypes + Rock Band at Karen Munro, Learning Librarian

Librarian vs. Stereotype at Please Be Quiet


If you have any comments, or you see us mentioned anywhere else let us know!

ETA: (4/19/09) We are also mentioned here and here(in german) at libtab der/die/das Blog des LibraryTable