This video takes one into the Manuscript Collection of the Library of Congress. I chose this video because I am interested in manuscripts, archives, and historic artifacts, and as such, I enjoyed this video immensely. It gives a great deal of valuable information and is presented in a way that enables the excitement of the librarians to come through. I must say that You Tube and video sharing sites were one of the only web 2.0 technologies which I was familiar with before starting this class. The ability to search in a site like you tube for videos of interest is easy and typically fruitful. The side bars created from similarly tagged items also enables one to explore for hours on topics of interest. The video sharing technology also enables the transmission of excitement and information about learning I can see a video like the one above being shown in classrooms across the country to introduce students to the wonders of the library systems and the importance of historical preservation. Videos have a special place in the learning structure and the exploration of interests. As we all know, learning comes in different forms. It can be acquired though auditory, visual, and textual methods, and we would be missing opportunities to learn if we did not pursue all avenues.
Tagging and associative searching are useful tools that I believe library technology could adopt. One of the beautiful things about the tagging system is the depth and variety which can come from a simple search entitled libraries. You can go from a tour of the Library of Congress to information on illuminated manuscripts of the middle ages in the span of two clicks. One of the downsides of video sharing site is the propensity for copyright infringement, lack of "filtering", and the lack of permanency in videos.
Hi Ruth,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of the threat of possible copyright infringement as a downside of video sharing; although I have gone to view a video on YouTube only to find a message that the clip had to be pulled down.
Videos are indeed an important part of the information arsenal that libraries can provide to patrons. You mention the lack of permanence, but I think that could also be seen as a positive – new content or updates can be generated quickly. And as more videos are converted and created for electronic dissemination, they could be more permanent than say, a DVD that gets scratched.
The sidebars are one of my favorite things about YouTube too—I think it's an effective way of organizing what might otherwise be an overwhelming amount of content.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the video about manuscripts in the Library of Congress (my favorites were the watercolors of 19th-century China and the ship's log with the little whales stamped in it). You're right, the librarian's passion for his subject definitely comes across. I also love that video and digital collections give me the opportunity to see things like how people's handwriting looked, and what they wrote in the margins—without having to be a researcher or make a trip to a distant library or museum.
Good Video. I enjoyed your comments on copyright infringement, they gave me something to think about. I also will be thinking about good ideas to "steal" from places like youtube after reading your post.
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