Videos and QR Codes in the Library

Videos and QR Codes in the Library

With the ever-growing trend of learning going digital, it’s no surprise that libraries are utilizing online tools to make all aspects of the library overall more engaging.  Youtube is increasingly becoming a site librarians turn to for this purpose, because it allows them to offer a variety of content on an easily accessible platform.  Students are more than a little familiar with Youtube and access it constantly for music, gaming, Vlogs, videos, and more, so it’s the perfect site to use in your library.  So, what exactly can you use Youtube for to make your library more engaging?

Well, for one, you can film what’s going on in your library and classrooms on your campus and upload that content to Youtube to keep stakeholders informed.  It’s great to get students engaged by showcasing student projects as well.  You can use it to post videos of book talks and book trailers and for promotional videos for the Book fair, new materials in the library, and upcoming events.  Likewise, you can use it to post tutorials on how to do things like write a proper citation, use databases, search in the library catalog, and more.  The possibilities are endless!  Youtube can be used to fulfill pretty much any need you have in your library, so don’t be afraid to try it out.  

In my exploration of the utilization of Youtube in the library, I have found that the most helpful videos are ones that showcase how to use various library tools, such as databases and the library catalog.  Likewise, videos that featured how-tos on search engines, Creative Commons, citations, bibliographies, etc. are incredibly valuable to use.  Videos like this are especially helpful for remote learners, when a student is not on campus and needs a reminder of how to do a particular task, if they are absent, or just need a quick refresher.  While these how-to videos are an excellent use of Youtube in the library, students may find them “boring” and are more apt to gravitate towards videos that utilize humor to illustrate a point.  One popular category of these videos are parody videos where the librarian rewrites lyrics from a popular song to be about library policies.  Oftentimes, these videos involve students, so it not only informs but engages as well.  The more we make things student-driven in the library, the better.  Below are some particularly great videos I came across as examples of each. 

Most Helpful Videos for Students:

The NHS Library:

The Unquiet Librarian:

Pikesville HS ibrary:

BBMS Media:

Videos that Students Would Like Best:

The NHS Library:

The Unquiet Librarian:

Pikesville HS Library:

BBMS Media:

Book Trailers

As I mentioned above, Youtube is great for posting book trailers.  Like movie trailers, book trailers highlight the main plot points of a book in a 1-2 minute mix of text and visuals to garner interest in the book.  Book trailers are engaging and exciting for students.  They build hype about new materials and titles students might not have otherwise explored.  The use of book trailers has been an excellent tool for generating interest in books in my own classroom.  I do book talks on titles as well, but the benefit of a book trailer is the visuals that accompany the text.  Animoto is a great site you can use to create your own book trailers.  Its easy-to-use drag-and-drop features are easy to navigate and quick to learn.  Perhaps you could utilize it to make a new book trailer that you post on your library website each week.  Students would certainly look forward to the latest book trailer premiere.  I created an example book trailer using Animoto for The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken in less than an hour.  I searched for images that highlighted plot points in Creative Commons and added them to my Animoto trailer along with text, and voila!  I have a fun book trailer.  Check out the synopsis and book cover of The Darkest Minds below, then use the QR code to view the book trailer.   

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.  Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Use the QR code below to view the book trailer I made for 

The Darkest Minds!

Since we are already on the topic of incredible tools to use in the library, I think it’s a good idea to briefly discuss QR codes before I end this post.  Like Youtube, the possibilities for QR codes are endless.  Since nearly every student has a smart device with access to a QR code reader, it’s easily accessible for them.  QR codes can give users instant access to anything you want them to see.  Like I did above, you could have QR codes that link students to book trailers, but they could also link them to the library catalog, library how-to videos, sites to use in creating projects (Prezi, Canva, etc.), and so much more.  I personally use them as links to previews of what new books are coming and book trailers I have made.  It literally takes seconds to create a QR code, so there’s no reason not to use them in your library too.  Hopefully, you will find these tools as useful as I have.