YouTube

YouTube seems to have joined the ranks of ubiquitous web phenomenon I am aware of and use, but I can't for the life of me remember the first time I encountered it. It has quickly become a favorite place of mine to visit. At my home computer, I added a YouTube button to my toolbar. And presto! I bring The Beatles into my living room several times a week. My daughter has been watching Jeff Dunham so frequently she should be the ventriloquist's understudy by now. YouTube has wonderfully entertaining video clips, as well as incredibly crude and tasteless ones, but fortunately the user maintains control over the content he/she chooses to view.

YouTube has its serious applications as well. One very interesting YouTube category focuses on news and politics. Here you can find reports filed by "citizen journalists" whose work is free from network control, censorship, and/or spin. Wow. Although professionals are quick to note that these reports may lack the appropriate objectivity, I am intrigued and even more interested by the novelty of a news venue where the power of reporting is truely in the hands of the people. The Emmy winning Current TV operates in a similar way, airing short broadcasts created by "users". Their documentaries are some of the most informative, fascinating, and disturbing I've ever seen.

There are so many ways YouTube could be utilized by libraries. It is already being used for training purposes. How about recording storytimes in Vietnamese or Spanish or even American Sign Language? Maybe these could then be posted on the "Kids Know It All" page. A virtual tour of the branch might be a helpful orientation for new patrons, or it could be shown in classrooms at local elementary schools. Teachers could use the video-tour as a jumping off point to teach students research skills needed to complete specific homework assignments. "How To" videos on topics such as how to use the self check machines, print from library computers, or how to purchase a print card, would empower patrons and enable staff to provide better customer service. YouTube could also be used as a marketing tool to promote library programs such as book clubs and special summer reading events.

There are endless possibilities with YouTube. Me, I'm off for an appointment with George.