Week Six - Video

I tried to develop a comparison of YouTube and Google Video, using the term ‘lego’.

Google Video produced 96,188 hits, You Tube 63.500

I prefer the YouTube screen layout which provides a good summary

Eg: Added: 2 days ago
From: Blunty3000
Views: 27,600
09:38

YouTube also provides alternative search terms, eg: “Also try lego star wars…….etc.”

YouTube displays 20 results per screen, compared to Google’s 10. Google has better sorting options but I liked being able to view YouTube results by list view or grid view.

The actual results of the lego search were quite similar, but my overall preference was for YouTube.

The use of YouTube for libraries:
We love our NJ libraries was okay as an example of library promotion, but it did focus on regular services that have been around for ages.
QandANJ: Now Your Library is Open Late Night Too! Has a fresher approach with the 24/7 thing and the drive-through ordering would appeal to teens in particular.

The State Library of Queensland timelapse construction video was interesting, but the PLCMC New Employee Orientation seems a rather impersonal way of welcoming new staff – I would rather have a brief welcoming meeting with the new boss (even if they are up the management chain) rather than a video welcome.

The Reference and Research Assistance video was really good – informal and friendly, and I loved the reference to librarians as information experts.

I wasn’t very enthused by the book reviews segment, looking very amateur, but this could be an attraction for some people who wanted to participate.

Mosman Library's Author Talks were good, but as someone commented in the main blog, their duration is quite long.

I can see YouTube or similar sites offering a useful promotion tool for libraries but we need to look at what sort of image we are trying to convey, not just put more rubbish on what is already a fairly crowded attention-getter.