Week 7: Multimedia

We looked at images in week 3, but this week we’re going further and looking at a range of multimedia.

The early days of the web were much more text based, and images could take a long while to load. We’ve come a long way from the days of the Cambridge Coffee Pot when people logged in from across the globe to see a scratchy black and white live image of … yes you’ve guessed it, a coffee pot!

Today you can view videos from round the world, create videos and listen to Podcasts from all sorts of media outlets.

Thing 16: YouTube/Vimeo

(C) imjustcreative. Flickr.

YouTube is a video sharing site, hosting thousands of videos, created by both amateurs and professionals. Anyone can view videos on YouTube. However, in order to upload videos or to benefit from the site’s “social” features users need to register for a free account. For the purpose of 23 Things you do not need to register, as we’ll only be viewing and sharing videos. There is a huge amount of content on this site, all available to search and share with others, and libraries have started to use this service by uploading walk throughs of their facilities, user guides and other promotional material. A good example is The British Library, who have their own YouTube ‘channel’, where you can access a variety of films.

There are a number of instructional videos that librarians might find useful such as this one about searching with Boolean Operators. Dominic and Kim have recently commissioned this video on Patron-Driven Acquisition E-book purchasing as part of the E-BASS25 JISC project: watch it here!

And the Library has its own channel too!

YouTube EDU brings together YouTube content from Universities around the World, which you can search in. For this Thing you are asked to browse YouTube, search for library instruction videos, and when you find something of interest, share them with the other 23 thing-ers by adding them to your blog. To do this, follow the instructions at the end of the step-by-step guide for this post.

Other library videos:

Study like a scholar, scholar (Harold B. Lee Library promo)

Cookie Monster in the Library (Sesame Street!)

Mitchell and Webb’s Insulting Librarian

Finding YouTube content Locating relevant material can be a challenge on a fluid site like YouTube. The site has just updated its design as well, but this handy guide should answer any questions you have about layout or functionality. You’re now ready to start searching! Remember:

• the query bar at the top allows for keyword searches, which you can then filter
• pay attention to who has uploaded the content
• if it is a trusted source, explore their other videos
• it’s worth subscribing to YouTube channels of organisations and institutions directly relevant to your research. You can only do this is you have a Google Account and are signed into YouTube

Sharing YouTube content Thing 22 is to find and share two YouTube videos that you find interesting, or relevant to your work.  We also want you to comment on why you are sharing this content and why you think it is useful. Embed one video into your blog and share the other via Twitter. The Share button will provide a custom message – you can edit this to provide your commentary. Don’t forget to write a blog post about your experiences with YouTube.

But what is Vimeo?

(C) imjustcreative. Flickr.

Good question. I was wondering this myself. Apparently, it’s the ‘Coolest Video Site for Creatives’ and has a number of features that make uploading and embedding videos a lot easier, and prettier. This man thinks that the quality of videos is improved, also. But it seems to be that Vimeo is a little smaller, helping us to filter down the abundance of videos we could find – you’re more likely to find what you want, and quicker. BUT, if the site is smaller, your work is less likely to be found, as most people will visit YouTube first.

Try both sites, and see which is easier to use. Blog about which you prefer and why.