Skip to main content

Enhancing the Digital Footprints of Library Local History/Genealogy Departments

At one time, public libraries determined their overall effectiveness in serving the public based upon door count, i.e., the number of persons entering the building.  With the advent of online history and genealogical resources, increasing numbers of people are using the Internet (rather than visiting their local libraries) to conduct their genealogical research or to learn about their communities' histories.

How, then, does a library reach patrons who don't physically visit the facility?  Many libraries have found social media as their new pathway to patrons.  Videos, podcasts, blogs, and posts to such social media sites as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and others have become effective mechanisms to reach a new, different audience than those coming through the library doors.

These two slideshows, along with a handout (links below), summarize some of the resources available for history/genealogy librarians to use in creating a digital footprint.

Mooresville (Indiana) Public Library has several videos on YouTube to illustrate how local history may be brought alive visually.  Watch this playlist to learn more.

 

Indiana Room at Mooresville (Indiana) Public Library 
(MPL Website's Digital Indiana Room Available Here)

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Beyond Book Trailers: Using MARC 856 Fields for Other Online Promotional Media

In a previous blog post , we learned how catalogers could use MARC 856 fields to link cataloged books with book trailers (videos) summarizing their contents.  There are other digital media tools available that could be linked in 856 fields to promote cataloged books, such as: Podcasts; Readalouds; Blogs; Video Blogs (Vlogs); Video Book Reviews; Videos showcasing children's library craft activities related to specific books. Librarians use podcasts, blogs, video blogs (vlogs), and video book reviews to discuss library-related topics, including what they (or their book groups) are currently reading.  Podcasts may be audio- or video-recordings, while vlogs and video book reviews are filmed.  Blogs are traditionally online written content.  Podcasts, vlogs, and video book reviews may be done by a single librarian, or they may involve paired conversations or even group discussions.  Written blogs may have one or more authors.  URLs linking any of th...

See All the Fun You'll Have Working at the Library!

For many years libraries have used videos to promote programs, resources, services, community connections, local history, and many other  activities.  There is often an underlying implied theme:  the library is a fun place to be!   Patrons and staff have known this to be true forever.  Consider, too, that the library is a fun workplace , and videos can share this side of a library's character. I work in a small township public library ( Mooresville [Indiana] Public Library ) where fun is not merely a daily expectation, it is a requirement.  MPL's YouTube channel has a fleet of videos showcasing the smiles staff wear while working.  Let's see some. Beyond Books Infomercial by Mooresville Public Library Go Ask Reference by Rachel Montgomery & Meghan Adams Librarians Do Taio Cruz by Suzanne Walker We Love Mooresville Public Library by MPL Staff of 2019 Libraries & Old Dewey by Suzanne Walker and MPL Staff & Volunteers It's even possible ...

Avoiding Copyright Law Problems With Your Library Video Readalouds

For decades public libraries have presented readaloud children's programs to encourage reading and early literacy.  The photo (below) presents a typical scenario. Click Image to Enlarge Some libraries videorecord librarians reading children's books so that patrons may read along from the comfort of wherever they happen to be at the time.  Here are a few examples (click the boxes below to play the videos): Story Time Anytime!, by Clinton (Indiana) Public Library (see their Story Time LIVE video playlist ) Read Aloud, by Meghan Adams: Barn Dance, by Bill Martin, Jr., et al. Ms. Casey Reads a Chapter From Mr. Popper's Penguins , by Richard & Florence Atwater Videorecording someone reading an entire children's picture book could constitute copyright infringement, although some have argued that these types of videos fall within the "fair use" exception under Section 107 of the federal copyright act (17 U.S.C. §...