Lights... Camera... Action (Videos and QR Codes in the Library)

    YouTube is a platform for online video sharing that is owned by Google and is very popular, with hundreds of videos uploaded every minute. Through YouTube, users have the ability to enjoy videos and music, upload their own content, and share their videos with friends, family, and others all over the world. From entertainment and how-to videos to news and commentary, YouTube provides a plethora of content to meet the needs and wants of all viewers. 

    My personal use of YouTube usually consists of how-to videos: how-to use my new curling iron, how-to apply my new Color Street nail strips, how-to create project with my new Cricut, etc. I do occasionally frequent YouTube for entertainment purposes, but I've recently been turning to TikTok to fulfill those needs, especially when I am just browsing videos for fun, with no real purpose behind my viewing. 

    COVID-19 brought about a whole new appreciation for how YouTube could be used in the world of education as I created my own lesson videos and other educational content on my very first YouTube channel! Unfortunately, my district had very strict regulations with regards to YouTube (as I'll mention briefly later), but YouTube videos were still the initial platform I used during quarantine and even into the next two years of teaching as a way to keep my absent students as up-to-date with our learning as possible. Moving into a new role as a school librarian got my gears turning again, and I went to the Internet for inspiration on how YouTube, paired with my librarian role, can benefit my new students and school. Here are a few fantastic library YouTube channels and some examples of videos that I think would be helpful and preferred by students. 

The Unquiet Library

Here is a helpful video tutorial on how to find and use Wikimedia Commons images:

While there are many different videos showcasing student work, I believe this particular art showcase will be popular among student viewers:

Pikesville High School Library

This helpful video highlights the various activities and lessons that take place in this high school's library:

Students at this high school were featured in many videos, and viewers will enjoy this one that showcases the fun many students have while in the library:

BBMS Media

Here is a how-to video that is helpful when teaching students the steps needed for creating a website citation using NoodleTools:

It was hard to choose just one library parody created by students at this school, but this is at the top of the list for students to enjoy (and be reminded to "bring their books back"):

How can I use videos to promote my library?

    

    Videos are a powerful tool that bring images and voice together to ignite strong feelings inside the viewer that aren't as possible with just printed words. A school library can utilize videos as a promotion platform in a variety of ways including:

• Book Reviews: Librarians, teachers, parent volunteers, and students can all participate in this marketing technique that not only promotes the library as a whole but also promotes specific books within the library's collection. When doing this, create a clear set of rules for the book reviewers, especially a time frame such as one minute.
• Book Highlights: Create book trailers for new books that have been recently added to the collection or books that could use some visibility to increase their circulation. Place these books in a special place where patrons can view the trailers while seeing the physical copy of the book. This way, when they watch a trailer they like, they can take the book right away to check out!
• Student Spotlights: As students create amazing things in your library (i.e. makerspace builds, research projects, etc.), film the process of creating the items, as well as the finished product. Showcasing student work in this way will make students feel valued and like they have a place of belonging within the library. It will also encourage others to create in the library too!

With all of your videos, make sure you share them on your library website and social media page as able to get other patrons excited and to truly promote your library!

 

What do I do if YouTube is blocked at my school?

    I know this situation all too well. In fact, this past year my district blocked YouTube on student Chromebooks on a random Wednesday in the middle of October! One day, my students could access the YouTube videos I had linked or they had saved for their research project, and the next day they couldn't. 

    One workaround that worked with my district's setup was imbedding the YouTube videos directly to my school website. We use Canvas, and I had the ability to input a YouTube link or upload a video from my Google Drive. Once the YouTube link was pasted, the video would show up directly on my page. Another bonus about accessing YouTube this way was that my students were not redirected to YouTube when they clicked play which meant they did not see additional advertisements or suggestions for other videos to watch. 

    Unfortunately, accessing their own researched links was a little trickier. Some of my students were able to post the links in Google Slides or on their Google Site and access their video similarly to how my Canvas page worked. However, this method did not seem to work for other students. One of life's YouTube mysteries! 

If you are not able to access YouTube on your school computer(s), you can find some helpful alternatives by clicking here.  

    Animoto is a program that allows users to create video presentations using photos, videos, and music. Creating a free account grants users access to various templates that can be used as guides, or users have the ability to start their show from scratch. While the free account has limited access to images, users can utilize Animoto's music choices, slide templates, and upload their own photos. Photos with Creative Commons Licenses can be found on Flickr, Shutterstock, Wikimedia Commons, and Google (using the "Creative Commons" search tool). 

    

Check out the book trailer I made for I Must Betray You by scanning the QR code located below the book's synopsis and reviews.

 

    A #1 New York Times and National Bestseller!

    A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.

    Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.
    Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.
    Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?
    Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys is back with a historical thriller that examines the little-known history of a nation defined by silence, pain, and the unwavering conviction of the human spirit.
 
Praise for I Must Betray You:

    “As educational as it is thrilling…[T]he power of I Must Betray You [is] it doesn’t just describe the destabilizing effects of being spied on; it will make you experience them too.” –New York Times Book Review

    “A historical heart-pounder…Ms. Sepetys, across her body of work, has become a tribune of the unsung historical moment and a humane voice of moral clarity.”–The Wall Street Journal 

    *“Sepetys brilliantly blends a staggering amount of research with heart, craft, and insight in a way very few writers can. Compulsively readable and brilliant.” –Kirkus Reviews, starred review

    *“Sepetys once again masterfully portrays a dark, forgotten corner of history.” –Booklist, starred review

    *“Sepetys’s latest book maintains the caliber readers have come to expect from an author whose focus on hidden histories has made her a YA powerhouse of historical ­fiction…Sepetys is a formidable writer, and her stories declare the need to write about global issues of social injustice. For that reason and her attention to detail, this is a must-read.” –School Library Journal, starred review

    *“Cristian’s tense first-person narrative foregrounds stark historical realities, unflinchingly confronting deprivations and cruelty while balancing them with perseverance and hope as Romania hurtles toward political change.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review

    *“Sepetys keeps readers riveted to this vivid, heartbreaking and compelling novel, locked into every meticulously researched detail. I Must Betray Youdemands a full investment from its audience–through poetic writing, sympathetic characters, revolutionary plot and pacing, it grips the heart and soul and leaves one breathless.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review

    “A master class in pacing and atmosphere.” –BookPage

Scan here to enjoy the book trailer!

How can I use QR codes in my library?

    QR codes are a unique type of barcode that can be read by a camera on a smartphone to access websites or other information without having to type in long URLs or follow a series of directions to get to the ending destination. Just as you were able to scan the above barcode and access my book trailer (after a brief advertisement), QR codes can be utilized in many different ways in the library. Using the above video examples as a starting point:

• Book Reviews: Create QR codes for book reviews. Print them out and place them near each book's location within the library shelves. Patrons can use iPads, Chromebooks, or smartphones to scan the codes and watch the reviews right there at the shelves, making it an easy way to locate books that others have suggested!
• Book Highlights: Create QR codes for book trailers. Place these books and their corresponding QR codes in a special place where patrons can view the trailers while seeing the physical copy of the book. Voila! Books will start to circulate more than you ever thought possible!
• Student Spotlights: When students create physical projects that are on display in the library, create QR codes for the videos that showcase the process students took when making the final display seen by patrons. This creates a more interactive display that is sure to capture patrons' attention and make the students feel like stars! 

    Other ways to use QR codes include:

• Placing them on a flyer with the Texas Bluebonnet Book List. These QR codes can link to book trailers and/or a synopsis for the different books on the list to entice readers to give them a try. 
• Use them in makerspace directions to provide students with video directions for completing the stations. This allows the librarian to continue with other duties during makerspace time instead of having to explain directions to groups of students every time they start a new station. It also provides students with the ability to rewatch the directions as many times as needed. 

    In conclusion, videos and QR codes open up a plethora of opportunities to promote your library, engage your patrons, celebrate your students, entice the reading of new or unfamiliar books, and so much more! They may seem a little daunting at first, but give them a try and you're sure to be amazed! 

Sepetys, R. (n.d.). I must betray you by Ruta Sepetys. PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022, from https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/602715/i-must-betray-you-by-ruta-sepetys/