Videos and QR Codes in the Library

YouTube

The NHS Library:
This channel has only a few videos uploaded, most of which are very helpful for students. I found the instructional videos on how to use EBSCO Host and the library website to be very clear and informative. The video students would like the most would probably be the video of teachers and students reading banned books because I think they would enjoy recognizing teachers and fellow students as well as learning which books are banned, especially those that they wouldn't expect.

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The Unquiet Librarian:
This channel has tons of videos, many of which include students as the focus. Unfortunately, the last upload was five years ago, so I'm wondering if there was a change in staff and the channel is no longer active. Either way, there are many helpful videos for students as well as many they would enjoy watching. I especially enjoyed "The Unquiet Library on Wheels" where the librarian visits the school cafeteria to check books out to students. What a great idea! I'll definitely file that away for my future library. I found it hard to narrow down which would be most helpful for students since there are so many tutorials, but ended up choosing one on how to cite a song on EasyBib. The video I think students would like best is the one where students become teachers

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Pikesville High School Library
This channel has quite a few videos uploaded and some of them are quite funny! I think the students would really enjoy watching them. I think the video detailing course advisement would be the most helpful and informative.  The video reminding students to fill out their FAFSA would be most enjoyable for students since it is humorous and uses some pretty cool video editing for special effects.

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BBMS Media
This channel has some super creative and fun videos, especially the parodies on overdue books created by the students. The students surely get a kick out of them and are reminded to return overdue books at the same time! The most helpful video for students would probably be the tutorial on how to cite a book using NoodleTools.

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I would use videos to promote my library in a number of ways. At the beginning of the year I would love to post a video tour highlighting features of the library, how to check out, how to return, where to find certain popular books and series, etc. Throughout the year, it would be fun to feature students in the videos just as these schools did. I love how they let the students take full creative control of the projects and make them their own. For example, students can do book talks, book reviews, make their own book trailers, and even post class projects by video. I would also make sure to include tutorials on things like how to use the online catalog, EBSCO Host, and other how-to videos appropriate for each grade level. I could also use videos to promote book fairs and help remind students to return their books (with fun parodies like BBMS Media!)

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Using Animoto, I created a book trailer for To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I really enjoyed using Animoto and was surprised at the amount of free templates, photos, videos, music, and other tools for making book trailers unique and engaging. I think students would love using this tool for making their own book trailers and other videos for various school projects.

From the publisher: 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is now a major motion picture streaming on Netflix!

Lara Jean’s love life gets complicated in this New York Times bestselling “lovely, lighthearted romance” (School Library Journal) from the bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Scan the QR code to view my book trailer!

QR Codes are a fun addition to any library! I would love to use them for students to quickly be able to access things like book trailers, websites, blogs, book reviews, or even popular Instagram and other social media sites. I think it would be helpful to have them around the library near popular books so students can easily scan with their smartphones or even by the check-out desk. Eduscapes.com even lists using QR codes for things like showing students how to use a photocopier. Placement of these codes could even be as creative as placing them on bookmarks, book covers, bulletin boards, and walls. It would also be helpful to provide an alternative to the QR code for anyone who does not have a QR Scanner, like with Google url shortener. QR codes can even be used to access special resources like scanning for Spanish translations.