Week 9 - YouTube and Podcasts

I have to tell y'all that I am completely addicted to YouTube. I have had an account for over a year, and I have 18 playlists and over 175 videos favorited. Yeah, addicted, totally.

For the purposes of the challenge, I visited the other video hosting sites listed in the task as well as checked out the MySpace vids (since I was stuck there) and I have to say that none of them is on the same planet as YouTube. For one thing, their vids are miniscule in number, and none of them have all of the features that YouTube does. Only Google was slightly different in that Google is really a search engine and lists vids from other hosting services including YouTube, although you can restrict the search to Google vids only.

Since the other video hosting services are really not worth the bother, I decided to try some additional stuff with my YouTube account. I made comments on several favorite videos and even exchanged a few messages with someone who had served as a sound engineer on a movie I liked and had posted some behind-the-scenes footage. I also contacted a videographer about a favorited video that wasn't working and she reloaded it. Go me!

Post your YouTube username on your blog.
My YouTube user name is ladygarnett

What did you like or dislike about the site?
Likes: I love the fan vids. These are videos created from clips of movies or TV shows and set to various pieces of music and are often very, very creative. I also enjoy seeing clips from actual movies, TV shows, DVDs, etc. One feature I really appreciate is that you can search on a tag and then sort the results by date, which makes it easier to find new vids. I like the display lists of similar vids, because you can often find something you like that you might not otherwise have seen, and I like the subscription feature, though I have yet to take advantage of it. You can also share videos with your friends. A co-worker and I enjoy some of the same types of vids, but we usually search on different tags. We are always finding something we think the other will like and sharing it via email. I also share vids with other friends who share similiar interests.
Dislikes: Well, not to put too fine a point on it, there is just lots and lots of crap on YouTube. And I really hate the adverts. They clutter the screen and are just bloody annoying. I also lament the fact that I have saved vids that are later taken down for a variety of reasons. Then, just as with many other social networking sites, my usual problem with the lack of uniformity in tags is also a nuisance. Occasionally, I find vids just by lucky accident rather than by searching because the tags have been mispelled or poorly chosen. *sigh*

Why do you think YouTube is so popular?
YouTube offers opportunities to be creative, be entertained, be the star of your own film. It enables people to see moments they might have missed, participate in social and political processes and be a part of pop culture. You can post and share with family, friends, the world your creative efforts or your vacation videos. You can interact with others who share your interests. In today's world of constant contact and technological sharing of everything with everyone, what's not to like?

Post the URL of the video you chose. Why did you select that video?
The Librarian Song I chose it because it was both library-related, and just silly fun.

Here is my attempt to embed a video. I chose just one of my personal faves:


If you explored any other video hosting sites, how did they compare to YouTube? What was your favorite and why?
See my intro above. And I really did not like any of them at all. YouTube is definitely "king of the world" in terms of video hosting sites.

What was the most interesting thing you learned?
The most interesting thing about YouTube is the sheer volume and variety of the videos. You can be entertained by something freaking hysterical one minute and be caught up by something of social or political importance the next.

Can you see any features or components of YouTube that might be interesting if they were applied to Arcadia Public Library’s website? Are there any other ways our library might use YouTube?
I was surprised to see that there is already a video of kids reading to Bernie of the Barks and Books program. However, I think the best use of YouTube would be as a means to post the vids and then embed them in the Library's website, blog, etc. We could have vids of concerts, Friends' programs, events, storytimes, etc. Perhaps even a video tour of the Library. Concerns would include copyright, permissions, and staff time.

Describe some of the podcasts you found that interested you. Provide links so that others may also listen if they choose.
Podcasts aren't my favorite tool, but I really do like the Lost podcasts and vidcasts. They are generally available the day after the episode is shown. Go here to see and listen: Lost Podcasts

What kinds of podcasts were being used by other libraries? Did you find anything useful here?
Searching through the podcast directories wasn't all that easy. I did find a podcast from the Denver Public Library: Stories for Kids and another from KCET and the Los Angeles Central Library: Explore CA that were interesting.

Can you see any uses for podcasts in our library?
Some possibilities for podcasts include: Book Discussion groups for anyone who was unable to attend, staff and teen book reviews, Friends' programs.