Cat's Eye View @ MPL: Why Your Library Should Do Videos

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Why Your Library Should Do Videos

At MPL we love library videos (especially with song parodies). You could probably tell by a quick visit to our YouTube Channel. We're just following a trend among libraries worldwide.

Broadway Gal discovered a gem from Westfield (Massachusetts) Athenaeum. It is a parody of "Hey, Soul Sister," by Train (2009). The credits are included on Westfield's YouTube page, as well as at the end of the video.

I wish you could take a look, but their video is set to "private." That stinks.

Meanwhile, Broadway Gal reported that she has begun working on our new library music video. If you haven't seen our old one ["Librarians Do Taio Cruz" (2010)], there's no time like now.

There is no better library promotional tool than music parody videos. Actually, I'd venture to say that library videos of any sort (book trailers, program or promo trailers, local history videos, music videos, blog trailers, etc.) uploaded to online social media (like YouTube) are one of the most imaginative methods to market libraries. For instance? You betcha. Hasn't everybody seen "Librarians Do Gaga"? If not, 'bout time you did.

Of course, libraries needn't do music parodies to visually promote their resources and services. Consider the Williams College Library Mystery Tour (2006).

Or try on for size Harper College Library's humorous tour video (2007).

"Going green" is the latest environmental catch-phrase. Libraries have always been "green," as demonstrated in this public service announcement (PSA) by Monterey (CA) Public Library.

Libraries are constantly faced with changing technologies. When VHS became a dinosaur format, Tea Tree Gully Library (in Australia) decided to make a VHS domino video.

Music parody videos allow libraries to deal with difficult subjects in a humorous fashion. If we can't laugh at our problems, then we are whupped slobberpups.