App of the Week: Animoto

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Title: Animoto
Platform: iPhone, iPad, iPod’ Requires iOS 4.1 or later.
Cost: App is free. Animoto has Lite, Plus, and Pro accounts.

Back in 2008, the YALSA blog raved about how Animoto could be used for libraries, and Animoto often gets highlighted during Teen Tech Week. ‘ So it seemed only right to highlight a great feature of Animoto. There’s an app for it!

With the Animoto App, you can create Animoto videos directly from your iThing. All those pictures and videos of programs and displays you’ve taken with your iTouch or iPhone or iPad can now be easily added to an Animoto video.

With the Animoto App, you can create 30 second videos. If you have an Animoto account (a yearly subscription that ranges from $30 for Plus and $250 for Pro) you can create longer videos.

In addition, once logged in, you can sync your account, allowing you to continue editing a video you’ve created on your computer from the ease of your iThing. It also means any video created on the iThing will appear on your computer account as well. You can also share or download the video right from the app.

It also means you’ve got a portable way to show off your animated book trailers or annual reports (Prescott Annual Rpt 2010-2011)’ when meeting new librarians at ALA or at your next meeting with a supervisor. And it’s it great to share how technology is improving your library?

 

“Bleeding Libraries:” A School Library Advocacy Video

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By now, you’ve probably seen the Librarians Do Gaga video from the University of Washington that went viral two weeks ago,’  and the Who Ya Gonna Call? video that featured Ghostbusters in the NYPL Reading Room in mid-May. Here’s one that may not be on your radar: “Bleeding Libraries,” a school library advocacy video that examines the plight of the school library when funding is lost and the doors are closed. I asked Laura K. Graff, the visionary behind the video, to share how it came about. Check out the video, then get her take after the jump.

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Cash Prizes for Library Advocacy Videos

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Looking for a way to get your teens involved in your library and shoot a fun video at the same time? Submit an entry to ALA’s contest for Library Advocacy Day! Getting your teens behind the camera (and in front of it) is a great way to show just how vital libraries are in the lives of young adults.

All entries must

1. illustrate the importance of libraries,
2. motivate people to attend the ALA’s rally for libraries during Library Advocacy Day,
3. include interesting visuals and quality sound design, and
4. be no more than three minutes.

To enter, upload your video to Vimeo, tag it “library advocacy day,” and send your full name, phone number, city, state and the url of your work to jroberts@alawash.org with the subject line “LAD video entry.” All submissions must be uploaded, tagged and e-mailed by 12pm EDT, May 26, 2010. ALA will announce the winners and recipients of the prize money–$175 for the first place winner and $75 for the runner-up–on Tuesday, June 1.

For complete rules and more information, visit the District Dispatch from the ALA Washington Office.

InfoTubey Awards

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Consider submitting a nomination for Information Today’s 2007 InfoTubey awards. “InfoTubies recognize those libraries or individuals who have created YouTube library-related productions that promote a library, or library services, or enhance the library’s value.” Deadline 2/14/07. Don’t forget about librarian Nancy Dowd’s blog on ‘Library videos-the best of. . . (http://libraryvideos.blogspot.com)

Check out the one minute YouTube video of the YALSA Gaming Discussion Group presence in Second Life during Midwinter by HVX Silverstar (http://avatarlibrarians.blogspot.com) (there were more attendees in real life-promise-check out some of the pics from the YALSA Flickr page) but a showing of devoted librarians and friends.

Posted by Kelly Czarnecki