Library Videos and Webcasts

Daisy Johnson (Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, UK)

Library Review

ISSN: 0024-2535

Article publication date: 18 May 2012

107

Keywords

Citation

Johnson, D. (2012), "Library Videos and Webcasts", Library Review, Vol. 61 No. 5, pp. 379-381. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531211280504

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Library Videos and Webcasts, the fourth in the Tech‐Set series of publications from Facet, focuses on the value and relevance of video and web‐based media for the information professional.

Utilising an initially logical chronological chapter structure, Library Videos and Webcasts comprises of six key chapters covering pre‐production, the filming process, post‐production, marketing and benchmarking.

Chapter one covers the various technological and practical elements that comprise the pre‐production stage of video. Chapters of this nature, with substantial references to price‐points, specific programmes and video specifications, naturally suffer from the tension of being nearly instantly outmoded. As a result of this there are substantial parts of this section which should, if a newer edition is produced, be revised bearing in mind the substantial technological advances which have taken place since the original publication date of 2010. In addition, a revision would bring to light the massive impact of mobile phone filming technology which is, somewhat surprisingly, scarcely mentioned in Library Videos and Webcasts in its current state.

The second chapter – Planning – is where this book starts to suffer structurally. The apparent logic of the external chapter structure falls down upon closer reading and starts to feel distinctly disjointed. Concepts such as gaining inspiration, the aesthetics of shot composition and ideas are introduced after sections on storyboarding and script writing. We learn how to do a technique before we learn why. I believe that knowing – and understanding – why we take a dirty coffee cup out of shot, or remove the dead pot of plants, is of equal importance as to knowing how to switch the camera on, and I felt that this area of understanding was handled too lightly. As the old adage goes “a picture says a thousand words” and it is vital to understand that every element of a composed shot must and will add towards the final effect of the video.

This lack of theoretical underpinning and structurally disjointed guidance is a problem which continues to remain pronounced through the rest of Library Videos and Webcasts. Chapter three – Implementation – discusses issues such as location and actor preparation before shifting back to discussing what sort of video you are producing. The latter is again one of those points which need to be discussed and thought about prior to the actual method of production.

Chapter four on Marketing illustrates various methods of disseminating the video you have produced. This covers steps such as creating a marketing strategy, posting work on YouTube and also briefly mentions the potential of blogging. Robinson's advice here is sound but suffers again from a lack of sequential awareness. Sections such as working out for whom the video is intended and what it is intended to do (pp. 101‐102) need to be integrated much earlier in the book as these are vital steps in the planning process. It may be that, having decided to target demographic C, you may ultimately realise that a podcast may be more appropriate or a targeted poster campaign rather than creating a beautifully produced video that no‐one will watch.

It is perhaps in Chapters five (Best Practices) and six (Measures of Success) where Library Videos and Webcasts starts to justify itself. It is clear that Robinson speaks from practical experience. Sections such as the “survival tips” (p. 111) and being able to statistically analyse the impact of your work (pp. 115‐119) are vital in order to justify both time and expenditure on projects of this nature.

Library Videos and Webcasts is a curiously unsatisfying experience. The concept of a book specifically focused towards library videos is long overdue. It is a deceptively complicated medium that I don't feel we, as information professionals, are anywhere near exploiting as cogently and creatively as we could be. Library Videos and Webcasts provides a useful and valid treatment of video from an information perspective but it is feels irrevocably outdated both in the book and the accompanying wiki. In an environment where we now interact with the digital native and have witnessed the exponential accessibility of video technology, the potential use and interest of Library Videos and Webcasts has, it seems, already been exhausted.

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