Course Materials: Course Guide 1: Audio and Video Collections
The course focuses on audio and video materials collected in libaries. Today, that can be in all types of libraries. That also means that today's libraries are moving toward digital collections. Some libraries are entirely digital. It would be difficult to talk about most libraries without talking about other formats, such as still images, books, online databases, Web resources, and oh, yeah - books. But even some books have changed formats.
Listen Up! - Click on the play control (above) to listen to another audioclip message for the class. Notice that it may take a little extra time for that image to completely load. Once the audio control bar appears, you can click on the speaker icon (left side) to access a volume slide control.
Back to audio and video. What are the needs met by such materials? To continue our journey, read the following sections at Multimedia Seeds:
(1) Collections: Big Picture followed by (2) Collections: Audio and Video Collections, (3) Collections: Digital Libraries, (4) Collections: Audio, Video, and Special Needs, (5) Collections: Mediagraphies, and (6) Collections: Audio & Video Collection Development Resources.
(1) Collections: Audio: The Big Picture, (2) Collections: Audio Collections: Music, (3) Music Collections: Blues, Jazz, and R & B, (4) Music Collections: Country, Folk, and Bluegrass, (5) Music Collections: Children's Music, (6) Music Collections: Christian and Gospel, (7) Music Collections: New Age, (8) Music Collections: Rap, Hip Hop, and Dance, (9) Music Collections: Rock, Pop, and Adult Contemporary, (10) Music Collections: Seasonal and Karaoke, (11) Music Collections: Soundtracks, Showtunes, & Vocalists, and (12) Music Collections: World Music
After completing this portion of readings, you should have gained a better general sense about the needs served by audio and video materials.
Dr.J's Jags & Jabs
Having worked as an instructional designer / developer and a media librarian for several years, when audio or video is proposed it seems routine for me to ask, "What can be done / what need is met / what does the media item provide that some other media form might meet?"
Can you gain a full sense of an elk (Cervus elaphus) (the animal), if you have not heard the bugle of a male? Is motion an indispensible part for understanding, do you need to see and elk move? If so, then audio and video should probably be considered.
In addition, a level of cost analysis is usually required when making decisions about audio and media materials. But the adage that books are cheaper than audio or video forms is not always true.
Sprout # 2: Collection Exploration (Points Possible: 2 for posting, 1 for reply)
[Everyone complete the following and post your dissusion and reply at Oncourse]
When you hear the
word audio or video collection, what comes to mind? Your local Blockbuster
video store, your son or daughter’s CD collection, or your
library’s books-on-tape collection could all be possibilities.
Or, you might be thinking about online speeches, Internet radio archives,
or the PBS website. Over the past decade, audio and video collections
have evolved in many formats and content areas.
Visit three places
that house or produce audio and/or video collections. You may want
to explore public, church, school, or academic libraries. On the
other hand, think of other possibilities such as book, music, or
video stores. Consider school music departments, local video producers,
or even home audio collections. What do they have in common? How
are they different? How are the materials selected and shared?
This is a big "FROG"; therefore there are two weeks allowed for its completion. This should be an interesting process, have fun. Select one location to explore “in-depth.” This
should be a location similar to the place you’d like to work
as a professional. It should not be the place you currently work.
Ask yourself some of the following questions:
* What's housed in the collection?
* Is the collection easy to find?
* Is the signage effective?
* Is the staff helpful?
* How are materials accessed?
* Are the materials given full cataloging?
* Is enough shelf space provided?
* Are items inter-shelved?
* Does the collection circulate? If so, what are the policies?
* Are users solicited about their needs?
* Is a viewing area provided?
Conduct a short
interview with the librarian, manager, or owner. Discuss issues such
as materials selection, organization, and promotion. Share your findings
with the class.
Identify
/ name all three locations. Provide a short overview of all three
visits. Remember to focus on the audio and video collections. Include
a more extensive summary of your in-depth experience. If possible,
include a few photographs of the library to share with the class.
Also describe anything that is of particular interest or that you
find surprising about your library.
Share your discussion
in the most appropriate group (Your choice, spread yourselves out!)
2.1: Collection
Exploration Area - School Libraries
2.2: Collection
Exploration Area - Public Libraries
2.3: Collection
Exploration Area - Academic Libraries
2.4: Collection
Exploration Area - Other Library Environments
Let's finish up reading the web sections for audio materials:
(1) Audio Collections: Spoken Arts, Sounds, and Sound Effects, (2) Audio Collections: Spoken Arts: Audiobooks, (3) Audio Collections: Spoken Arts: Spoken Word, (4) Audio Collections: Spoken Arts: Sounds and Sound Effects, (5) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Digital Audio, (6) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Radio and Streaming Audio, (7) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Remote Music Collections, (8) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Remote Audio Collections, and (9) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Podcasting.
Sprout # 3: Special Needs (Points Possible: 2 for posting, 1 for reply)
[Complete one of the following options and post your dissusion and reply at Oncourse]
3.1: Media Access Terminology - Read the off-site
article, Understanding Media
Access Terminologys by Joe Clark. This article focuses on understanding media-access
terminology. Also read the off-site articles: Ten
Things TLs Should Know About Video Description (Oct. 2004, Access
requires login) by Arnold Chiari from Teacher Librarian;
32(1), 35 and Audio
Visual Cataloguing Secrets Revealed! by Stuart Bayens of the Edmonton
Public Library. The latter article discusses closed captioning, descriptive
videos, and talking books. Explore some examples of audio and video looking
for these elements. Does your television have closed-captioning? What are
the options found on some newer DVDs? Describe
your experiences exploring closed captioning related areas.
3.2: Special Education - Read
the Audio,
Video, and Special Needs page at Multimedia Seeds.
Discuss the issue of special needs, accessibility, and
accommodations related to audio and video materials with
two different people:
* a
person with special needs
* the
parent(s) of a special needs child
* an
experienced librarian
* a
special education teacher or educator
Provide
a brief summary of your discussions for the group.
3.3: Special Needs and the Library - Explore
the links at the bottom of the Audio,
Video, and Special Needs page at Multimedia Seeds and the
materials on web accessibility at Special
Needs and Technology page at Teacher Tap.
Summarize
a website or article of interest related to audio, video, and special
needs and also discuss
how
a library can help patrons more effectively access web resources?
.
Listen Up! - Click on the play control (above) to listen to another audioclip message for the class. Notice that it may take a little extra time for that image to completely load. Once the audio control bar appears, you can click on the speaker icon (left side) to access a volume slide control.
Project #1: Collection Development - Mediagraphy Project
Before jumping into this project, explore the materials in the Collections sections of the course. Before the project is due, you will also cover the Collections Management section tool
It's surprising how few quality mediagraphies there are on popular topics.
Therefore, let's create our own online resources. We'll add our projects
to the Multimedia Seeds: Mediagraphies
section. Note: You can examine selected projects from previous classes that
are already posted there.
Select a real-world situation where money may be available to purchase materials related to a single topic or special collection. It could also be an area where you could seek funding, donations, or grant money. In selecting your topic consider those areas where audio or video would be particularly helpful. You'll want to justify why it makes sense to include media in the collection.
Hispanic Americans, Halloween, and Fitness are just three examples of the
wide range of topics. You could focus your effort on audio, video, or both.
For example, you might want to develop a "how-to" video collection,
audiobook collection, video game collection, or New Age music collection.
Materials can be CD, DVD, web-based, or other formats. They should be aimed
at a particular type of collection such as School Library, Classroom, Academic
Library, Public Library, or a special library (i.e., daycare, church, law,
department).
You may find that only a few materials are available on a particular topic. In this case, you probably should expand your theme. For example, you might start out with Yoga videos and end up with a Fitness theme that includes both audio and video materials on exercise. Or, you might start with a project on the Civil War and expand it into historical documentaries. Also, feel free to include audios and videos that you already own. Remember this is being shared as a mediagraphy to help others in their exploration of materials too.
Requirements (15 Points Possible)
Annotated Mediagraphy
A mediagraphy (or mediography) is a bibliographic list of a wide range of resources available on a particular topic including books, online resources, charts, maps, videos, photographs, audio materials, and real objects. In addition to entries for each item, an annotated mediagraphy also contains a short summary and other relevant information such as a critique, classroom integration ideas, grade levels, etc. The format is flexible. Just be consistent and include the required elements below.
Contents
* Introductory section with topic, setting, intended audience(s) (.5 Point)
* Include a "Statement of Purpose" that identifies the need for your collection (.5 Point)
* Address Issue - Why audio and video for this topic? (1 Point)
* Selection Criteria - General and/or specific criteria used to select the material items (.5 Point)
* Annotated Mediagraphy (10 Points)
- At least 15 items. Each must be an audio, video, or multimedia format such as audiotape, CD, videotape, DVD, MP3, website containing digital audio or video, or other video and audio formats. No more than five items from any single URL. For example, no more than 4 YouTube videos.
- The bibliographic entry for each item. Include at least the title, format, date, publisher information, and short summary. Optional items include key words, grade level, age, or product numbers.
- A vendor(s) and suggested price for each item. Include address or web link.
- Reviews for each item. Include at least one quality review (2 or 3 sentence excerpt) from a known selection source, one other review or information resource, and indicate any awards or honors. If possible include a link to the online review. If no review is available, you may write a brief (2 - 3 sentences) your own.
* Appendix. Provide the MARC record for one of the items - found or created. (1 Point)
* Author Information. You must include your name and the page creation date. Your professional affliliation and email address are optional. (.5 Point)
* Additional Entries. Include selected books, articles, software, Internet resources, and/or other resources related to your theme. (.5 Point)
* Additional Information. Add ideas for collection promotion, classroom integration ideas, or other things that would enhance the project. (.5 Point)
* Finished document should be logically structured, free from spelling and typo errors, and have a clean, professional appearance.
Project Review
You are responsible for conducting peer reviews. First, provide suggestions for at least two other class members before their projects are posted. Second, provide feedback for at least two different students after the projects have been posted. The cohort group forums are the most efficient way to conduct this sharing activity.
Project Sharing / Submission
Keep in mind that your project should be written more as an article and less as a "paper." In other words, it should be written for the global audience, not just for your instructor.
Sharing is an important part of learning. You should share your projects and get feedback from classmates before submitting to your instructor. Classmates can help identify typos and missing elements that can impact your grade. By viewing and reading the projects of others, you can often gain ideas that might enhance your own project. Remember this is not a competition, all projects are graded with the same checklist.
In order to give everyone an experience creating web pages, we will be using a tool called Google Pages for this project. Complete the following steps:
1. Go to Google Pages. Create a Google account and follow the simple step-by-step directions to make a web page.
2. Write a short narrative describing the reason you chose to create this project and how it fits with your interests as well as the needs of your patrons or students. Consider placing this information on a separate web page and call it ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
3. Post a message in your Discussion Area including a link to your project URL.
Now we turn our attention to video materials and collections; Read the following:
(1) Video: The Big Picture, (2) Videotape/DVD Collections, (3) Videotape/DVD Collections: Informational and Documentary Video, (4) Videotape/DVD Collections: Instructional Video, (5) Videotape/DVD Collections: Educational Video, (6) Videotape/DVD Collections: Entertainment Video, (7) Videotape/DVD Collections: Entertainment Video, (8) Video: Remote Collections: Television, (9) Video: Remote Collections: Streaming Video, (10) Videotape/DVD Collections: Video Clips, (11) Videotape/DVD Collections: Video Conferencing, (12) Audio Collections: Remote Collections: Videocasting, and (13) Video Game Technology: The Big Picture.
Sprout # 4: Audio Collections (Points Possible: 2 for posting, 1 for reply)
[Complete one of the following options and post your discussions and reply at Oncourse]
4.1: Collection Visit - Read the off-site article, Listen to Your Library, by Judith Basisty who describes the resources in the Spoken Arts and Spoken Instructional collection of her library in Edmonton, Canada. Visit a library collection.
Describe the contents of this audio collection. Discuss its strengths and weaknesses. What recommendations would you make and why?
4.2: Debate Audiobooks - Read Web Watch: Audiobooks: Ear-resistible! by Denise Johnson (2003, April) from Reading Online, 6(8) and Audiobooks or Aural Art? by Yuri Rasovsky.
Debate the pros and cons of audiobooks, identify their strengths and weaknesses. Decide if they are as "good as reading the book?" or "as bad as television"? You decide, state your case and back your decision with reasoning, explanation, and example.
4.3: Audiobook in the Classroom - Read off-site articles: Why Audiobooks Matter by LeVar Burton, A Bridge to Literacy: Creating Lifelong Readers through Audiobooks by Denise Marchionda (AudioFile Magazine, August/September 2001), Benefits of Audiobooks for All Readers by Denise Johnson from Reading Rockets, Listen While You Read by Kylene Beers in School Library Journal, 1998, and Bud, Not Buddy: Common Reading, Uncommon Listening by Marjorie M. Kaiser (The ALAN Review, 27(3), Spring 2000).
Describe an idea for integrating audiobooks into the classroom.
4.4: Audiobook Experience - (Suggest that you select this option only if you have not listened to an audiobook) Read the off-site article, Listen My Children and You Shall Hear: Audio Books for Young Adults by Marjorie M. Kaiser (The ALAN Review, 26(3) Spring 1999). The article describes one person's experience with audiobooks. Also read the off-site article, Heading Aid, or Listening Can Help Your Writing by Karen L. Oberst.
Listen to an audiobook on a topic of your choice. It can be a best seller, historical fiction, mystery/horror/crime, science fiction/fantasy, children/young adult, romance, how to/self help, comedy, other nonfiction, or some other genre. It may be on audiotape, CD, or MP3. Create a list of the advantages and disadvantages of this format. Or, consider sharing the listening experience with your child or spouse. How does that change the experience? Summarize your experience and insights.
4.5: Digital Audiobooks - Read the off-site article Digital Audiobooks Can Help Kids Learn (Access requires login) by Walter Minkel in School Library Journal; 46(10), 24 about the use of MP3 digital audiobooks.
Many materials are now being published on audiotape, CD, and MP3 files. There are abridged and unabridged versions. Which format should be purchased? Explain the basis for your position. End your online discussion with how you think this might change in the next 3 to 5 years.
Continue on to Course Guide 2: Collection Management.