Getting started with screencasting

I’ve been spending some time today learning more about screencasts and how to create them. I have added links to the ‘casting kit del.icio.us account, read some good articles, and watched some video tutorials on how to use Camtasia (the screencasting software we purchased with some of the grant funds). After doing all this, I thought it would be helpful to post a getting started guide for our member libraries to use when preparing to create their own screencasts. So here it is. All of the links provided below are included in the screencasting bundle in the ‘casting kit del.icio.us site.

 

First Things First

If you’re not familiar with what screencasts are and the basics on how to produce them, start with An Introduction to Screencasting by Beth Kanter, posted on techsoup and/or What Is Screencasting and Screencasting Strategies by Jon Udell on O’Reilly Digital Media. Both articles do a great job of laying out the basics and have links to good examples. Another helpful article is Screencasting Tips for Beginners by Betsy Weber.

The techsoup article was particularly helpful, even though some of the links within the article were incorrect (or maybe just moved since the article was written). The author included very practical tips to consider when creating screencasts, and takes you from start to finish. Here’s a quote from the article that really resonated with me:

Some of the best screencasts are folksy, intimate experiences that feel as if you were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a friend. As screencasts often contain impromptu discoveries by the narrator, or even small mistakes, they can be more approachable – and thus more effective – than glitzy packaged instructional videos. A good screencast projects an image of transparency, trust, and authenticity.

I’m a perfectionist, so this was a good reminder to not fret too much about creating the perfect product. It’s more important to get the information out and just be who and how I am as I do it.

If you have the time, you could also watch (or listen to) Show and Tell the Easy Way – An Introduction to Screencasting, an archived presentation made available by SirsiDynix Institute. From the program description:

This presentation will introduce screencasting, the software that is available to create screencasts, and the platforms on which they can be run. You’ll learn how to plan a recorded procedure (the most time-consuming, yet often overlooked step) and get tips for making effective and engaging screencasts.

SirsiDynix Institute presentations are typically an hour long and feature speakers who really know their stuff.

 

Ideas and Examples

Hopefully the articles above gave you some ideas for how screencasts could be used at your library, but if you need some more inspiration here are a few of my own:

• features of the online catalog, either new or tricky
• features of online databases, either new or tricky
• a guided tour of your digital collections
• address common problems you see in online patron behavior (”we see this happening a lot” – e.g. misuse of freezing holds)
• what’s available via your library’s web site
• basic help for other programs available on your library’s computers (Word, Excel, etc.)
• basic help for setting up a web email account, using Flickr, what’s Wikipedia, etc. (tools you know your patrons are curious about)

Here are some library examples of screencasts to further inspire you:

• Nashville Public Library – Tutorial Screencasts
• Orange County Library System – Online Tutorials 
• Calgary Public Library – Tutorials
• Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library – Screencasts
• Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County – NetLibrary Talk
• Enoch Pratt Free Library – Show-Me-Guides

 

Next Step

I’ll assume you’ve read the articles listed above or that you viewed the SirsiDynix presentation, so I’ll skip over some of the information included in them (how to plan your screencast, shooting your screencast, etc.) and will move on to selecting the software you will use to record your screencasts.

The ‘Casting Kit includes a laptop with Camtasia Studio installed on it, so all OWLS member libraries now have access to that software. However, if for some reason the kit is in use or you’d like to get started on your own, there are other options for you to play around with.

• Screencast-O-Matic – online tool, easy to use, free
• Wink – freeware
• CamStudio – open source, free
• ScreenFlow – option for Mac users, fee-based
• 12 screencasting tools for creating video tutorials – an article on other tools you might want to try

If you decide to borrow the ‘Casting Kit to use Camtasia Studio, I highly recommend that you take some time to watch some of the Video Tutorials for Camtasia Studio 5. The videos are good quality and explain how to get started and more information on recording, editing, producting, and sharing.

 

Choose a Host

Because the OWLS Web Services Policy states…

Member library staff may not load audio or video files on an OWLS web server. In order to conserve server space and bandwidth utilization, media projects (e.g., podcasts, vodcasts) should be hosted on remote sites recommended by the Library Services Manager.

… you will need to decide where you would like to post your screencasts. The current recommended hosts are available at http://www.owlsweb.info/web/hosts.asp. I think it’s a good idea to post your screencasts in multiple places – there’s no reason not to use multiple hosts, like blip.tv, TeacherTube, YouTube, and Google video at the same time, as you’ll gain the potential of reaching more people. Having multiple accounts does require extra time, however, so if that’s not possible simply pick one and go from there.

 

Almost Done

Once you’ve posted your screencasts online, you’re almost done. The next step is to be sure to embed your screencasts in your library’s web site. Most hosts provide easily embeddable code for you to simply copy and paste into your web pages and/or blog(s). Doing this will ensure that your patrons will find your hard work and will be able to play the screencast right from the page without having to go to your remote host site.

 

Is That It?

I have a feeling I’m forgetting something really important, but I guess the beauty of blogging is that I can always come back and add it in later when I remember what it is. I think the list of resources above should get you off to a good start, and besides, I’ll be here to lend a helping hand if/when you need it!