Just completed another screencast that I had started last week before the holiday weekend. This one is on Freezing Holds in InfoSoup. Now that I’ve done a few I feel like I’m getting the hang of what works and what doesn’t, and it’s starting to be a lot more fun. I have a list of additional screencasts for InfoSoup that I want to create, including:

• using Saved Searches
• using Reading History
• how to subscribe to BookLetters for email or RSS
• how to comment on the What’s Simmering blog
• using My Lists (when that feature comes later this month)

And I’m hoping Evan will do some for the online databases we provide via InfoSoup, too. Every time I use InfoSoup I see another opportunity to create a screencast to help people use this wonderful resource!

But now… I need to drop screencasting for a little while to switch over to podcasts and audio recording. One of our member libraries will be testing out our digital voice recorder for a program this week, and I need to play around with it to make sure it will work smoothly for them. I also need to poke around in ePodcast Producer to see what that can do. More fun ahead!

Yay. Progress at last. I’ve added our second InfoSoup screencast on Using Ratings In Infosoup to our blip.tv show. It was a bit easier this time, but still challenging. I’m thankful for all that I learned yesterday and am enjoying the process. I hope patrons find them helpful!

I spent the better part of yesterday creating a screencast for InfoSoup on how to use a new feature in the catalog called Community Reviews. After having Rick and Gerri take a look at it, I’ve made it public at our newly created InfoSoup show on blip.tv and Community Reviews is now available in InfoSoup with a blog announcing the new feature with the screencast included. I’m pretty happy with the results and hope patrons will find it helpful and enjoy the reviews feature.

After spending an entire day recording, re-recording, re-recording, and RE-RECORDING (arg!!!), I learned an awful lot about creating screencasts! All of the materials I included in my last post on Getting Started With Screencasting were incredibly helpful, but here are a few tips I’d like to highlight from my experiences.

• Decide what host you’ll be using to post your screencast to. This may dictate what resolution you’ll record your screencast in. I chose blip.tv as it provided a higher resolution than YouTube, which is helpful when trying to demonstrate things in an OPAC.
• Do your screen recording first, without your voice. This allows you to focus on what you want to show, rather than what you’re saying. It’s relatively easy to add voice narration in Camtasia after you’ve recorded what you want to show, and you can pause and re-start the video motion as you record what you want to say.
• Watch your mouse movements! I didn’t realize how much I’m always flipping my mouse around and scrolling up and down unnecessarily until I recorded my actions. It’s very distracting to watch, so be sure to limit your mouse movement and always place your cursor by the area you’re trying to highlight on the screen.
• Add “callouts” to your recording to highlight what you want people to see or follow. It’s easy and adds a lot of value to your presentation.
• Be forgiving of verbal flubs. I probably recorded my voice narration 40 times before I was happy with it, but I think I could have stopped well before that if I were more forgiving of small stutters or loss of train of thought.

That’s it for now! I’m off to work on my second screencast on another new InfoSoup feature called Ratings. Until next time…

P.S. I’m loving the headset mic I purchased for the grant! The sound quality is quite good for both listening and recording, and it frees your hands for typing. Camtasia has also been a great investment.

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!

With the 6-month review coming due pretty soon, I’m spending some time today evaluating what’s been done so far with the ‘Casting grant and what’s next on my to do list. In a nutshell, here’s what I have accomplished so far:

• This blog was established for tracking all progress, results, and resources related to the grant.
• All equipment and software has been purchased.
• A Flickr account was set up to share photos of the purchased equipment.
• Software has been installed on staff computers.
• The OWLS workstation has been set up in “The Nest” for staff use.
• A del.icio.us account was established as a gathering place for information on hosting of projects, inspiration, legal info, etc. (This will continue to be developed as additional resources are found.)
• Training was to be provided for OWLS staff, but when asked, they said they prefer learning on their own and asking questions if they have any. I will support their efforts in any way possible.
• I have decided to use our SurveyMonkey account to create online evaluation forms for any instructional materials developed. Each form can be customized for the tool being evaluated and can stay up indefinitely as long as the tool is available.
• A test project was completed with the filming and posting of the CCBC workshop in April. I now have enough information and skills with the camcorder and software to assist member libraries with posting their programming online.

What comes next for the summer?

• Prepare instructional materials on the use of the ‘Casting Kit for OWLS member libraries, including an inventory of what is included in the kit and a check out process.
• Train the member library staff on the use of the ‘Casting Kit. I’m struggling with this one a bit. I know that if training is provided before someone is ready to do a project, the information received in training isn’t likely to be retained. So do I do formal training in a lab setting or do I do informal training on a one-on-one basis as projects come up? I’m thinking the 2nd option will be best, though I could set up some “Come & Play” dates for people to just come and try things out and discover the possibilities.
• Develop supplemental materials regarding legal, copyright, policy, and content issues for circulation with the ‘Casting Kit. I have some of this gathered in the del.icio.us account already, but I should probably develop a brief cheat sheet with the basics.
• Start developing instructional materials for patrons on the use of InfoSoup. I’m really excited about this one! I hope it will be helpful to people using the online catalog, and it will be a great opportunity to highlight some of the incredible databases we have available, as well.
• I’m going to start posting some ideas, teases, and pleas in Carpe Hootem to promote the ‘Casting Kit and start people thinking about the possibilities this grant provides. I’d also like to find some libraries willing to jump in and try some things, which would help me develop the instructions for use of the equipment and software.

The challenges:

• Without real-life projects, some of the equipment is hard to test and document. The CCBC project was incredibly helpful, as it gave me a valid project to figure out from start to finish. But with equipment like some of the microphones or podcasting software, I haven’t had a reason to use them for the system yet and so I haven’t learned as much about them. I guess that just means I need to get more creative about what we can do at the system level with these resources to enhance our services to our members.
• Documentation on the use of the equipment will have to be pretty basic, but not so simple that it doesn’t include what people will need to know once they start creating their own projects. I’m considering doing most of the documentation as videos and screencasts that would be posted online. This might be more helpful in the long run and perhaps easier for me to produce. We’ll see!
• Time, time, time! It’s been difficult to squeeze all of this into my other, regular duties at OWLS and helping our member libraries once I have things figured out seems a bit daunting. On the other hand, it has been great to be learning new things and to have so many ideas about what our members could do with the ‘Casting Kit!

I’ll continue to post all progress and developments here on the blog, so stay tuned!

More success today with posting the afternoon CCBC session from April 23rd. The entire workshop is now available at http://owlsweb.blip.tv/. I wanted to include a tip on something else I learned with the video conversion process, so I don’t lose track of that later.

In WM Converter, the free software I’m using to convert the mpeg-2 files to avi, I found that these settings worked the best to preserve the best video quality from the original file:

• vb: 700 kbps
• ab: 128 kbps
• 720 x 480 screen size
• 30 fps

This info may come in handy for our member libraries when they want to post programming online. (Or for me, since who knows if I would retain those details 3 months from now!)

I have finally succeeded to post our CCBC workshop from April online (at least the morning session). Woohoo! The OWLSweb channel is now available on blip.tv at http://owlsweb.blip.tv/.

Here’s what I learned about posting longer program videos on the web with the grant resources at my disposal:

• Cut longer videos into smaller bits to make them more manageable, then post them in parts.
  An hour and a half video is simply too long to convert, edit, then post on the web. It worked much better to cut it into parts and post that way.
• Use Windows Movie Maker for video editing rather than Camtasia and let Camtasia rock with screencasts instead.
  Camtasia made the video file sizes too large to handle, while Windows Movie Maker did not. WMM was easy to use and made chopping up the longer video into parts very simple. Adding titles and credits was easy, too!
• Converting MPEG-2 is a pain, but not impossible.
  Once the files from the camcorder were converted to .avi everything worked fine. It’s not impossible to train people how to do this - inconvenient, but not impossible.
• I like blip.tv!
  The site’s interface is easy to stumble around in, and their player makes everything look nice online. I only wish I could pick the episode that plays automatically when you go to our channel vs. having it play the last video loaded. This will be a great place to post future recorded OWLS workshops.

I plan on getting the YA version posted tomorrow or the next day. Sure is nice to have finally figured out what works - I’ve learned a lot along the way!

When I recorded the CCBC workshop we hosted on April 23rd, I had no idea I was going to have such trouble posting it online for people to view. The Sony Handycam I purchased worked great, as did the wireless microphone system that goes with it, so that wasn’t the problem. (Except for my amateurish, nausea-inspiring mis-mastery of the controls throughout the recording!)

The problem came when I tried to import the recording into Camtasia or Windows Movie Maker. I could view the file just fine in Windows Media Player, but Camtasia wouldn’t load it at all and Windows Movie Maker gave me the audio but not the video. After much searching and fussing about I finally tried downloading a video converter (WM Converter to be specific) to see if the format was the problem. Sure enough! Once I converted the file to .avi both programs imported the video swimmingly and I could move on to edit the videos. (Why both programs won’t work with mpeg-2 files is beyond me! I have to check the camcorder’s documentation to see if I can change the recording format and fix that problem. I don’t want to have to convert every video I create or have to teach our members how to do this with their projects!)

So I thought the worst was over. But no. One more converter required. I pulled in some license-free music from CCMixter for some intro music, but couldn’t edit it to shorten it or add fade ins or fade outs. Turns out Camtasia doesn’t like mp3 files either, so I had to download an audio converter (Free MP3 Wma Converter to be precise) to convert it to a .wav file. Everything worked fine after that, but I’m thinking how the heck am I going to provide training on all the converting I’m having to do?!

After all this, I STILL don’t have an end product I can post on the web. It appears that the conversion process makes the video kinda funky - the speaker’s lips don’t match the audio, so it’s a bit like watching a foreign film that has been dubbed over in English. So! I’m still plugging away on this project, trying to figure things out, and trying to decide if this is anything I can ever train our members on. If I didn’t want to edit the recording, it would be no problem, just load and go, but I suspect that we’ll want to edit projects and so will figure this out.

I’m looking forward to working on podcasts instead and hope they’ll be easier!

I attended the Public Library Association (PLA) conference in Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago and attended a great session by Michelle Jeske from the Denver Public Library. She included some great examples of what libraries are doing with audio and video on the web, and since then I’ve run across some other blog posts with additional examples. I have added everything from that session and the posts to the casting kit del.icio.us links, so be sure to take a look there for some updated resources.

Here’s one of my favorite examples of a library vodcast. Enjoy!

Part of my March to do list for the grant:

• An online evaluation form for the instructional materials will be developed and tested.

I originally thought I would work with our Electronic Resources Librarian, Evan Bend, coder extraordinaire, to develop an online form that would feed into a database where we could store all of the evaluations over time. But this week I realized I’m probably making it more complicated than it has to be.

I decided it would be better and easier to simply create a SurveyMonkey survey for each instructional tool developed. That way all of the results would be tabulated over time, no code would need tweaking when new tools were added, and each survey could be customized to more specifically evaluate each tool. We upgraded our monthly SurveyMonkey account to an annual version yesterday, so we won’t have any limitations on the number of surveys we can develop or responses we can receive. (Thanks, Rick!)

A survey will be linked to at the end of each tool we create. Easy peasy. I just hope people will take the time to tell us how we did!