Comments on: Videosharing can Reach Library Users who do not “Ask Us” http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2009/07/12/videosharing-can-reach-library-users-who-do-not-ask-us The Synthetic Approach to Information Discovery Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:55:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cloned Milkmen http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2009/07/12/videosharing-can-reach-library-users-who-do-not-ask-us/comment-page-1#comment-47964 Cloned Milkmen Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:42:23 +0000 http://syntheticlibrarian.com/?p=262#comment-47964 Last term, Ali Shiri showed the interfaces to some new video search systems in two classes I took. On of those sites had a good way to make skimming a video possible. They pulled out many key frames from the video so you could see what takes place. I'll try to dig up the URL and post it here. Transcripts are really handy but time consuming to produce.... currently. In the future, I'm sure that rough text transcription with time indexing will be get better and me common place. If you go to <a href="http://fora.tv/" rel="nofollow">fora.tv</a> you'll find lots of videos of public lectures, many of which has a transcript and a time index. This makes it possible to skim through the content and jump the parts that interest you. Another solution I have seen (though I cannot remember where) is to allow fast-forward to work with audio still enabled. Most video players (VCR or digital software) turn audio off when you fast forward because the audio sound funny. But it turns out that you can make out what people say even on fast forward and I think there are algorithms for adjusting the pitch change. The site I recall allowed you to run the video in 2x fast forward with audio to skim through it. If you wanted 4x fast foward, it turned off audio. I cannot tell you how many movies I've watched on fast forward because I wanted to "know" the movie but it was really actually not worth 2 hours of my time. Fast-forward works too! Last term, Ali Shiri showed the interfaces to some new video search systems in two classes I took. On of those sites had a good way to make skimming a video possible. They pulled out many key frames from the video so you could see what takes place. I’ll try to dig up the URL and post it here.

Transcripts are really handy but time consuming to produce…. currently. In the future, I’m sure that rough text transcription with time indexing will be get better and me common place. If you go to fora.tv you’ll find lots of videos of public lectures, many of which has a transcript and a time index. This makes it possible to skim through the content and jump the parts that interest you.

Another solution I have seen (though I cannot remember where) is to allow fast-forward to work with audio still enabled. Most video players (VCR or digital software) turn audio off when you fast forward because the audio sound funny. But it turns out that you can make out what people say even on fast forward and I think there are algorithms for adjusting the pitch change. The site I recall allowed you to run the video in 2x fast forward with audio to skim through it. If you wanted 4x fast foward, it turned off audio. I cannot tell you how many movies I’ve watched on fast forward because I wanted to “know” the movie but it was really actually not worth 2 hours of my time. Fast-forward works too!

]]> By: Joanne de Groot http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2009/07/12/videosharing-can-reach-library-users-who-do-not-ask-us/comment-page-1#comment-47963 Joanne de Groot Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:23:26 +0000 http://syntheticlibrarian.com/?p=262#comment-47963 Thanks, Mike, for the really interesting post about videosharing. I thought your suggestions for using screencasts as part of a library instruction strategy were really helpful. The research you found about screencasting was also interesting. You also raise some very important points in your section about the limitations of videos in the library. I hadn't thought about the linear nature of videos as particularly limiting but after reading your comments on the matter I can see how the inability to skim and scan a video could make it a less than desirable instruction or reference tool. Thanks! Thanks, Mike, for the really interesting post about videosharing. I thought your suggestions for using screencasts as part of a library instruction strategy were really helpful. The research you found about screencasting was also interesting. You also raise some very important points in your section about the limitations of videos in the library. I hadn’t thought about the linear nature of videos as particularly limiting but after reading your comments on the matter I can see how the inability to skim and scan a video could make it a less than desirable instruction or reference tool. Thanks!

]]> By: Lisa http://syntheticlibrarian.com/2009/07/12/videosharing-can-reach-library-users-who-do-not-ask-us/comment-page-1#comment-47962 Lisa Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:47:55 +0000 http://syntheticlibrarian.com/?p=262#comment-47962 I am glad you devoted some space to screencasts. I also think they are a useful teaching tool, and can be an effective resource, especially when libraries do not have the necessary equipment, skill, or time to create 'fancy' videos. Your steps to create a screencast were also helpful, I will have to try creating one myself! I am glad you devoted some space to screencasts. I also think they are a useful teaching tool, and can be an effective resource, especially when libraries do not have the necessary equipment, skill, or time to create ‘fancy’ videos. Your steps to create a screencast were also helpful, I will have to try creating one myself!

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