Build Your Own Digital Media Lab
The Skokie Public Library’s state-of-the-art media lab lets patrons get creative with technology Nov 1, 2011See these articles as they appears on The Digital Shift:
Build Your Own Digital Media Lab
The Skokie Public Library’s state-of-the-art media lab lets patrons get creative with technology
By Mikael Jacobsen & Carolyn Anthony
A patron with no experience producing movies came to the Adult Services Computer Lab at Skokie Public Library (SPL), IL, requesting to use the Digital Media Lab (DML). She wanted to scan images of her recently deceased uncle as part of a video memorial. She also wanted to use music he wrote and recorded as the video’s audio track.
A staff member began by teaching her how to use one of the lab’s flatbed scanners—and the basics of Photoshop Elements 9—to digitize and enhance her images. Since she had nearly 100 images, a portable hard drive was checked out to her. At the next session, the patron was shown how to add the scanned images to an iMovie time line along with background music. Once all the images and music were added, she was shown how to put the credits at the beginning and end of the video and add statements to the images (such as dates, names of people in the pictures, and locations)—a considerable project—with staffers making suggestions throughout to help her realize her vision. Finally, the patron burned the movie to a DVD to show it to her family.
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Making Space for Creativity
By Ryann Uden
The Barrington Area Library, IL, is relatively small in size but that hasn’t stopped it from developing a one-computer digital media lab of its own.
In 2009, library staff began dreaming of how to help patrons create and communicate using various platforms and tools. In 2010, this dream took form but not in the way it was expected. The idea evolved from providing one basic Apple computer in youth services to converting a study room into an all-ages media lab. It has been used 493 times since November 2010.
Planning began with tours to established spaces at Skokie Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Loyola University, Chicago. Barrington staff also visited the local high school to tour its labs and learn about the classes offered.
