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November 11, 2008
When Introversion and Extroversion Collide, or The Pros and Cons of Videotaping Storytime for Public Broadcast
One of our challenges in the Children’s Department at WPL is that there is nearly constant demand for our storytimes. People want more storytimes more often, but, at present, we are pretty well tapped out. Still, we’re always brainstorming and trying to figure out better ways to reach more people. A couple years ago, Jason decided that one good way to deal with this would be to videotape storytimes to post online and broadcast on the local public access channel.
I agree with Jason in theory. This IS a good way to extend our reach. However, you’ll note my absence on WPL’s YouTube channel. That’s because I hate being recorded, especially when I’m doing stories or singing or any of the other things I do in storytime. Why is it okay to stand in front of people doing storytime on a regular basis but then not okay to do the same thing when it’s being taped? I have no idea. I just know that when I see the little red light that means the videocamera is turned on, the part of me that wants to share stories goes elsewhere.
Anyway, a few months ago, Jason decided that he was going to set a date to tape a couple storytimes, and today was that day. I can’t remember if he ever asked me if I would do these storytimes with him, but it was implicit that I would, although I tried to be very careful to never say that I would, in fact, tell stories, because then I figured I’d have an out. Until a few days ago, I also held the hope deep in my heart that something would happen to prevent us from being able to use the videocamera. Maybe the videocamera will be double-booked, I thought. Maybe Jason will forget to pick it up. Maybe it will break.
The camera was not double-booked, and the nice man from the station brought the videocamera over to the library himself.
Ugh.
Yeah, so, I did these storytimes with Jason this morning AND they were taped AND they will be shown repeatedly on the public access channel in Webster, which I am only mentioning since the vast majority of you don’t live in Webster and will never have the chance to see them. That’s a comfort.
Doing storytimes for broadcast is kind of tricky with copyright considerations, but I wound up doing “The Three Little Pigs” (the wussy version in which pigs one and two get to live), “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” “Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree,” “Five Little Mice Came Out to Play,” “Little Bunny Foo-Foo,” “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,” and the like. Jason mostly did songs, traditional ones and ones he’s written himself (many of which you can hear on the aforementioned YouTube channel). Jason confessed to me later that he was afraid I might decide at the very last minute that I wasn’t going to do any stories—which I probably should have realized from his enthusiastic positive reinforcement (“That was GREAT how you did ‘The Three Little Pigs!’”)—but he needn’t have worried. Carol, our Children’s Department Page, would have given me a verbal whack upside the head and told me to stop being a baby and go sing “Little Bunny Foo-Foo” (her suggestion for the repertoire). She’s been telling me for a couple weeks now that it would be fine, and she was right—it was, although I don’t really know because when Jason replayed the tape, the moment I came onscreen, I covered my ears and ran out of the room.
Posted by adrienne at November 11, 2008 09:13 PM
Comments
You can't go wrong with Foo Foo.
Posted by: Heidi at November 12, 2008 11:42 AM
How do you get around copyright? Is it using storybooks or retelling your own versions?
Posted by: Liz B at November 12, 2008 01:18 PM
I still say you were brilliant. And Carol did a great job with the camera. I'm so proud of it, I'm sorry it *won't* be viewable outside of Webster...
Posted by: jp at November 12, 2008 01:35 PM
Heidi, I do love that song.
Liz, Good question--we decided the simplest option was to go entirely bookless. The only props we used were Jason's guitar and the flannelboard I made for "The Three Little Pigs." Other than that, it was all traditional songs and rhymes right out of our heads. So it is "story" in a broad sense of the word, but the kids who attended seemed to really enjoy it. For future storytimes we record, I could see doing more traditional stories that I can do without a book--"The Gingerbread Man," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "The Little Red Hen," etc. There are a lot of them when you really sit and think about it.
Jason, Aw, look, more positive reinforcement! To tell you the truth, I was kind of surprised that you didn't try to download that footage before you gave the camera back. Was it not a digital camera?
Posted by: adrienne at November 12, 2008 01:50 PM
At my job, it's rare that someone tells me to suck it up and sing Little Bunny Foo Foo.
Posted by: chuck at November 12, 2008 04:02 PM
It might be a particularly appropriate song for your work environment. You should give it a try in the middle of a meeting, might liven things up.
Posted by: adrienne at November 12, 2008 04:56 PM
No, it was a DV camera and you need another device to get it to a digital format, unfortunately. I wonder if it could be recorded via DVR? I'd be interested in a copy for prosperity ;).
Posted by: jp at November 12, 2008 06:56 PM
A DV camera? What does that mean? Does it go on a DVD or something? (I'm guessing a DVD because it has both a "d" and a "v." This really speaks to the level of my technical expertise.)
Let me know how it goes with the DVR. Maybe I could make copies to give out as Christmas gifts.
Posted by: adrienne at November 12, 2008 09:06 PM
Way to face your fears! You won't even notice the camera next time!
Posted by: Kelly at November 12, 2008 10:48 PM
I can't wait to watch the public access channel... ;)
And you can't stop me!! *evil grin*
Posted by: Olivia at November 13, 2008 07:31 AM
Thanks, Kelly, although I should admit I wouldn't have done it if Jason hadn't been so consistently telling me that I should.
Olivia, *employs Jedi mind trick* You will forget this blog post. You will forget about storytime altogether. As a matter of fact, you never want to watch television again. *ends Jedi mind trick*
Posted by: adrienne at November 13, 2008 08:31 AM
Hmmm...I have been thinking that I need to cut down on television. Perhaps I will stop watching anything at all....*shakes head* What am I saying??? NO!!!
Your pitiful Jedi mind tricks don't work on me, children's librarian. I will prevail! *sinister laugh*
Posted by: Olivia at November 13, 2008 09:02 AM
*throws force lightning*
Posted by: adrienne at November 13, 2008 09:16 AM
*ducks* you missed! :)
I propose a truce. How about if I just watch it once and tell Jason how awesome he looked and conveniently "forget" you were on the video??
Posted by: Olivia at November 14, 2008 10:18 PM