Navigating The

Library: Video
Tutorials

Alexis Vreeland
What's in the
library?
Books
DVDs
Magazines
Newspapers
Archives
CDs
& much more
 Can patrons find what
they're looking for?
Does library technology and jargon
make sense to everyone?
OPACs
Subject Headings
Call Numbers
Online Resources
Inter-Library Loans
How much do people know about
what services the library offers?
PEW Study: How well informed do you feel about services in your local library?

aware of "all or
22% most" 20% "not much"

46% know "some" 11% "nothing at all"

(PEW, 2013)
The PEW study found that "people
wish they were more aware of the
full range of services offered by
their libraries" (PEW, 2013).

Raising awareness about the

availability of library resources is
a "huge obstacle, and means that
people truly in need may be
going without something that's
actually easily available to them"
(Costello, 2016).
How to help patrons
Create Awareness
Teach
Remind
Track
Listen to Feedback
Analyze
Enhance Offerings
 Teaching
"Patrons will only be satisfied with your library and its
resources when they know what they are for and how
to use them" (Wilson, 2015).

Since realistically no one has time or

resources to teach everyone everything, this
training needs to be online and kept up to
date.
 Staff Time Effective
Helps to teach Studies have shown that
information and literacy "online tutorials can be
skills while balancing just as effective as in-
having limited resources person classes"
of fixed staff (Stiwinter, 2013).

Flexability Reach
Provides users the ability More patrons can be
to repeat tutorials and reached through this
view them at their own method, and saves time
and labor for all.
VIDEO
pace

TUTORIALS
Video tutorials are an “excellent way to introduce
a viewer to a database that they might not
be familiar with” (Wyant, 2013).

Uses
Databases
Accessing Catalog
Subject Headings
Call Numbers
Placing Holds
 What makes an effective
video?
Answering a specific, documented need (Wyant, 2013).
Creators understanding the variety and tools available to them.
Understanding that not all tools (screencasts, live action, animation)
work for all tasks or skill levels (Martin, 2015).
Proper screencasts and narration (Wyant, 2013).
Important Factors
Length
Compatibility with different devices
Accessibility to viewers
Quality of audio
Pace
Content
Look and Feel
Findability
Format
Assessing learning and adjusting
Thank you!

Questions?
Work Cited
American Library Association. (2015). Public Library Use: ALA Library Fact Sheet. American Library Association. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet06

American Library Association. (2019). State of America's Libraries 2019. American Library Association. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2019/public-libraries

Ayre, C., Smith, I. and Cleeve, M. (2006), "Electronic library glossaries: jargonbusting essentials or wasted resource?", The Electronic Library,
Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 126-134.

Blummer, B. (2007). Assessing patron learning from an online library tutorial. Community & Junior College Libraries, 14(2), 121-138.

Browning, N. (2015, March 3). To Jargon or Not to Jargon (Library Edition). INALJ. Retrieved from https://inalj.com/?p=89507

Costello, D., & Keyser, C. (2016). Meet Them in the Moment: Engaging Public Library Patrons When It Matters Most. Weave: Journal of
Library User Experience, 1(4).

Gross, V. J. (2009). Transforming our image through words that work. Public Libraries, 48(5), 24-32.

Hess, A. N. (2013). The MAGIC of web tutorials: How one library (re) focused its delivery of online learning objects on users. Journal of
Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 7(4), 331-348.
Work Cited (Cont.)
Kim, Dong-Seok. (2014). A Study of Public Library Patrons' Understanding of Library Records and Data Privacy. International Journal of Knowledge
Content Development & Technology. 4. 53-78. 10.5865/IJKCT.2014.4.1.053.

Lussier, K. (2018). I Didn’t Know My Library Had That! Tips to Increase Patron Knowledge of Library Resources. EBSCO Post. Retrieved from
https://www.ebsco.com/blog/article/tips-to-increase-patron-knowledge-of-library-resources

Martin, N. A., & Martin, R. (2015). Would you watch it? Creating effective and engaging video tutorials. Journal of Library & Information Services in
Distance Learning, 9(1-2), 40-56.

PEW Research Center. (2013). Part 4: What people want from their libraries. Pew Research Center Internet and Technology. Retrieved from
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/01/22/part-4-what-people-want-from-their-libraries/

Scales, B. J., Nicol, E., & Johnson, C. M. (2014). Redesigning comprehensive library tutorials. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 53(3), 242-252.

Stiwinter, K. (2013). Using an interactive online tutorial to expand library instruction. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 18(1), 15-41.

Wilson, J. (2015). 7 Steps of Public Library Patron Satisfaction. Niche Academy. Retrieved from https://www.nicheacademy.com/blog/7-steps-to-public-
library-patron-satisfaction

Wyant, N. (2013). The effectiveness of online video tutorials as supplemental library instruction. Kansas Library Association College and University
Libraries Section Proceedings, 3(1), 39-43.

Zickuhr, K. (2013). Part 3: Library patron's activities and expectations. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/06/25/part-3-library-patrons-activities-and-expectations/