Greg R. Notess, London, Facet Publishing, 2012, , 110 pp, £34.95 (soft cover, companion website and podcasts available at www.alatechsource.org/techset/), ISBN 978-1-85604-848-4
(available from Inbooks)
This is an informative and interesting resource for library students and practitioners interested in delivering instructional content to library users. Arranged in topical chapters, each dealing with a different aspect of planning a screencasting project, this instructional text is interesting and easy to read, with an extensive index to help locate specific information. The book is supported by additional online content that provides step-by-step instruction and examples of how screencasting can be used to support tutorials, or just to make web pages more interesting and interactive.
Beginning with a brief history of library tutorials, the first chapter outlines the use of screencasts as a teaching tool. The second chapter covers the resources that are required, including free web-based, free downloadable and commercial software. Planning is important for any project, and the third chapter not only covers the physical environment and aspects such as scripting and creating a storyboard, but also gives detailed instructions on planning the ‘click path’, the navigation pathway for the user.
‘Social Mechanics’ covers the collaborative needs of a screencasting project. This chapter includes useful and vital information about how to overcome the common barriers thrown up by administration and systems managers. There is a useful agenda for developing staff training aimed at getting staff on board for creating content, marketing and promoting the project.
The majority of the book is given over to ‘Implementation’, the fifth chapter, which presents several step-by-step projects for different purposes. Each provides instruction for using different software, so the reader is given a wide range of plans to use for individual projects. Each example is supported by online instructional screencasts, so not only are there written instructions but also demonstrations to follow and examples of different types of screencasts.
Marketing, best practice and evaluation metrics are covered in brief chapters that include practical advice on how to integrate social media, how to ensure the screencast reaches the intended audience and a review of the tools available. The text closes with a discussion about future developments and provides some interesting ideas for how to use screencasting with mobile technologies. Further support is provided with an extensive reading list and the website, which promises updates of tips and resources as well as the screencasts and podcasts that support the text. Interaction is encouraged, with forums in which to ask and answer questions.
While screencasting is by no means new, the versatility of this medium to be integrated with new and emerging technologies with as little or as much sophistication as the user can supply makes it an attractive option for a wide range of library settings. ‘I'm not a techie, I'm not into that stuff’ or ‘My organisation doesn't have the budget/the equipment/the software’ are not excuses with this book to guide you. A lack of experience or resources can be overcome with the sound advice in this easy-to-read instructional manual. The supporting website offers an expanding portfolio of resources to ensure that even the most challenged librarian is soon screencasting with confidence. Screencasting is easy and can be as costly or as expensive as you need it to be. Don't let ‘don't know how’ be an excuse.
© 2013, Corinne Hills