I had a look at both YouTube and Google Video. I liked the star ratings and the number of views statistics that YouTube has, but to start with I had an error message whenever I tried to open a video. I managed to watch a video only after I embedded onto my blog. I prefer the setup of Google Video but it doesn't have any ratings or statistics. The page downloaded faster than YouTube and I had no trouble watching any video. There is also a link so that you can watch the video on YouTube. After I used that link I could watch the videos on YouTube. Google Video also had more results on the various searches I did. Unfortunately Google Video did not seem to have the embed code available to enable it to be embedded onto a blog.
The Ipswich library is currently running a competition for our young adult members called Camera! Action! Libraries!. They are encouraged to create a short film or digital photo about or featuring the library. The competition information blog has a couple of embedded YouTube videos. One showing tips on creating a video and the other showing an entry in a similar competition run at the Christchurch Library in New Zealand. The competition also ties in to a Photostory workshop being run on the school holiday for the young adult members. The library is using these technologies to attract 13 - 18 year olds to interact with the library.
Online videos could also be useful as a training tool for the staff of the library. Trying to arrange training for a group of people who are rostered to work varying hours over a seven day working week and who also have to operate a customer service desk can be difficult. Using a video would ensure that all the staff received the same information and they could access the information at a time that was convenient to them. One drawback would be that the staff could not ask questions like they could if the training was done live.
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