Friday, November 13, 2009

National Gaming Day @ Your Library

Okay, so we're not even open on National Gaming Day @ your library (it's Sat. the 14th of November), and our district Acceptable Use policy prohibits video games on our network, but I again feel compelled to note that I think it's really cool that libraries are promoting games & gaming and recognizing the fact that gaming is a great way to reach teens (especially boys).

So I was a bit disappointed to see that the official site  for the event doesn't actually address much about gaming, except in a Q & A format, and that it doesn't link to sites that people who like games might get into, such as Kotaku or Gametrailers or Joystiq. Perhaps that's because they didn't want kids looking at footage of Modern Warfare 2 linked from their ALA site, which is understandable. But at the same time, it kind of erodes their street cred. And no, I don't have a satisfactory answer, except possibly Destructoid, which I think it a bit tamer than Kotaku. And here's a terrific site for primary source research/graphics: The Arcade Flyer Archive.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street!! / How *not* to do a Reference Interview

To celebrate Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, I've posted an excellent clip of Cookie Monster visiting the library. And lest anyone think I'm being clever by doing so, this is a shameless ripoff of Andy W 's posting of it.



And for the record, I want to say that this is hopefully *not* indicative of the sort of service we give our fine patrons.

Monday, November 2, 2009

*Way* more than flaming melons & skateboarding accidents

I've been familiar with YouTubeEDU and the TED Talks for a while, but I've recently been exploring other educational streaming video offerings. I just discovered some really cool resources, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art's channel on YouTube.

In honor of Hello Kitty's 35th birthday, I've linked a talk by author Ben Belson called "Hello Kitty: The Global Brand with Nine Lives."

Hello Kitty, pop culture & global marketing--what could be a better way to spend 30 minutes?




Even if you're not a big Sanrio fan, the way institutions are starting to make their programming available to anyone with broadband access is really exciting. The Indianapolis Museum of Art's channel has several other offerings (including Japanese & Chinese calligraphy demonstrations and a video showing how a Renaissance piece is restored).

While you're on YouTube, check out these other great resources--so much more enriching than watching ideas *not* worth spreading.

ScienCentral ("Making sense of science. Check these videos out if you want to know more about the world around you. ")

BBCEarth Channel

The Smithsonian Channel

The Museum of Modern Art's MoMA Video

The Japanese Culture & History Channel

I barely watch TV anymore unless it's a sporting event (e.g., the World Series as I type)...and offerings like these will make TV an even less likely event for me.