Digital Storytelling in Public Libraries
From LIS5313
A Web 2.0 Study by Juli Davis
[edit] Introduction
Storytelling, without a doubt, has a place within the walls of public libraries everywhere. Children anticipate their regularly scheduled library visits to hear stories read by the children's librarian. In corners tucked away from the main library areas are retirees who meet weekly to catch up on the latest happenings in their lives. Readers of all ages scour the library's catalogs and shelves for stories of love, travel, history, mystery and biography. Sharing stories touches the lives of all people and many know that libraries are the veritable vaults that call stories "home."
Within today's libraries are the challenges of staying current with cutting-edge technology and meeting the ever-changing needs of customers. Standard in most public libraries are banks of Internet-accessible computers and printers. Customers of all ages, from all walks of life, are using these resources. These computers are used for a wide variety of purposes which vary from homework and related research to any number of activities within the realm of social networking. David A. Tyckoson, President of the Reference and User Services Association, states, "Libraries have been interactive ever since we opened our stacks and allowed browsing" (2007).
[edit] Digital Storytelling Defined
A digital story is simply a story told using some combination of still and moving digital images, digital voiceover narrative, and digital music (Diaz & Fields 2007). In the past, stories have been passed down through generations as word-of-mouth memories of people, places, and events. On occasion, there may have been illustrations drawn or photos passed around to give the storyteller's audience a visual marker to compliment the words that were shared. Over the last several decades, expert storytellers found they could reach new audiences with newer technologies (Howell 2003). With these technologies, literally, at our fingertips, non-experts can share their stories and enhance them with music and sound effects.
[edit] Web 2.0 + Library 2.0
To understand the advance of easily accessible technologies, it is important to mention Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. Digital storytelling is under the large umbrella of both concepts.
Tim O'Reilly provides the following definition of Web 2.0 on his website, O'Reilly Radar:
Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices; Web 2.0 applications are those that make the most of the intrinsic advantages of that platform: delivering software as a continually-updated service that gets better the more people use it, consuming and remixing data from multiple sources, including individual users, while providing their own data and services in a form that allows remixing by others, creating network effects through an "architecture of participation," and going beyond the page metaphor of Web 1.0 to deliver rich user experiences.
Although libraries are a bit overwhelmed by the onslaught of new technologies and trends, it is vital to stay aware and eventually implement some as a way of meeting the needs of customers. In an article addressing the technological choices libraries have, Michael Stephens warns libraries to remember their mission and to be selective (2007). It is easy to desire all the emerging technologies but it may not necessarily be wise to include them into the workflow. He recommends choosing "social tools that further the mission and vision of the library." And to always base decisions on evidence of what will truly add value to the library by serving its users. Just because Web 2.0 features have been added to a library's list of services does not necessarily mean they immediately and automatically add value. Unfortunately, it is not simply a case of if you build it, they will come. These features require participation to be worthwhile additions and that is at the crux of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0.
Michael Porter created a Flickr group called 365 Library Days Project and David Lee King created a song and video about Web 2.0 titled "Are You Blogging This." Porter's Flickr group actively invited others to participate while Lee's video passively got others to respond. In order for Web 2.0 to meet its full potential, communication and collaboration must occur. "Active and passive invitations to participate in a library's digital conversation is only the tip of the iceberg. Why not ask customers to help create something new with the library, as a type of co-productions?" (Porter & King 2007) This is a perfect setting for digital storytelling!
[edit] Public Libraries Hosting Digital Storytelling
The state of California has a number of libraries producing and hosting digital stories in their communities. The first public library in the state to incorporate a digital story station was the San Diego Public Library. The SDPL partnered with the Media Arts Center San Diego and received funding through a Library and Services and Technology Act grant from the California State Library.
Ethan van Thillo, Executive Director and Founder of Media Arts San Diego, said "it started in connection with our Teen Producers Project and a program we created to better connect the local Central San Diego Public Library with a historically important Latino community called Barrio Logan"(van Thillo, April 19, 2008). Unfortunately, when people in San Diego heard about this community, it was through negative news coverage on issues of poverty, illegal immigration, pollution, or gang violence. "Thus we created the Barrio Logan project to have youth and community members tell "their" own story and to have San Diegans learn about the history of the community, the important issues effecting the community, and the wonderful mentors/individuals/leaders that make up the community," van Thillo added. When creating the grant proposal, it was argued that if the library wanted the community to come into their library they at least should have stories that represent their community. There are now more than 40 digital stories permanently housed in the library's catalog that represent the Barrio Logan community along with a Discussion & Resource Guide to further inform customers about this historic community and its members.
With the San Diego Public Library's digital story station success and grant funding from the California State Library, six public libraries were selected in 2007 to participate in a program called California of the Past. The following libraries will partner with local historical or ethnic community groups to manage the project:
According to a press release announced by the California State Library, "California of the Past is a pilot program that exemplifies a national library shift to offering library customers experiential information services. Through the digitized first person narratives of the California of the Past program, libraries will now make available not just documents from the community, but the living memories of community members. The libraries will encourage members of the community to visit the library to record, for example, stories of what main street used to be like, or memories of raising their children in the community, or childhood stories their parents told of life in the area."
[edit] Examples of Digital Stories Created at Public Libraries
In early 2008, the Gail Borden Public Library District in Elgin, Illinois, created Storypalooza, a digital storytelling contest. Community members of all ages were invited to create a visual story less than four minutes in length and post it to YouTube. According to the Storypalooza website, "This should involve filming a short, uplifting piece about a person, organization or event that has made a difference in the community. Videos can be funny, poignant, clever or cool, and they must be library-appropriate." The entries were placed in one of two categories, My Favorite Book or Community Favorites, and the community voted for their favorite video.
[edit] The Value of Digital Storytelling
Encapsulating time in a digital format is a way of preserving past histories, events and moments of now, and speculation of tomorrow. Their purpose and value are abundant, not only to the audience, but to the interviewee (storyteller) as well. For libraries, it places them in the center of a participatory network and encourages "the library's role as facilitator of knowledge through conversation" (Lankes, et al., 2007).
Thomas Frey, Executive Director and Senior Futurist at The DaVinci Institute, says, "One of the most valuable things we can pass on to our children and grandchildren is the gift of perspective. Their ability to put themselves into our shoes 30-50 years ago, even for a moment, gives them a vastly different understanding of the world around us today." Digital storytelling is a technique of capturing and archiving those valuable moments of memory and time.
"The goal of the digital storytelling station is to reflect the stories and experiences of communities," said Sally Thomas, librarian at Hayward Public Library in California (April 9, 2008). She said the benefits are numerous including: the sense of identity it provides to the community's members; the sense of being connected to the history of the area; and the ability to preserve memories and experiences.
StoryTubes co-sponsors a digital storytelling contest targeted at children in Grades 1-6 to encourage reading, writing, collaboration and creativity. StoryTubes has partnered with the following libraries to promote the contest:
- Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
- The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC
- Gail Borden Public Library District, Elgin, IL
- King County Library System, Issaquah, WA
- Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena, CA
Ethan van Thillo said, "Digital storytelling is also a great "healing" process for some individuals. The act of telling their story, the difficulties they might have had (i.e. incarceration, addiction, etc..) is very rewarding and an important step in healing" (van Thillo, April 19, 2008).
[edit] Creating a Digital Story
Telling a story is a natural talent for some and for others, it is a learnable skill. One way to do it well and perhaps make it more meaningful and memorable, is to include the elements suggested by the Center for Digital Storytelling. From their website:
In all communities, in all cultures, stories evolve from the culinary experience. Making media, like making a meal, requires guidance, learning from our friends through the sharing of recipes and from those who spend their professional lives in the kitchen. We have helped over 10,000 people mine stories from their lives and personal media archives.
Joe Lambert and staff members of the CDS created a "cookbook" used as the teaching manual in the workshops the CDS offers. Included in the manual are seven elements that serve as the "basic elements of constructing a multimedia story." These elements aid in structuring an outline to follow: Point (of View), Dramatic Question, Emotional Content, The Gift of Your Voice, The Power of the Soundtrack, Economy, and Pacing.
On average, most digital stories run in length of 2-3 minutes. In order to create a quality digital story, the following items must be ready to use:
- A Script - Writing several drafts will be necessary to create a fine-tuned personal narrative.
- Images - Photographs, art work, letters, news articles, and any images that compliment or emphasize the content of the story. If they are not already digitized, they will need to be scanned. Additional photos are available from sites such as Flickr that offer images shared by their owners with Creative Commons licenses.
- Music - Copyright laws and restrictions must be adhered to. There are several websites that offer music with Creative Commons licenses that can be used such as Freesound or ccMixter.
- Video - This is optional. If there are short clips (5-15 seconds) that would add high value, then consider using them.
The tools needed to create a digital story are fairly basic although there are a variety of options as far as hardware and software are concerned. The primary hardware essentials include a computer, microphone, speakers, digital camera, and a scanner, if printed photographs will be used. Software needs include an audio editor, such as Audacity, which is an open source application that can be used on a PC or Mac. To crop or enhance photos, an image editor will be needed. GIMP is an open source application that can be used on either computer platform. There are other software applications available, but those are two that are free and fairly easy to use. Depending on the computer used, other software options are available, such as iMovie on a Mac or Movie Maker for a PC.
[edit] The Challenges of Digital Storytelling in Public Libraries
Ask any librarian to name a couple challenges facing their libraries and it is a safe bet that funding and limited staff will be mentioned. These are the two main challenges facing the Hayward Public Library according to Thomas, who works on the digital storytelling project. As part of the grant-funded project, the library received a digital storytelling station, onsite digital station training, and a small grant to support the promotion and operation of a digital storytelling station. She said the grant they received from the California State Library requires their library to collect 25 stories. That may not necessarily sound like many stories when you consider how many people there are in a community with a story to share, but the fact is, it is a time-consuming effort (Thomas, April 9, 2008).
Laurie Willis, Supervising Librarian at Hayward Public Library, said in addition to funding and staff knowledge and availability, they do have issues with interviewees. "People-wise, it is difficult for the public to feel their story is important," she said. One thing that is helping the library find people who are willing to tell their story is to change the terminology they use. Instead of encouraging people to "tell their story", they are promoting oral histories or mini-documentaries. She said that by altering the nomenclature, people are less afraid to share their stories (April 16, 2008).
Staff and space were challenges according to Lynn Whitehouse, Librarian IV, Supervisor of History/Information and Interlibrary Loan at San Diego Public Library. Having the right location was vital because the digital storytelling station must be in an enclosed space and the equipment in a securable location (April 10, 2008).
[edit] An Audio Ending
The Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, values digital collections. One of the library's newest collections includes the oral history project known as StoryCorps. This digital audio project is mentioned because of the stories shared. Since 2003, almost 30,000 life stories have been shared, recorded, and preserved. This initiative is a reminder that we do not live forever, but with the help of forward-thinking individuals and public libraries, our stories, our histories, our memories, can.
To conclude this study of digital storytelling in public libraries, please listen to this podcast.
[edit] References
Diaz, K. & Fields, A. M. (2007) "Digital Storytelling, Libraries, and Community". In N. Courtney (Ed.), Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User (pp. 129-139). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-537-6
storytelling. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved April 21, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/storytelling
Frey, T. (2008). The Library of the Future Series, Part 1 - The Time Capsule Room. Retrieved April 14, 2008. http://www.davinciinstitute.com/page.php?ID=204
Howell, D., & Howell, D. (2003). What's Your Digital Story? "Library Media Connection, 22:2", 40-1, O 2003. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
Lankes, R.D., Silverstein, J., & Nicholson, S. (2007) Participatory Networks: The Library As Conversation. "Information Technology and Libraries, 26:4", 17-33, D 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
Porter, M. & King, D.L. (2007) Inviting Participation. "Public Libraries, 46:6", 34-6, N/D 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
Stephens, M. (2007) Web 2.0 and You. "American Libraries, 38:11", 32, D 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
Tyckoson, D. (2007). That Thing You Do [Electronic version]. "Reference & User Services Quarterly, 47:2", 111-13, Wint 2007. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
[edit] Media Credit
Audio podcast written and produced by Juli Davis. Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Flickr photos used with Creative Commons License unless otherwise noted.
"Memories of an Old Dog" by Fireproof_Babies, used with Creative Commons License in podcast.
[edit] Resources
- Audacity: Free, open source software for recording or editing sounds.
- BBC - Wales - Digital Storytelling: A collection of digital stories created and shared in Wales, U.K.
- ccMixter: A community music remixing site featuring remixes and samples licensed under Creative Commons licenses.
- Center for Digital Storytelling: A California-based non-profit arts organization rooted in the art of personal storytelling.
- Creative Commons: A site providing free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry.
- Digital Story Station: Media Arts Center San Diego promotes access to film and video as tools for community self-expression and social change and supports the professional development of media artists.
- Eduweave: New media for education and social change.
- The Freesound Project: A collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds.
- International Day for Sharing Life Stories - May 16, 2008: The day will be an opportunity for people around the world to gather in community halls, classrooms, public parks, theaters, auditoriums, as well as websites, email exchanges, and virtual environments to hear each other’s stories.
- Internet Archive: A California-based non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library, with the purpose of offering permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format.
- Jamendo: A site of artists who allow anyone to download and share their music.
- Ourmedia: Video producers and podcasters use Ourmedia to show off their works and create communities of interest.
- SpinXpress: A site used by independent global media producers to create videos, music compilations, and other collaborative media projects. Provides search capability for Creative Commons licensed media.
- Stories for Change: An online meeting place for community digital storytelling facilitators and advocates.
- Tech Head Stories: A site containing a comprehensive list of all things related to digital stories.
