Xtranormal library program

Jessica Smith Reference & Instruction Librarian, Lorain Public Library (555) 123-4567 jsmith@lpl.org

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 2 Executive SummaryThis library program focuses on creating a digital story using the text-‐to-‐movie website, Xtranormal. The program is geared towards teens (ages 14-‐18), and will take place on July 23, 2012 at the Lorain Public Library in Lorain, Ohio. Xtranormal is a website that hosts text-‐to-‐speech based computer animated video clips, featuring animated three-‐dimensional characters speaking in monotone computer voices. Users who log into the site may create videos by scripting the dialog and choosing from a menu of camera angles and predesigned characters and scenes. Xtranormal videos may also be created through an interface on the YouTube web site, and Xtranormals animation software, called State, may be downloaded free and run offline. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xtranormal) CONTENTSExecutive Summary 2 About the Lorain Community 3 Demographics 3 Population 3 About the Lorain Public Library System 4 2010 Financial Summary for Lorain Public Library System* 4 At Your Service – A Look at LPL’s Numbers for 2010 4 Why Xtranormal at LPL? 6 Goals 6 Logistics 6 Conclusion 8 Appendix 9 2

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 3 About the Lorain CommunityLorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 64,097, making it Ohios 10th largest city. It was first settled in 1807 and was originally named Charleston. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorain,_Ohio) Below is a brief analysis on several of the key demographics concerning the city of Lorain, including race/ethnicity, income, population and age. Demographics INCOME**Race/Ethnicity White  MEDIAN/MEAN INCOME The city of Lorain is made up The median income (dollars) for households (67.9%) in Lorain is estimated at $32,787; compared primarily of a White/Caucasian to the mean income (dollars) at $42,872 population with 57.9%, followed Hispanic by a 25.2% majority of Hispanic (25.2%) or Latino and 17.6 % African  Below is a breakdown chart of the African income ranges (seen in legend) Americans. The ‘Other’ American between Households and Families: represents American Indian, (17.6%) Alaska Native and Asian Americans. Other H (.9%) o*Statistics taken from the 2010 uUS Census, percentages not sequivalent to 100.00 scale e h oPopulation l FAccording to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population percent change between athe years 2000-‐2010 has decreased 6.6%, mainly as a result of the declining meconomy (closing steel plants and Ford car dealerships that make up a large ilchunk of employment in the city). It is interesting to note that the persons i eunder 18 years of age make up 26.7% of the population – the very age group s we are targeting for the digital storytelling program at Lorain Public Library. Number Percent % <$10,000 $10,000-‐$24,999 TOTAL POPULATION 64,097 100.00 MALE POPULATION 30,447 47.5 $25,000-‐$49,999 >$50,000 FEMALE POPULATION 33,650 52.5 MEDIAN AGE (YEARS) 38.0 (X) *Income percentages are taken from the 2010 U.S. Census -‐ INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2010 INFLATION-‐ADJUSTED DOLLARS) 2008-‐2010 American Community Survey 3-‐Year Estimates. The main focus was on households and families (excluding married-‐couple families and nonfamily households). 3

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 4 About the Lorain Public Library System Lorain Public Library System (LPLS) began as an association library when a committee of interested citizens joined together in 1901. The Association’s trustees secured a grant from the Carnegie Foundation to erect a library building in Lorain that was completed in 1904. Today, LPLS serves a diverse population of approximately 123,000. The library system provides library service to school districts including Lorain City Schools, Clearview Schools, Firelands Schools, Avon Schools, Columbia Schools, North Ridgeville Schools and Sheffield/Sheffield Lake Schools. Service is provided by the Main Library in Lorain, five branch libraries, and through outreach services, including Bookmobile service and Books-‐by Mail service. Lorain Public Library has been a member of CLEVNET since 1990. (http://www.clevnet.org/lorain.php) 2010 Financial Summary for Lorain Public Library System* Staﬃng •  $5,358,76 = 56% of Expenditures •  145 employees in LPLS (in 2010, 19 positions were cut and a wage freeze was implemented) Size (Collection) •  440,288 Books; 2,465 CD ROMS; 50,124 Paperbacks; 19,628 Books on CD & Cassette; 48,685 Music CDs; 25,527 Video Cassettes; and 83,184 DVDs Budget = $10 million • 40% -‐ state funding; 46% -‐ levies; 11% state rollbacks and transfers; 4% other Source: http://lorain.lib.oh.us/documents/LPLS2010AnnuaReport.pdf 4

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 5 At Your Service – A Look at LPL’s Numbers for 20102,150,679 items were borrowed. 208,364 reference questions were answered by LPLS staff. 91,342 patrons held library cards. 873,590 people visited our libraries. 2,465 library programs were offered with 53,283 in attendance. Community groups used our meeting rooms 825 times. Citizens used our public computers 169,936 times. 3,829 children and 1,098 teens participated in the Summer Reading Program, funded through a grant from The Stocker Foundation and Nord Family Foundation. Key partners were Lorain County Metro Parks and the Lorain County Ironmen baseball team. 322 families read 3,777 books together in the Family Read-‐Aloud Program sponsored by The Foundation of the Lorain Public Library System, Inc. through a generous donation from Emerson Network Power of Lorain. 20,535 people visited the Bookmobile. *Information based on Lorain Public Library System as a whole (6 branches and Bookmobile) Source: http://lorain.lib.oh.us/documents/LPLS2010AnnuaReport.pdf 5

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 6 Why Xtranormal at LPL?Based on the statistics of information provided above, it is clear that the percentage of children/teens ages 12-‐18 is a large chunk of the Lorain community population. Combined with the fact that Lorain Public Library has a heavy traffic flow of these young users from the local schools, day cares, and households on a daily basis, there is a need to focus on more instructional and entertainment programs for this growing patron base. XtraNormal was recommended due to its appeal as a free 3D text-‐to-‐movie program that opens up to wider program potential (digital storytime, movie nights, book club for the screen, etc.). LPL already has a computer lab with projector and speakers to create and display the movies, and the promotional aspects combined with prizes for ‘best movie’ will help draw in participants. What’s more, Xtranormal allows users to share their finished products, either directly through the site or by downloading to their desktop/flash drive. Goals § Introduce new forms of digital programming to the library community, specifically with the younger ‘digital native’ generation § Use a creative outlet to help teens express themselves in an atmosphere outside the home or school environment, with the possibility of expanding the program to become a monthly activity. § Increase visibility of Lorain Public Library as an interactive community space that houses a multitude of print and electronic resources. LogisticsFunding For this library program, the main components needed to implement the project are already in place: computer lab, free text-‐to-‐movie website, projector). The main costs will come from promotional materials (signs, handouts, and additional advertisement in the community) and prizes for the winner(s) of ‘best movie’ as well as some library swag for all participants. Several local businesses have partnered with LPL to donate various materials and gift items for this program, which will cut prize costs considerably. 6

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 7 Cost/Attendance There is no cost to attend the program, but participants must register in advance and a sign-‐in sheet be implemented to gauge the turnout based on initial registration. This preliminary program will also help determine if the program should be repeated in the future, how often it should be offered, and if walk-‐ins would be permissible down the line. Attendance is limited to the number of computers in the lab (25), and the teens will have the option of working alone or in pairs. Location & Scheduling Since this program is being developed by LPL, and the location of the event is taking place in the library computer lab, there is not rental cost or scheduling conflicts to work around -‐ this will be handled internally before the program is promoted. The month of July was picked to have the program due to its timing during the middle of summer, free from school and most extra-‐curricular conflicts. While the date selected, July 23, falls on a Monday, this should not detract from a sizeable turnout based on the previous explanation. The program will last 2 hours, and begin at 6pm (mainly to allow time for parents to get home from work/transport the teens to the library, and also occur after most extra-‐curricular activities end for the day). Publicity/Promotion As stated early, the bulk of promotion will include advertisement on the library website, print signs and handouts within the library, press releases, social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) event notifications, newspaper ads, as well as the local cable TV and radio stations. Within the community, publicity will stretch to local businesses, school websites, neighboring libraries, and movie theaters. Lorain County also has several summer youth theaters that take place between the months of June-‐August, and will be contacted with the program information for any interested participants from these local theaters. Before the Event Confirmation emails will be sent out to those that registered for the event several days before to reiterate start time and room number. The librarian instructing the session will make sure the room is clean, set up with working computers and projector, test the sound from the website, and place an order for light snacks (liquids in closed containers). 7

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 8 Day of the Event Have handouts and surveys printed out and in place at the computer lab. Alert library staff of the program in case they receive directional questions or confusion. Session will last 2 hours, with a 15-‐minute break in between: preliminary survey issued at the beginning to gauge skill level/interest, instruct on goals of program, show how to use Xtranormal, give time for teens to create movie, screen them and award prize for winner, give out evaluation survey at the end. See the ‘Appendix’ session for full lesson plan and handout that will be provided to participants. After the Event Determine what worked and what didn’t. Was the session too short? Should it be spaced out a couple days? Should the screening take place on a separate day, with the option of inviting family/friends to watch? Did the teens enjoy the experience? Were they bored? Confused? Did they abuse the privilege (make lewd/inappropriate movies)? How can we expand this program? Offer a wider age group? Themes? ConclusionDigital storytelling is a fun, innovative and creative way to bring an otherwise apathetic group into the library for a ‘skies the limit’ type of activity. With the help of the instructional librarian, they will leave with the skills and tools to go off and create their own digital movies, show their friends, and (hopefully) look into more fun events held at the Lorain Public Library. The cost is minimal in comparison to the opportunity of involving teens in the library while promoting visibility and increasing digital components to library instruction. 8

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 9 Appendix 9

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 10 Xtranormal: Digital Storytelling Ages 14-18 A text-to-movie tutorial July 23, 2012 Overview Materials Xtranormal’s motto is as follows: “If you can type, you can make a movie.” The session will take place in the This free online feature will be used to exemplify an interactive method of main instructional computer lab at the digital storytelling, with a screening of the final productions as the end result of library. Students will utilize the instruction. ! Handouts & Surveys Objectives ! PC/laptops for each user During this 2-hour session, students will ! Internet connection ! Discuss what makes a great digital story ! Familiarize themselves with the basics of the site, as well as the movie ! Computer and projector with editor with simple to follow interface sound ! Work alone or in groups of 2-3 to create their own digital story ! Prizes for Xtranormal winner Activities ! Distribute handouts and discuss instruction agenda Other Resources ! Present slideshow on Xtranormal with step-by-step instructions on Students will be asked to incorporate how to create a movie using the program, concluding with an example at least one story from a physical of a finished movie book in the library to their own digital creations. These selections will be ! Address questions and ideas for possible text-to-movie projects done prior to the instructional session, and they will be given the call #’s for ! Devote remaining time for students to create their own Xtranormal movie – either alone or in small groups the books they have chosen. This type of ‘scavenger hunt’ activity will help ! Showcase the finished results at the library to the public on a different familiarize the students with the day – the winner (chosen by a combination of their peers and audience layout of the printed materials in the vote) will receive two (2) movie passes, a LPL canvas tote bag, and library, while also providing a focus have their movie displayed on the library website for their digital stories. ! Survey the students, both before and after the library instruction session to gain their input on previous movie-making knowledge and how they felt about using Xtranormal in a library setting Contact Info Jessica Smith Evaluation Reference & Instruction Librarian, Participants of the session will be given a short paper survey, both before and at the end of the instruction session, to gather feedback on any previous movie- Lorain Public Library making experience, their thoughts on Xtranormal as a learning tool and/or for (555) 123-4567 entertainment, and the value of the instruction from that of the librarian. Students will also ‘evaluate’ one another’s work by voting on their favorite jsmith@lpl.org digital story and help pick a winning movie. 10 Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial 1

Xtranormal: A text-to-movie tutorial | 11 What is Xtranormal?o !"#$%&$()*$+%,-.$%&$()*$/)0-$)$/&12-34$!"#$%&()*&+,#-",..#&,/0")&"1&%*$"1,2*+3"4(*56"&+",+" ,1&6)"(+*%$#6,-"0$5"62*")-.*+37"8&(")-.$"6&1$)0*+39",+5"*):6")(#+$5"*+)&","1&%*$7";+")0$" <$4",+5"&+"-&(#"5$62)&."=0)).>??<<<7@)#,+&#1,7/&1?,4&()A(6?B7""o C0*6".#&3#,1"()**D$6","<*5$"%,#*$)-"&E"FG"/0,#,/)$#6",+5"6$))*+36H",+5")(#+6")0$"(6$#"*+)&")0$" 5*#$/)&#H".#&5(/$#H",+5"<#*)$#I!!How do I use it?"J)$."K>"L#$,)$","E#$$",//&(+)"4-"6*3+*+3"(.",)"<<<7@)#,+&#1,7/&1"=E#$$"M"$,6-IB7!"J)$."N>";+/$"-&(",#$"&33$5"*+H"/*/2"&+")0$"OP,2$"P&%*$6:"),47"Q#&1"0$#$H"-&("/,+"/0&&6$"<0*/0")-.$"&E"/&$/)*&+",+5"+(14$#"&E",/)&#6"-&("<&(5"*2$")&"(6$7 ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 11

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Xtranormal library program

by Jessica Danielle on Dec 27, 2011

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Xtranormal library program Document Transcript