One of the benefits of using a Web 2.0 tool like YouTube is the amount of information one can find there. I had two occurences where patrons needed to find specific videos on subject which the library does not have in a specific branch or even in the system.
One patron wanted information on Cochlear Ear Implants for her presentation for school. While we had some books on ear implants, I joked with the patrons saying have you checked YouTube. Oddly enough, there were videos about people who had this type of surgery.
The second usage of YouTube had to do with research on elderly care and mental health. While there were books on the subject, the two patrons were looking for videos. In this case, the library had no information on the subject but when I checked YouTube; there it was. Rather than having the patrons leaving the library empty handed, they sat down on the public computers and checked YouTube for themselves.
Now that I’ve seen the benefits of YouTube; I am going to start recommending this site for future patrons. YouTube has proven to be far more than better site for research than simply looking for videos of drunk dogs on skateboards.
Filed under: library, library 2.0, miami, web 2.0 | Tagged: library 2.0, web 2.0, youtube
