The Distant Librarian

Screencasting programs for Linux

Tux Radar posts today with mid-length reviews of a half-dozen screencasting programs for Linux: Group test: screencasting apps. They like DemoRecorder the best. 

How you know you're not ready for Linux?  The post concludes with a suggestion that if none of these meet your needs, you could "roll your own.  Almost all GUI apps on Linux are just a wrapper around some powerful command-line scripts. Screencasting tools are no different."  :-)

Oddly, there are no links to the reviewed products in the post.

TechSmith launches an Education Community Blog and Site

TechSmith, makers of Snagit, Camtasia Studio and Jing, has launched a new blog aimed at the education market.  Dave McCollom, Education Evangelist, writes that "The primary goal for this blog is to provide a home for stories and examples of how educators are using TechSmith products." He also points to the new Techsmith Education Community, where you'll find information on using TechSmith products in the classroom (Introduction to screen capture in education, Make a video for when you or students are absent, etc...)  Should prove to be a valuable site as it grows.

Download Your YouTube Videos Legally

Amit at Digital Inspiration points out that you can now download your YouTube videos legally.  But the emphasis is on YOUR videos.  The best tool I know for being able to download all YouTube videos, and in the format of your choice, is KickYouTube.

The Google Wave Highlight Reel

Gina Trapani at Smarterware has a great post where she's chopped out the highlights of an 80-minute presentation showcasing Google Wave.  Now you can see what's particularly cool with this future tool in less than 8 minutes.

Screencasting tool roundups

I've never seen so many bookmark a single site in such numbers as 10 Free Screen Recording Softwares For Creating Attractive Screencasts - must be a pretty popular site - maybe I'll subscribe...

And from much earlier this year, Library Journal netConnect has a two-post series from Melissa Rethlefsen on screencasting tools (free and fee), with a particular focus on how they can be used in libraries:

• Free Screencasting Tools
• Premium Screencasting Tools
  

Screencasts from the Patron's Point of View

Over on Tame the Web, Mick Jacobsen describes how he decided to produce his screencasts not from the librarian point of view, but from the Patron Point of View (PPOV). 

Which video do you think would be viewed more: Learn How to Search LegalForms or Find a Customizable Contract for Your Business? I think the latter.   The shift from a sage on the stage librarian teaching databases to the PPOV has changed everything in regards to my idea of screencasting.  Try it, I think you will find it liberating.

Makes sense to me!

Screencasting: seeking panelists for MARS Hot Topics DG

Looking for an opportunity to present at ALA?

The RUSA MARS Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group seeks panelists for its upcoming program at ALA Annual 2009:

“Casting a Wide Net: Using Screencasts to Reach and Teach Library Users”

Is your library using screencasts or video tutorials for user instruction? Maybe you use Jing for virtual reference, or you’ve created a set of short tutorials that demonstrate how to use your databases. We’d love to hear your thoughts on how this technology is (or isn’t) working at your library. The RUSA MARS Hot Topics in Electronic Reference Discussion Group is planning a panel discussion for ALA Annual about screencasting - our panelists will briefly share how they are using screencasts or video tutorials at their libraries, then discuss successes, challenges, best practices, and ideas for the future. Finally, we will take questions from the audience.

If you are interested in serving as a panelist, contact Sarah Lehmann, lehmans@arc.losrios.edu, or Michelle Jacobs, michellejacobs@library.ucla.edu by June 1.

Free and good: Screencastle and Greenshot (and Jing too)

I recently came across two solid free screencast and screencapture resources and finally got a chance to run them through a quick demo.  Thought I'd go all recursive and do a screencast of a screencast of the screenshot tool :-)

The tools involved:

• Screencastle - web-based screencast tool.  Doesn't get much much simpler - there's a big red button.  Click it, record, and it'll give you a bunch of URLs to use.
• Greenshot: Open Source (Windows) screen shot capture tool.  Also very simple - capture, and immediately get a simple editor in which to mark up your capture.
• Jing - free (windows or mac) screencast OR screenshot tool, so it kind of obviates the other two, but maybe one of them just works better for you.

So here's my Jingcast, which shows both Screencastle and Greenshot:

And here's the Screencastle output:

Analysis of web-based tutorials created by academic libraries

Have only skimmed it myself, but you might be interested in Analysis of web-based tutorials created by academic libraries, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 35, Issue 2, March 2009, Pages 126-131 (doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2009.01.010).

Abstract: This paper aims to analyse the characteristics of tutorials created by academic libraries. It evaluates a sample of 180 tutorials by applying thirty basic indicators referring to general characteristics, content, teaching methodology, usability and technology. The general conclusion is that most of the tutorials are at an early stage of development.

Conclusion: If academic libraries wish to increase their role in all aspects of education, they must provide high-quality tutorials.

I see the ANTS project is one of the samples.

Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface (in under 6 minutes)

Librarians at North Carolina State University have just published a nice flash tutorial called Wikipedia: Beneath the Surface.  "What is a wiki? How does information get into Wikipedia in the first place? Who creates it? This short animation introduces viewers to what goes on behind-the-scenes so they can make the best use of what's on the surface. "  Similar to the CommonCraft Wikis in Plain English, but with more of a lean towards academic considerations.

ScreenFlow 1.5 released

I'm still holding out for the Techsmith Camtasia offering for OSX, but it's getting harder and harder to resist purchasing ScreenFlow, by almost all accounts the best screencasting software for the Mac.  They've just released version 1.5, and The Unofficial Apple Weblog has an overview.

Dalhousie LibCasts - what you want to learn, when and where you want it

Wow, check out the Dalhouse University LibCasts page!  Too many to count, most available in multiple formats, with an RSS feed and a dedicated search engine.  Very nicely done!  Camtasia Studio seems to be the screencasting tool of choice.

How to Embed Almost Anything in your Website

I've had this open on a tab to digest for exactly one month - time to pass it on.  :-)  Amit at Digital Inspiration writes about How to Embed Almost Anything in your Website.  Including RSS Feeds, High Quality or HD YouTube, mp3, Flickr, Picasa, Google Calendar, and more.

That's Infotainment! - Great screencasting article

Ellyssa Kroski has an article that 's just been published in School Library Journal titled That's Infotainment, and it provides a really good overview of the current state of screencasting, with the following topics covered: What is screencasting?, Web site tours, Library functions, Software and database training, Slideshow screencasts (slidecasts), Staff training, Student assignments, Hardware, Software, The process, Distribution, Fast Tips, and More Resources. 

Check it out!

FLV Coming Back to Camtasia Studio

One of the few complaints about the most recent version (6) of Camtasia Studio was the removal of the ability to output content as FLV files.  Well, Techsmith appears to have heard the cry, and will be putting that export feature back in with their next update, due in March.  Nice to have a company listen to its users.

Screencasting, FLV