Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Case Study No. 0207: Ninja Librarian (AiW Library)

Help Me, Ninja Librarian!
2:59
The AIW Library and its resources!
Tags: Ninja Librarian Library research AIW Art Institute of Washington
Added: 4 years ago
From: aiwlibrary
Views: 14,682

The AiW Library and Its Resources
or
"Help Me, Ninja Librarian!"

[scene opens with a closeup of a calendar, as the camera focuses on the 12th ("Paper Due!")]
[cut to a still image of a male student (wearing a paper bag over his head) screaming and pounding on the wall in frustration]
STUDENT: Oh god, how could I be so stupid?! Stupid me!! Oh god, I'll never get into that grad school now!
[he starts crying and kicking the wall]
STUDENT: I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna flunk outta college!
[cut to the student sitting in a chair, crying]
[cut to the student on the floor, crawled up in the fetal position, when he suddenly stops crying]
STUDENT: Hmm?
[he hears someone off camera whispering "Go to the library ... "]
STUDENT: Hmm ...
[cut to the student's POV as he starts humming and walking towards the library ... he opens the door, then cut to the student leaning up against the reference desk, whistling to himself]
[the ninja librarian suddenly appears behind him, with arms folded]
STUDENT: Ah!
NINJA LIBRARIAN: How may I serve you?
STUDENT: I, I got a paper due, man ...
NINJA LIBRARIAN: I know why you have come! I have resources waiting for you ...
[cut to the ninja librarian doing karate poses in front of a bookshelf]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: Many books for your classes are here on Reserve View, to use in the library!
[cut to the student holding one of the books upside down]
STUDENT: Hmm ...
[cut to the ninja librarian typing at a computer]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: We have online databases for you to use here, or at home.
[cut to the ninja librarian doing more karate poses near the computer terminals]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: We are equipped with computers and a photocopier for student use! Huh, kai, hi-yah!
[cut to the student stumbling through the stacks with a glazed look in his eyes]
STUDENT: Waaa ... Too ... much ... information!
[cut to the ninja librarian and the student standing in front of a laptop on the desk]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: Have you brought your laptop?
STUDENT: Yeah, but what good is it here, man?
[cut to a shot of the ninja librarian threatening to strike the student]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: Fool! If your laptop has wireless capability, you can access the libraries wireless and do research on the internet!
[cut to the student smiling]
STUDENT: Awesome, I'll get my paper done in no time! Oh, thank goodness I found this place ...
[cut to the ninja librarian striking another threatening pose]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: Quiet, fool! There is one resource you have not yet understood ...
STUDENT: Uh, what's that?
[cut to a closeup of the librarian, as light shines down from above and an angelic choir sings in the background]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: Me!
[cut to the ninja librarian bowing before the student]
NINJA LIBRARIAN: I am at your service at all times, to guide you to the right book and help you access our databases. Call on me whenever you have need, day or night ...
[the ninja librarian disappears]
STUDENT: Ahh! Hey, where'd you go Ninja Librarian?
[cut to the ninja librarian peeking out from behind one of the bookshelves, winking at the camera]

Written and directed by Miyo "Why" Davis

Cast (in order of appearance)

Student - Chris "Charlie" Scott
Voice by Chris Scott

Ninja Librarian - Luis "The Man" Gonzalez
Voice by Chris Scott

Additional voices by Miyo Davis

Music by Killer Tracks
Sound Effects by BBC
Special Thanks to Ahren "Baaa" Wert
Special Thanks to Adobe Systems

No ninjas were harmed in the making of this film

Filmed on location
AiW Library
1820 North Fort Myer Drive
Arlington VA 22209

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From atyourlibrary.org:

Made by the creative folks of the AIW Library in Arlington, VA, this is one of the funniest library videos we've stumbled across in a long time. Presented in a series of still images, watch the facial expressions change on the paper bag-headed protagonist as he learns about library resources.

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From fsu.edu:

The Art Institute of Washington (AiW) is is a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, and prepares students for a variety of careers in the visual and practical arts. In an interview with Miyo Davis, Library Technical Assistant at the AiW Library on November 15, 2008, she discusses some of the benefits her library has seen from using YouTube including receiving "attention for taking advantage of a relatively new and creative medium to promote our services". Davis goes onto say "it's been a fun, creative outlet for our student staff". AiW has videos on an array of topics like library etiquette, research, and job hunting. By viewing the videos, one can see their goals to promote the library's resources and offer research and information literacy instruction. "Help Me, Ninja Librarian!" has been their most popular offering with about 4500 views as of December 7, 2008 and it is quite humorous with a portrayal of a ninja librarian and a student in desperate need of research help. The content in their videos although geared toward their student population, has wider appeal with information literacy tips for any student. Davis confirms this with "our goals in using YouTube since then have been to promote the library's services to the students and staff and circulating our educational points to a larger audience". They hope to include a question on their next library survey to garner feedback about the YouTube videos. Davis notes the positive attention from the videos, but also states that their production can be challenging when balancing normal staff duties. All in all, their YouTube experience was rated by Davis as "excellent so far" and she notes that she has "found YouTube simple and straight forward to use and it needs very little maintenance".

(personal correspondence, November 15, 2008)

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