Impressions of a placement student
RGU placement students at Library bake sale
l-r: Adriana, Elizabeth (me), Rachel
I’ve been here at the Main University Library for the past 4 weeks on a work placement from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen as part of my Masters in Information and Library Studies. I’m working in the Academic Liaison team focusing on communications and marketing and this has definitely been a great experience.
My project was to look at the current library videos in relation to student ‘how to’s’, how to find a book, finding your way around and so on and see what is needed and what could be improved. I’ve made a few videos which are a bit unpolished but have given me ideas for what to do and what not to do.
The first video I attempted was as a test for the ‘Real Time library Tour’. The resulting video has most of the features I had hoped to capture but is slightly disjointed. Editing and adding a voice-over were initially time consuming – unfamiliar software and the need to convert files for the mac were the main issues. iMovie was used for the editing here. I learned many lessons, the major one being not to put viewers to sleep with my voice! I tried to improve this for the following videos. I’ve also been filming in the library with another placement student. This video was to show the basics of a SAULCAT search from the pcs on level two, following through until the book was in hand. Borrowing, and the quickest return ever, were also recorded. Adriana recorded the film and I presented but although I was pleased with the end result, I think I would choose someone else to present if I repeated it as I may look a bit severe when I’m not talking. As far as editing video is concerned, I prefer using Windows Movie Maker. It’s easy to pick up if you’ve not used it before and after the first attempt the process became much quicker. I was a lot happier with the videos I edited using WMM. For adding voice-over I used Audacity which is free software and very simple to use. Once sound is added to your project, it gives it a different dimension and it can be moved around to fit the footage. So, three videos completed of which I’m quite proud. I have had quite a lot of experience in scripting and directing for sketches, always comedy, so a bit of a change to write something informative, but feel it has given me another string to my bow which is always good to have. They may not win any awards but as a novice to the filming side of the process I think they are acceptable.
As well as looking at videos I’ve been involved in holding a ‘Bake Sale’ for the Library where we gave away free cakes, (brownies from Fisher and Donaldson no less!) in return for students completing a survey on their thoughts about the library website. This was great fun and the cakes disappeared quickly. I’ve also had the chance to create a poster idea about the problem of mobile phone vibrations in the silent areas of the library. It may never be used in its entirety, or at all, but I think there’s the germ of a working idea there and it was great fun giving it a go.
And now I am writing this blog, a new experience for me. Everyone in the library has been so helpful and it has made the job much more enjoyable. The library introductory sessions during the first two weeks were a great way to show us the various departments, what they do and the people who work in them. It’s been a privilege working here and I feel it will stand me in good stead for my future career.
Elizabeth McCready