Testing the new Jib Jab “Starring You” tonight was partly fun and partly a chore. There are a few steps you have to go through to make the heads work and look “right” which took a bit of the joy out of setting things up. It is interesting to see this sort of technology interface being sold as something the public will latch on to. It is a stretch at the moment, but think of the promos libraries could do with a carefully planned marketing program using something like this (perhaps embedding letting patrons stick themselves in a famous book setting, etc?). The video I made is really just for fun and isn’t meant to be too awfully serious. You know, I must confess that upon seeing the results I couldn’t help but wonder “should I have just read a chapter or two in a book instead of making this?”.
Naaaah, who am I kidding, this time was time well spent! Enjoy:
Some really fun things have been happening behind the scenes lately with the whole idea of “Libraryman” having a logo. Actually, its a bit of a beta test for some ideas I’m working on for library advocacy and marketing. Working with the Libraryman persona and going along with the theory that play and “me” (and that is me in a good, not selfish way) is often the best way to approach learning something new, today you get a happy little picture that traces the evolution of the Libraryman logo. Fun! Well, for me anyway.
There will be a post/story about how the latest Libraryman logos just happened to show up in my email one day last month. Sam Morrison is the person I have to thank for that, and he’ll get another plug in a longer upcoming post about branding, marketing and electronic community turned into something substantive.
btw, if anybody gets an itch to draw another logo, well, it would make my day. In fact, along those lines, just yesterday, my coworker Laura sent me this picture of her son Carter in his Libraryboy costume. What?! A sidekick! Oh, man! Just think of the books we’ll read and the Summer Reading Program outreach we could accomplish! Thank you Carter, you rock!
In Taiwan, Chang Kai-Shek is very publicly revered. His memorial in Taipei is Taiwan?s modern answer to the pyramids. It is massive, visually stunning and imposing. You know, just like our Public Libraries! Actually, no, but for what its worth there was a Chang Kai-Shek library in the memorial. There was also some great signage and signage enforcement. Maybe great isn?t the right word, but security certainly has an interesting way of letting you know you need to behave. I doubt the board would approve these means though haven?t we all wished for one of these guys near our signage on occasion? Maybe you can just print out this picture and hang it in the spot where you need quiet.
I was going to work up a post on the new Librarian Action Figure, but she is popping up all over the place. Check out Library Planet’s quick summary with links if you are interested.
Archie McPhee’s is largely responsible for this little doll, so if you like it, or if you just don’t get it, talk to them. Also, because this blog has been called a place where Libraries and PEZ collide, check out the article I wrote for The PEZ Collectors News about Archie McPhee’s. What is up with that formatting anyway? At any rate if you are ever in Seattle you might seriously consider visiting them, it’ll suck up an hour but you’ll get lost in the goofiness and you’ll be in Ballard, one of Seattle’s best neighborhoods.
Thank you Carter, you rock!
