Adding a couple of pieces of music I thought might work with what we got yesterday - 05 On The Beautiful Blue Danube.m4a - 04 Minute Waltz.m4a

 

 

Nicole - Had a couple of ideas on the way home.  What if we did it like a silent film?  No voices, but plenty of action, facial expressions, mimed talking and music.  Then like in silent films we can use subtitles or dialog panels to get across our thoughts and reactions more clearly.  I uploaded a Bach piece that I thought sounded rather appropriate.  (My first thought was Clint Mansell, but the whole copyright thing and all sent me to Bach.)  2-08 Allegro Concerto for Harpscicho.m4a

 

Chris--I think the silent film idea is great.  Let's run with it.  iMovie let's you "age" the film or turn color to black and white, so we can really run with the "old-time" feel.  But, I like the idea of subtitles because it'll keep us focused on the basics.  I'll try and come up with some ideas tonight or tomorrow morning and post them. 

 

Chris (Saturday afternoon)--Ok, I'm getting a rough draft together for tomorrow.  I'll try and post them by early this evening and, obviously, please feel free to change, disagree or add your own thoughts. 

 

My basic idea is to make some kind of short "silent" film that demonstrates how we'd turn a 1.0 library (Harold Washington) into a 2.0 library.  So I'm knocking around some ideas on how to put this accross in a way that's engaging, a little silly and informative! 

 

Nicole - sorry it's late, long day at work...  I like how this is going.  I'm not sure how to fit this in with the outline just yet, but what if we have a hero and a narrator of sorts.  Like one of us is the intrepid hero who winds up at the Harold Washington trying to find something (book, movie, email, whatever works best) and the other one is kind of like an all-seeing narrator - remember those silly Disney cartoons we all watched in grade school where the narrator would always be like - oops, looks like the george family has done it again!  But the hero is usually oblivious to the narrator person, and when they aren't it's a huge laugh.  I think that would work really well with what you've got there so far.  Kind of a way to show a sample of a customer experience along with a sort of narration about why it doesn't work well and how it could be better.   OKay, so going further and on with this I'm thinking now instead of a silent film with subtitles - what if all the action with the hero is sort of narrated (like down there where you comment on the hero being trapped in a labyrinth worthy of daedalus - that's great!)  So, instead of subtitles or dialog screens, there would be audible narration over the silent exaggerated actions of the hero.  There could also be occasional dialog panels or subtitles for the hero too, maybe even handmade signs with simple words like Where am I?!

 

Things to still think about:  Lighting

                                         Is the similar layout of each floor boring or functional?

                                         Where are the places for collaboration?

                                         Is it too sprawling?

                                         What's with the wasted, under-utilized space?

                                         Signage

                                         Collaborative Places

                                         Comfy nooks/furniture

                                         Looking for How Building Learn

                                         Library as a gateway to learning (here, however, the gateway inhibits learning)

 

 

Opening Title:

 

Library 2.0 As Place: A Silent Inquiry

 

Opening Scene:

 

Disney Narrator:  It's another brisk day in Chicago, the windy city.  A Sunday, mid-November and most of the leafs have fallen from the trees.  Thanksgiving is right around the corner (sound effect of turkey's gobbling)  We're waiting for our friends...  Here's A marching off the el train with his nose in a book.  I wonder what he's reading today.  B's a little late...isn't that just like B.  Oh, wait...well, look at that.  Here comes B now hopping out of a taxi on State St....a little late, a little weathered, but none the worse for wear. 

 

Whoah!  Slow down, my friends!  What's the rush?  What's that? Going to the library!? 

 

A approaches library with nose in book and almost runs into doors.

 

Narrator:  Watch out there A, don't hit those doors! ooohh That's gotta hurt... 

 

B approaches library.  Catching breath, Stops to look up and ponders its large, imposing size.  

 

 

Narrator:  "Yes, it's a mighty large library, isn't it B?  One of the largest civic buildings in the nation, they say.  It's certainly...well...big!"

 

(Maybe we film, in fast motion, A walking around the entire block the library takes up. 

A contimplates.

 

Narrator: "The library has long been a symbol of knowledge."

 

Camera pans up: Show gargyles

 

Narrator: "And gargoyles, too.  Gargoyles have long assisted us in our search for knowledge.  Ha! Ha!  Shall we go in?

 

 A walks through doors of the library.  

 

Narrator:   So, this is the library...How does a traditional library become the library of the future?  How does a building learn and adopt to constant change? This library sure is full of civic grandeur but one wonders, in an age when so many are seeking convenience, if such grandeur isn't an example of form overwhelming function.  After all, what if we just want to get in and get out. 

 

 

A begins walking the entrance halls of Harold Washington.  Here we should exagerate the labyrinth nature of its hallways and escalators to demonstrate the pre-existing barriers and navigation difficulties. (this would be great all melodramatic and I definitely agree with exaggerating it!  The narrator could continue here with ideas of how to improve the labyrinth - like how it would be so easy if the doors opened directly to a stairway leading to the books or even better - the library!)

 

Narrator:  My, this certainly is a labyrinth worthy of Daedalus! 

 

A throws up hands in exasperation. 

 

Narrator:  Oh, look...elevators...try those!

 

A takes elevators up until they enter the library.

 

Narrator:  What barriers to access does your library impose?  What can you change?  What can you physically change?  Oh, there's a computer.  A certainly likes computers!

 

A approaches library layout/guide.  Takes a look at it.

 

Narrator:  What's A up to now?  Looking for a book, I presume?  One sure could get lost in a place like this!

 

A looks at map.  Scratches head.

 

Narrator:  Say, A? 

 

A looks at camera.

 

Narrator:  Maybe we should check online...a catalog?

 

A approaches computer/catalog

 

A Talks:  But where's Google?

 

Narrator:  Sorry, friend.  No Google on this computer.  That's another computer entirely.  

 

Dialog Panel:  How seamless is your library? 

 

Narrator:  But didn't you bring a computer with you?  Let's take a look there.  Ahhh, look at that...WiFi is available. 

 

Dialog Panel:  Meeting Your user at a number of different access points. 

 

 

 A approaches library catalog.  Looks for Google search engine.  Not there.  Types in

 

Look at public access computers.  Is there a line?  Is it crowded? 

 

Narrator:  Ahh, the question of seamlessness!  The OCLC reported that we crave seamlessness...I wonder what this library could do to bring all its online elements together in one seamless package.  I know A would sure like that!  Why not meet your user at all points of access?  

 

But what's A up to now? Looking for a book?  Let's take a look at that catalog! Oh, look at that...looking for a Stewart Brand book about how buildings learn...

(Here we should make light of the fact that many patrons don't understand Dewey, to say nothing of the somewhat cryptic "Location Codes" CPL uses.  It would also be funny to show our hero going up all those escalators, maybe even coming out of an elevator or two in order to get to the floor where our book is.  The Stewart Brand book is "How Buildings Learn."

 

A or B sees long checkout line, and shrinks in exasperation.

 

Narrator:  Awww, poor A, yet another barrier to getting his book out of this library.  If A were shopping at Target I imagine they would have called more checkers in on this one.  Maybe A should just go home and head to amazon.

 

This is also a good time to check out signage.  Is it confusing?  Big enough?  Does it help?  What about floor directories?  Can items be easily found?  Is reference available?  

 

We should demonstrate that CPL does provide wireless.  Places to plug in? 

 

Places for collaboration?

 

Signage that discourages food/drink?

 

What makes a good library place/space/

 

-Good lighting

-Accessibility

-Quiet Places

-Places for collaboraton

-Natural Light

-Multiuse

-Cultural Event space

-Teaching and learning mission

-The library itself is transporting/transformative/conducive to the many needs of its community.

 

 Ok..ideas are no longer flowing...so we'll just run with the rest tomorrow.  Feel free to update or add anything...I'll try and bring copies of this for tomorrow.  I forgot that I have dinner plans tomorrow (Sunday) so I'll have to leave by no later than 4:00. No problem, I think we'll have plenty of time.  I edited a little up there to give you an idea of what I'm thinking using the two heros.  But figured it would be easier to add the rest after we figure out exactly what we want to film and how we want to put it together.  Basically I'm thinking two storylines/perspectives.  ONe person going in from the train and the other going in from state st.  The one going in from state st would enter the popular library assuming that is the entire library and leave shortly after wondering why the building is so large - 'those must be offices or something, maybe lofts, down that long giant hallway'.  The person coming in from the train goes through the maze and encounters the rest of the library never seeing the popular library area, if they ever get out at all! :)  So one would be a short stint and the other would be longer.

 

Okay, I know this is looking ahead, but I think it might be fun to end with A trapped in the upstairs reading room/atrium wondering if they'll ever find a way back out.  :)  oooh this is gonna be fun.

 

Hey Nicole.  Cathy and I are are babysitting our upstairs daughter (age 2) and our daughter (22 months), so I'll get back to this around 8:30, after we get them both to bed

 

I love the Disney narrator idea.  I wonder if I could get my friend Dennis to narrate...he has one of those great benevolent Phil Hartman-like voices.  Anway, more soon.

 

 Nicole - Dennis sounds perfect!  Maybe there could even be two heros - so we could take a look at two people( us of course) making their way through the library.  That would be an interesting way to show different problems and maybe even good things.  I hope the girls get to bed okay - time for the commando kitty to get her insulin.