I know I’ve alluded to this before, but I’m not a natural techie. I wish I was, but no dice. They are so many fantastic applications out there, but new programs are just not as intuitive to me as they seem to be to others. In the end I am often intimidated by the learning curve or run out of time so I stick with what I know. However, since we were required to create something for this week’s module (well okay, last week’s, but I ran into some time management issues so I hope you’ll all forgive me), I decided to bite the bullet and create a Prezi. I’ve always enjoyed the effects of Prezis when other have used them in presentation and thought it might be a useful tool to master. So without further ado, here is my Prezi, which promotes VPL’s summer reading program (in a completely non-official capacity of course!):
Summer Reading Club – Promotional Prezi
It’s pretty basic, but now I’ve at least got a foundation and the next one will be better. If you struggle with mastering any sort of program I think it’s always better to start slow, learn the basics and walk away with confidence and instead of beating yourself up over what you couldn’t figure out.
As for the effectiveness of this Prezi in the provision of library services, I have mixed feelings. I like how dynamic and colourful it is, yet at the same time I wonder if patrons would be willing to sit through this presentation considering it is purely promotional and provides no specific information. A poster which they could glance at quickly, or maybe a glog, might be more practical for quickly promoting services such as the summer reading club.
So to sum up what I learned this week:
1) My first go at a Prezi was, in my eyes, a success, and while I might not use it within the library to promote the summer reading club I do think it’s a great platform for providing services which are more instructional in nature.
2) Social media programs, even the seemingly confusing ones, are just like anything else. Ultimately you just have to be willing to buckle down and put the time in and you will figure it out.
Anyone else find themselves faced with a steep learning curve? What tips and trick have you used to work through this?
4 responses to “Tackling Social Media Head On”