Transmedia and Mr. Morris Lessmore

It isn't often that an animated film about books gets any kind of attention. As bookaholics and library students you should know about the 2012 winner of an Oscar® for Best Animated Short film.

The Fantastic Flying Adventures of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a touching film about a man's adventures with books. The movie does not contain dialog but there is an expressive musical track.  If you haven't seen the movie take a look at the trailer.



You can watch the full authorized version of the movie on iTunes. There are bootleg versions in other locations. We all need to make a better effort to respect copyright. I won't link to those versions.

For me, the movie operates on many levels. I can appreciate it as a love poem to reading and traditional books. According to the producers of the film, it is also an homage to the great silent film start Buster Keaton. I can clearly seen Buster's spirit giving the okay on this honor.

Transmedia

It is also one of many growing examples of transmedia. Think of transmedia as a tree with many branches. You have your source material that can be extended with new content to other platforms.

This isn't new. Spiderman started out as a comic book. Then an animated series, a live action television show, a movie series and a theatrical show on Broadway.  This is the digital version of transmedia.

Mr. Morris Lessmore's adventures will be converted to a picture book based on the movie. There is a supporting iTunes application where users can explore the world of Mr. Morris Lessmore and interact with some of the characters.

What Does This Mean?

Well, it could mean that when you get a request for a book you might need to consider offering related content. There might be a physical book, a recording, and an app on Android, iOS or Windows smartphones and tables. (Trust me, there will be an Windows tablet.)

There could be a web site that supports the book or a fan community that is adding content to their shared experiences. Or an electronic book that is only located in the Nook, Kobo, Google or Kindles stores.

This is an extension of knowing your collection. Collections, as the trailer and movie demonstrate, have a life of their own.

Librarians in the Movies

Huffington Post 8/16/10
Librarians Save The Day! 11 Great Movies In Which They Star

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/16/librarians-save-the-day-1_n_672494.htm l

Penguin Books Amplified Version of Pillers of the Earth

In the library technology program there is an on-going challenge to define what is a book. The meaning is evolving. There are audio books, books in electronic form and now, according to Penguin Books, amplified versions that will continue to stretch the definition.



One thing to consider is the source material. The original book from author Ken Follett was made into a television series. The amplified book contains the original text of the book, photos and videos from the television show, a full music score and extras.

From a fan point of view this is terrific. There can be total immersion in the world of the story and the creation of the book and television program. From a writer/author point of view I think I'd start to freak out a little.

Is It Still A Book?

The original book is contained in the media presented so yes, it is still a book. For certain types of fiction this is going to be fantastic.

For other non-visual or more introspective types of fiction there is going to be increasing problems to convince a mainstream publisher to give those types of books a chance in the marketplace. Not every fiction book can lend itself to a television or movie version.

There are books that are truly a one-to-one type of communication. My concern is that those books will not easily be printed or digitized.

What then? How will those books be published and by whom? Can print and electronic books co-exist or are there more changes to come. Stay tuned.

More Library Whimsy - Librarians Do Gaga

Catalogers have got the beat. Yes, Lady Gaga influence has hit the reference zone. This is a bit of fun from the University of Washington's Information School.



Sarah Watcher has got the skivvy on how the video came together. You can also get the lyrics to the song on her blog. Sarah will be getting her masters in library and information science in June of 2010.

Dispatches From A Public Librarian At McSweeney's

McSweeney's is a literary publisher. Kinda. McSweeney's is a seeker of crafted literary voices. Sort of. McSweeney's is a word lovers warm fuzzy blanket with threads that can take you anywhere. Ok, McSweeney's is very hard to describe. It is a wonderful place for people who love language.

In this case you should check out Scott Douglass and Dispatches from A Public Library. Real librarian with a literary twist. In his dispatches sometimes Scott uses a Twitter format to report the doings in the library.

Here is an example from Dispatch #32

Patron wants to know why our computer won't let him log into e-mail. Ask what his e-mail address is. He can't remember.

Sometimes it is a narrative on the Patron on the Week:

Some patrons you can just tell are going to be crazy. Clemens, a homeless man in drag who came into the library this week, saved me from guessing and told me right when he walked in: "My name's Clemens. I'm crazy and want to use a computer." To seal the deal, he extended his hand to shake.

It is the stories, the challenges and how he sees his patrons as a source of never ending material defining the human experience. He doesn't necessarily make fun of these folks but the humor of the situations he faces is amazing.

For me there is Ms. Haskell. I can think of several older patrons I get a kick out of, but I knew Ms. Haskell was special the first day I met her; she asked for the dictionary ... on audiotape. Not an abridged version, or a "500 Power Words Everyone Should Know"—not even a collegiate dictionary would do. She had it all scribbled out on a stained napkin, which she proudly dangled in front of my eyes: "OED Dictionary on audiotape." When I said no, we did not have that, she said, "Well, compact disc will have to do then." That was my first encounter with her, and all the encounters that followed were also about audiotapes.

When you finish with Scott make a little time to visit the rest of McSweeney's.

Bringing Shakespeare to Life

Check out the front page of this week's edition of the PCC Courier (Thursday, September 24, 2009) for the "Shakespeare in the street" article. Currently, this article is not online so you'll have to pick up an actual copy of the Courier to read it. I'm still including a link in case it is put online at a later date. While it may not be library related, I was told it is literary and PCC related. And as a current student at PCC and participant in this performance, I should share my experience.

While my main focus of study is library science at the moment, I've been indulging in my love of theatre arts since last spring. It was hard to pass up the chance to be involved in this unique performance of Shakespeare short scenes done in the intersection of Raymond Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena last Saturday evening. (This was in conjunction with the Armory Center for the Arts' 20th Anniversary Celebration-Installations Inside/Out (Jane Mulfinger: Autonomony is No Longer Possible or Interesting.) In the middle of the street, I'm sure you asking yourself. Yes, in the middle of the street! Though we rehearsed for a few weeks at PCC in the Little Theater and the parking structures, nothing could really prepare us for performing in the crosswalk as we never rehearsed there. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. One of the reasons I was excited about doing this is I was able to incorporate American Sign Language while saying my lines as well most of the time. Being a part of an innovative theater performance doing Shakespeare was definitely a chance of a lifetime. Originally, I figured it was great that it was just a one time deal since it wouldn't take up a lot of time but after our performance was done, I was saddened that we probably wouldn't be doing it again. Keeping fingers crossed since there may be a chance that we do it again in the future as our main organizer is hoping we will.

We did two runs (a full one and a shortened version) of our program which consisted of 21 shorts from short scenes of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer's Night Dream along with sililoquies and phone monologues. It was fun getting to play different parts from Adriana of The Comedy of Errors, a witch from Macbeth, Gwendolyn from Hamlet and more all in one evening.

Any chance to bring literature to life is wonderful. I think that may be why I'm so drawn to the possibility of becoming a children's librarian. One has a perfect excuse to read or quote outloud and bring wonderful stories to life however you can.

Library Video Love from Detrimental Information

The first time I saw this gentleman perform I was sitting in the front row with a roomful of videobloggers. Half of us were laughing so hard we were gasping for oxygen and the other half were just stunned.

The second time I actually met him in person and I probably said more stupid things in front of him than I have in a lifetime. I could have been more tactful but you live and you learn. So here is a long distance amends with a thumping beat.



John is a gifted storyteller and performer. This is one of his more accessible works where he is riffing on his love of libraries. He will take you places you didn't expect to go.

If you want to see more of his work you can visit his blog/vlog at Detrimental Information or cruise through his YouTube page.

How can I say this. From an auditory standpoint his other work is not necessarily safe for work. I'm not talking about so-called bad words. It is more the images he can put in your head that you will spend time reviewing or expelling. He's that good.

Citricon - Library Defender

From the other OC in Orlando, Florida comes Citricon: Library Defender. This is a video game that you can play online at the Orange County (Orlando) Library System.



The game is simple. Space Aliens have absconded with items from the library. Your job? Get them back without getting yourself whacked in the process. All you need is a keyboard and some time to waste, preferable on the job (library employers please disregard that last sentence).

Oh and perhaps an updated copy of Flash installed on your browser. Ready to save the printed word? Visit http://www.ocls.info/citricon