Libraries Promote Reading with StoryTubes
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By Jennifer Pinkowski -- School Library Journal, 07/09/2008
Funny accents, strange wigs, and spoiler-free plot summaries are the common elements in the winning videos made by contestants in StoryTubes, a new contest for kids that promotes reading—and new media skills—by capitalizing on the popularity of YouTube.
Sponsored by major publishers such as Simon and Schuster and Scholastic, in conjunction with regional public libraries in five regions across the country, the contest asks children in grades one through six to choose a favorite book and summarize it in a video less than two minutes long, then upload it to YouTube.com. The most creative and compelling videos are then posted on StoryTubes.info.
The winner in each of four categories ("Hair-Raising Tales," "Of and For the Heart," "Of Heroes and Heroines," and "Fads, Facts, and Phenoms") gets $500 in books, and their sponsoring organization—mostly school and children's libraries—receives $1,000 in books.
Developed by the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, IL, StoryTubes had its inaugural run in May. According to Faith Brautigam, director of youth services at Gail Borden, there were 160 entries, mostly from the Midwest. The StoryTubes Web site pages were viewed more than 150,000 times during the contest.
The contest returns next year in March. In preparation, "We really plan to build on the momentum generated from this year's contest," says Brautigam. "Many people contacted us about being involved. We very much want to keep that excitement percolating. On a practical level, we are beginning publicity much earlier and are exploring additional possibilities for taping sites, including public libraries and bookstores."
Visit the StoryTubes Web site for guidelines for helping kids select a book, make a video, and enter the contest, or to learn how to become a partner library for 2009. You can also find downloadable fliers to print out and post at your library.
