There’s No Place Like Home? YouTube and the National Library of Scotland

What is YouTube? “The Home for Video Online” - worldwide Upload, view and share video content instantly Millions of videos available 24/7 Create and engage with online communities Free, easy to use, accessible to all

Metadata required by YouTube Metadata that must be completed: –Video Info –Broadcast Options –Date and Map Options –Sharing Options Visual information ‘ taking over ’ from text No requirement to identify an ‘ author ’, only a user or film-maker ’ s channel

Responding to YouTube structure Creative or multiple use of metadata especially in the ‘title’ field, or simply linking to our own site Contextualising clip > title > collection Categories and tagging inadequate –Sites such as harvest metadata from YouTube, MySpace & Metacafe

User created metadata Make a good first impression so users respond Channels behave as the library in seeking out stakeholders or “friends” who will have an interest in this material. –Metadata appears to be better applied within social groups –The Archive has a wide base of contacts in the online community - a potential audience for a new service?

Editable metadata of YouTube:

The Road to Digitisation - Crossroads Ideally……. the entire national moving image collection is available to view online, and accessible by everyone. Practically there are roadblocks! –Cost –Content –Copyright

Roadblocks? Cost Encode from tape not original film stock Re-use encoded material from other projects (SCRAN, BBC, Films of Scotland full titles) Staff time – clip selection (training and encoding?) Project funding dictates the approach Outsource or in-house?

Roadblocks? Content Show the breadth and depth of the collection OR do we select what we think the users might want? Content itself can be a barrier as most film is still in copyright YouTube is still an ‘added extra’

Importance of copyright issues Current SSA HLF web clips project: experience of copyright dealings Roadblocks? Copyright

Public perception / reputation of YouTube –Trainspotters - “Bloody Hell!” –Anarchy Sensitive & personal material Orphan works Summary: it’s a minefield Roadblocks? Copyright

Presentation & Quality Every website we upload a moving image to is a ‘shop window’ to the National Library of Scotland. New technical specification created for NLS digitised moving image content - pilot project NLS ‘Scottish Screen Archive’ branding Investment of staff expertise to repair, store and preserve the original film should extend to best practice for encoded files

Rationale How do we present moving images to the viewer and does YouTube change this? –Objectively –Accurately –In context (part of a complete title, part of a National Collection)

Interaction Viewers can Comment, rate, subscribe, embed playlists, ‘warp’ Viewers can’t……. Embed the clips elsewhere* (blogs, wikis, web pages) Re-edit the content of the clip* Re-edit the metadata of the clip (tagging, description etc) *(unless the creator allows)

Click your heels three times… Metadata - braving the bearpit Management - controlling the floodgates Future thoughts –Users become broadcasters? –Increased demand for films online –Commercial vs Public Interest

Contact Us Ann Cameron, Librarian Enquiries and Access team New Scottish Screen Archive website with new clips live in March 2008 at