Meet the Robots! - The New Media Center has relocated!

The New Media Center (NMC) has been relocated to the lower level of the American University Library and is open for business! The New Media Center has merged with Media Services former Digital Media Studio suites and as a result, there are 22 Mac workstations available for students, faculty, and staff to work on not-for-profit multimedia projects!
The following are a few changes that should be noted and are intended to improve the accessibility of the space, the AV equipment loan procedures, and the effectiveness of our software training.

1. Probably the most substantial change is our implementation of a training calendar that insures that the major multimedia production applications (Final Cut Pro X, FCP 7, Photoshop, and iMovie) will be taught repeatedly and often. We feel this will best serve all students with multimedia projects whether it's the beginning, middle, or end of the semester. This change means we won't be providing on-demand training for individual classes but we're confident that students will have even more opportunities to learn the basics. Rest assured that the lab consultants will continue to provide ad hoc instruction on an individual basis and will assist students in accessing online Lynda tutorials. We will also be providing workshops on many other applications (e.g. Flash, podcasting, animation, sound design) though less frequently. The bottom line is that we're committed to meeting the needs of the AU faculty, students, and staff; and since this training approach is a departure from the past policy we encourage your input on how we can tailor it to meet the needs of our users.

Here's a link to the Fall training schedule:

2. It's no longer necessary for faculty to submit a Faculty Services Request form or students to petition to use the NMC. We feel that there are enough computers available (22) to have a more open policy. We expect there will be times during the semester when there's a wait list and we will work with other campus labs to insure that all students get the access they need without overburdening any given lab.

3. NMC hours will be longer and overnight access is available by reservation.

4. Standard equipment loan periods have been extended from one-day to three-days. Video and still cameras, tripods, and audio recorders now circulate from the Media Services desk.

We are all excited to see what the coming year holds for the New Media Center and look forward to assisting you with your projects.

Each of our 22 workstations has been named after a well-known robot. You’ll know them by their unique desktops created by NMC lab consultants.

Here they are:

Must-see animation: Bayeux Tapestry (2009)

A simple concept done to perfection. The Battle of Hastings as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry with sound effects.

link


The producers, Potion Graphics, also came up with this entertaining short, Fear with Alfred Hitchcock.

The Understanding 9/11 Television News Archive has Launched!

A blog from the collections team at www.archive.org recently announced the launch of Understanding 9/11: A Television News Archive. It's basically a library of news coverage of the events surrounding 9/11 from both the U.S. and international broadcasts from all around the world. This resource for scholars, journalists and the public, the library presents one week (3,000 hours from 20 channels over 7 days) of news broadcasts for study, research and analysis, with select analysis by scholars. It's quite impressive. Check it out.

Also, see what AU School of Communication Professor and Director of the Center for Social Media, Pat Aufderheide had to say in her contribution to the archive entitled, Therapeutic Patriotism and Beyond.

Happy Birthday Tim Burton!!

It's Tim Burton's birthday! Check out some of these titles available for check out from the Media Services Home Use Collection.

9 - HU DVD 7049
Alice in Wonderland – HU DVD 7719
Alice in Wonderland – HU BLU-RAY 7719
Batman – HU DVD 4701
Batman Returns – HU DVD 4702
Big Fish – HU DVD 4712
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – HU DVD 7094
Edward Scissorhands – HU DVD 3928
Ed Wood – HU DVD 1006
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure – HU DVD 6516
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – HU DVD 4111
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – HU DVD 4711

Steve Jobs Steps Down

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, who almost single-handedly changed the way people around the world consume music, the Internet and even TV, announced late Wednesday that he has resigned as leader of the company he co-founded in his parents’ garage.
Read more from the Washington Post article.

See what his successor Tim Cook has to say here.

Media Services Survives the East Coast Earthquake

That's right Media Services is still standing after yesterday's east coast earthquake. The media shelves wobbled, but no DVDs fell off the shelves. Like most everyone else we were watching people's first responses on Twitter. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @aulibmedia.

Also, here's a list of some earthquake-related videos available in Media Services. There are not many in our Home Use Collection, but there are quite a few streaming videos that you can watch anywhere. Remember, the Media Services Only videos must be watched here in Media Services, unless you are AU faculty. If you are AU faculty, you can check them out and take them to class or take them home to preview them.

HOME USE
Tangshan Dadizhen = Aftershock – HU DVD 8698

MEDIA SERVICES ONLY
The Great Train Robbery and Other Primary Works – DVD 551
Shorts! 15 Award-winning Film Festival Shorts – DVD 5131
Zendegi Va Digar Hich = Life and Nothing More – DVD 8247

STREAMING VIDEO
Anatomy of an Earthquake – Streaming video
Army Pack Train Bringing Supplies – Streaming video
Essence of Being Japanese – Streaming video
Exploded Gas Tanks, U.S. Mint, Emporium and Spreckels Bld'g – Streaming video
Living with the Earth: The Loma Prieta Earthquake – Streaming video
Quake – DVD 7168 and streaming video
San Francisco Earthquake – Streaming video
Scenes in San Francisco, [no. 1] – Streaming video
Torre Mayor, Mexico City – Streaming video
Tsunami – Streaming video

Life Imitates Art: Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' Invalidates Apple's Design Patent On The iPad, Says Samsung

link

Media Services is hiring! Two part-time desk attendant positions available.

That's right, Media Services is hiring to fill a few of our open shifts. All you need to do is apply online by going to the Student Jobs page.

Media Services Desk Attendant Open Shifts:
Mondays: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tuesdays: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Thursdays: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Fridays: 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Saturdays: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Saturdays: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Media Services is hiring to fill these shifts, and these shifts only. If you are unavailable to work three of the shifts above, don't apply now, try us again before Spring Semester 2012.

Media Services Desk Attendant Position Description:
The primary responsibility of this position is to support faculty use of the media collection in teaching. Therefore, the Media Services Desk Attendant must display a customer service-oriented attitude, pay strong attention to detail, and posses superior communication skills (both in-person and on the phone) as they make reservations, retrieve media, set up classroom screenings, and assist with equipment usage.

Desk attendants must use the same level of professionalism with students as they make overnight and daily New Media Center reservations, log patrons into the NMC workstations, provide assistance with software applications in the NMC, and assist with equipment usage. The Desk Attendant will be required to have a developing knowledge of the creative software offered in the New Media Center; and paid supplementary software training sessions will be made available to them. Additional duties include providing service desk coverage; responding to library informational or directional questions in person or over the telephone; and performing additional duties as assigned.