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Library Videos Under the auspices of the British Council's Leipzig office a colleague and I have, over the last 4 years, been running intensive short courses in "Using English in the Library Profession" for German librarians - mostly in the former GDR but with some participants from the West. Over 130 students have so far passed through out hands, and more courses are planned for later this year and in 1999. Among other teaching aids, English-language videos are appreciated by students for their use of language and for the insight they can give into contemporary British libraries. The ones we have been using recently, however, are (a) showing their age or (b) derived from commercial sources rather than from libraries themselves. I am therefore looking for up-to-date replacements. I should be very grateful to hear from any library with a good video - especially of a general nature, e.g. "Introduction to the Library", but also of a training nature, general or specific - which would be willing for us to use the video in our courses. All types of library can be considered: we have had courses specifically for public librarians and for "research" libraries (academic etc.), but several students are from special libraries, library schools etc. The participants are, too, of all levels, from not-very-experienced library assistants to library directors (the interaction of different types of library and librarian is usually stimulating!). In-house productions (including those made with professional help) are probably more suitable than "commercial" training packages, though I would not rule these out; the sense of "real librarians really speaking the real language" can be quite powerful for our sometimes still-isolated students. Clear speech is very important (subtitles are useful too!), and simplicity of presentation is very desirable - as it usually is in such videos anyway. Our teaching programmes are not strongly profit-motivated, and it would not be possible for us to spend much on videos; but I hope someone "out there" will be able to help us, perhaps by allowing us to copy tapes. I look forward very much to hearing from you - preferably by e-mail in the first instance. Regards Peter Hoare PS. An article by me about our courses, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?", appeared in the German Studies Library Group Newsletter, no. 22 (July 1997), pp. 13-17. _____________________________________________________________________ Peter Hoare (HonFLA), 21 Oundle Drive, Wollaton Park, Nottingham NG8 1BN Tel/fax: 0115 978 5297 E-mail: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%