I’m a great believer in the power of stories as a way to package information so that it actually reaches people and makes an impact. Digital technologies provide opportunities to package and share stories in innovative ways. How could libraries take advantage of the opportunities? This contest from TechSoup caught my eye… as just the sort of thing that might inspire us to explore this realm.
The TechSoup Digital Storytelling Event 2011 starts today. It includes webinars, discussions, and a contest to showcase digital stories (and win prizes!). You have a few weeks (January 13 – January 31) to enter a 1-minute video or 5-panel picture story that showcases your library’s mission and work. No production or storytelling experience is necessary. TechSoup will help with free webinars, tools, and strategies for creating your digital story, featuring leading nonprofit, media, and communications experts, as well as an event discussion forum where you can ask questions about creating your story. The Challenge website has details on how to submit and a list of the prizes. Sign-up for the free “Tools for Digital Storytelling” webinar that will be offered on January 20th to learn more.
Photo Credit: “What’s your digital story?” by Flickr user wfryer under a Creative Commons license.