Blog

I am not a painter, a filmmaker, or a photographer. I do, however, think it’s hugely important to tell your own story. Tell it however you are able to.

Share to a wider audience with digital storytelling

Even if you don’t have a 12.3-megapixel camera phone, you do have access to a range of tools through the library.

Digitize your adventures to set the stage for your story

Check out one of our GoPro cameras to record your travels this summer. Read more about these ultra-portable cameras in this blog entry.

Chronicle an earlier time

Are family slides still lurking in the crawl space? You can convert those 35mm slides with our Wolverine Film-2-Digital slide scanner, also available for you to check out. My wife and I found this picture after digitizing boxes of old family slides. By uploading the photos to Flickr, they'll now be accessible from any computer. We just need to share a link and the whole family can relive those fashionable '70s moments.

Maybe you're trying to get rid of an old video tape collection, but don't know where to start. We may also have a tool for that. Borrow the VHS to DVD converter from the 3rd floor desk and see what you find that's worth saving.

Recorded with GoPro Hero3+ at the Des Plaines Community Bike Ride 2015.

Edited with iMovie and converted using the free website GIPHY.

Cut, edit, and remix

Want even more creative control of your digital recordings? Try out our new Apple MacBook Pro laptops with Adobe Creative Cloud -- now available for use within the library.

While you’re beaming your masterpiece up to YouTube, take a moment to remember that we all have the power to tell stories. Share your most defining moments and encourage others to share theirs.

Here are some tools to help with your photos, slides, audio or video projects. If you like to get creative and feel as if we’re missing the right tool for the job, please let us know!

Adobe Creative Cloud Macbooks

Setup your studio here at the library. These laptops have Adobe Creative Cloud in addition to Garage Band, iMovie, Keynote, Microsoft Office Suite and more. Talk to the 4th floor desk (they’ll also be available in the new Teen Commons.) You’ll need a valid library card and your photo ID to use one within the library.

Des Plaines Memory

Once you’re done digitizing, archive your own local history on Des Plaines Memory.  On The Street Where You Live, Work, and Play: Photo Project.

Lynda.com

The library allows you access to an enormous video tutorial library to help you master leading software in the comfort of your home. See our previous blog entry.

Gale Courses

Online courses on a wide range of topics including technology, computer applications, accounting, web design, healthcare and personal enrichment. New classes begin every month and last for six weeks.

Flickr and Google Photos

Flickr is a great online tool for storing and tagging a large collection of photos (you get 1GB free). Also try Google Photos which allows you unlimited free storage for all photos except super-HD. (Editors note: Flickr is much more restrictive in recent times, so user beware. May 2019)

Library Wi-Fi

The library’s fiber internet is amazingly fast at uploading photos to the cloud for backup storage. The high download speeds let you briskly retrieve your large images or video to edit.