Media Center @ Citizens Library
The Washington County Library System believes in inspiring lifelong learning, and advancing knowledge. The Media Center @Citizens Library allows County residents to share their knowledge with the world by creating educational videos and Podcasts on subjects that they can then share with the world.
The Media Center is an audio and visual studio that gives members of the community the chance to make their own video and audio recordings. Paid for by an LSTA grant in 2016 written by the Washington County Library System, the Media Center is open to everyone.
One Button Studio (Video Recordings)
The One Button Studio is based on a design created by Penn State to allow students to practice presentations without a need to find someone to help set up and run equipment. Users of the studio need to only insert a flash drive and press a silver button to begin a countdown to their recording. To end the recording, the button only needs to be pressed again. This will send the video file to their flash drive, for them to take home and review.
More advanced users are welcome to take advantage of the green screen functionality. The green screen is controlled by a switch on the wall and can be set as a green or blue light. The color chosen should not match any of the items in front of the camera that you want to be able to see (such as clothing). The green screen background will be added post production through a program such as iMovie. If desired, a projector is available for demonstrations.
This studio has been used to record local talk shows, original plays, presentations, YouTube instructional videos and job interview practices.
Audio Recording Studio
The Audio Recording Studio allows users to create and edit their own sound files (such as mp3s). It consists of 3 microphones, 1 that is designed to operate best in the vocal ranges, and 2 that are optimized to be used with instruments. These microphones feed into a mixer, which allows the user to control sound levels of various microphones before it enters the computer to be saved as a sound file. There is also a keyboard available to the users.
This studio has been used to record original songs by local musicians as well as Podcasts.
Call 724-222-2400x261 or email kpien@citlib.org to reserve the room.
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, Governor.