Meet…
11 December 2008
SLIS Student teams with SLIS Alumni in Innovative Digital Arts Lab
Carissa Purnell, who will graduate in 2009, collaborated with two of her colleagues at the John Steinbeck Branch of the Salinas Public Library System in the development of the Create Digital Arts Lab/Laboratorio de Artes Digitales
. Purnell teamed up with Senior Director
Don Gardner, a 2006 SLIS alumnus, and 2008 graduate
Bjorn Jones (photo on right) to develop this innovative and exciting addition to the library.
The state-of-the-art media lab was made possible by a generous gift from the Irvine Foundation at the recommendation of Board Member Judge Lydia Villareal and funding provided through Measure V. The idea for a media lab came from Library Director/SLIS Lecturer Elizabeth Martinez, based on her observations of trends regarding careers and societal interests. Prior to the development of the digital arts lab, SLIS Professor Anthony Bernier conducted a six-month study consisting of staff surveys and a series of teen focus groups.
The state-of-the-art media lab was made possible by a generous gift from a local judge, Lydia Villareal, who wanted to funds to be used for a digital development project, and funding provided through Measure V. Prior to the development of the digital arts lab, a series of teen focus groups was conducted under the direction of SLIS's Professor Anthony Bernier and Library Director / SLIS Lecturer Elizabeth Martinez. Some of the feedback gleaned from these focus groups helped inspire the idea for a media lab that would be responsive to the educational needs of teens in the community.
The media lab is equipped with new MacBook Pro desktop and iMac laptop computers, each of which includes digital editing software. Patrons use programs such as Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand to create their own digital arts projects. To help teens learn how to use these applications, the library has partnered with digital arts students from CSU Monterey Bay and Hartnell College to teach introductory courses.
The new lab is adjacent to a newly-renovated teen lounge that features a 52-inch plasma television with gaming capabilities on the Xbox 360 platforms. The lounge also offers comfortable seating areas and a growing graphic novel/manga collection to complement the library’s young adult fiction and classics.
The goals of the lab, according to Purnell, are to help teens and community members learn valuable skills that are transferable to professional situations and "to create a positive library experience to encourage a lifelong love of learning." She points out that the media lab is already seeing "regulars" who come in to work on their digital media projects. Teens who are in bands use the lab to create and enhance recordings of their music, and many use the software to develop videos as well.
Jones adds, "Digital art (in its many forms) has rapidly become a preferred method of communication. Our mission is to provide Salinas with the tools and info needed to create personal digital media expressions. We are excited to be working on this challenging goal. I can't think of a better job than helping people express themselves through digital art."
Purnell points out that while the lab is primarily attracting teens, it is available to all library patrons. "We’ve received a lot of community support," she says, which has led to many people hearing about the lab through word-of-mouth and coming in to see what it has to offer. She recently helped a grandmother use the lab’s equipment to download pictures of her grandchild, and assisted another adult in changing the music on his iPod.
One of the lab’s most popular and innovative features is its use of a green screen with Apple’s PhotoBooth software to create pictures with various backgrounds. At this year’s California Library Association conference, for example, participants were able to create pictures of themselves with Salinas native John Steinbeck against backdrops such as library shelves or Rome’s Coliseum.
To read more stories about our students and alumni, click here.
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