Make.Do.Tell. Offers Fun, Instructional Videos for Youth
It started out as a way for Librarian Samantha Edwards to continue her work with youth after the Kansas City Public Library’s physical locations closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I saw my coworkers start doing Facebook Live storytimes, and I thought it was great,” Edwards said. “There needed to be something for older kids past storytime age. Something that would get them engaged. I thought I would do what I do best and teach some kids how to draw comics.”
Edwards started posting her comics creation tutorials on the Central Youth Services Facebook page.
“The response was really good,” Edwards said. “The first two, we posted on Facebook and there were more than 1,000 views. The problem was it was mostly adults who were like, ‘This is a great idea.’ We wanted to find a way to put it on a platform where young people could find it.”
So the series moved to the Library’s Youth and Family Engagement YouTube page. Soon Edwards was joined by fellow librarians Kiesha Collins and Jamie Mayo. Collins hosted a series of videos on do-it-yourself STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) experiments. Mayo taught the basics of storytelling.The three came together under the umbrella of Make. Do. Tell.
offers tips on creating comics.
Jamie Mayo offers insight into storytelling.
Things progressed a little more slowly on YouTube. That page didn’t have a large pre-existing and engaged audience. But Edwards still thinks it was the right thing to do.
“We needed to reach kids directly,” she said. “They can’t have Facebook accounts, and they are already familiar with YouTube. It’s been slower, but the audience continues to grow. YouTube is the platform they use the most, and it’s so integrated into the vernacular.”
In fact, kids are so interested in YouTube that Edwards envisions the series expanding to teach content-creation once the Library can resume in-person classes. Until then, she is focused on keeping the Make.Do.Tell. content fresh and evolving to meet the needs of the audience.
The comics creation and storytelling courses have ended (although the videos remain available for viewing), but the STEAM experiments keep coming and videos on new topics are being added.
“We thought it would be great to highlight the interests and talents of everyone who works in Youth and Family Engagement,” Edwards said. “We had Claire (Hollander, the Central Library’s youth services manager) do an unboxing of an ant farm. We’ve done a paper airplane creation video. We are working on something that is food-based and a make-your own face mask program.”
While the series has grown, creating more content to appeal to a wider audience, Edwards remain heavily involved on the production side – with lots of help.
“Our VISTAS have been invaluable this summer in helping to get this going,” she said of the Library’s AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America program members. “And the staff and the equipment at the Library’s Digital Media Lab have been a great help as well.”
Even though Edwards’ comics series has ended, viewers might see her back in front of the camera at some point.
“I think maybe I would be interested in doing more general illustration as opposed to just comics,” she said. “Maybe we will do a drawing course at some point.”
Upcoming Make.Do.Tell. programs
KC Library Youth & Family Engagement on YouTube
Comics | STEAM | Story