Yavapai College Library wins social media with two video awards
For years, Yavapai College’s Library staff has distinguished itself as passionate professionals who imaginatively promote literature and art. But their reputation has stayed mostly between the stacks. Until now.
The 42nd Annual Telly Awards, a national organization honoring video excellence, named the Yavapai College Library as Silver and Bronze award recipients for their two-minute social media video, Living Art.
“We wanted to do something that brought people joy to the point they would share it with their circle.” Library Director Michael Byrnes said. “With this specific video, our aim was to spark curiosity with the library’s art collection.”
Created in 2019 as an homage to National Art Day, Living Art features Byrnes, Library Specialist Ginney Bilbray, and Tech Services Manager Ustadza White as well as staffers Amber Lillie, Courtney Comstock, Shelly Gilliam, James Rider and Clark White. The crew re-enacts iconic paintings, from Toulouse-Lautrec to René Magritte to Paul Cézanne to Andy Warhol.
Byrnes says it was a team effort. “Ustadza storyboarded it. Her, Ginney and Amber reviewed pictures from our art books.” He said. “Ginney assessed it from a makeup perspective, and what an amazing job she did to get us all to look the part!” Rider and White took turns filming, with White editing the final cut.
Living Art won two awards – a Silver Telly for Social Media/General Education & Discovery and a Bronze Telly for Social Media/General Not for Profit. The video is just one of many clever ways the YC Library Staff celebrates cultural literacy, including their “Blind Date with a Book” Service, their self-composed “Librarians Magazine,” and their multiple movie “Binge Boxes” with relatable themes (“Don’t Travel with Tom Hanks!”)
