Stop by the Library for iStopMotion Education

At St. Joseph County Library in South Bend, Indiana, patrons are able to experience much more than just traditional book rentals when they stop by for a visit. Studio 304, a digital media lab located within the library, comes fully equipped with the necessary tools and technology to produce print, audio and video projects, and is accessible to all library cardholders age 14 years and older.

Among the many programs and applications available at Studio 304 is iStopMotion for iPad, used during the library’s Animation Bootcamp in March 2015 and twice over the summer during Super Animation Workshops held in July and August. These classes allow imaginative animators to bring their ideas to life without being bogged down by complicated, abstract technology.

These sessions at the library typically last for two hours, including a half hour introduction and instruction at the beginning and a half hour wrap up at the end. For the hour that participants have to accomplish the majority of their work, they operate independently (or alongside friends) with minimal assistance from the library staff.

Studio 304 staff member, Mel, comments, “Participants are content to experiment and learn on their own – a testament to iStopMotion’s intuitive and user-friendly design, I would say!”

Participants’ videos produced in the Super Animation Workshop are put on YouTube and the video with the most likes wins the class contest. Check out winner Lauren’s video from the August session above!

We love how St. Joseph County Library has adapted to the changing needs of their patrons, creating an efficient, inspiring community space for the growth and sharing of ideas. For more information on the classes and facility you can visit their website, here.