Only a select group of scholars has access to the Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection of rare books, manuscripts and artifacts. But the library also hosts plays, concerts, exhibitions, lectures and educational programs for the general public in pursuit of its mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare’s writings and of the culture of early modern Europe. Now, staying in step with our evolving digital age, the library has added YouTube to its offerings.
The Folger has created a small library of short videos about its history, collections and programs. Offerings include a two-part, 20 minute introductory film about the Folger; a brief documentary about the library’s founders Henry and Emily Folger; and short film about teaching iambic pentameter to high school students. The library has also posted a series of clips featuring Jeffrey Forgeng, curator of arms and armor at the Higgins Armory Museum, giving a tour of the Folger’s current exhibition Now Thrive the Armorers: Arms and Armor in Shakespeare.
Amy Arden, a communications associate at the Folger, says, “We’re very excited to be out in Web 2.0 and look forward to producing more engaging and informative content – part of our mission is to make the collection (and programs) here accessible to a range of audiences in appropriate formats, and YouTube seems like a very fun way for us to support that.”
In all, the Folger has posted more than an hours worth of video clips. And this is not the library’s first foray into digital media. The Folger’s main website allows Interent users to listen to the “Shakespeare in American Life” radio documentary as well as podcasts about recent plays and exhibitions.
One Comment
We were excited to see your post on our venture into YouTube! We’re very pleased to launch into this community, and are so glad you found the content helpful. Stay tuned!
Amy Arden,
Folger Shakespeare Library