Learning and Creative Uses of Film Archives in the 21st Century

Learning in the 21st Century 

The way people learn has evolved tremendously since the simple days of learning information in a one-room schoolhouse in the 19th century, yet how much has really changed with the way information is taught and learned today? “Learning is much more than accessing content” (Oblinger). With the advent of the internet and social media, information is out there and accessible at an exponential rate. We need the proper skills, tools, and training to be able to synthesize information effectively and quickly to keep up with the flow. In his book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Harari takes a deep look at education systems and their immediate need to be revamped. “Too many schools focus on cramming information into kids’ brains” (Harari 264). Schools focus too much on learning actual information and making students memorize dates and facts for tests instead of learning important life concepts and foundations that will be useful when they are older. Oblinger furthers this notion by sharing life-long skills such as the “ability to think critically and solve complex problems, work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and pursue self-directed learning or metacognition.” (2020) These are the skills necessary to advance in the 21st Century. Oblinger stresses the importance of lifelong learning to survive but Harari wonders if humans will be able to endure the stress of learning new technology and skillsets every few years over a lifetime (Harari 32). Parker’s (2013) interview with John Seely Brown, co-chairman of the Silicon Valley-based Deloitte Center for the Edge, found that skills only have half their use every five years which means a skill will become completely obsolete in ten years. In order to stay ahead, one must be constantly seeking new skills and following the trends. More than ever, people have been going to libraries for life & career advice and skills which has led information professionals to “become the help desk for the community” (Kenney). It is not just about helping people find information anymore, the role involves mastering technology to be able to teach and help others. This is the trend for librarians and information professionals.

Creative Uses of Film Archives in the 21st Century

Latsis and Ingravalle analyze the innovative work of several film archivists in Guest Editors’ Foreword: Digital Humanities and/in Film Archives which help give insight into how people can use and access the assets of film archives. Shane O’Sullivan promotes the use of film archives for student video essays; ‪María Antonia Vélez-Serna wants people to reassess film archive assets, such as microfilm, and consider archiving materials that were once considered low-quality as bad quality may be better than nothing; Paolo Simoni uses geolocation to create film databases based on where films were shot which may increase use; Lindsay Kistler Mattock studies a film’s crew, exhibitors, and audiences instead of documenting its known assets; and Simona Monizza uses historical short films to screen neglected art in theatrical settings to gain funding for digital preservation (Latsis & Ingravalle). The work of these and many other film archivists help show innovation in the field that promotes the use of learning and technology in the 21st Century. Their work gives users of film archives creative ways to use their materials, use even more metadata, keywords, and geolocation information to promote findability and showcase rare and unknown works to promote art and the spread of knowledge.

References:

Harari, Y. N. (2018). 21 lessons for the 21st century. Spiegal & Grau.

Kenney, B. (2015). Where reference fits in the modern library. 262(37). http://search.proquest.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/trade-journals/where-reference-fits-modern-library/docview/1712837050/se-2?accountid=10361

Latsis, D., & Ingravalle, G. (2017). Guest editors’ foreword: digital humanities and/in film archives. 17(xi+). https://link-gale-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/apps/doc/A545622548/AONE?u=csusj&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=7f4f0162

Oblinger, D. (2010, October 7). A commitment to learning: Attention, engagement, and the next generation. EDUCAUSE Review. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2010/10/a-commitment-to-learning-attention-engagement-and-the-next-generation

Parker, A. (2013, April 8). John Seely Brown. Association for Talent Development. https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/john-seely-brown