April 28, 2022
Chad Yocom, Director,
MPL-TV/MPW Cable Channel 5
I am excited about using state-of-the-art media engines to develop new ways to connect people with information. From the library, we are innovating modern gateways that support learning, offer literacy and local heritage, and enable all-ages access to diverse library services. Channel 5 has become so much more than a local cable channel as we have designed a smart TV app for Roku and AppleTV. We have created a portal to the channel available on the musserpubliclibrary.org website that is easy to view 24/7. We have implemented a Video on Demand (VOD) system that allows our content to be viewed anytime. Channel 5 is now available to anyone with an internet connection.
I am delighted about the community partnerships we are creating: Muscatine Historical Society, League of Women Voters, The Muscatine Journal and the Muscatine Arts Council, to name a few. We are able to create shows with remote guests and produce material that only 5 years ago would have required a team of 12 and a satellite truck. We have mounted a powerful camera 20 feet above the library roof that captures 360-degree real-time video of our beautiful downtown and the Mississippi River.
I am impassioned about our future. We are about to start a LIVE daily morning show in conjunction with The Wilton Public Library, we have a wonderful “Cinema Shark” (aka Dan Chapman) showcasing a weekly public movie for all to enjoy, and we are working with the Rev. Alex Kindred, who is a police chaplain, recording his ride-alongs with the MPD.
I am grateful for our ongoing programming, which includes “Tai Chi with Caleen,” “Preschool Storytime,” “Just From the Kitchen,” and many other shows. We currently have more than 1,100 programs available on VOD. Each week we average more than 10 new shows.
I am ardent about diving into the Musser Public Library photo archives and producing “A Peek Into The Past” with well researched information that brings beautiful, long forgotten photographs and historic imagery of Muscatine back to life.
I am confident in our leadership team and eager to fulfill this pioneering vision of extending into the digital era the arts that encourage people to think and talk about ethics and values, other cultures, history, art and poetry. All of these elements of culture are integral to Musser Public Library’s mission.