CSLA 2021 #Memeoff Challenge #keepingitreal

 

This year's CSLA 2021 Conference Meme-Off Challenge is to use the hashtag #keepingitreal to show how you are #keepingitreal as a Librarian in this virtual environment.  For example, This sample is me wearing my book themed mask as I continue to work from campus. My mom makes masks and asks that recipients donate to Feeding America through her website.  Here are some suggestions for the challenge:  

• what does a librarian look like (you doing librarian things)
• your workspace at home or on campus 
• your book themed accessories and clothing
• items from your conference experience box, and how you are using them
• how you are putting your conference experience into action
• make a copy of the google slides template posted at the end of this article or make your own using your favorite meme generator
• post to twitter @4csla #memeoff #4csla #keepingitreal @hgruenthal 
• post to discord #hallway channel with the hashtag #keepingitreal
• you and your #furbabies in the discord #furbabies channel

What is a meme?

MUO, an online Tech Magazine does a good job of explaining what a meme is in their article, "What is a Meme? 10 Meme Examples" simply put, a meme is:

"A piece of media, often humorous, that spreads rapidly through the internet."

This meme clocks in at #7 on the top 10 memes list, and was all over the internet in 2019, which leads to our next point, how do you understand a meme?  Sometimes it's like an inside joke that only  makes sense to the group it is intended for.  When I saw the cat meme above, I had to look up what was the meaning? 

MUO says, " For an all-around reference on memes, we highly recommend checking out Know Your Meme. This encyclopedic site is dedicated to cataloging the origins, use, and examples of memes. It's a great place to learn how a meme started or see what's popular recently." According to TechSmith, article, "How to Make a Meme,"  "meme is short for the Greek word mimeme, meaning “imitated thing.”

Want to know about the most recent 2021 Bernie Sanders Mitten Meme?

What is not a meme?

The MUO article goes on to explain that many people often confuse an image with words on it as a meme.  A simple image with words is referred to as an "image macro," it doesn't become a meme unless it spreads across the internet on various social media sites such as reddit, twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. It can also be a viral video on YouTube or TikTok.  

A History of Memes

Digital Trends Online Magazine gives a good history of Memes in their article, "What is a Meme? Here's Everything you need to know," by Jon Martindale: "...its modern interpretation is considered by most to have been coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. He described the idea of a meme in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene as a cultural entity or idea that replicates, evolves, and is passed from person to person."

Here's an interesting video that gives a bit more on the history of Memes:

CSLA history of the Memeoff

It all started in February, 2016 at the CSLA "Doorways to Diversity" Conference at the Bahia Hotel in San Diego.  Katie McNamara, Marie Slim, and I were waiting in line for the CSLA Dance Party on the harbor cruise boat and noticing that there were two distinct groups waiting in line:  The CSLA conference members wearing their sensible shoes, and a bunch of 20 somethings there for the usual weekend clubbing decked out in their high heels and party clothes. 

#SensibleShoes was already trending on twitter since 2013, usually in reference to someone old but practical, and it seemed a perfect hashtag for our Twitter conference backchannel for #csla16.   

(link to tweet)

Thus, #sensibleshoes, the first memeoff for CSLA was born. 

(link to tweet)

(link to tweet)

Next, we just started tagging our librarian friends with #sensibleshoes and #csla16

And the #sensibleshoes meme was born:

(link to tweet)

2017 we were in Sonoma and you could earn a badge for posting your meme to twitter, so this time the #memeoff was officially on, thanks to Katie McNamara creating the badge system for the conference:

(link to tweet)

The theme of the memeoff came from our Keynote Speaker, Tiffany Whitehead, who encouraged librarians to "say YES!"

2018 took us to Yosemite where  #Librariansinthewild seemed appropriate.  You could get a badge for posting 2 memes!

(link to tweet)

(link to tweet)

To coordinate with the CSLA 2019 theme of dreams, the  #Memeoff was #csladreaming

(link to tweet)

Our 2020 Memeoff was themed after our fashion show, #booksandlooks:

(link to tweet) 

The amazing Fashion Show logo designed by Tommy Kovac, CSLA Southern Region 4 Representative)

The fashion show was Doree Tshudy's idea and featured Aunt Betty as our MC (Aunt of long time CSLA member Deborah Ford-Salyer).

(link to tweet)

(link to tweet)

This event deserves its own blog post to be fully appreciated.

And now back to the present...

How to make your own meme:

There's all kinds of meme generators available through the App Store and on the web, but a really free and easy way that I have used with students is to use Google Slides to create your image and download as a .jpg.

Here's how:

• Open a new blank google slide
• Delete text boxes
• Find a picture
• Insert image from computer or copy from Internet source. Photos that work best are Landscape.
• Resize image from corners to maintain aspect ratio, and cover the slide background completely with photo.  Move your photo until the portion you want is showing in the slide preview on the side panel
• This keeps your image from being stretched in the background
• Click on the picture
• Arrange order send to back
• Insert Word Art
• Type in text
• enter
• Change font to white (fill color bucket)
• Change font to impact
• Border Color Black
• Border Weight 3x
• File menu
• choose Download
• choose JPEG image from the list
• Make a Copy of my Template in Google Slides

You may now post your image anywhere.  It doesn't become a meme until its posted and shared, so go do the CSLA 2021 #memeoff challenge #4csla now!