opportunities in podcasting for libraries metro workshop july 17, 2006 kathryn shaughnessy...

Opportunities in Podcasting for Libraries

METRO Workshop

July 17, 2006

Kathryn Shaughnessy

Instructional Services Librarian

Podcasts: History & Overview

A podcast is…

A growing method of delivering audio information– Time-shifted– Place-shifted

• An informational “broadcast” saved as an audio file (mp3) and distributed via the web (strictly speaking via RSS)

• Listeners download/listen at their convenience via desktop/laptop or on a personal player


Podcasting timeline…

• August 2004: “iPodders” search for a way to retrieve old blogs and audiofiles – develop RSS (Winer) and podcast software (Curry)

• July 2005: iTunes supports/distributes podcasts, get 1 million subscribers in first 2 days

• August 2005: 8,000 podcasts, 6 million listeners

• December 2005: Podcast selected as “Word of the Year” by editors of New Oxford American Dictionary: "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player"

• January 2006: iTunesU offers “free” courseware distribution

Hobson and Holtz Report, 8/4/2005 http://forimmediaterelease.biz/index.php/weblog/2005/08/05/ )Oxford University Press, US website, http://www.oup.com/us/brochure/NOAD_podcast/?view=usa


Podcasting evolution …

• Personal / information sharing

• Business applications

• Religious groups

• Education & Distributed Learning


Noted benefits of podcasts in learning/instruction

• playback of difficult content/material

• multiple repetitions for listeners who have difficulty with English

• allows for review/enjoyment of materials while multitasking (e.g.: commuting or exercising).

• inspired creation of podcasts among listeners

• increased “frequency and depth” of learner interaction, especially in language & music

• increased communication between users, library and IT; led to improved collaboration and planning, both within & among institutions.

Duke Report, 2004 - 2005

Current Uses of Podcast Resources

Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford & Princeton)


– Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford & Princeton)


Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford & Princeton)


– Patron Instruction / Orientation (Drexel)


– Community News (U. of Western Ontario)


Outreach to potential students/users/members (Peterson’s)


– Scholarly Communication (U. of Florida)


Audio tours (Purdue)


CE / Professional Development (LOC, LIS radio, InfoSpeak)

Finding External Podcast Resources

Finding New Podcast Resources:

– Podcast Directories

– List-servs

– Blogs and your favorite websites

– Suggestions from others


Directories• A Google search for “podcast Directory” yields biggest directories,

with search menus


Directories iTunes

iTunes music store podcasts education


Directories yahoo

Browse by popularity or by categories


Directories podcast.net

Browse by popularity, categories or use the keyword search


Directories PodZinger

Searches for words by scanning content within all podcasts,

(note “Science Update” subset)




– List-servs




Listservs

ex: Bibliocasting• http://mail.asis.org/pipermail/asis-l/2005-April/001977.html

• Archive at http://iis.syr.edu/archive/bibliocasting/

Podcasts as Library Resources



– List-servs




Blogs and your favorite websites will alert you about podcast trends and where podcasts are showing up!

• 2005 was the year of the podcast


RSS syndication

• Because podcasts are “digi-born” and are generally posted on webpages or syndicated through blogs, one of the the best ways to keep track of new podcast resources is by using RSS feeds to monitor blogs and websites

Utilizing RSS requires • choosing an RSS reader

– free or fee-based– Desktop or web-based

• inputting RSS feeds

Investment of time: – to learn the aggregator– to build up *your* collection of sites/feeds– to weed out less-helpful sites over time


Practical Questions about using RSS for podcasts:

Choosing an RSS reader

• FeedReader free, client-based, Open Source (http://www.feedreader.com/)

• MyYahoo & GoogleReader Browser-based

• Newsgator (www.Newsgator.com)

• Bloglines (www.bloglines.com)

• Directory of readers is available through dmoz: http://dmoz.org/Reference/Libraries/Library_and_Information_Science/Technical_Services/Cataloguing/Metadata/RDF/Applications/RSS/News_Readers/

For more details on RSS in METRO libraries see Michele Misner’s METRO presentation WebSIG, and the handout on RSS


Practical Questions about using RSS for podcasts:


Podcast Resources: Choosing an RSS Reader Feedreader


Podcast Resources: Choosing an RSS Reader GoogleReader


Podcast Resources: Choosing an RSS Reader NewsGator

Newsgator allows you to download the podcast in their compatible “FeedStation player” or you can right-click and “save-as”

Add to my podcasts


RSS for Podcasts & Professional Development in Libraries

• RSS feeds from Professional Associations:ACRLog: http://acrlblog.org/index.php?feed=rss2

• RSS feeds from Professional Journal-BlogsLibrary Journal Tech Blog: http://www.libraryjournal.com/LJTechblog.xml

• RSS feeds from other practicing librariansStephen Bell (Academic) : http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/atom.xml

• RSS feeds from Vendors/InnovatorsOCLC Lorcan Blog: http://orweblog.oclc.org/index.xml

Stephen’s Lighthouse: http://stephenslighthouse.sirsi.com/index.rdf




– List-servs


– Suggestions from others• Users• Other librarians• Subject experts/ co-workers/ faculty• Collaborate in a wiki!

http://podcastresources.pbwiki.com


Smithsonian Institute: Freer/Sackler: http://www.asia.si.edu/podcasts/default.htmFONZ: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/conservationandscience/migratorybirds/podcast/Hirshhorn http://hirshhorn.si.edu/programs/podcast_FAQ.html

Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/results.php?cat=2&mode=a

FirstGov http://firstgov.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/Libraries/Podcasts.shtml

OYEZ Supreme Court Podcasts http://www.oyez.org/podcast/

WhiteHouse Radio Addresses: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/radio/

NASA http://science.nasa.gov/podcast.htm

AAAS Science podcast http://www.sciencemag.org/about/podcast.dtl

UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/video_podcast.html

BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/

NPR http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

For more see the handout & wiki

Creating Internal Podcasts

Creating New Podcast Resources:

In addition to compiling and indexing lecture podcasts as reference tools, some libraries are leading the way with demonstrating how podcasts can be used to enhance work, school and research environments

• offering virtual tours and audio guides for patron instruction• recording guest lectures• promoting services, news and community events


“Programming” Podcasts captured by the St. John’s Libraries

– Poetry Readings: Poets Maria Mazziotti Gillan & Jane Augustine; Graduate Poetry Class reading/final exam

– Author visit: Richard Vetere “Third Miracle”

– Guest Lectures: Italian Consul General and diplomat, Minister Antonio Bandini on “Italy and World Diplomacy” and McKeever Chair, Paul Lauritzen’s Lecture on “The Commodification of Education”

– Student essay winners, e.g.: Service Learning Essay

– Title III Project: Colloquia & meetings


Instruction-related Podcasts

– Audio Tours: of physical library & library website

– Database Tutorials: Audio guide to supplement current online and paper-based tutorials

– Distributed Learning: Greetings from director, Orientation to using CMS, Intranet and/or information portal; Podcasts of instructional workshops, for patrons who cannot attend during instruction sessions

– Professional Development: Podcasts of professional / association meetings; podcast of information sessions for fellow faculty/staff; Continuing Education lectures/workshops


Practical Questions for creating podcasts:

– Investment of Money:• Computer (Laptop or Desktop)• Audio editing software (Audacity = free)• good microphone ($50)• headphone equipment ($40 - $60)

Can record using a Laptop with Mic or purchase a digital Voice recorder ($40 – 80)to use with or without a lapel mic ($25)

(see equipment handout for more information)


Practical Questions for creating podcasts:

– Investment of time:

• learning editing software -- not long to learn basics of Audacity

• editing -- this takes the most time, if lengthy session

• annotations – depending on how/whether you want to make it easy for your users to preview or skip to point within a podcast

• Adding metadata – not long, but important

• Uploading – not long


Practical Questions for creating podcasts: Audacity interface


Technical Questions:

– How many files/downloads can the server handle?• 8 minute podcast, saved bit rate 64

size: 7 MB

time to download on T1: 10 seconds• 70 minute lecture, saved bit rate 64

size: 28 MB

time to download on T1: 22 second

– How do we index / store / retrieve?

– How do we handle preservation/archiving of files


Legal Questions:

– Release form for electronic recording• Library developed one, should have it approved by

counsel

– Clarify extent of distribution to lecturer• On main website: available to all• CMS or intranet: Although password protected, once in

digital format, it is relatively easy to duplicate.


Legal Questions: • Incorporating “PodSafe / Creative Commons” music

Using Podcasts as Library Resources

• Strengths of using external/internal podcasts:

– facilitates development of information literacy and life-long learning

– enriches primary-resource reference base

– coach vs. sage – facilitating/motivating individual learner inquiry and peer discussion

– engages different styles of learning

– assists low-vision and ESL patrons

Using Podcasts as Library Resources

Some Recent coverage of Podcasting in instruction

• Chronicle of Higher Education: “Lectures on the Go” (10/28/2005) http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i10/10a03901.htm (Subscription req’d)and “Apple Releases Free 'iTunes U' Software to Colleges for Coursecasting “ (01/25/2006) Accessible for free. http://chronicle.com/free/2006/01/2006012501t.htm

• Duke University. “Duke University iPod First Year experience evaluation Report” (June 2005) Accessible electronically http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf

• US News & World Report. (From the 10/17/05 print issue)http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/articles/051017/17elearn.htm

• Computers in Libraries. “Blogging Is So Last Year-Now Podcasting Is Hot” Janet L Balas. (Nov/Dec 2005)

• Educause Cover article on Podcasting (December 2005) http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0561.pdf

The Future of Podcasts as Library Resources

Podcasting, co-operation and future trends in libraries

– Academic libraries

– School libraries

– Public libraries

– Special libraries

– Corporate libraries

– Archives

Collaborating on Podcasts as Library Resources

Podcasting at St. John’s Libraries…so far

http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/podcast.sju

http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/resources/podcasts

Please contact me with any questions/suggestions– Kathryn Shaughnessy, x1454

[email protected]

St. John’s University Library

opportunities in podcasting for libraries metro workshop july 17, 2006 kathryn shaughnessy...

Documents

new podcast resources

external podcast resources

infospeak slide

florida slide

personal player slide

podcast software curry

benefits of podcasts

lis radio