PODCASTING IN LIBRARIES

LIS 753August 12, 2006

Presented by: Beth Berlin

Chris Fanning Juliette Loebl Katy Tucker

WHAT IS A PODCAST?The Plain Language

Podcasting is generally analogous to a recorded television or radio show

Consumers subscribe to the shows they prefer, and listen to them either on their home computer or on a personal mobile device such as an iPod

The podcast makes newscasters of us all, like blogs made publishers of us all

WHAT IS A PODCAST?The Technical Version

A podcast is a method of distributing audio or video files over the Internet for playback on a computer or some personal mobile device such as, but by no means limited to, Apple’s Ipod. The audio or video file is posted to a publicly available webserver and added to the provider’s RSS or Atom feedThe consumer enters the feed URL into a “podcatcher” or aggregator, such as Apple’s ITunes.The podcatcher checks for new updates to the feeds and downloads them to the user’s computer

PODCAST HISTORYAudioblogging

Concept developed in 2000 by software developer and RSS author Dave WinerIncluded the functionality for “audioblogging” in RSS 0.92Relatively few users at firstAfter the 2003 Bloggercon weblogger convention, an RSStoIPod script was developedThe idea exploded after that, with several different groups creating software

PODCAST HISTORYPodcasting Popularization

In 2005, audio talk show producer Carl Franklin started the first official podcast production company, Pwop Productions

In March 2005, John Edwards became the first national-level US politician to create his own podcast;

Later, the White House added an RSS 2.0 feed of the President’s weekly radio addresses

PODCAST HISTORY CONTINUEDPodcasting Popularization

Not until June 2005 did Apple get involved, adding podcasting to iTunes 4.9 and adding a directory of podcasts to the iTunes Music StoreThe first podcast to charge for downloads was “The Ricky Gervais Show” in 2006; this podcast was also deemed most popular podcast by the Guiness Book of World Records with an average of over a quarter of a million downloads per weekly episode.

How Can Libraries Utilize Podcasts?

Many of these ideas are interchangeable among different library “types”

Academic LibrariesLibrary Tours

Database Tutorials

Recordings of Library Events and Lectures from guest speakers

Introductions to Library Staff – including explanations of what they do

Highlight certain areas of the collection – bring them to life

Bibliographic Instruction

Academic LibrariesIT Staff can offer explanations of new software and discuss computer safety and security Podcasts of course materials and lectures (to go along with reserve material, special readings, etc) Students studying abroad can provide updates on their research and experiencesProjects relating to specials celebration "months" (Black History, Women's History, Hispanic Culture, Gay Pride, etc.)

Public Libraries

A “radio show” for the library

Illustrate local history and standouts from special collections or archives

Discussions and explanations of artwork hanging in library (a showcase of modern art/artists)

Interviews with local authors and historians

Physical tours of library space

Public Libraries

Recordings of public lectures and discussions

Technology news/updates; instructions for computer use in the library

Summer reading program instructions

Book club discussions

Public LibrariesBooks in the public domain being read by volunteers and made available in podcasts

Resources for younger children & teenagers:

* Story hours

* Book reviews

* Poetry and other contests

* Features of special projects (art, music, science fair, community activities, etc.)

School Libraries

Oral histories and oral reportsPodcast snippets of picture books along with reflective questions for children and parents to complete togetherStorytelling exercises Website recommendations with summaries, special features, etc.

School Libraries

School news and announcements (upcoming sports events, school plays, competitions, etc.)Debates on controversial books (for high school students) Text to complement art projectsProfiles of vacation destinations or community service activites

Special Libraries

Podcasts produced by SLA or other associations containing hints for special librarians – how to publicize their collections, offer better service to usersUnderstanding copyright – especially useful for those in a for-profit business settingVendor and product updates – a great way get the word out to employees about new software, tech updates, etc.

Roadblocks, Hurdles, Things to Consider

Stay away from simply reproducing content from the library website Make podcasts short enough to keep interest There are safety and privacy issues at play, especially in elementary school settings:

* Students should not give their real names on podcasts since they will be “put out there in the world”

* Children should use pseudonyms for their podcasts which can add fun while protecting children

Roadblocks, Hurdles, Things to Consider

Podcasts in educational situations can be wonderful tools to help match learning styles (auditory, visual, etc.)It’s difficult to track statistics of listeners/users, although certain libraries have sophisticated software that can track Use as much variety as possible in creating podcasts – change up the format, the music, use different voices/actors, etc Make sure to record in a quiet place – microphones pick up all kinds of sound

Podcast examples:A podcast about making podcasts, covering technical aspects, content, software, and links to “podcast-friendly” music downloads: http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/april-11-podcasting-in-libraries/

A two-part series on creating podcasts and content for libraries, including accompanying slides and easy technical instructions:http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=62http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?sid=63

Podcasts created by Western Kentucky University’s library highlighting guest speakers and exciting library projects:http://www.wku.edu/library/podcast/

Podcast Examples:Hennepin County Library Teen

Page

More from Hennepin…

FYI: If you try to listen to a podcast from a Dominican computer, you get this message:

Hennepin’s International Teen Club Podcast

Downloaded previously from

I-tunes

Video Podcast Example:Public Library of Charlotte &

Mecklenburg County

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (LZW) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County’s Video

Podcast

Downloaded previously

Podcast Examples: Tour of Alden Library at Ohio University

Libraries can use podcasting to promote their techno-savvy

presence to their patrons. Library podcasts can cover numerous information science topics of interest.

Listening to the “Introduction” segment of Alden Library’s Library Tour podcast:http://www.library.ohiou.edu/vtour/podcast/

How Alden Library gauged if its Library Tour podcast was successful:

Alden’s Library Tour podcast survey:http://www.library.ohiou.edu/surveys/public/survey.php?name=librarypodcasttour

THANK YOU!!

We hope you’ve learned a thing or

two about the technology and history

of podcasts and how libraries

are making use of this wonderful

and fun tool!

Questions??