Podcasts in the Library

For your viewing pleasure:


This week's topic is streaming media.

I checked out some podcast directories and was rather overwhelmed. I found it hard to find a podcast that interested me, and I couldn't tell which were reputable sources. In the end, I subscribed to a few podcasts from the CBC website through my Google Reader.

I'd been aware of podcasts for some time. I had mistakenly assumed that they were only for use with IPods and other portable devices. I was excited to discover my mistake, as I can now listen to my favorite radio show whenever i want. In fact, at this very moment I am tap-tap-tapping on the keyboard and listening to a radio show directly from my RSS reader.

So what about podcasts in the library? There are two ways to use them. First, as an information source, podcasts can help library staff keep up to date on library and information innovations. Or staff can direct library users to podcasts for their research or enjoyment. Second, library staff can create podcasts for library promotion and information. A podcast could review books (like the book picks video we saw in class), promote upcoming events (a special day in the library, upcoming speakers etc.) , or provide tutorials on library services ("how to renew books online" or "how to use boolean operators in your database searches").