Podcasting: Exploring the Possibilities for Libraries

From BluWiki

After inventing the phonograph, Thomas Edison wrote that the possibilities for it were "so illimitable and the possibilities so numerous that he [the author] . . . is himself in a somewhat chaotic condition of mind" (1878, 527). It is important to remind ourselves that new technology has always opened up new opportunities. It remains for society and ourselves to fully explore them when they appear.

About Podcasting

• combination of the word broadcasting and the name of a popular MP3 player, iPod, by Apple
• term is rapidly evolving and can mean:

a. audio file automatically delivered directly to the listener's device using the XML-based file format RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and a feed reader

b. any audio (and increasingly video) file that the listener downloads and plays on a digital player

Why podcasting?

• communicate with patrons, community, and library professionals
• promote successful learning outcomes for Net Generation and next generation of learners

• 1 in 5 American adults under 30 have iPods or MP3 players
• cost of MP3 players continues to drop
• patrons want personalized media

• relatively easy and cheap to produce
• integrate into overall web presence
• few FCC restrictions on podcasts

What's in it for us?

Collaboration

• audio-publish faculty work

• Dowling College Library. Features faculty interviews - http://www.dowling.edu/library/newsblog/podcasts.asp?tag=faculty%20interviews
• Snacks4theBrain! Vanderbilt University Center for Science Outreach. Outlines interesting work done by members of the university with resources for K 12 teachers - http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cso/s4theb.php

• book clubs
• community

• podcasts of events of interest to both school and local community (ex. events for joint One Book, One Community projects)

• departments' course content

• BoilerCast. Purdue University. Digital audio delivery technology to deliver classroom audio recordings to the students at their request - http://www.itap.purdue.edu/tlt/BoilerCast/
• Duke University. Podcasts of class lectures - http://www.duke.edu/
• iCube. University of Connecticut. Podcasts of courses such as Issues in Intro (General Psychology) - http://www.podcast.net/show/70428
• University of California Berkeley. Individual podcasts for courses and events. Includes video webcasts and podcasts - http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php

• museums
• students' publish student work and commentary

• Coulee Kids Podcasts. Longfellow Middle School students podcast - http://www.sdlax.net/longfellow/sc/ck/
• Isinglass Teen Read Award Booktalks. Hopkinton High & Hopkinton Middle School Library podcasts student booktalks - http://www.hopkintonschools.org/hhs/library/podcast.html

• teens

• Audio Reviews by Teens. Thomas Ford Memorial Library - http://fordlibrary.org/yareviews/
• LibraryLoft Podcasts. Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. News, programs, and commentary created by and for teens - http://www.libraryloft.org/podcasts.asp

Promote library

• newsletters promoting programs and services

• Dowling College Library. A monthly podcast with information, interviews, and updates on Library and campus life - http://www.dowling.edu/library/new/podcasts.shtm
• Drexelink, Drexel University. Drexel e-Learning Minute podcast to for new online students - http://www.drexel.com/podcast
• GPC Decatur Campus Library. About 30 minutes of library information including hours as well as readings - http://gpcdecaturlrc.blogspot.com/
• Grand Rapids Public Library. Podcasts of latest speakers, librarians reading stories and book reviews - http://www.grpl.org/yourlibrary/pods/
• Kankakee Public Library. Podcasts of author talks - http://www.lions-online.org/
• Lansing Public Library. Adult, teen, and youth news - http://www.lansing.lib.il.us/podcast_directory.htm
• Muskingum College Library. Podcasts of author talks - http://www.muskingum.edu/~library/blog/2005/10/ocober-author-talk-podcast-available.html
• University of Florida News Weekly source for University of Florida news and events - http://news.ufl.edu/audio/2005/

Traditional services in new format

• audio books

• Books on iPod. South Huntington Public Library. Download books to iPods - http://www.shpl.info/catalog_ipodbooks.asp

• information literacy/bibliographic instruction program

• InfoRadio, California State University Henry Madden Library. Podcasts promoting databases and library services - http://www.csuinforadio.org/OLD/Transcripts.htm
• Library Audio to Go: Podcasts. George C. Gordon Library. The latest news, events, and database information - http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Library/Borrowing/Podcasts/

• story time

• Children's Podstories. Orange County Library System. Podcasts in audio and video that highlight programs - http://www.ocls.info/Programs/podcastAndRSS.asp?bhcp=1/
• Click a Story. Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Audio recording of a story read by library staff - http://www.fordlibrary.org/clickastory/
• Stories for Kids. Denver Public Library - http://podcast.denverlibrary.org/

• tours 24/7

• Alden Library Podcast Tour - http://www.library.ohiou.edu/vtour/podcast/
• Dowling College Library Listening Tour of South Shore History. Includes map with podcast links - http://www.dowling.edu/library/maps/oakdale.html
• Purdue University. http://www.purdue.edu/

Staff development

• general information of interest to library staff

• Bibliocasting Listserv. Syracuse University. Listserv about how libraries are using podcasting (send the following message: subscribe bibliocasting firstname lastname to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu)
• LIS Radio. School of Library and Information Science at the University of Missour. Programs for professional librarians and library school students - http://lisradio.missouri.edu/
• Open Stacks. Greg Schwartz. Information for library staff about podcasting and technology. http://openstacks.net/os/
• School Library Journal. Podcast journal content - http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6363460.html
• St. Johns University Libraries. Explores uses for podcasts in libraries. http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/podcast.sju
• Taking with Talis. Conversations with leaders in information sciences including Lawrence Lessig, George Needham, and Cliff Lynch - http://talk.talis.com/
• Search Engine Watch. Latest developments in search engine news - http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/podcast.html
• Very Spatial. Weekly source for information on Geography and geospatial technologies - http://veryspatial.com/

• virtually attend conferences and workshops

• Duke Podcasting Symposium. First-ever academic symposium on podcasting (fall 2005) - http://isis.duke.edu/events/podcasting/webcast.php
• Online Programming for All Libraries. Podcasts of archived professional development sessions - http://feeds.feedburner.com/OpalPodcast

What's your comfort zone?

Listening

• find podcasts

• directories

• iTunes - Directory of selected podcasts. Download the iTunes software (see below)the directory is included
• Podcasting: Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki - directory of library podcasts. http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting
• Podcast.net - Searchable directory of podcasts organized by subject. http://www.podcast.net/

• search for sites individually on the Internet

• download

• subscribe using software

• iTunes - Free and easy way to organize, share and listen to music on your computer and download podcasts and audio files to your iPod. http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
• Doppler - Designed for Pocket PCs and Smartphones. http://www.dopplerradio.net/
• Juice - Free cross-platform podcast receiver. http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/

• visit sites and click on audio links

Podcasting

8 steps to podcasting

• when developing your podcast

• must have reason to podcast

• support organization's mission
• needs of service population

• avoid podcasting just because it is trend

• step 1 - create your production team
• step 2 - identify hardware and software

• computer
• microphone
• Internet connection
• recording software

• CastBlaster. Free trial that records 10 minutes - http://www.castblaster.com
• Apple's GarageBand. For Mac users. Purchase - http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband
• Audacity. Free, open source - http://audacity.sourceforge.net

• import LAME for converting files to MP3 - http://lame.sourceforge.net/index.php

• Sony's Acid Music Studio. purchase - http://www.sonymediasoftware.com
• Podifier. Free - http://www.podifier.com
• Podcast Factory. Purchase software, microphone, USB audio interface - http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/PodcastFactory-main.html
• Microsoft Sound Recorder (on your computer)

• step 3 - determine content

• style and feeling of production
• understand copyright issues
• copyright safe alternatives are

• creative commons (CC)

• podsafe music content
• Audio Feeds - http://audiofeeds.org/
• Podsafe Music Network -http://music.podshow.com/
• Podsafe Audio - http://www.podsafeaudio.com

• Podsafe book content

• Aesop's Fables - http://www.aesopfables.com/
• Online Books Page - http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
• Digitized Juvenile Literature Collection - http://diglib.lib.fsu.edu/ebind/docs/

• Information on legal issues of podcasting Podcasting Legal Guide http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide

• step 4 - write show
• step 5 - practice
• step 6 - record, edit, and test
• step 7 - upload

• free podcast hosts

• ClickCaster. Record directly to their servers or upload MP3 file - www.clickcaster.com
• GCast. Record messages by phone or upload MP3 files from computer - http://www.gcast.com
• OurMedia. Publish and store video, audio and other media - http://www.ourmedia.com
• PodcastPeople. Free audio/video podcast creation. No software to download or install - http://www. podcastpeople.com
• PODCrust. Blog/podcast hosting based on Wordpress and podpress plugin with some custom extensions - http://www.podcrust.com
• Podshow - http://www.podshow.com
• TalkShoe. Free, interactive online service - www.talkshoe.com

• your own server

• step 8 - syndicate and promote

• syndicate with RSS feed

• Understanding RSS feeds. RSS Tutorial for Content Publishers and Webmasters - http://www.mnot.net/rss/tutorial/
• Feedburner Creates an RSS 2.0 feed - http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/home

• submit the audio file for public posting on a podcast directory service

• iTunes Music Store - http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html
• Podcast.net - http://www.podcast.net
• OurMedia.org
• Podcast Alley - http://www.podcastalley.com/
• PodcastPickle - http://www.podcastpickle.com

• Test

Tutorials and additional information

• Making a podcast with blogger and Feedburner - http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/Make_Podcast_Blogger.html
• Hyman, Israel. 2006. Izzy Video. Tips on how to create video podcasts - http://www.izzyvideo.com/
• Meng, Peter. 2005. Podcasting and Vodcasting: A white paper. http://edmarketing.apple.com/adcinstitute/wp-content/Missouri_Podcasting_White_Paper.pdf
• Rice, Eric. 2006. How to build a 10 minute podcast - http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/06/how_to_build_a.html
• Van Orden, Jason. 2006. The how-to-podcast tutorial using Audacity - http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/17-audacity-tutorial.htm

Bibliography

Berg, Timothy. Phonograph,BookRags, http://www.bookrags.com/history/popculture/phonograph-bbbb-01.html (accessed September 30, 2005).

Edison, Thomas Alva. 1878. The phonograph and its future. North American Review 126:527-536.

PIP Comments. Pew Internet & American Life Project, (14 February 2005) http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/p/1047/pipcomments.asp (accessed September 30, 2005).

Vogele, Colette, and Garlick, Mia. 2006. Podcasting Legal Guide. http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide This Guide was produced as part of the Non-Residential Fellowship Program of the Center for Internet & Society at Stanford Law School by Colette Vogele of Vogele & Associates, Mia Garlick of Creative Commons and Berkman Center Clinical Program in Cyberlaw.

[Click here to listen to the podcast created for the Texas Library Association 2007 conference: http://www.clickcaster.com/lworcester]

Please feel free to e-mail the author, Lea Worcester, with suggestions or comments (lworcester@uta.edu).

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