Podcasts

As I looked at a few podcasts I thought of Stephen Fry and his concern that he miss a favourite programme .... Quite a few of them seemed to me to be the equivalent of the VCR recording-the-movie-for-later-viewing for radio.
On my library website you can't even upload a photo so using things like podcasts are but a dream... However, in a dream world .... I wondered whether podcasts would be easier to produce than videos as they are sound only. In which case they might be better than video broadcasts for some of the 'talking head' events like author visits or interviews, and could be incorporated in any news section on a library's web site/blog/wiki.
The ABC podcasts are just selected programmes from the last week - more useful for individuals who miss a programme or specalist libraries who can keep an eye on casts from a narrow subject area and would have clients looking within that subject area.
It seemed to me that apart from a general resource in reference work (equal in value to any other information source) and library news/marketing contexts, podcasts have two main uses:
- summary information on resources (inhouse and other)produced for single/narrow-interest users by a specialist library on a regular basis - weekly? monthly?. The podcasts provided by the National Library of Medicine in the U.S. are akin to this - a weekly update by the Director highlighting health issues and accompanying information from Medline Plus, lasting c.5 minutes.
- book reviews and reader assistance. The example I liked best was "Bookstacks Quick and Simple" from the Library Success Wiki. Very colourful site, well set-out with short book reviews (c.3 minutes), a new one posted each day but all indexed and accessible by genre. There are also book talks written by students which should appeal to the younger brigade. It would not take too much time to podcast such a review regularly within a library website, say three times a week, and although not being able to see the book cover is a disadvantage, it would require less input than a video (and once you've seen the cover what else is there to show on a videoed book review anyway!).
Pierce Country Library has podcast five book reviews, and that seems to be the use most libraries are choosing.
Orange County Library has a considerable library of podcasts under three general headings - Children's Podcasts, Teen Podcasts and Events Podcasts. Under the latter were a number of "Meet the Author" talks which were basically ads for forthcoming author visits with information and a brief comment on the author and their work - like a radio ad/notice. Included in the Children's Podcasts were read short stories, and notices about upcoming programmes, e.g. "Gross Out Fun" is a one minute long podcast including an introduction to "How to Eat Fried Worms" and an invitation to 'Grossology", a children's library event.
Dryden Middle School has thirteen podcasts available consisting of addresses and musical performances presented at the school. These could be of interest to members and the community and are a way of the institution selling itself to its community as a happening place, something libraries strive for as well.
I was struck by the range of library produced podcasts, from the short and simple "Bookstacks Quick and Simple" to the very learned podcasts of the National Library of Medicine. (Obviously in terms of the different target audiences of course.)
The Online Education Database suggests that podcasts could have a role in professional development and ongoing study for librarians.
Alas, as far as this library is concerned the best I could do would be to mention the existence of podcasts and a couple of web sites with high interest items (like the ABC site) in the Library Lines. I could set up a link from our web site to something like the ABC site but too many links become cumbersome, and I don't think I'm up to having hierarchical links like Cleveland or Sutherland!!