Discovering Podcasts

I looked went to various podcasts as suggested and moved on the discover the very professional ones from British Library and the ABC.

Exploring the podcasts linked on Library Success wiki prompted the question how is this different from what I learned in week 6 about videos online. I have every intention of going back and completing the adventure ....

On the Library Success wiki I looked at Curtin University of Technology Library and Information Service podcasted tutorials for students (chosen because it is Australian) and found tips for accessing the library technology very useful for my own information and also a model for what could be done in my library given the resources. Having a multicultural population often newly arrived in Australia with a need for specialist language skills, I could see how we could run a series of programs for Arab or Chinese speakers using current staff who are native speakers of these languages explaining different aspects of the library. Examples could be library etiquette including feeding children in the library, places to eat in the library and reasons for this, how to connect to the library's wireless network, what programs we run etc. I still haven't got a handle on how to actually do the podcast but at least I know where to go to find this information.

I also looked at Worthington Libraries Programs to Go http://worthingtonlibraries.org/programs2go/ kids postcast feed and was excited to see excellent performances of nursery rhymes podcast coupled with links to relevant books to borrow. Did they podcast during an actual library program I wonder. Could I download these versions for staff running preschool storytimes and baby bounce and rhymetime sessions instead of podcasting our own. Perhaps I can investigate funding for our own versions.

I have a gut feeling that the benefits would far out weigh the costs.