Opportunities in Podcasting for Libraries

1
Opportunities in Podcasting for Libraries

• METRO Workshop
• July 17, 2006
• Kathryn Shaughnessy
• Instructional Services Librarian

2
Podcasts History Overview

• A podcast is
• A growing method of delivering audio information
• Time-shifted
• Place-shifted
• An informational broadcast saved as an audio
  file (mp3) and distributed via the web (strictly
  speaking via RSS)
• Listeners download/listen at their convenience
  via desktop/laptop or on a personal player

3
Podcasts History Overview

• Podcasting timeline
• August 2004 iPodders search for a way to
  retrieve old blogs and audiofiles develop RSS
  (Winer) and podcast software (Curry)
• July 2005 iTunes supports/distributes podcasts,
  get 1 million subscribers in first 2 days
• August 2005 8,000 podcasts, 6 million listeners
• December 2005 Podcast selected as Word of
  the Year by editors of New Oxford American
  Dictionary "a digital recording of a radio
  broadcast or similar program, made available on
  the Internet for downloading to a personal audio
  player"
• January 2006 iTunesU offers free courseware
  distribution
• Hobson and Holtz Report, 8/4/2005
  http//forimmediaterelease.biz/index.php/weblog/20
  05/08/05/ )
• Oxford University Press, US website,
  http//www.oup.com/us/brochure/NOAD_podcast/?view
  usa

4
Podcasts History Overview

• Podcasting evolution
• Personal / information sharing
• Business applications
• Religious groups
• Education Distributed Learning

5
Podcasts History Overview

• Noted benefits of podcasts in learning/instruction
  
• playback of difficult content/material
• multiple repetitions for listeners who have
  difficulty with English
• allows for review/enjoyment of materials while
  multitasking
• (e.g. commuting or exercising). 
• inspired creation of podcasts among listeners
• increased frequency and depth of learner
  interaction, especially in language music  
• increased communication between users, library
  and IT
• led to improved collaboration and planning, both
  within among
  institutions.
• Duke Report, 2004 - 2005

6
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford
  Princeton)

7
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford
  Princeton)

8
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Reference-quality lectures (NPR, Stanford
  Princeton)

9
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Patron Instruction / Orientation (Drexel)

10
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Community News (U. of Western Ontario)

11
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Outreach to potential students/users/members
  (Petersons)

12
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Scholarly Communication (U. of Florida)

13
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• Audio tours (Purdue)

14
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• CE / Professional Development (LOC, LIS radio,
  InfoSpeak)

15
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• CE / Professional Development (LOC, LIS radio,
  InfoSpeak)

16
Current Uses of Podcast Resources

• CE / Professional Development (LOC, LIS radio,
  InfoSpeak)

17
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Finding New Podcast Resources
• Podcast Directories
• List-servs
• Blogs and your favorite websites
• Suggestions from others

18
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Directories
• A Google search for podcast Directory yields
  biggest directories, with search menus

19
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Directories iTunes

iTunes ? music store ? podcasts ? education
20
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Directories yahoo

Browse by popularity or by categories
21
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Directories podcast.net

Browse by popularity, categories or use the
keyword search
22
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Directories PodZinger

Searches for words by scanning content within all
podcasts, (note Science Update subset)
23
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Finding New Podcast Resources
• Podcast Directories
• List-servs
• Blogs and your favorite websites
• Suggestions from others

24
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Listservs
• ex Bibliocasting
• http//mail.asis.org/pipermail/asis-l/2005-April/0
  01977.html
• Archive at http//iis.syr.edu/archive/bibliocastin
  g/

25
Podcasts as Library Resources

• Finding New Podcast Resources
• Podcast Directories
• List-servs
• Blogs and your favorite websites
• Suggestions from others

26
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Blogs and your favorite websites will alert you
  about podcast trends and where podcasts are
  showing up!

• 2005 was the year of the podcast

27
Finding External Podcast Resources

• RSS syndication
• Because podcasts are digi-born and are
  generally posted on webpages or syndicated
  through blogs, one of the the best ways to keep
  track of new podcast resources is by using RSS
  feeds to monitor blogs and websites
• Utilizing RSS requires
• choosing an RSS reader
• free or fee-based
• Desktop or web-based
• inputting RSS feeds
• Investment of time
• to learn the aggregator
• to build up your collection of sites/feeds
• to weed out less-helpful sites over time

28
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Practical Questions about using RSS for podcasts
  
• Choosing an RSS reader
• FeedReader free, client-based, Open Source
  (http//www.feedreader.com/)
• MyYahoo GoogleReader Browser-based
• Newsgator (www.Newsgator.com)
• Bloglines (www.bloglines.com)
• Directory of readers is available through dmoz
  http//dmoz.org/Reference/Libraries/Library_and_In
  formation_Science/Technical_Services/Cataloguing/M
  etadata/RDF/Applications/RSS/News_Readers/
• For more details on RSS in METRO libraries see
  Michele Misners METRO presentation WebSIG, and
  the handout on RSS

29
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Practical Questions about using RSS for podcasts

30
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Podcast Resources Choosing an RSS Reader
  Feedreader

31
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Podcast Resources Choosing an RSS Reader
  GoogleReader

32
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Podcast Resources Choosing an RSS Reader
  NewsGator
• Newsgator allows you to download the podcast
  in their compatible FeedStation player or you
  can right-click and save-as

Add to my podcasts
33
Finding External Podcast Resources

• RSS for Podcasts Professional Development in
  Libraries
• RSS feeds from Professional Associations
• ACRLog http//acrlblog.org/index.php?feedrss2
• RSS feeds from Professional Journal-Blogs
• Library Journal Tech Blog http//www.libraryjour
  nal.com/LJTechblog.xml
• RSS feeds from other practicing librarians
• Stephen Bell (Academic) http//keptup.typepad.c
  om/academic/atom.xml
• RSS feeds from Vendors/Innovators
• OCLC Lorcan Blog http//orweblog.oclc.org/index.
  xml
• Stephens Lighthouse http//stephenslighthouse.s
  irsi.com/index.rdf

34
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Finding New Podcast Resources
• Podcast Directories
• List-servs
• Blogs and your favorite websites
• Suggestions from others
• Users
• Other librarians
• Subject experts/ co-workers/ faculty
• Collaborate in a wiki!
• http//podcastresources.pbwiki.com

35
Finding External Podcast Resources

• Smithsonian Institute Freer/Sackler
  http//www.asia.si.edu/podcasts/default.htm
• FONZ http//nationalzoo.si.edu/conservationands
  cience/migratorybirds/podcast/
• Hirshhorn http//hirshhorn.si.edu/programs/podca
  st_FAQ.html
• Library of Congress http//www.loc.gov/today/cyb
  erlc/results.php?cat2modea
• FirstGov http//firstgov.gov/Topics/Reference_She
  lf/Libraries/Podcasts.shtml
• OYEZ Supreme Court Podcasts http//www.oyez.org/
  podcast/
• WhiteHouse Radio Addresses http//www.whitehou
  se.gov/news/radio/
• NASA http//science.nasa.gov/podcast.htm
• AAAS Science podcast http//www.sciencemag.org/ab
  out/podcast.dtl
• UNICEF http//www.unicef.org/videoaudio/video_pod
  cast.html
• BBC http//www.bbc.co.uk/radio/downloadtrial/
  

36
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Creating New Podcast Resources
• In addition to compiling and indexing
  lecture podcasts as reference tools, some
  libraries are leading the way with demonstrating
  how podcasts can be used to enhance work, school
  and research environments
• offering virtual tours and audio guides for
  patron instruction
• recording guest lectures
• promoting services, news and community events

37
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Programming Podcasts captured by the St. Johns
  Libraries
• Poetry Readings Poets Maria Mazziotti Gillan
  Jane Augustine Graduate Poetry Class
  reading/final exam
• Author visit Richard Vetere Third Miracle
• Guest Lectures Italian Consul General and
  diplomat, Minister Antonio Bandini on Italy and
  World Diplomacy and McKeever Chair, Paul
  Lauritzens Lecture on The Commodification of
  Education
• Student essay winners, e.g. Service Learning
  Essay
• Title III Project Colloquia meetings

38
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Instruction-related Podcasts
• Audio Tours of physical library library
  website
• Database Tutorials Audio guide to supplement
  current online and paper-based tutorials
• Distributed Learning Greetings from director,
  Orientation to using CMS, Intranet and/or
  information portal Podcasts of instructional
  workshops, for patrons who cannot attend during
  instruction sessions
• Professional Development Podcasts of
  professional / association meetings podcast of
  information sessions for fellow faculty/staff
  Continuing Education lectures/workshops

39
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Practical Questions for creating podcasts
• Investment of Money
• Computer (Laptop or Desktop)
• Audio editing software (Audacity free)
• good microphone (50)
• headphone equipment (40 - 60)
• Can record using a Laptop with Mic
• or purchase a digital Voice recorder (40 80)
• to use with or without a lapel mic (25)
• (see equipment handout for more information)

40
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Practical Questions for creating podcasts
• Investment of time
• learning editing software -- not long to learn
  basics of Audacity
• editing -- this takes the most time, if lengthy
  session
• annotations depending on how/whether you want
  to make it easy for your users to preview or skip
  to point within a podcast
• Adding metadata not long, but important
• Uploading not long

41
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Practical Questions for creating podcasts
  Audacity interface

42
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Technical Questions
• How many files/downloads can the server handle?
• 8 minute podcast, saved bit rate 64
• size 7 MB
• time to download on T1 10 seconds
• 70 minute lecture, saved bit rate 64
• size 28 MB
• time to download on T1 22 second
• How do we index / store / retrieve?
• How do we handle preservation/archiving of files

43
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Legal Questions
• Release form for electronic recording
• Library developed one, should have it approved by
  counsel
• Clarify extent of distribution to lecturer
• On main website available to all
• CMS or intranet Although password protected,
  once in digital format, it is relatively easy to
  duplicate.

44
Creating Internal Podcasts

• Legal Questions
• Incorporating PodSafe / Creative Commons music

45
Using Podcasts as Library Resources

• Strengths of using external/internal podcasts
• facilitates development of information literacy
  and life-long learning
• enriches primary-resource reference base
• coach vs. sage facilitating/motivating
  individual learner inquiry and peer discussion
• engages different styles of learning
• assists low-vision and ESL patrons

46
Using Podcasts as Library Resources

• Some Recent coverage of Podcasting in instruction
  
• Chronicle of Higher Education Lectures on the
  Go (10/28/2005) http//chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i
  10/10a03901.htm (Subscription reqd)
• and Apple Releases Free 'iTunes U' Software to
  Colleges for Coursecasting (01/25/2006)
  Accessible for free. http//chronicle.com/free/20
  06/01/2006012501t.htm
• Duke University. Duke University iPod First Year
  experience evaluation Report (June 2005)
  Accessible electronically http//cit.duke.edu/pdf/
  ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf
• US News World Report. (From the 10/17/05 print
  issue)http//www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/articles/0
  51017/17elearn.htm
• Computers in Libraries. Blogging Is So Last
  Year-Now Podcasting Is Hot Janet L
  Balas.  (Nov/Dec 2005)
• Educause Cover article on Podcasting (December
  2005) http//www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm05
  61.pdf

47
The Future of Podcasts as Library Resources

• Podcasting, co-operation and future trends in
  libraries
• Academic libraries
• School libraries
• Public libraries
• Special libraries
• Corporate libraries
• Archives

48
Collaborating on Podcasts as Library Resources

• Podcasting at St. Johns Librariesso far
• http//www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/podcast
  .sju
• http//www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/resourc
  es/podcasts
• Please contact me with any questions/suggestions
• Kathryn Shaughnessy, x1454
• Shaughnk_at_stjohns.edu
• St. Johns University Library