Library Instruction to Go: Podcasting at the Kresge Library

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Library Instruction to Go Podcasting at the
Kresge Library

• Jennifer Lammers Zimmer
• Sally Ziph
• May 5, 2007
• LOEX, San Diego, CA

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Library Instruction to Go

• About the Kresge Library
• Podcasting Pilot Program
• Creating a Podcast
• What Our Students Think
• Questions

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The Kresge Library

• Part of the Ross School of Business at the
  University of Michigan
• Serve a population of 3500 students plus faculty
  and staff
• Instruction done mostly in a classroom setting

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Podcasting Pilot Program

• Started in Summer of 2006
• Wanted to explore this medium for delivering
  instruction
• Had an example in the Dental School

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Podcasting Pilot Program

• Equipment purchased
• 15 MacBook Pro
• Audio-inputs
• 512MB RAM
• Plantronics Headset
• Software purchased
• QuickTime Pro License
• Podcast Maker

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Creating the Podcasts

• Scripts written by librarians on a variety of
  topics
• Scripts are edited to follow the Kresge Dash
  format
• Audio track is recorded first
• Screen shots or informational text is added next
• Theme music added to beginning and end
• Episodes run 4 - 23 minutes

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Our First Podcast

• QuickTime Pro used to record the audio
• PodcastMaker used to add the enhancements,create
  XML file for the RSS feed and upload podcast to
  the web server
• First podcast created in 2 days

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Podcast Maker
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Podcast Maker - Adding Chapters
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Creating the Podcasts

• Discovering GarageBand
• All-in-one software for creating the podcasts
• Record audio in segments or clips
• Add images on the Podcast track
• Add theme music for intro and exit on Jingles
  track
• Export podcast in the correct format for
  immediate use
• Podcast creation takes 2-3 hours

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Working with GarageBand
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Working with GarageBand
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Working With GarageBand

• Enhancing the Podcast with images and links

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Working With GarageBand
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Video Podcasting Vodcasting

• Wanted to try video to see if this method was
  better accepted
• Worked with the Computing Services department to
  videotape
• Editing was done on a Windows machine using Adobe
  Premier
• Screen capture movies made with Camtasia and
  added after the recording

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Video Podcasting Vodcasting

• This process was NOT fun
• Major problem area was file format compatibility
  between Premier, Camtasia and iMovie
• Final product took 3 months to complete

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Working With iMovie
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Exporting the Vodcast
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Ross on iTunes Uitunes.bus.umich.edu
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Kresge Dash on iTunes U
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Viewing the Podcast in iTunes
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Viewing the Podcast in iTunes
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Subscribing to the Podcast
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Viewing the Podcast in the Browser
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What Our Students Think

• 10 students asked to listen to 10 minutes of an
  audio podcast and 10 minutes of a video podcast
• Asked to fill out a brief survey
• Given 10 gift certificate to Borders for
  participation
• None of the students viewed the podcasts on an
  iPod

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Podcasting Its Flippin Sweet!

• Video podcast squeaked by in class instruction as
  first choice
• All stated that they would listen to another
  podcast or had listened to another podcast
• Liked the chaptering and the ability to view any
  time they chose
• Aided students in identifying when they would
  need librarian assistance

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We Want More!

• Students want podcasts that go more in-depth into
  a topic or resource
• Wanted basic library orientation podcasts focused
  on their particular student status (MBA, BBA,
  Evening MBA)
• Tutorial on difficult databases such
• as Choices 3
• Sound bite topics such as the
• SWOT analysis
• Software specific episodes, such as
• RefWorks or Excel

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Make it Better

• Video was a bit jumpy for some viewers
• Video quality was not as good as viewers were
  used to
• Podcasts need to be more visible, none of the
  students knew these existed before being asked to
  do the survey

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Pod is My Co-Pilot

• Continue to create audio podcasts for short
  topics
• Longer episodes may incorporate video
• Continue to use this format as a method to
  enhance the librarys instruction program

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Questions?

• www.bus.umich.edu/kresgelibrary/help/podcast.htm
• Jennifer Lammers Zimmer
• jamm_at_umich.edu
• Sally Ziph
• sweston_at_umich.edu