Podcasts

I had already been introduced to the world of podcasts prior to my 23 Things project, and listen to them quite frequently. However, I didn't realize that there are so many podcast directories available online and predict that my usual line-up of podcasts wile rapidly expand. I'm not a fan of books on cd and, spending far too much time in the car commuting to Tampa for class, podcasts are the prefect antidote to endless music play lists. My favorites at the moment are Stuff You Missed In History Class, Stuff You Should Know, and Stuff Mom Never Told You.

Podcasting seems to be a relatively recent yet important addition to Web 2.0 technology. There are podcasts on every topic imaginable and they range from short (1-5 minute) clips to longer interviews and lectures. iTunes is the most popular method of finding podcasts, but a quick Google search turned up millions of hits. One of the first, PodcastDirectory.com, listed a wide range of topics, including quite a few on books and literature.

But podcasts are used for more than just entertainment, mini-history lessons, and book reviews. Past professors have replied on them heavily for distance-learning lectures, and many businesses post them on websites in order to communicate with their customer base. In this vein, podcasts are another excellent addition to the tools used by libraries to communicate with patrons and teach information literacy. Patrons no longer have to physically visit the library for information or even instructional sessions. This allows more people to access this information at the same time and no longer limits literacy training to those who can physically come to sessions. They can also revisit information as many times as needed. Librarians can now reach a larger groups at once and tailor podcasts to specific groups in less time than before. All of these factors make podcasting an excellent addition to the traditional library instruction techniques employed in libraries.