For your ears only

Busy??

Can't get to the radio for your favourite programs? Or the kids insist on listening to their radio channel which means you miss yours?

Slept in and missed a tutorial?

Can't afford to fly to London for the latest British Library lecture?

Being low on time, long on sleep, or short on cash no longer means you need to miss presentations, programs, or lectures that might be of personal or professional interest. The development of compressed audio technology has opened up a world of internet audio that is available on demand. Podcasts gives us the opportunity to listen to audio on demand. And, better still, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. With Podcasting, listeners can determine what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it.

Don't be downcast by the name though - you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast (which is a relief to those of us who refuse to fall victim to the current fashion trends in listening technology!). Any mp3 friendly device - a garden-variety mp3 player, car stereo, or almost any computer with a sound card and speakers - can get you listening right away.


How to subscribe to a podcast

Many computers come equipped with (free!) software which will automatically download each new podcast as it becomes available. It's so easy! There are many different podcatchers available such as iTunes or Juice. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what software package works best for you.

Podcasting works the same as a standard RSS feed reader, with the only difference being that the feed you subscribe to contains an audio file. Instead of reading content in your RSS feed aggregator, you can listen to your feed using a reader that supports podcasting, or you can listen to them on your personal device whenever and wherever you want!

For Librarians - the sound of success...

Many consumers like to "try before they buy", whether it be a new kind of ice-cream or dipping into the local library services. Often people feel embarassed about coming to the circulation desk with a list of queries about your services - they don't want to waste your time or may feel embarassed about their lack of knowledge (although answering those queries is exactly what we are there for! :) ). Audio podcasts are one way in which patrons can browse your services at their leisure. You might want to think about podcasting about some of the following:

• A virtual audio tour of your library or library service (or, if you are brave, you could webcast it in video!...but that's another story)
• "How to" guides - how to find material, how to do research, how to make a reserve, how to renew online, facilities for people with disabilities, opening hours, library fines, interlibrary loans ... the list goes on!
• What's coming up at the library (start your own newscast!)
• Seminars, talks or presentations which may have been held at the library
• Story-Time on demand (parents will love this!!)
• Training seminars for staff (particularly useful for those of us whose branches are remote from the mother ship!)
• Material for the visually-impaired or those with reading difficulties
• Book reviews and author talks
• Oral history (great adjunct to local history collections!)

How to " pod " your " 'cast " to the world!

In simple terms, podcasting is a 3 step process:

1. Create audio file with audio recording software
2. Add the audio file to an RSS feed
3. Tell the world about your podcast!

The LibrarySuccess wiki (http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting) has some great links and guidelines for uploading your own podcasts. There are many websites through which you can upload your material and have it converted to mp3 format (usually for free!). If you've got a phoneline and a computer, you're ready to go! Try this site: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/ - it has all the background, tools, tips and toys you'll need!