At Last! Podcasting!

Which library podcasts did you listen to?
I listened to A Conversation with Stephen Abrams through OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries). Stephen discusses the myriad of technologies at our fingertips now and how libraries are evolving. The discussion is thought provoking and worthwhile. To listen to Stephen click here .

Do you see podcasting as a useful tool for Sno-Isle Libraries?
I believe podcasts are super for many apps in Sno-Isle, everything from updating staff on new practices, interviews with authors, to training everyone in new applications. As far as patrons go, the availability of podcasts for every interest whether you are a student doing research; a business person staying current in their field; or a senior who wants to investigate new interests are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what can be done with this technology.

Any ideas about which topics our patrons might be interested in hearing?
The range of topics is as broad as the range of patrons who use our libraries. I listen to an assortment of podcasts, everything from: Tech Republic, Free Talk Live, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, to Common Sense with Dan Carlin. I can quickly download them to my MP3 player at lunch or on a break to listen to at my leisure at home. I think patrons would enjoy this opportunity as well.

Do you have any experience with listening to, or creating podcasts?

Podcasts are one of those things I have been listening to for about three years now. I started while in college partly because of curiosity, but also because the tech topics available were a huge help in my understanding the subjects I was studying. Some folks, and I am one of them, find it difficult to get printed information to write to their organic hard drive. The addition of audio and visual formats seems to make concepts more concrete than print alone can achieve.
Also, there are some favorite radio programs that I can’t get the normal way because I live in the mountains, so I latched on to getting them online as soon as I discovered I could. I had never signed into a reader before to collect my favorite broadcasts together though, and I am now finding the convenience of a reader a boon. This is definitely something I will use a lot.