The concept of podcasting is really nothing new. I mean really, is it? When I listen to an audio podcast, I am reminded of talk radio. I can honestly say that talk radio is not my favorite form of radio on the market today. (I mean I don't even like commercials between songs.) But the men in my life all seem to love talk radio by either listen to all news all day or ESPN Radio. But the benefits of podcasting are very apparent. If you make an audio podcast, anyone can then download the information and listen to it anywhere, at anytime. The downfall of this is that these podcast may need to be updated or changed more often than printed information. Some patrons may also think that podcasts on the library website are just audiobooks and may wonder why it is not The 8th Confession by James Patterson. Some larger libraries may benefit from the ability to having podcasts on their websites, so that frequently asked questions can be answered all in one place by a friendly voice rather than a cold printed screen.
Video podcasts are a whole different type of media. This type of media could be helpful in many ways in many libraries. I think that a video tour of the library posted on the website would be a great way to introduce the library to someone who just moved to town. Video podcasts of storytime or just of a staff member reading a picture book could be a great help to moms that need to have a story read to their child but may not feel confident enough to read it with expression and feeling. (As a person who does Storytime lot, I have no problem with acting out a book for kids.) Even a video podcast of how to do things around the library such as how to get a library card or how to sign up for eaudiobooks would be great for both the patrons and the new staff members that may not have much experience with the answers.
We need to weigh all of the options before we jump head first into the world of the web, but by sticking our toes in the water first, we can test it and find out what really will work for each of our situations.
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