When I read that we were moving into podcasting and videos I have to say a certain amount of panic set in! I hadn't really got into the habit of listening to podcasts, mainly because I had a very old fashioned mobile phone (far, far, from smart let me tell you!) and it was such a palaver to link up the phone to the pc/laptop then download and save it, all to listen to a podcast on the bus on the way home, when I could have just listened to it on the laptop in the first place and had a nap on the bus!
I now have a brand spanking new, sparkling, does absolutely everything, smart phone, in fact it's so new I haven't figured out how to do 99.9% of what it can do!!! So I'm still not listening to podcasts, but I will be as soon as I read the 250 page user manual and figure out how.
Now that I have recorded, edited and published my first podcast the panic is subsiding, in fact I quite enjoyed it and I have had a good response from everyone that tuned in, so much so that I have published a second one!
The first was just for testing the waters (sorry newkid) and was a bit of fun, nothing really to do with library podcasting. The second podcast is more, I suppose, what we could be doing here in the library, like short podcasts linking events etc in the college to what resources we have in the library for example the end of year art exhibition, or the Seamus Heaney lectures. Or we could just highlight the resources we have in context to certain modules taught, for example the English department run a book to film module, we could highlight the relevant journals, ebooks, DVDs etc that would be of use. We could also do short interviews with visiting celebs (!) lecturers, and possibly our international visitors, we had lecturers from the Zambia visit the library recently. Each library department could do regular podcasts on their particular area of expertise. When we host our own exhibitions here in the library we could do a short podcast giving information and background history. These are just a few ideas of the top of my head, the possiblities are endless really!
I agree with pitseleh, in that all staff should be actively involved in library podcasting/videoing, not necessarily in front of the mic or camera, but through creative input, planning, script writing, the behind the scenes kind of stuff, it should be a team effort.
I've gone on and on a bit here about podcasting so I will leave my thoughts on library videos for the next gripping installment, besides I have 250 page user manual to read!
All very good ideas Anon. I particularly like the idea of highlighting cultural events held in the college and also highlighting the library's resources that are relevant to particular modules. In order for this to work, I think we'd need much closer collaboration with academic staff.
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