#21 Podcasts!

The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. Unlike streaming audio or video, podcasts can be distributed automatically.

Podcasts take many forms, from short 1-10 minute commentaries to much longer in-person interviews or panel group discussions. There is a podcast out there for just about every interest area. The best part about this technology is that you don’t need to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them. Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you just need a computer (or portable device) with headphones or a speaker.

iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple, is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed, there are plenty of other options.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. Once found, you can put the RSS feed into your Bloglines account, so that when new podcasts become available you’ll be notified automatically of their existence.

Discovery Resources:

• To find out more about podcasts start with this video from Common Craft:

• There are many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are two that don’t require a software download (unlike iTunes):
  • Podcastalley.com
  • Odeo
• What? You want to learn how to be a podcaster too? — Optional Resources for those who want to learn create podcasts
  • Beginner’s guide to Podcasts & Creating Podcasts
  • How to podcast tutorial

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look at one of the podcast directories listed and find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting library-related podcasts, such as book review podcasts or library news.
2. Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your Bloglines account
3. Write a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?

Remember, we are adding a few catch-up weeks.

Thing 22 will be posted on January 5, 2009!