# Presentation: 542650

## My Pod or Yours?How Podcasting fits in with your library and your life

**My Pod or Yours?****How Podcasting fits in with your library and your life**

**Medical Library Association -  Greater Midwestern Region ****Technology Forum 2006****Max Anderson, SOLINET****October 10, 2006**

## Agenda

- Define podcasting
- Why and how podcasting fits in with the library environment
- How podcasting and RSS are related
- How to podcast
- Examples

## Podcasting defined

**“****Podcasting** is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.”
- - Wikipedia

**Notes:**
The term can be used to describe the noun (the thing) or the verb (the act).  A line I like from wikipedia says: “Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video) for an audience that wants to listen or watch when they want, where they want, and how they want.”   It is about regularly updated content.  

## So, in English

- People can subscribe to regularly updated audio content
- They don’t NEED to subscribe though, more on that later
- Automatic downloads of new content
- Podcasting= iPod + Broadcasting
- Typically audio files are **.mp3** files

## The biggest myth: “You need to buy an iPod!”

- You don’t need an iPod to listen to it (or any other dedicated **.mp3** player really)
- You can listen to audio files on your computer if you wish (or your smart phone, your pda, your digital media player)

## How do you access a podcast?

- Via your computer and internet connection
- Using a tool for downloading content
- Receiver
- Aggregator
- Can be a website (e.g. bloglines), or a program like Juice or iTunes OR even the website of the podcast itself
- Listen to the content
- Computer
- .mp3 player, etc.

- Same thing, different name

**Notes:**
Distribution of a podcast is usually via some form of syndication like RSS or Atom

## Finding podcasts via iTunes

- Music Store>Podcasts
- Cost

**http://www.apple.com/itunes**

## Listening to a podcast via iTunes

## Download and listen

- Once you have downloaded the content, you can play it via iTunes
- Or transfer it to your iPod
- What about other options?

## Other ways to find, subscribe, listen

- Juice, _[http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/](http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/)_
- NewzCrawler, _[http://](http://www.newzcrawler.com/)__[www.newzcrawler.com](http://www.newzcrawler.com/)__[/](http://www.newzcrawler.com/)_
- RSSRadio, http://www.dorada.co.uk/
- @Podder (for the visually impaired)_[http://www.apodder.org/](http://www.apodder.org/)_
- Bloglines, _[http://bloglines.com](http://bloglines.com/)_
- Lots of them out there

## What other ways can you find them?

- Look for the button
- Copy Link Location
- Paste into your aggregator
- Don’t see the button?
- Search for podcasts
- Podcast Alley
- Podcast.net
- iTunes
- Bloglines, etc.

**Notes:**
Don’t click on the image or words because all that will come up is a page of XML.  You can show them this if you like!

## Search for podcasts

- Example:
- Search in _[http://podcastalley.com/](http://podcastalley.com/)_ for “libraries”
- Skim list for one you are interested in
- Click on “Get Podcast”
- Copy URL into your aggregator_[http://www.palinet.org/rss/tech-conversations/tc1.xml](http://www.palinet.org/rss/tech-conversations/tc1.xml)_

## Result set from search...

**Result set from search...**

**...****then add the feed to ****your aggregator**

## Listening via Bloglines

- To listen, click on the play button!

## C’mon, everybody’s doing it!

- Don’t do it just because “everyone” is doing it
- BUT it is an interesting medium of communication for your patrons
- And if you do it, remember to regularly record podcasts or people will not come back (to listen to yours)

## What can the library podcast?

- Upcoming events
- News
- Tours
- Bibliographic Instruction
- Interviews with local authors
- Teen book reviews
- Anything else you can think of?

## Does podcasting fit in with the library's’ mission and vision?

- Does it fit in with your library’s goals?
- Does it fit in with your library’s communication strategy?
- Have your patrons asked for it?

**Notes:**
First things first.  Don’t podcast because it’s the “cool” thing to do... or because everybody’s doing it.  It can be time-consuming.  It takes time to plan, time to record, edit, publish, and then promote your podcast.  It would be wise to recognize the commitment and value of podcasting and allocate resources accordingly, if possible. 

## Podcasting in libraries

- Thomas Ford Memorial Library
- “Click-a-Story” – stories for kids read by staff
- _[http://](http://www.fordlibrary.org/rss/)__[www.fordlibrary.org/rss](http://www.fordlibrary.org/rss/)__[/](http://www.fordlibrary.org/rss/)_
- Arizona State University
- Library Channel – news about what is going on in the ASU libraries
- _[http://](http://www.asu.edu/lib/podcasts/)__[www.asu.edu/lib/podcasts](http://www.asu.edu/lib/podcasts/)__[/](http://www.asu.edu/lib/podcasts/)_
- J. J. Hill Reference Library
- “offers educational programs and business learning seminars with featured speakers on a variety of topics”
- _[http://](http://www.jjhill.org/Events/podcasts.cfm)__[www.jjhill.org/Events/podcasts.cfm](http://www.jjhill.org/Events/podcasts.cfm)_
- Western Kentucky University Libraries
- Offer audio library tours via a podcast PLUS lectures
- http://www.wku.edu/Library/podcast/index.html

## Anatomy of a podcast

- A podcast is based on RSS technology
- RSS is a specific use of XML
- RSS makes content available to be published and viewed/listened to/etc. elsewhere

## What do you need to make a podcast?

- Computer
- Internet connection
- Microphone
- Audio editor
- Server space

## How to podcast

- Decide on your content
- Get equipment and people together
- Record
- Post-production
- Listen to your work before publishing
- Upload to server
- Create feed (RSS)
- Publish
- Promote

**Notes:**
Make these decisions first.
What are you going to record, how long will it be? Who will do the recording?
You can change the content and format later if need be.
Think about tone, energy level in your voice, and choice of music (if you choose to use music)
You can even script your show if you think that would help you – and remember who your audience is!

All you really need is a computer and a mic – but make sure you have the correct equipment and the right people to do the podcast.  There are lots of audio editing software out there.  On a later slide you will some resources for Audio editors.
Recording: 
Hit the record button and go!
Breathe, enunciate, slow down, and record your intro and outro last.
For beginners, play around with your audio editing software.  Learn how to cut, amplify, shift audio.  Then you can learn more advanced topics like noise filtering, compression etc. 
Make sure you create metadata and export to mp3.

## Including music on your podcast?

- Some things to keep in mind:
- Read the Podcasting Copyright Guide
- http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide
- Learn about Creative Commons Licensing
- _[http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/](http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/)_
- Podsafe Music Network
- _[http://podsafemusicnetwork.com](http://podsafemusicnetwork.com/)_

**Notes:**
Using music or anything else that you did not create, is complex.  

## You might need to edit your audio

- Windows
- Adobe Audition, http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/
- Pro Toolshttp://www.digidesign.com
- Macintosh
- Garagebandhttp://www.apple.com/ilife
- Also check out Audacity – free, open source and multi-platform
- _[http://](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)__[audacity.sourceforge.net](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)_

## Two terms to know well

- Sample rate
- Like frames of a movie
- The higher the rate, the larger the file
- 44.100 kHz is typical (set this before recording)
- Bit rate
- Amount of information processed per unit of time (bits/sec)
- Higher number is better, but larger file
- 64 kbps for voice and double for music

## Using Audition to Podcast

## What other types of podcasts (non-library) are out there?

- SirsiDynix Institutes
- _[http://sirsidynixinstitute.com/podcast.php](http://sirsidynixinstitute.com/podcast.php)_
- Radio OpenSource
- _[http://radioopensource.org](http://radioopensource.org/)_
- Eat Feed
- _[http://eatfeed.com](http://eatfeed.com/)_
- NPR
- _[http://](http://www.npr.org/)__[www.npr.org](http://www.npr.org/)_

## Some podcasting aggregators

- BlogMatrix - _[http://www.blogmatrix.com/sparks_main/](http://www.blogmatrix.com/sparks_main/)_
- Doppler – _[http://www.dopplerradio.net/](http://www.dopplerradio.net/)_
- Even BlogLines can do this now..._How can I tell if there is a podcast on a site?_
- Example of what to look for: _[http://](http://www.onthemedia.org/)__[www.onthemedia.org](http://www.onthemedia.org/)__[/](http://www.onthemedia.org/)_

## Selected Resources

- Audacity, _[http://audacity.sourceforge.net/](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/)_
- GarageBand, _[http://](http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband)__[www.apple.com/ilife/garageband](http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband)_
- Wikipedia article on Podcasting, _[http://](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting)__[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting)_

## More Selected Resources

- Learning to Speak, _[http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/learning-to-speak-creating-a-library-podcast-with-a-unique-voice/](http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/learning-to-speak-creating-a-library-podcast-with-a-unique-voice/)__ _
- Podcasting News_[http://](http://www.podcastingnews.com/)__[www.podcastingnews.com](http://www.podcastingnews.com/)__[/](http://www.podcastingnews.com/)__ _
- Podcasting with Windows (by Zef Hemel) _[http://www.zefhemel.com/upload/_x000b_CreatingAPodcastingShowOnWindows.pdf](http://www.zefhemel.com/upload/%0BCreatingAPodcastingShowOnWindows.pdf)__ _

## Podcast Directories

- iPodder http://www.ipodder.org
- iTunes http://www.apple.com/itunes
- Podcast.net http://www.podcast.net
- PodcastAlley http://podcastalley.com
- Yahoo! http://podcasts.yahoo.com/
- There are lots of them out there...

## What will your patrons think?

## Thank you!

***Questions?***
*Max Anderson*
*Email: *_[manderson@solinet.net](mailto:manderson@solinet.net)_
*Phone: 1-800-999-8558*