LIBR 246-13 Building the Social Library Online

Like Meredith said in her lecture, audio files on the internet have been around almost since the beginning, but it wasn’t until they were called “podcasts” that they got any special attention. Of course, the thing that makes a podcast special is that, unlike an audio file sitting on a web server, it is packaged as an RSS feed and can be delivered to your computer automatically. It’s a nice feature, but I wonder how popular that feature really is. Outside of reading about them and discussing them, I have never come across anyone who actually does regularly listen to Podcasts. What I mean is not just downloading an audio file here and there, like an NPR segment or an interview, but actually subscribing to a Podcast through something like iTunes, syncing them up with an mp3 player and listening to them later as just as part of the regular course of a day. I tried to find some numbers on how many people subscribe to podcasts, and the only thing I could find was a press release from Apple from 2005. The most popular podcast according to Podcastalley is a Harry Potter-themed one called “Muggle Cast.” They don’t provide the number of subscribers, but it received just 881 votes in April. Podcasts are out there, and some are being listened to, but mostly probably as single audio files, and not that often as a subscription. “Podcast,” considering how people actually use them, is just a sexy word for downloadable audio file.

 

But all that being said, I don’t see anything wrong with libraries using podcasts. In theory, they are a great way to communicate and to reach people on-the-go. Some of the examples from this week are really effective. The Ohio University library tour, especially, takes great advantage of the portable nature of the podcast. Another good use would be to have recordings of author readings or other library events posted.

 

But I do think we need to understand that podcasting takes us out of our standard library comfort zone. Unlike writing blogs or wikis, Podcasts require specific skills closer to ones used in radio. We chose library school over broadcasting school, and not many of us our are going to be naturals behind a microphone or mixing board (even a virtual one on a PC.) Patrons will expect professional quality and won’t be patient with amateur clumsiness. You need to pay careful attention to technical details to keep a podcast from sounding like an amateur production.

 

We can write good blogs because we are all good writers. We can be fairly certain in our ability to create professional-quality writing. But I wouldn’t want to make a podcast myself without the assistance of someone who really knows what he is doing sound-wise.