Podcasts are us!

I’ve been to so many programs at VLA that discuss ways to deliver information/training online, both for staff and customers. Podcasts still seem like a good, quick way to do it, and one that can be carried with you. For example, Tours of the building. Videos might work, too, but with a podcast the customer can listen while walking through the tour, and not be distracted by the video image.

A podcast describing a MARC record, while the person is looking at one online and manipulating it would be lovely. A video is also possible—but again, the video can be distracting or boring (!) for a subject such as MARC records.

I repeat what I said in Podcasts, the previous post. A script is essential. I listened to a couple of Library podcasts (will omit name of library to avoid hurting feelings) and also decided that even a scripted post doesn’t work when the librarian’s voice is unpleasant. There were several different men doing book reviews, including book reviews of YA and younger materials—with just unpleasant voices. Do I feel this way just because I’m of the radio generation, when people had mellifluous voices, unless they were trying to be funny?

But I still want to do some podcast book talks. I think they would be fun to do, and there are some books I really want to tell people about—fiction and nonfiction, adult and juvenile.

I don’t know if it was the setting on my player, or if it’s not possible to get images attached to the podcast (as when you play music and sometimes get an album cover), but it would be lovely to link the jacket cover to podcast reviews, if we could, legally.