Podcasts

My experience of using podcasts isn't extensive. I have downloaded a few individual podcasts of Radio 4 plays to my ipod, but haven't yet subscribed to any ongoing series. The sheer variety of what's available out there is a bit overwhelming. Having browsed YouTube, I've discovered a few library related podcasts which I think work really well. My favorite is a series called "The Library Minute" created by Arizona State University Libraries. Each one deals with a different aspect of library services in a concise, informative, punchy and often humorous way. They are well produced, and the short length of these podcasts makes it more likely that students will watch them in their entirety, rather than clicking away to something else. The one featured below is all about communication and encouraging feedback from students:



Other effective podcasts I've encountered from closer to home include this one from London Metropolitan University's Library Services, which highlights the advantages of e-resources:




and this from Durham University Library, which is longer than the others I've featured, but serves as a great introduction to all that the Library has to offer. In addition to contributions from students and library staff, it also features tutors, who underline the importance of making the most of library services:



When done well, podcasts can clearly act as a very good advert for library services, and, as with the screencasts, they do communicate important information in a more attractive and entertaining way than dry words on a screen or in a printed library guide. However, I doubt we could produce anything for King's Library which would come anywhere close to the standard of the ones I've featured here, and something badly produced or poorly scripted could risk making the library look like more of a joke than an important resource. Still, it could be an aspiration for the future. It is certainly something worth bearing in mind.