Podding along

Podcasting is much like anything else that the library would choose to place on its website. Its a form of communication with our clients and colleagues, and the only new thing about it is the format it is delivered in. Theoretically anything we currently choose to communicate can be produced as a podcast - news and events at the library, reviews of new items, blogs from staff in an audio-visual format, staff presentations, history of [insert your own item/topic], talks by authors about their work. The list is endless.

My favourite would be to see vodcasts from staff in regards to the collection material, and not just the heritage items within the collection. It would be nice to see some presentations or discussions in regards to the library's more contemporary material, or the more controversial material in the collection. If nothing else it might get people talking about us, and might appeal to a new generation of library users.

The trick with p/vodcasting of course lies within the production standard. Having listened to some of the podcasts out there, there's nothing worse than listening to an otherwise fascinating topic being ruined by a monotonous drone. If a client or stakeholder finds a podcast boring then they are unlikely to listen to another one.