In 2005, the New Oxford American Dictionary named “podcast” the word of the year. The word podcast refers to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. What differentiates a podcast from regular streaming audio or video is that the delivery method for podcast is often done automatically through RSS. (And we all know and love what RSS is!)
Podcasts can take many forms, from short 1-15 minute commentaries, shows, and snippets of information to much longer interviews, panel discussions, or shows. There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you do not need an iPod or MP3 player to access them. Since Podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, all you need is a personal computer, or a portal device, with headphones or a speaker.
iTunes, one of the most popular online music stores and a free downloadable application created by Apple is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options available. (Also: download iTunes! It is fun and free!)
For this discovery exercise play with some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you. And now that we have a Bloglines account, you can easily add the RSS feed and you will be automatically notified of new podcasts! (Neat, right?)
Discovery Resources:
- Podcast Tutorial by Common Craft
- There are many podcast finding tools and directories available. These are some of the more popular tools, and unlike iTunes, don’t require a software download.
- So, you want to learn to be a podcaster too?
(Optional resources for those who want to learn to create podcasts and want a challenge!)
Discovery Exercises:
- Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed above and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. Can you find some interesting library related podcasts here like book review podcasts or library news.
- Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your Bloglines account
- Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?
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