Podcasts, Public Libraries and Young Adults
From LIS5313
by Kyleen Knight
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
One of my biggest interests throughout my time in the College of Information was learning about youth services with a specific regard for young adults. As I plan to most likely work in a public library setting, I decided to learn about how public libraries use a specific Web 2.0 technology in regards to young adults and I decided to focus on podcasts as the technology. I imagined that podcasts were something teens might learn about at school or in the school library, but I wasn't sure if they would have any experience with them through the public library. In fact, I wasn't even certain that public libraries would have podcasts relating to young adults. I simply made an educated guess that podcasting might be something libraries could do to draw the teenage population's interest and hopefully make them consider their public library more readily. As it turned out, public libraries do use podcasts for young adults, but not quite in the manner I expected.
[edit] All About Podcasts
[edit] Defining a Podcast
As newer technologies go, podcasts are fairly simple both in terms of production and how they are accessed. Podcasting is a relatively new technology that "rose out of blogging" and the term “first appeared in print in February 2004” and was made “from a combination of ‘broadcasting’ and ‘iPod’” (ed. Courtney 2007). A sample podcast can be heard here[1] Easy to find and listen to, Brooks-Kirkland defines a podcast as being similar to a radio program with the exceptions that podcasts can be subscribed to via the Internet and once somebody subscribes to a podcast, they receive notification whenever there is a new episode. This allows subscribers to download podcasts, either to their computer or mp3 player, which they can listen to whenever they want (Brooks-Kirkland 2006). The fact that listeners can download podcasts onto mp3 players gives them more freedom in what they choose as listening material; they are not only limited to music. Podcasting allows one to listen on his or her own terms, determining the what, where and when, and what he or she listens to can be “polished professional broadcasts or…a program recorded by total amateurs in their basement rec room” (Brooks-Kirkland 2006).
[edit] Accessing Podcasts
Like blogs, “the standard way of receiving podcasts is by subscribing using a podcatcher or a podcast client such as iTunes, Juice, gPodder, Odeo and PodSpider” (Kajewski 2006). Of those listed, iTunes is probably the best known as well as the most used. “Apple’s freely-available iTunes library brought podcasting to the mainstream with the launch of its ‘Podcasts’ directory in June 2005” (Huffman 2006). With this introduction of podcasts to the mainstream, the popularity of podcasts has risen. The simplicity of “iTunes’ integrated approach offered the ability to easily locate podcasts, subscribe to RSS feeds, and transfer them to an iPod” (Huffman 2006). Because this is such a straightforward approach to finding podcasts and downloading them, it’s no wonder people have taken advantage of the opportunity to access podcasts about their respective areas of interest.
[edit] From Podcasting to Vodcasting
Podcasting has evolved to some degree where, instead of sticking with audio file creation, people are beginning to create videos, as well. These videos, which aren’t so different from podcasts, are called vodcasts. The term vodcast is based on podcast, but instead of a simple audio file, vodcasts also include video footage. The name refers “to Video On Demand (Vod)” (Kajewski 2006). At this point, vodcasts do not appear to have the same popularity as podcasts in terms of how many are created. This may be because vodcasting requires different hardware and software to create, it may not be seen as easy for audiences to access as podcasts are, and it is a younger technology. However, given enough time, it might gain greater popularity.
[edit] Why Podcasts?
Many libraries are incorporating Web 2.0 technologies for the benefit of their patrons. Of these, podcasting is a relatively inexpensive activity and libraries can create podcasts for any number of purposes or even allow patrons to create podcasts for them. Podcasts can be used by public libraries to train people to use databases and library resources online, to give updates about events in libraries and the community, to create book reviews, to put presentations, lectures, and tutorials into a form users can easily access, to have a podcast program for teens which they can propel, to put computer classes in an easily accessible form, to create library tours and to give staff professional development (Kajewski 2006). This is just one more method libraries are using to better connect with their patrons and meet their needs.
[edit] Creating a Podcast
Expensive recording equipment is not required for the endeavor of creating podcasts. Podcasts are simple enough that anyone and everyone can have a voice and publish podcasts on their interests where like-minded listeners can access them, even libraries. The things a library needs to create a podcast are a computer, microphone, speakers or headphones, software for recording like Audacity, software for encoding, and podcatcher or podcast client (iTunes is the most popular and has several tutorials) and “most libraries have the required equipment” (Kajewski 2006). Music and sound effects can be found on sites like ccMixter for music and Soundtransit and the Freesound Project for sound effects. All of the materials on these sites have Creative Commons licenses which allows others to use these sounds in other works.
There are many websites that discuss the creation of podcasts. One such website is Learning in Hand which covers preproduction, recording, postproduction and publishing.
Lamb & Johnson (2007) refer to creating podcasts and further describe the following basic steps:
- Planning Your Podcast
- Choose a project
- Identify your audience
- Select a program format
- Work in teams (when there is a large group involved)
- Write a script
- Check for copyright issues
- Recording Your Podcast: Select a Location
- Choose a microphone
- Use a digital audio recorder
- Create sound effects
- Select software
- Rehearse the performance
- Editing your podcast
- Sharing your podcast
[edit] Public Libraries and Young Adults
[edit] Making Connections
Young adults are a group that usually get lost in the shuffle in public libraries. Stuck between the children and adults, young adults are a difficult group to define, which makes some perceive them as a hard group to serve. Some libraries apparently choose not serving them as the best solution. Jones remarks on making a joke about locking teens out of libraries in a presentation and having a library actually take him seriously (Jones 2007). This is an extreme example, but it illustrates the point that at least one library thought the best solution to dealing with young adults was to lock them out of the library. Jones states, "Libraries often view services to teens, including graphic formats, as special and outside of their normal mission" but goes on to say this is just another segment of the population and it is the public library's job to do the same things for this segment of the population as they "do for other members of the public" (Jones 2007). YALSA's "Competencies for Librarians Serving Young Adults" notes, "The best libraries will seize the opportunity to cultivate the increasing numbers of young adults as lifelong library partners and users" (Young Adult Library Services Association 2003). One opportunity libraries can, and do, make use of is podcasting.
[edit] Who's Podcasting?
When I began this project I wasn't sure if libraries created podcasts for young adults or if young adults created them for other young adults. I began my hunt for public libraries with podcasts for teens at the Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. This wiki has a general page that is dedicated to services for teens as well as a page that is all about podcasts and teens. There are more than a few public libraries with podcasts for teens. The Kansas City Public Library has a podcast series that's posted on MySpace that is created by teens and contains news and opinions about current events and personal interests as well as book talks and teen talents found locally. Cheshire Public Library has a monthly podcast that features teens who write and play music among other things while libraries like Hennepin County Library and Lansing Public Library have book review podcasts. Still other libraries, such as Memorial Hall Library, have poetry slams and contests.
[edit] Podcasting Together
Throughout my explorations of different libraries' pages of podcasts for teens, I discovered that, for the most part, the podcasts are created by teens rather than by library staff. I was fortunate enough to interview Hayden Bass, one of the teen librarians from Seattle Public Library who also oversees the teen podcast creation, the results of which are accessible here on the Seattle Public Library Website. She informed me, via interview on April 7, 2008, that their podcasts are, in fact, created by young adults based on what they find interesting or controversial. Ms. Bass mentioned that there might eventually be staff created podcasts for book reviews, but teen podcasts are created only by teens with Ms. Bass's oversight. The teens Ms. Bass works with are quite enthusiastic about creating podcasts and have all the freedom they want, but do prefer some structure within which to work. These young adults also have plenty of other ideas they have not yet had a chance to try, such as dramatizations based on books they enjoy.
In a second interview on April 21, 2008, I asked Ms. Bass about some of the details about their podcasting sessions, such as when, where, and how many. I was informed that they have a Teen Advisory group of about twenty, of which half are on the Podcast Committee. They gather in a meeting room and create podcasts every other week. The teens who take part in this program are asked to sign up for the entire year for the sake of consistency and fewer problems for the library staff. This is something that the high school students use as service learning credit, which they need to graduate.
When asked what motivates these young adults to get involved in podcasting, Ms. Bass replied that in an upcoming presentation to the library board, the teen who will present on podcasts will talk about how he is given a voice through podcasting and that because of this he feels the library and larger community care about what he has to say. She also mentioned his references to getting involved with a new technology and how it's a way of getting closer to others in the group that is also fun. As far obstacles keeping teens from getting involved in podcasting are concerned, disinterest in the library or conflicts of schedule keep young adults from joining the group and shyness keeps those that are already a part from getting involved within the group.
In response to one of my questions regarding possible differences between creating podcasts at a public library or school library, Ms. Bass mentioned the fact that because schools act in loco parentis (in place of parents), they must tread more carefully in terms of what students are allowed to have access to and create. Because the teens she works with are in a public library, this is less of a concern. Also, the young adults have greater freedom because they can choose their preferred topics rather than work within a chosen curriculum.
I asked Ms. Bass if there are any plans to expand into video or vodcasting. She replied that, while they have the option of moving into vodcasting, she doubts they will. She explained that podcasting, as audio only, has lower pressure because the young adults involved in podcast production don't have to worry about how they look or whether embarrassing footage of them will end up on YouTube the way they might if they were vodcasting.
[edit] Conclusion
This was a very eye-opening exercise. At first, I was surprised at the lack of existing research on this subject, but have since realized that this might be because of the relative newness of podcasting; perhaps with time more research will be done on this topic. I was also somewhat surprised by the fact that in nearly all the cases I saw that young adults are responsible for the creation of podcasts for teens. I had assumed that if young adults were creating podcasts, it was probably because they had to or it was taking place in an information organization they were closer to, such as school. My expectation was that teens would be unlikely to get involved at their public libraries, so I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that young adults were enthusiastically creating podcasts for public libraries. It seems they enjoy the freedom to create based on their interests with the knowledge that there are probably other teens out there with similar interests. They also like having a voice and knowing that others are out there listening. This gives me hope that more young adults might become more involved with their libraries and that libraries will be more open to working with young adults.
[edit] Notes
- ↑ The music heard in this sample is Amarok by Old Dog, retrieved from ccMixter and the door sound is Door in a Warehouse by Dmitry Urupin, retrieved from Soundtransit. Both have Creative Commons licenses
Flickr photos were retrieved via searches for photos with Creative Commons licenses.
[edit] References
Brooks-Kirkland, A 2006, 'Podcasting for Learning', School Libraries in Canada. Available from http://www.cla.ca/casl/slic/254podcastingforlearning.html [12 April 2008].
Courtney, N (ed.) 2007, Library 2.0 and beyond: Innovative technologies and tomorrow's user, Libraries Unlimited, Westport, CT.
Huffman, K 2006, 'Web 2.0: Beyond the concept: Practical ways to implement RSS, podcasts, and wikis', Education Libraries, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 12-19.
Jones, P 2007, 'Connecting young adults and libraries in the 21st century', Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 48-54.
Kajewski, MA 2006, 'Emerging technologies changing public library service delivery models', Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 157-163.
Lamb, A & Johnson, L 2007, 'Podcasting in the school library, part 2: Creating powerful podcasts with your students', Teacher Librarian, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 61-64.
Young Adult Library Services Association 2003, Young adults deserve the best: Competencies for librarians serving youth. Available from: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/profdev/yacompetencies/competencies.cfm [20 April 2008]
[edit] Resources
Software
- Audacity - This is free, open source software that can be used to record and edit sounds.
- iTunes - The most popular podcast client used for downloading podcasts.
- Juice - A podcatcher, like iTunes.
- gPodder - Another podcatcher.
- Odeo - Yet another podcatcher.
- PodSpider - The last podcatcher Kajewski mentions.
Tutorials
- iTunes - There are several tutorials from iTunes listed toward the middle on the right side of the page.
- Learning in Hand: Creating Podcasts - A tutorial on how to create podcasts.
Sound and Licensing
- ccMixter - A site with a large selection of music licensed under Creative Commons.
- Soundtransit - A site with a variety of recorded sounds licensed under Creative Commons.
- The Freesound Project - Another site with a variety of sounds licensed under Creative Commons.
- Creative Commons - The Creative Commons site where one can find out about Creative Commons and get Creative Commons licenses for his or her works.
Examples of Podcasts
- Library Success Wiki: Podcasts & Teens - A wiki with links to libraries that have podcasts for teens.
- Kansas City Public Library Podcast - This podcast is created by young adults and posted to MySpace, a social networking website.
- Cheshire Public Library - Another library with podcasts by teens for teens.
- Hennepin County Library - A library that features book review podcasts for teens.
- Lansing Public Library - Another library with teen book review podcasts.
- Memorial Hall Library - A library featuring poetry contest podcasts for young adults.
- Seattle Public Library's Teen Podcasts - Podcasts created by teens for Seattle Public Library. This is not one of the sites listed on the Library Success Wiki.
