Week 9: Finding Podcasts

#21 Tools for Locating Podcasts

Listen to this podcast:

powered by ODEO

Which came first, the podcast or the iPod? A "podcast" combines the words broadcasting and the iPod to create something new. (FYI: Apple didn't invent the name iPod, but they made it a household word.) In 2005, "podcast" was named the "word of the year" by New Oxford American Dictionary.

A podcast is a digital file distributed over the Internet. The key to what differentiates a podcast from streaming media is that it can be delivered through RSS, meaning delivered automatically via subscription.

Podcasts can be on any topic. For example, click this link to see links to podcasts relating to public libraries. The results link to sites that should have podcasts on them, but you'll need to scan the pages for the links; i.e., the Denver Public Library uses this logo to identify podcasts: .
But other sites might just have some text like, Download podcast (mp3).
Don't forget to watch you mouse pointer to see if it changes into a "little hand" so you know where to click to download or play the podcast.

If you click on any of the links, and if your computer has the appropriate software, you will be able to listen to the audio. The quality of sound in a podcast can vary from being very clear and easy to hear to being scratchy and muffled; podcasts are only as good as the recording equipment used and the skill of the podcaster.

Note: Once the player is displayed, it may take a couple of minutes to download the content and it may not start to play automatically. You may need to click the Play button once or twice to start the media player.



There are many sources for podcasts, many have RSS links (remember that from Week 4?) so you can get the latest downloads. Here are just a few sources for podcasts:

• Podcast Alley



• NPR Podcast Directory



• Library of Congress Podcasts

What? You want to learn how to be a podcaster too? (Optional Resources for those who want to learn create podcasts)

• Odeo’s Studio – online recording studio.



• How to podcast tutorial

Discovery Exercise:
Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting library related podcasts 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 you want to share with others?