I did find a couple of interesting podcasts while exploring this exercise. It was interesting to see how some libraries have used podcasts to reach their younger patrons. I listened to a few podcasts of nursery rhymes and children’s stories, and even found one podcast that incorporated a felt board into its show. I also listened to a few people discuss book recommendations for young people. None of these podcasts were particularly thrilling, but I’m sure that they would be useful to some people. For parents of young children who can’t make it out to library programs, the storytimes could be fun.
I had some difficulty navigating Podcastalley.com, but I found odeo.com to be better. I don’t know that I would use either of these sites very often, but again, it’s good to know they exist. I must admit, I didn’t actually subscribe to any of the podcasts that I found. For one thing, I didn’t find any that I absolutely loved, but also, I have to rely on dial-up internet access at home, which makes things like podcasts inaccessible.
I think that podcasts can definitely be useful when it comes to reaching a wide audience, and libraries should certainly consider this tool when looking for ways to reach the public. However, it should also be remembered that not everyone has access to high-speed Internet, and thus accessing podcasts may not be as simple as some people assume.
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