Week 10, Thing 22: Discovering New Podcasts

I only recently got into podcasts but I really like them. Before this exercise I really only downloaded CBC podcasts from iTunes. I especially like Vinyl Cafe, CBC Radio 3 podcasts, and the classic Quirks and Quarks. I didn't even know that there were other podcast directories.

But there ARE! I looked at two, Odeo and PodcastAlley. I liked PodcastAlley better because of the layout and I think it has a better search engine. I also liked the fact that, after searching for a term, it generated a list of relevant podcasts that you can click on and see brief description about the podcast.

I found some pretty neat library podcasts. My favourite being the Library Survival Guide produced by Woodruff Library at Emory University. It offers listeners tips and shortcuts for library research. The 4 December edition was about the top ten most fun/unusual things to do in a library.

Then I searched for history related podcasts and found one that I subscribed to. It's called History Podcast (creative, I know) and recent podcats have been about everything from Vikings to the history of the internet. I'm looking forward to the one about Henry VIII and his crazy wives (or was he the crazy one?).

Anyway, another good task in the 25 Things exercise. Podcasts are just another way to get the word out about any subject at all. I like the way libraries and museums are making use of this technology.

Week 2, Thing 5: Web Two Point What?

The Whitby Public Library will be launching its new Web 2.0 website shortly. As part of the Web 2.0 initiative, staff members have volunteered to participate in the '25 Things' campaign. 25 Things is a series of activities that, upon completion, will increase awareness of and familiarize library staff with the facets of Web 2.0. , which includes the ideas of information sharing and user-centred design. The activities and exercises include things like creatinga blog (!) and a Twitter account, familiarizing yourself with RSS, newsfeeders, and photo sharing websites like Flickr and del.icio.us, and embracing terms like tagging and mash-ups.

I know I've been away from my blog for a while...but it's good to be blogging again!