Jason Puckett.net

[This article appears in the June and September 2008 issues of the Library Instruction Roundtable Newsletter in two parts, "What and Why" and "How."]

Podcasting is an easy and low- to no-cost means for delivering instructional content. It provides an on-demand channel for information literacy instruction. It has the added benefit of persistence so that episodes can be linked from anywhere on the web to provide contextually relevant point-of-need instruction. It can also be used as reinforcement for in-class instruction: students can be directed to listen to a podcast episode for background information before class, or for a refresher if they need it afterward.

Last fall a colleague and I started planning an instructional library podcast for undergraduate students. Our goals were to create a program that would inform and teach students about library resources, introducing them in a non-threatening or (dared we hope) even entertaining way. We started from scratch, teaching ourselves the skills we needed along the way.

Before you start

First, know what a podcast is. This seems too obvious to mention, but too many librarians use the term “podcast” to refer to any online audio or video files. Podcasting has a more specific meaning. It’s important to use the term correctly: our tech-savvy users know the difference!

Podcasting is a method of distributing digital media files that allows automatic notification and download of new content. Despite the syllable “pod,” neither an iPod nor any other portable media player (PMP) is required to listen to podcasts. Most podcasts are in the common MP3 audio format that will play on any computer or media player, though any digital media file can be published via podcasting.

A podcast uses RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to allow listeners to subscribe and automatically receive new episodes as they are published. Media files on the web are not a podcast without an RSS feed. A user can subscribe to a feed in many ways: via a web browser’s built-in RSS reader, a web-based reader such as Bloglines or Google Reader, or perhaps most commonly via “podcatcher” software such as iTunes or Juice.

Before becoming a podcast producer, become a podcast listener. Subscribe to a few podcasts: browse podcastalley.com or the iTunes Store. Get an idea of what works for you as a listener (and future podcaster) and what might be appropriate for your users. Do you want to include images or video, or is audio enough?

Know your audience. In planning a podcast for undergraduates, we thought about what characteristics the program would need in order to attract students and keep them listening. We decided that an undergraduate audience would appreciate:

• A focus on directly useful information about library resources.
  
• A casual and friendly style with a sense of humor, not patronizing.
  
• Not trying to be cool. Undergrads can sniff out fake cool, also known as “lame.”
  
• A short program, 5-10 minutes. Not only does a short podcast help encourage busy students to listen, but a format of one topic per episode provides a de facto index so that students with a specific information need can locate the episode they need.
• Useful topics that might not make it into a typical first-year instruction session.
  

Perhaps most importantly, be prepared to publish regularly. It takes time to build an audience, and the only way to do so is to keep producing episodes. Even if it seems no one is listening at the moment, those first episodes will remain available for later subscribers.

Technology for recording and publishing

Recording a podcast simply requires a computer, a microphone and an audio program. The computer is easy — nearly any hardware will do. We record with the free audio recording software Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net). We use Garageband (Mac only) for editing and production since it offers advanced features Audacity doesn’t. If you already have a Mac with Garageband, by all means use it, but otherwise you can proceed without spending any money on software. Our microphone is a Blue Snowball (bluemic.com) that costs about $100. A $30 USB headset microphone will work perfectly well, but the built-in microphone on a laptop will not give sufficient audio quality. Save your finished recording in mp3 format for compatibility with any computer or portable media player.

Plan and set up your publishing platform early in the project. Generating a podcast feed typically requires blogging software (RSS feeds also power blog subscriptions). A podcast episode is, to oversimplify only slightly, just a blog post with a link to an mp3 file. Perhaps the most widely used blog software, and the one we use, is the free, easy and open source Wordpress. If you don’t have the resources to install Wordpress on your own server, there are many free sites like Odeo (odeo.com) that provide podcast hosting. If you work for an iTunes U university, publishing is even easier. iTunes U has podcasting capabilities built in.

Feedburner (feedburner.com) is another free service that tracks and records statistics on a podcast or blog feed. It allows the podcaster to get more information about subscribers: browsers and podcatcher software, for example. We plan to use our Feedburner data in an assessment of the podcast project at the one-year mark.

In the studio

Before you record your first episode, decide on a format. Include an introduction giving the name of the show and the topic of the episode, and introduce yourselves before you jump right into the discussion. Longer podcasts might also include regular segments like library news or listener feedback. Remember to include a contact address (web or e-mail) and ask for feedback, and mention the address where listeners can subscribe. The intro and “outro” can often be pre-recorded to save production time.

Don’t read a script word for word: few of us are gifted enough performers to make that sound natural or interesting. Prepare like you might for an instruction session: make a list of talking points ahead of time so you remember what you need to cover, but don’t be afraid to improvise. Having two or three people hold a discussion is much more comfortable and interesting than speaking solo for several minutes. Keep it conversational and natural, like a talk radio program, and ask each other questions to bring out information on your topic: “So how do I identify a peer-reviewed journal anyway?” “What should I be aware of if I’m using Google Scholar for research?” If you flub something, don’t panic. Just pause and say it again, and edit later.

Interviewing guest speakers is a good way to get colleagues involved. This not only brings subject expertise into your podcast, but demonstrates to colleagues that recording a podcast is easy and painless. We have brought in experts for episodes on topics like primary sources, Google Scholar and government documents. It keeps the podcast feeling like a talk show rather than a lecture, and our participants have spread the word to other librarians that it’s easy and fun.

Finally, make sure to listen to the whole episode start to finish before you publish it. It’s far less trouble and embarrassment than discovering a mistake after the fact.

Once you’re on the air

Promote the show. iTunes U is an obvious venue, but don’t forget to link to it elsewhere as well. Advertise it on your library’s Facebook page, newsletters, and mention it in your instruction sessions as an easy way to pick up library research tips. I have a link in my EndNote web guide to our episode on EndNote and citation managers.

Include additional material to supplement your podcasts. Remember that any digital file can be podcast, not just audio: podcast a PDF handout to supplement an episode with more information. Add links to your show notes (the text that accompanies the episode) to relevant web pages, your e-mail and the e-mail of other librarians listeners can contact for help.