Podcasts

Radio isn't dead, it's just getting hotter and more convenient. Podcasts are the latest way to stay up-to-date on issues but with one major perk, no commercials! Here are some that should not be missed:

Geeks: One Big Library
I heard about this one from Jan Thomas, a School of Library and Information Science employee who helps us SLISers keep in the now,

"Podcast with interviews with some different people in the library field hosted by Daniel Chudnov, a librarian and programmer currently working as an Information Technology Specialist in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress."

LibVibe: the library news podcast

"A newscast of our own. Concise, professional, listenable. Hear the difference. Tell a colleague."

For only 7 minutes a week, get your weekly update.


LISPodcasts.com: Where Librarians Sound Off

"LISPodcasts.com serves as a central clearinghouse of everything that is happening in the world of LIS Internet Audio."

Your all rolled into one type blog.


The Smithsonian Institution- Podcasts: American's Jewel of Knowledge
I'm not sure if that is a good nickname for the Smithsonian but I know to me that the Smithsonian is the place for reliable information. This one link will take you to several collections that are preserving several American cultures.


The British Library
If you didn't know about this podcast, you really should! I am a huge fan of the British Library.


CILIP
Podcasts selected for the CILIP community from CILIP and other websites. CILIP= the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (based in United Kingdom).

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki
A list of public and academic libraries.

"For the library that works hard to produce audio content such as recordings of programs or library tours, podcasting can be an effective means of making that content more widely available."

MU: LiSRadio

"This is a new and exciting series of interactive webcasts brought to you by the School of Information Science and Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Our aim with these webcasts is to help in "...creating and exploring the intersection of information and learning." We hope to present interesting and stimulating conversations with movers, shakers, and the odd gadfly or two in libraryland."

Finally a link to the iTunes Store with more Podcasts, some are free but I am not 100% sure:

iTunes's Podcast

But if you STILL are not a believer in the positive outcomes of having blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, or Instant Messaging read the review by ALA TechSource (American Library Association) about Web 2.0 and Libraries: Best Practices for Social Software by Michael Stephens, Jul/Aug 2006 (Volume 42 Issue 4) .

The Art of Books, the Bliss of Binding

For those who are not in love with books or a librarian, this page might be of little interest to you. I found it to be interesting enough to blog it. The University of Alabama has a website devoted to book binding called Publishers' Bindings Online, 1815- 1930: The Art of Books. It provides information about collections, galleries, essays, tools, and lessons. Just watching the books change on their main screen is interesting enough. Check it out if you are interested or have the time.

http://bindings.lib.ua.edu/

British Library

Did you know that the British Library has a Facebook page? A new trend for companies is to create a page in Facebook that people can add by becoming a "fan". A new loophole that allows various companies and organizations to add themselves to a popular website. They could make some trouble for MySpace due to the fact that in MySpace you have to lie and create a page as if your organization is a real person.

Why am I talking about all this? It is because I am a fan of the British Library and I am able to get updates on what their website has to offer. Something that I have just learned today is that the British Library provides:

Treasures in full: High-quality digital editions, free to your desktop.

Examine every page of rare historic works; compare different editions side-by-side; choose standard or magnified view; read supporting material by our curators and other experts.

• Shakespeare in Quarto
• Caxton's Chaucer
• Gutenberg Bible
• Magna Carta
• Renaissance Festival Books
• Preview: Malory's Arthurian manuscript

Technology really has come a long way and I am glad that people are going out of their way to preserve pieces of history for future generations.

http://www.bl.uk/treasures/treasuresinfull.html

Blogging, good for the Soul

In an article entitled Blogging boosts your social life: research by Claudine Ryan for ABC Science Online states that:

Blogging can help you feel less isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied with your friendships, both online and face-to-face

That's good to know because I was beginning to feel guilty for creating a blog. Now that I know it's trendy and psychologically comforting I find that I feel better. lol

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/03/2178512.htm