"Librarians do Gaga" or the delights of podcasting and YouTube!

Podcasting is great idea, enabling people to watch or listen to video casts or audio casts whilst on the move.  This is increasingly more common as people have ipods, phones and mp3 players, not to mention laptops and home computers.

Libraries have already tapped into this world, in order to get information and training on available resources, out to remote users.  The Cheshire Public Library podcasts are aimed at teenage users, and include their writings and music.  This is very good method of libraries marketing themselves and appealing to their users.

At a previous job we decided to make podcasts via Camtasia for our overseas students, as they don't receive the same face to face inductions about library resources.  The main ones we made were accessing journals online due to the problems faced by some journal providers not recognising our students Athens accounts off site and using databases (unfortunately I do not have access to show them here). As a remote student, this can be very frustrating and its not always possible to speak to a library staff member if your working after 9pm.  The first tip we learned about podcasting is making sure you have a script to work from.  Most of the libraries shown in thing 21 examples, have also included the scripts on their pages which is very useful if students wish to have a handout as well.

YouTube is another good way of making video's to advertise library services.  I like the plagiarism one, even though it had English subtitles, as it was different, fresh and enjoyable to watch.  Another favourite as the title of this post suggest is "Librarians do Gaga", Miss Crail and I have previous wondered how much this could be used as a fun introduction to databases, although apparently gin may be needed to do something similar ourselves!

Other you tube library related video's I like is the Cookie monster in the library and Library card.

Ghostbusters, The L team and The University of Liverpool's 1920's silent film on using databases and electronic resources (is very slick and well done).  The trick of using well known songs, TV shows and genre is an excellent way of making sure people view and keep watching your video or podcast.

In some ways one of the main disadvantages I find, is making a podcast interesting and funny, which will keep the student interest and make them remember the content.