Thing 21: Podcasts

I listened to several library podcasts. The sound on most of them was very clear. The types I think might work in our library were the Teen ones. Hearing a Teen talk about what's going on, and listening to their music, was interesting. I don't know if it would bring in more Teen patrons, but it's possible. I think it would be a fun experience for budding musicians, and for Teens who write. What fun to read your own poem or story. I also enjoyed listening to some of the children's story times, but I don't think they are the best choice for young ones. Most kids (as did I at a young age) prefer something visual when they listen to a story. I believe the illustrations are an important part of story time. Kids gain a lot of information from a well illustrated picture book. Most children's librarians use the pictures as well as the story in their programs. I do think it is good for older kids. They should either have, or be developing, listening skills. Listening to someone read a story well brings it to life, and it plants that little voice in a child's head so he/she starts to hear it when reading. It helps to focus on the meaning of sentences and the characterizations instead of just the individual words. FWPL already has downloadable audio books for adults and children.
On a personal level, I had fun at the Internet Archive, especially the old radio programs. I remember being frightened by The War of the Worlds on Halloween night. No, I'm not old enough for the original broadcast, but one of the radio stations played it when I was a child. On I.A. I can listen to comedians who later moved to TV, plus radio shows I've never heard, though I've heard of many of them.