New List Serv

In keeping with the podcasting thread, an email announcement was brought to my attention this morning introducing a new list serv from Syracuse University called Bibliocasting. Here is the information from the email announcement posted to the ILI list by Gerry Mckiernan on behalf of Dave Lankes:

The bibliocasting listserv (bibliocasting@listserv.syr.edu) is dedicated to a discussion of streaming media in the library environment. This list grows out of the increasing popularity of "Podcasting," or the use of RSS and the Internet to download audio programs (like audio blogs) to computers and MP3 players.

So what to post on the list? Examples of how libraries can build on the growing excitement of Podcasting; Questions on how libraries can use podcasting and other multimedia information they create to promote themselves and provide better service; Questions on how to podcast and other technical questions on streaming media including QuickTime Streaming, RealProducer, and others. In addition, the list will include postings of key articles, reports, and news about podcating and other streaming media in general and in the the library context.

Bottom Line: We are looking to build a community of individuals interested in the application of multimedia in the library environment.

Subscribe 2 ways: The first is through e-mail. To subscribe to the list send an e-mail to listserv@listserv.syr.edu with the entire message (no subject line): subscribe bibliocasting FirstName LastName

A podcast is set up for the list. Each post is transformed from text-to-speech, and syndicated using RSS. The RSS feed (podcast feed) for the list is at: http://drew.syr.edu/iis4/pod/pod.xml

Library Blogging Article

I saw an article entitled Why and How to Use Blogs to Promote Your Library's Services on the Information Today web site this morning. It focuses on libraries creating blogs to market services. I thought we might all want to check this out.

Podcasting from the Blog?

Hi -- For a couple of terms I had my students looking a blogs with audio (like tofuhut.blogspot.com.) Now one of our teacher education faculty is having her students identify podcasts and is also encouraging them to do their own podcasts. I'm wondering if we can not-so-sublty work audio or podcasting into our presentation, too. I'm doing the children's literature focus and thinking that surely someone is reading kid's books aloud on their blog??? Actually, it might be an interesting way to practice oral interpretation / dramatic readings. -- Mary

ALAO Leadership Retreat

Monday and Tuesday (June 13 & 14) the annual ALAO leadership retreat was held at the Inn at Honeyrun in Millersburg, OH. During the business meeting, it was my responsibility to contribute CMCIG's yearly report for 2004-2005 and indicate something new, or of interest, being considered by the Interest Group. I was happy to report we had a new co-chair, Greg Martin, and that we were currently working with a CMCIG blog for the November conference.

Our blog generated a great deal of interest among board members (an ALAO blog is being considered) and other IG chairs. As promised, I did not reveal the topic currently under discussion, or divulge the blog address. I did encourage attendance at the CMCIG sponsored session in November!

Thanks for your continued work on this worthwhile project.

Books on Blogs and Blogging

I recently purchased two books for the library with blogging as a topic. The first is Who Let the Blogs Out, by Biz Stone (reviews on amazon.com). This book includes background information on blogs and a chapter (6) titled 'Politics and Pupils: The impact of Blogging on Society' which is of interest to our endeavor as it discusses instances of blogging in education. The second title is Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq, by Riverbend (reviews on amazon.com). It is hard copy of the author's blog accounting of the war in Iraq and is a personal statement on how blogging has changed the landscape of reporting and first hand accounts of people and countries at war.

Is anyone familair with either of these titles? I have read the first and just checked out the second (fresh off of the new book shelf) today.