Wonderful World of Podcasts

Hello,
Today I'll be talking about one of my favorite new obsessions: Podcasts!

Podcasts are awesome!
Yes, hello everyone. I am a podcast addict. It's true. I started learning about podcasts in 2005 although my fanaticism did not really begin until Spring 2007.
If you aren't convinced yet, here are the awesome pros of podcasts:
*They are FREE! yes FREE folks!
*There is a podcast on every subject under the sun.
*Multi-national. Listen to viewpoints from other countries!
*Uncensored. Sometimes crazy and freewheeling.
Like the internet itself.
*Listen on your Ipod, MP3 player, or computer anywhere!

I've found that there are several different types of podcasts. Some are highly commercial and slick, others are pretty banal. As I've said in a prior post, I prefer podcasts that are a group of friends talking about a common subject. There are also some great interview shows.
A fair warning: Just like with webpages the internet is a graveyard of dead podcasts. Oftentimes without warning a podcast will just disappear. It's sad, but I just go out find some new podcasts.

Netlibrary
Enjoy audiobooks? Well now you can download them for free. Yes folks FREE! I myself am not a big audiobook person, however I know many who are. I think portability is the biggest positive here. No more changing CDs or big bulky packaging. All one needs to do is download into a device and your good to go. So now it becomes a question of content. Netlibrary needs to open itself to more than just the classics. But I guess that will come with time. Another downside is that Netlibrary does not like my Ipod. That needs to change since Ipods are the #1 mp3 player.

Libraries can take advantage of these free internet offerings. Libraries can create download stations and offer checkout playaways. This can be used to save space and allow for more collection development. With a ton of holds on one book like Harry Potter perchance, we can offer people the chance to download it online rather than waiting.

So enjoy your weekend and pay your taxes. Book Slave.