Thing 15

I have to admit I've never spent much time checking out podcasts, so this was a good thing for me to do. I looked around at the podcast directories, but didn't find anything that really appealed to me. I decided to look for library podcasts, specifically book reviews because we've knocked around the idea of doing that in our RA meetings. I decided upon Pierce County Public Library in Tacoma, Washington. They offer a wide range of podcasts- lots of book reviews, as well as plugs for various services and ones that focus on teens. First I listened to a review of the book We Are the Cat which is a book I read and liked. The librarian talked first about his own cats, then gave some information about the author and then reviewed the title. He finished up by referring listeners to their public blog on their website. I enjoyed it. Then I listened to a podcast about their reference resources. It was set up as a question/answer type interview between two people discussing life as a reference librarian and the resources that the library offers. It was pretty good too and I think it would be great for someone unfamiliar with these types of services. After listening to the podcasts I wanted to check out this library's website, so I did. It was a great website and they really focus on appealing to all ages in their community. They are also really focused on the future and what their patrons want- all the way to 2030! So I think their podcasts did a good job of presenting the library in a positive light and getting the listener interested in what else they offer. It also kind of made me want to do podcasts, especially book reviews because I found it so appealing. They used this medium well.