Thursday, April 16, 2009

#22: Audio books

This is such an amazing resource! I had no idea that this was even available to us, I'm so glad that I know now. I've never downloaded a book to listen to or read before, and I'm excited to try. I spent some time browsing through TCCL's collection of titles available for download and I was impressed with the volume of available material! New & popular books as well as timeless classics are all available at your fingertips, and no need to wait on a long list for a popular title. I like that you don't have to "return" the item back to the library once your check-out period is up, but the only thing that I didn't like was that it said that this service ruled out the need to go to the library. Maybe it does but I still would like for people to come to the library. Overall, I think this is a fantastic service.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

#21: Podcasts

I had heard of podcasts before, but wasn't entirely familiar with them. I have iTunes on my personal computer but never explored that section before. However, I do believe that this will change after I spent some time searching through the online podcast directories and seeing all that's available out there. I spent some time searching through PodcastAlley and located a number of libraries that use podcasts to give tips on library use, give updates on events happening in the library, give recommendations on library materials, and some have library customers involved in the process! I see a lot of ways that TCCL could employ podcasting to benefit not only its customers, but also its staff. There are libraries out there that are podcasting and would be an excellent example to use to do something similar here.

#20: Online video



I am a frequent user of YouTube. I love that there is such a wide variety of all KINDS of different videos on there. And anyone who creates an account with them can upload their own videos. I like to see what individual people create when they're making their videos. I picked this particular video because I love bunnies, and I love Office Space. I thought this was very cute. :)

I think that this could have applications for the library. If there was a need to create a training video of some sort, then it could be uploaded to YouTube where it could be easily accessed by anyone.