A spell is Podcast

As I began walking further into the garden of books, I could hear a tiny squeaking voice. I wondered: where is that coming from? I then realised it was coming from bookworm/caterpillar’s computer. What magic is this? But it was no magic, simply technology (which may be indeed some kind of magic). Podcasts of speeches, lectures, dramatic dialogues, conversations, radio programmes… voices captured and broadcasting anytime or place…

Suddenly the realisation dawned of how wonderful a tool this may be… Could the important speeches and conversations of our time and beyond be broadcast around the world and made so much more accessible? Could I hear the dream of Dr. King? Do I not have to wait for a documentary or radio broadcast to have access to dialogues and informed observations? What about Shakespeare? Can I hear Hamlet’s soliloquy when I am studying the HSC and need to hear the text spoken? Can I hear other texts spoken and freely available, important literature and contemporary and historical texts? Can we have all of this, available to library patrons and staff and anyone else who cares?

If not now then I am sure they will be, not just as a way of accessing texts but as a way of preserving them.

Podcasts created by libraries are of equal relevance, both audio and video versions. You can have oral histories and guided historical tours (has been done), recordings of author talks, book club meetings, children’s story times, latest news. You can even most simply have opening hours and the like- one could listen to their mp3 player on the way to the library and double check times to make sure, without sifting through ten million pamphlets that litter the bottom of their bag. Podcasts could help with the vision impaired as well, giving them more available options.

It seems a spell has been podcasted over me. I will definitely want to do more exploring in this area and must remember to come back and visit soon. Possibilities endless! But for now, I must move on. It looks like something is going on beyond the garden…