Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Thing 21: Podcasts

I looked at all 4 podcast directories and have good things and bad things to say about each. I found that I can't download the iTunes because my computer is too old but there was a great variety of music, audio and video available and the searching is easy. Using the PodcastDirectory.com was easy but not very pretty. I liked that I could click and easily add the new podcasts by an artist or subject to my Bloglines but the results were not as varied as the other directories. Podcast Alley had the greatest variety available but it was not as Blogline friendly as PodcastDirectory. My Yahoo audio had the greatest number of results for popular searches. The only problem is that there is a cost to download anything. I searched for "Adventures in Odyssey," a popular show for children that offers moral messages. The greatest number of episodes was avaialable from Yahoo but at a cost of $1.99 each. I added podcasts of "The adventures in Odyssey" to my Bloglines account through PodcastDirectory.com. While this does not offer the episodes that Yahoo does, it is free and the producers of the show regularly discuss what they are working on.
I could see using a podcast for weekly storytelling, book teases, young adult forums or the "Main Event" at the Washington Branch.

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