[Web4lib] Recording BookClub meetings for podcasts

[Shawn E. Romine]

My plan is to work with the facilitator of the group (one of our
librarians) to schedule some time at there next meeting and plead the
case for opening there book discussion group to the online community.  A
lot of our book clubs are already doing this in some sense, with a
synopsis of there meetings being posted on blogs.  What I am hoping is
that I can convince them that their love of a specific genre of books
could be enlightening to a wider audience for many reasons (those who
might not be able to attend for many reasons, family, disability, etc.)
and see what the response is....would be willing to tape a session as a
test and then allow them to hear it before publishing to get them
comfortable with the idea....

I would probably then leave it up to the librarian facilitator (and the
group) if a majority wanted to do this, and a minority did not.

If this doesn't work, would probably work the angle of trying to host
book discussion groups specifically to be taped and put online, whether
that be face to face, or some kind of online environment that is
recorded.

Somehow libraries have to get more content in the online environment.  I
have stated before (rather controversially) that few of my peer group
(middle class, comfortable with technology, no children) use libraries
anymore.   We get our information from the web, we purchase our own
books from Amazon, and we use various online environments to discuss
books (by the way, I think they are making a mistake from a financial
perspective. You know how many books I purchased and tossed before I
started to work for libraries. New patrons need to be informed that
books at your local library are like DVD's at Netflix. I pay a flat fee
for Netflix, and I rarely buy DVD's anymore.  Similarly, I pay a flat
fee for my public library - I don't need to buy books anymore).  The
keynote speaker at a recent conference I attended summed it up nicely;
libraries are conspicuously missing from the information circle.

So, we have to reach out to the online environment because the next
generation of patrons demand it.  Libraries (and librarians) are not use
to competing/marketing their services, but as we all know libraries
aren't free, and when your library gets into a budget crunch (as Oregon
libraries are, where we have had several districts lose their county
funding and either close or reopen with greatly reduced services) and
ask your patrons for financial assistance in some fashion, this next
generation might not be willing to cough up the dough for a service they
rarely use....


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Dan Lester
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 3:14 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Recording BookClub meetings for podcasts

Saturday, August 30, 2008, 4:18:25 PM, you wrote:

> I am starting to research the possibility of reaching out to our
> online community by recording our traditional book club meetings and
> posting them as podcasts.  Feel pretty good about handling the tech
> side of this, but I have no idea the best equipment to use to record
the actual meeting.

What do you plan to do about permissions from the people in the
groups.  You undoubtedly need permission to publish their images and
their words.


-- 
The road goes on forever and the party never ends. REK, Jr. 
Dan Lester, Boise, ID  




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