#21 podding with the muggles

i forgot how funny some american accents can be (with myself being one)... the intro to pod-cast #121- "Bellatrix needs some love" from the MuggleCasters was quite interesting...but that is the point.. there really are no rules for podcasts, like radio may have (well organized radio at least)... you can make the rules yourself.

anyway, back to the podcast:

not only was there the typical sounding Harry Potter instrumental intro sounds to the movies when they begin to zoom into Hogwarts, they did it in Metal-music style... v. interesting,and this could be because it's hosted by 20something or other dudes... with loads more metallica-esque guitar riffs with that halloweeny-ness of harry potter movie music.. gotta love the dramatization of it all.. pod casts can do anything ,really, can't they. they do news, (did you know there is going to be a Harry Potter theme park opening in 2009 "Holidays at Hogwarts" at Universial Studios in Florida!?!) and well all sorts of news for muggles.

i picked this podcast b/c it relates to young adult lit, and it does have this YA edge to it (esp the music.. )

podcasts are a great idea for libraries. currently there are podcasts of book talks, lectures, seminars, meetings, etc and there could be podcasts much like the one i'm listening to now which could be 'run' like a radio station by youth for youth on behalf of the library doing book reviews on new books like "King Dork" or the Gossip Girl series. all worth the technology this tool has to offer.

ps. man if only i were back in america, i'd be a hop skip and a jump away from harry potter land at universal studios.. that would be kinda cool.. don't pretend you don't think so too :)

#22-- Audiobooks and ebooks

I wanted to access the following quite badly... how fantastic does it sound-- and what beautiful covers that are available for viewing... it would have been a delight to see the illustrations inside as well... i do enjoy those old school Edwardian and Victorian designs. This website for e-books (http://worldebookfair.com/Childrens_eBooks.htm) had a bit like---

Alice and Other Fairy Plays for Children

Author: Freiligrath-Kroeker, Kate, 1845-1904
Language: English
Keywords: Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898; Children's plays
Alice -- Snowdrop -- The bear prince -- Jack and the princess who never laughed
Publisher London : George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden
Date 1881

i'll have to listen to the talking book options some other time when i have proper audio and an audio player (there is the story of Rumpelstiltskin which could have been a flash to the past with a touch of nostalgia and a hint of reminiscence of a childhood spent hanging out in the local library back in Virginia and my mother reading to us.

I think this sort of open-source material which allows anyone anywhere (as long as there is access to the technology supporting such initiatives (which is a whole nother kettle of fish regarding the issue of providing technology to third world countries but not having literacy and educational programs to support the technological-educational process behind how to use a computer and the wonderful benefits information access to the world can provide... there must be grass-roots work to support it all-- another digression)) to hear the stories or download for flights, road trips, etc which allows for more room than having a whole box worth or bag's worth of talking book kits, this sort of downloadable audio-text can be quite useful... it's a great idea.

i am really interested in the idea of having talking books available for loan through the library website where one can borrow the 'item' and then it disappears from their mp3 players... great concept...hopefully we'll see such technology in practice sooner rather than later at MLS... imagine the ease of tram ride 'reading!'

#20 you-tube

there seems to be a bit of junk on youtube (wrestling videos, weird stunts, random takes like bad renditions from america's funniest home videos) and sometimes there are things which aren't so bad; like the Aarhus video posted in the right hand column of this blog and the few decent 'book trailers' out there like the one embedded above-- a young adult book recently published/released. such 'book trailers' can be used to advertise up and coming material in the library as a more audio/visual way of previewing a book or 'reviewing' a book, rather than long-winded reviews.