Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Podcasting

About a year ago, I decided to give listening to podcasts a try. I started with some comedy and news ones, but also wanted to listen to something related to school librarianship. Unfortunately, I was only able to find one or two and they hadn't been updated in quite some time. So I decided to wrangle some friends together and start my own. In October, Sarah Murphy of Browning, Angie Ungaro of Brooklyn Friends, and myself launched Watchers Podcast: School Librarians Saving the World.

Our namesake, Rupert Giles - School Librarian and Watcher over the slayer.

We record monthly and now have eight episodes under our belt. Each begins by sharing what we're reading, then explore three topics of interest (summer reading lists, citation tools, lesson plans, etc), and end with sharing our "new favorite thing." Each episode is under around an hour and is filled with conversations about issues that we all share as school librarians. We also recently had author Mitali Perkins on (episode 7), which was a fascinating conversation about author visits and books as mirrors and windows.

There is certainly no shortage of topics to talk about, although we're definitely interested in finding out what librarians want to hear about. You can find out more information on watcherspodcast.tumblr.com, emailing us at watcherspodcast [at] gmail.com, or following us on twitter @watcherspodcast. Our episodes are available in the iTunes store and on Podomatic.

Here are a few additional podcasts you may want to check out, as well. Feel free to share what you're listening to in the comments.

Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates bring Oxford-style debate to America - one motion, one moderator, two panelists for the motion and two against. From clean energy and the financial crisis, to the Middle East and the death of mainstream media, Intelligence Squared U.S. brings together the world's leading authorities on the day's most important issues. Join the debate online and cast your vote for each topic at www.iq2us.org.

Learn Spanish with Coffee Break Spanish, bringing you language-learning with your latte! Aimed at total beginners, this podcast will help you get to grips with the Spanish language. (Also available in French!)


The Great Courses brings engaging professors from the best universities to our learners, creating a "university of the best" with our customers participating in every step of the process. Discover scientists explaining the latest findings from the fields of astronomy, particle physics, or neuroscience; historians exploring the implications of the latest archaeological findings; medical experts making sense of current health alerts or medical breakthroughs; and literature professors bringing fresh insights to classic literary works. 


StarTalk Radio is the first and only popular commercial radio program devoted to all things space and is hosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Captivating subjects—such as space travel, extra-terrestrial life, the Big Bang, the future of our Earth and the environment, and breaking news from the universe—will all be explored. Hilarity ensues as Tyson is joined each week by comedian co-hosts, celebrities, and other special guests.

From World War II to the Arab Spring, history as told by the people who were there. Presented by Max Pearson. The History Hour goes out weekly on Saturdays.


On Radiolab, science meets culture and information sounds like music. Each episode of Radiolab® is an investigation -- a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences centered around One Big Idea. 


And my personal favorite NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour - NPR's entertainment and pop culture round-table podcast features spirited discussions of movies, books, television, nostalgia, and — every time — what's making us happy this week.