Librarians' familiarity with and attitudes toward podcast technology

Abstract

New media have influenced library services and as a result, librarians always have tried to learn, use and even teach how to use such technologies. A combination of Web, and personal media players and mobile phones has resulted in useful technologies including podcasting web sites and facilities. Unlike other media, podcasts have been paid less attention to as library materials. This research investigated librarians' familiarity with podcasting and their attitudes about such tools as a library service. The results indicate little knowledge and experience of Iranian librarians with podcasting tools and as a result their attitudes about those technologies is also vague. Also, it is demonstrated that unlike the importance of podcasts, there is currently little use of them in public libraries in Iran. Welldesigned instructions of the librarians can improve the current state of podcasts as a media in libraries.