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The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of podcasts, online radio broadcasts, YouTube channels, and other technology medium to deliver information and professional development to peers in the field and professionals in librarianship.

This paper explores five case studies of librarians and library professionals who have created online programs specifically geared to the field using technologies such as podcasting, YouTube channels, Twitter Chats, and Google Hangouts. The case studies include librarians in the public, academic, and school settings as well as one professional from The American Library Association. Interviews via Google Hangouts took place to gather information for each narrative. NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software was used to pull out themes and commonalities among narratives. Some examples include, intended audience, program focus, platform topics, technology, and challenges.

Face-to-face delivery of information and professional development can be difficult with librarians and professionals located across the USA and the world. These five interviewees share new opportunities and examples in the delivery of training and information in the field of librarianship without ever needing to leave an office or desk.

Podcasting in librarianship is a topic of modest popularity but it is typically used with students and at the academic library level where the topics of podcasts and libraries are addressed. The topics of podcasts, online radio broadcasts, and other technologies in librarian peer-to-peer instruction and professional development are uncharted territory in the field of scholarly research. This piece opens research to multiple opportunities in both practice and scholarship in how technology can aid in professional development and information delivery to peers and practitioners in the field.

This paper seeks to examine the development of a pilot program for using podcasting as a tool in the provision of information literacy in an academic library. It aims to discuss the implementation process and the issues encountered in developing a podcasting series at the Curtin University Library.

The possibilities for using podcasts to deliver library information literacy in an academic library are discussed in reference to current literature and trends. The method for creating a podcasting series, including the equipment, software, RSS feed, legal issues and cost and staffing implications, is outlined along with the parameters used by the Curtin University Library in the development of a pilot series.

The paper finds that podcasts offer libraries a new method of delivering information literacy to their clients. It is possible to create a podcasting series with minimal expense and the simple production method enables many libraries to take advantage of this new technology. The podcasting series at Curtin has proven to be popular with downloads increasing steadily over the course of the semester. There have been over 9,000 downloads of the audio files to the end of November 2006. By taking advantage of this ubiquitous technology libraries can communicate with their clientele in a new and exciting way.

The paper outlines how to create a podcasting series for information literacy in an academic library environment, and provides recommendations for other libraries wishing to create their own podcasting series.

The aim of this paper is to gain knowledge in podcast mining as an additional source for Web-based horizon scanning (HS). The paper presents theoretical insights on the potential of podcast mining by exploring topics, which may be relevant in the future, and by reflecting the results against a background of HS approaches. The study provides a preliminary overview by presenting an exemplary list of podcast shows for further research.

The paper uses an exploratory quantitative content analysis, which was conducted on the basis of 30 topics deemed to be relevant in the future and which were identified in the field of applied science. Based on these topics, podcasts and episodes were identified which address future-oriented topics and were discussed in terms of range of content.

The findings indicate that future-oriented topics are addressed in podcasts. However, differences in dynamics and range of content of the podcasts concerned highlight the necessity of identifying a list of suitable podcasts according to the specific scanning focus and the dynamics of each future-oriented topics.

While a growing number of podcast studies have already noted the importance of podcasts as a key medium, for example, educational processes and media sciences, no detailed explanation of podcast mining as a tool for the purposes of HS has been published. The review therefore makes an original contribution to this field, highlighting areas where future research is needed.

Podcasting can be an effective resource for enhancing student learning, if its pedagogical use aligns with best practices. Podcasting is easy, requiring only cheap and simple technologies that educators can learn to use quickly. Student feedback is very positive, and this has become one of the major drivers for providing podcasts of teaching material. This chapter discusses the way students use podcasts and the possible impacts on learning. Despite concerns about students reducing attendance at lectures, most studies have shown that lecture attendance is not diminished by the provision of podcasts. Students do not tend to use MP3 players to listen to podcasts “on the go”; most students listen to podcasts directly from home computers, often while replaying PowerPoint slides. The academic staff perspective of podcasting is discussed in relation to advantages and concerns about their use.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of podcasting and webcasting, and to examine student preferences between the different delivery richness of communication media.

Background information regarding podcasting and webcasting is discussed. A conceptual model, based on media richness theory, is developed to explain student's perceptions. For the testing of the model, a survey metric is introduced, and a research methodology is explained. Finally, a conclusion and research limitations are discussed.

The conceptual model of the motivations to use podcasting was adopted from media richness theory. It was proposed that six factors are related to future media use; immediacy of feedback, personal focus, transmission of cues, functionality, usability, and ease of use. The methodology relied heavily on logistic regression analysis for testing the various hypotheses. The authors collected data for hypothesis testing. The results of the study were inconclusive. This may be due to the lack of user experience with podcasting.

Some instructors have even adopted such techniques as their primary means (within the classroom or outside classroom) of communicating to students. However, the selection of appropriate communication media requires an understanding of the students' perceptions, preferences and receptiveness of these new technologies.

The findings from this exploratory research will be valuable for podcasting users.

This study is the first kind of empirical research in this area. With this study, the authors examined the perceived value of podcasting.

This concurrent mixed methods study aims to collect quantitative data indicating current levels of podcast usage, demographics of those using podcasts, technologies used and perceptions of the podcasts. It also aims to collect qualitative data providing an expanded understanding on perceptions of the podcasts and suggestions for future enhancements.

Six sample podcasts were recorded and made available via New Zealand's UCOL – Universal College of Learning – web site in MP3 format. The target population was staff and students of UCOL. A web‐based survey instrument was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data with 86 complete responses received.

Results showed that there were differences found between the groups surveyed in perceptions and use of the library instructional podcasts. The majority of respondents thought the podcasts were “very good” with 71.1 per cent in favour of them. The most helpful podcast topics were identified, suggestions for future podcast topics were made, device ownership and required technologies were investigated, preferred times and places for listening to podcasts was ascertained and advantages and disadvantages were determined. The conclusion reached was that podcasting for library instruction does provide benefits and should be pursued.

Participants were self‐selected on a non‐random basis. For these reasons and also due to the low response rate it was not possible to stratify the sample set or generalise results. This method of selection may also have caused a bias in answers towards those already interested in podcasting technology.

As podcasting is a new phenomenon for libraries, little is known about its usage and perceived benefits especially in New Zealand. This research offered an opportunity to fill a small gap in the knowledge of the usage and perceptions of podcasting and future potential as a medium for library instruction. This study was intended as an intermediary step and further research is therefore needed to gain a full picture.

Podcasting is a new mobile technology application for language learning. Drawing upon the stimulus–organism–response model and the interest driven creator (IDC) theory from e-learning, this study aims to develop and test an integrative conceptual framework. This study investigates contextual and environmental stimuli effects (content richness [CR], self-directed learning [SDL] and situational interest [SI]) from a podcast English learning context on learners’ experience states (cognitive absorption [CA], pleasure [PL] and arousal [AR]) and their subsequent responses (continuance learning intention [CLI]).

Using 416 valid responses from five universities located in North Taiwan, data analysis is performed using a structural equation model.

The results show that most of the interest factor stimuli (CR, SDL and SI) have significant impacts on learners’ experiences (CA, PL and AR), which in turn affect their CLI.

The findings provide useful insights for English show podcasters and operators to invest in establishing learners’ interest factor and stimulating experiences to improve their CLI.

This paper contributes to a better understanding of students who use contextual factors of podcast English learning and how these factors influence their CLI via a framework of stimulus–organism–response and the IDC theory.

This conceptual chapter explores communicating with transparency and secrecy in public affairs activities in Norway. The tension between transparency and secrecy is particularly interesting with regard to the question of impact of strategic communication on political policymaking processes. As a theoretical framework, we use a double lens to hold the concepts of both transparency and secrets in focus. First, we draw on Fung’s (2013) principles of democratic transparency: availability, proportionality, accessibility and actionability. Second, we use Horn’s (2011) three logics of political secrecy: arcanum, mysterium and secretum. By integrating Fung’s principles of openness and Horn’s logics of secrecy, we construct a model for analysis of a few public affairs activities and practices. Empirical examples of PR agencies’ communicative activities support our model, in addition to interviews with three executives in agencies. The empirical examples illustrate that communication activities rely on top-down controlled information diffusion in PR agencies’ communication activities, such as podcasts and web pages. They use information to develop group identities and to develop stronger relationships to their clients and customers. The social dimension of information in our examples suggests that the agencies are discrete, operate in the background and are careful about revealing their competence and privileged insights.

This study aims to investigate the application of Web 2.0 technologies in the libraries of the top 100 universities in the world to provide a model for Web 2.0 application in academic library websites.

Data were collected from the universities’ library websites for three months based on a Web 2.0 checklist. The list of universities was extracted from Webometrics Ranking of World Universities in 2015.

The research shows the priorities of these universities in their use of Web 2.0 tools include social networks and mashups at the most (94.5 per cent), followed by RSS (91.2 per cent) and social tagging (82.4 per cent) and other tools with lower priorities. Moreover, it revealed the most common applications of these tools in the mentioned websites followed by their objective evidences in different libraries. The results indicate that the total Web 2.0 application in the libraries of the top 100 universities was below average (40.23 per cent). Finally, the model for Web 2.0 application in academic library websites was designed.

The focus of this study is on the value and application of each tool in the websites and demonstrate a clear model to apply in other library websites. The model for Web 2.0 technologies application in academic library websites has not been designed and pictured before.

This paper aims to explore the range of free and inexpensive technologies that are available and have been simply implemented with practical and immediate benefits both for library staff and clients.

The paper demonstrates positive examples of integrating technologies such as blogs, wikis, RSS aggregators, podcasts, vodcasts, web conferencing, and instant messaging into library services and programs. The paper reports the take up of these technologies by public libraries nationally and internationally and examines Australian public library use and promotion of these services to their clients. Questions around the level of use or non‐use by public libraries are also explored.

The paper finds that these technologies have increased clients' interaction with and access to library services and collections. By providing information in various formats these technologies are meeting client's various and individual requirements, and reflect the increasing demand of services in virtual environments. A case study around the OPAL Training Project Emerging Technology course will examine library staff buy‐in and involvement in the development of new services and explore the difference these emerging technologies can make to our clients.

Emerging technologies provide librarians with a unique opportunity to substantially enhance user‐centred services and to facilitate and promote collaboration between libraries and their clients.