| Friday Follow-up: a weekly message from Brian M. Hildreth, STLS Executive Director |
All the Books Celebrates 50 Episodes in Wellsville
This Friday I would like to shed light on the David A. Howe Public Library (Wellsville, Allegany County). More specifically, one of their recent and trending projects.
Nic Gunning, interim director, took a moment last week to answer some of my questions about All the Books, which is the official podcast of the David A. Howe Public Library. The show features Eric Mikols,teen coordinator & technology trainer, and Nic who talk about “book news, great segments and library events!”
The podcast has been running since 2015 and just celebrated its 50th episode. It is available on Soundcloud, iTunes and Youtube. Here is what Nic had to say about All the Books:
Brian: Where did the idea for All the Books come from?
Nic: I had been thinking about doing something like this for a while. I thought it would be a good way to reach a different type of audience. It would allow us to do reader’s advisory and raise awareness of the kinds of things you can do in a library. When Eric was hired, he came with an impressive background in creating online content and together we crystalized the concept that became All the Books.
Brian: Was the library director or board supportive of the initial idea? Podcasts aren’t in the traditional scope of rural libraries.
Nic: Our former director Michelle La Voie saw the value in it right away. She was supportive from the start and even guest-hosted episode 6, “Three’s Company Too,” with us. (https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-6-threes-company-too) Our board was enthusiastic as well. I think everyone thought it was outside of the norm, but felt there was no harm in trying.
Brian: What types of skills does it take for a librarian to create a podcast? Is it something anyone with basic tech skills can do?
Nic: The tech side is relatively simple, but I think you do need to have some knowledge of what’s out there. Eric did a lot of research making sure we had the right equipment, software and hosting site. We’ve had to do some tweaking along the way. It would have been much more difficult had he not had some expertise in that field.
Brian: How much time per week do you allocate towards the show, and did you have to give something up to make it happen?
Nic: When we first started we would record an episode, then Eric would go in to edit it. That was very time consuming. Once we got comfortable with the format, we started recording and posting it as is. Essentially, it’s a live recording. The show runs about an hour, so that plus a little time to research the topics and authors we are discussing ends up at 1-2 hours per week. We either record on Fridays or Mondays, depending on our schedules. That gives us some flexibility.
Brian: Clearly you and Eric have seamless and entertaining dialogue. Is it this dynamic that prompted you to start All the Books and does this relationship carryover after the show?
Nic: Eric and I work well together so I was confident that we could sit down and have a lively, productive conversation each week. Our natural dynamic certainly helps the show. And yes, we do get along even when the mics aren’t on.
Brian: What kind of reaction have you gotten from community members? Has this been an effective tool for driving services?
Nic: We have gotten a pretty positive response overall. We hear from patrons who listen and often see books or media we discuss checking out from our collection. Our audience reaches beyond Wellsville, so hopefully this gives people who have a fondness for the David A. Howe Public Library the opportunity to stay in touch regardless of where they are now. I think it’s working well for us.
Brian: Do you see the show as a permanent staple of the Howe Library brand?
Nic: In the year we’ve been doing the show we haven’t missed a single week. We don’t have plans to stop anytime soon.
Brian: 50 continuous weekly episodes is no small feat. If you could recommend one episode to the STLS membership, which one is your favorite?
Nic: Well, for our 50th episode we filmed the show with a three camera set up. You can find that on our Youtube page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6sEIdqFfJI
Our most downloaded episode is #27, “Show Me One Idea.” That’s a favorite of both mine and Eric’s too. You can find that https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/episode-27.
You can find the show on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks Twitter: @allthebookshow
Have a great weekend, STLS! And,thank you, Nic and Eric for sharing this great project with us and your community.
Kindest Regards, Brian Hildreth, Executive Director Follow me on Twitter: @comlibpartner |
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