We are excited to announce the launch of a podcast series called Library Out Loud! to help promote and communicate library services, programs, materials, and news to the community. The podcast will feature quick, monthly interviews and stories with library staff on topics ranging from book and movie reviews, upcoming programs for all ages, how-to use specific library resources like research databases, system-specific news, the launch of new materials, and more.
How to Listen
Library Out Loud! is available on Sound Cloud (www.soundcould.com/handleyregional) and through the library website at www.handleyregional.org/podcast.
“We are very excited to embark on this new digital journey,” says John Huddy, Director of Handley Regional Library System. “The podcast idea came about a year ago from one of our library reference professionals at Handley Library. We did our research, talked with other organizations already doing this, organized funding, and decided to launch our podcast to help communicate with the public on all the great things happening here.”
“While we are still working out logistics and learning every month – we have a lot of great ideas and more important a lot of great content to share with the public,” says Matt Swain, Public Relations Manager for Handley Regional Library System. “We get the opportunity to share with the community about programs they can attend for free, reviews of books and other materials available to check-out, explain services they didn’t know we have, discuss how and why someone should rely on the library, and more. Each podcast session will last anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on the topic, so listeners can engage and get updated quickly. Right now we provide media updates similar to quick news shows and interview library staff about the exciting things going on. Eventually we’d like to expand this to include author talks and interviews from our program performers and partners from the community.”
Last fiscal year, the library system had over 370,000 kids, teens, and adults physically visit, circulated over 844,000 materials, and had approximately 54,000 program attendees.
“We offer over 1,000 programs a year and are constantly launching new services and materials,” adds Huddy. “We’d like for everyone in Frederick County, Winchester City, and Clarke County to experience what their local library has to offer – because there is literally something at the library for all ages – and we think our podcasts will help promote what we are doing for the 130,000 plus people we serve in our area.”