Now Playing . . .: Using Podcasts and Kidcasts in the Library

Abstract

Podcasts created for kids, and often by kids, are quickly growing in number, scope, and popularity. The list of recommended podcasts on Zooglobble, a kids’ music and audio review site, has grown to include almost eighty. And podcasts for kids, also called “kidcasts,” are not just for earphones and home speakers.Podcasts for kids are taking the stage. Ear Snacks, hosted by professional “kindie” (kid-indie) musicians, recently performed at the San Francisco Public Library and at San Francisco’s Recess Urban Recreation Center. Book Club for Kids tapes live shows at book festivals all across the eastern seaboard. The Secret Diaries of Tara Tremendous, superhero adventure stories produced by Wonkybot Studios, was even turned into a Broadway musical.