Podcasts
Back to all streaming guides
What is a podcast?
According to Wikipedia, a podcast is "a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. A list of all the audio or video files currently associated with a given series is maintained centrally on a distributor's server as a web feed, and the listener or viewer employs special client application software that can access this web feed, check it for updates, and download any new files in the series. This process can be automated so that new files are downloaded automatically."
A podcast web feed usually appears as one webpage with many video or audio files attached to it and is not an entire website. Files in this webpage or "podcast" can be downloaded and stored locally on the user's computer or other portable devices, giving simple and convenient access to episodic content anytime, anywhere.
For cataloging purposes, a podcast webpage that predominantly contains video files will be considered a mixture of videorecording, online integrating resource, and electronic resource.
A podcast webpage that predominantly contains audio files will be considered a mixture of sound recording, online integrating resource, and electronic resource.
*It might be worth making the point here that, although a site that lists an updating collection of podcasts would be cataloged as an integrating resource, an individual podcast can be also cataloged separately as a monographic remotely accessed file.
Types of podcasts
Many types of files are used for video and audio podcasts.
Method used in this Guide to catalog podcasts
This guide considers podcasts a mixture of online integrating resources, electronic resources, and video or sound recordings, (depending on the resource's visual and/or audio characteristics). For this reason, we decided to follow rules in chapters 9, 12 and 6 or 7 of AACR2r. Some of the recommendations suggested in this guide are based on guidelines for integrating resources stated in the Cataloging Electronic Resources: OCLC-MARC Coding Guidelines, 2006 by Jay Weitz and Cataloging for the 21st Century, Course 1: Rules and Tools for Cataloging Internet Resources, Trainee Manual, Session 5 Version 2, 2008 prepared by Steven J. Miller.
How to catalog podcasts:
Fixed Fields: (Video Podcast) or (Audio Podcast)
Fields 006: (Video Podcast) or (Audio Podcast)
Fields 007: (Video Podcast) or (Audio Podcast)
Title and Statement of Responsibility (Field 245)
Dates of Publication (Field 260 or 362)
Physical Description (Field 300)
Frequency of Updates (Field 310)