Welcome to Tech Bytes - a brand new technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library.

This week, we discuss an application of artificial intelligence that you may already be using with out knowing it!

Tech Bytes #1 - Introduction & AI in Smartphone Cameras

"Let’s Talk Race" emerged from the Richland (SC) Public Library as a response to the tragic events of 2015, including the murders of Walter Scott and the Charleston Emmanuel AME Church shooting. In the aftermath of these incidents, many South Carolinians were left grappling with a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, and fear. As the community sought ways to process and heal, the library took a proactive approach. The library's response was to initiate small dialogue circles, providing a safe haven for conversations about race. These circles aimed to foster understanding and empathy in the face of challenging circumstances. Over time, this grassroots effort grew into a movement.

Since then, the Richland Library has organized over 250 events and community discussions, engaging more than 4,000 participants. The impact of these conversations extended beyond the library's walls, prompting the library team to create a free curriculum, designed to be utilized by libraries and groups across the country.

In this episode, we talk with Tamara King, Chief Equity and Engagement Officer, and Heather McCue, Children's and Teens Services Manager at RPL. Join us as we delve into the roots and evolution of "Let’s Talk Race," exploring how it has transformed into a platform for change—nurturing empathy and unity through candid conversations about race.

FYI 71 - Let's Talk Race Richland (SC) Public Library

Tech Bytes is a technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library.

In this episode, we talk about paywalls and how to access information through the public library without the subscription fees.

Tech Bytes #21 - Do You Have the Key to the Paywall?

Tech Bytes is a technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library.

In this special episode, members of the community and attendees of Maker Fest 2024 try podcasting, and see what it is like to record their voices and stories.


Tech Bytes # 27 -  Maker Fest 2024

Tech Bytes is a technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library.

In this episode, we talk about Kanopy, a movie and TV streaming resource from the public library, and an article on Indie Wire, which praises it as a streaming platform with staying power.

Transcript:

[Music - Tech Bytes theme]

Hi, and welcome back to Tech Bytes. I’m your host, Todd, and today, we’re talking about the library-exclusive video streaming app Kanopy. I’ve said many times that I think that Kanopy is the one of the best resources that are available from the public library.

This week, I saw an article on Indie Wire, a film industry website, that also calls Kanopy a “hidden gem” and “the best kept secret” of the streaming industry.

In a moment, we’ll be back to talk about just how Kanopy great is, and why Brian Welk of Indie Wire, sees Kanopy as a streaming platform that has staying power, even while many of its competitors are being consolidated into each other.

[Music - Tech Bytes theme]

Ok, we’re back, and we’re talking about Kanopy. Kanopy is rare in the streaming universe. The content is well-curated and free for public library users. With a library of 35,000 titles that grows by nearly 150 titles per week, it has become a major player in an intensely competitive marketplace.

General Manager of Kanopy, Jason Tyrell, explains the streaming service’s structure to Indie Wire.

“Tax dollars pay libraries, libraries pay Kanopy for access, and Kanopy pays studios to license their content, just as other streaming platforms would.”

When thinking about how much of our tax bill goes to the public library, the cost for a Kanopy user is miniscule compared to what that person may spend on other streaming platforms in a year.

Although the service gets constant requests from users to be able to simply pay for the service like they would for Netflix, Disney+, or Peacock, Tyrell explains that he believes that it is critical that Kanopy remain a “valuable library resource.”

With Kanopy, there are titles that are meant to engage a younger demographic with arty-er indie films and thought-provoking documentaries.

Recently, I heard a colleague at another library refer to himself and people like him as an “A24 dork.” A24 is the film production company that has recently skyrocketed in popularity for the critically successful and sometimes oddball and avant garde films.

Kanopy certainly has plenty of content for the A24 dorks among us, but there’s a lot more too. From world cinema to contemporary classics, it’s hard to find just one title that I want to watch when browsing the service’s library.

And with apps for devices and smart TVs, logging in with your library card and watching diverse, high quality films couldn’t be easier.

Tech Bytes is recorded in Studio A on the lower level of the Niles-Maine District Library, where Niles-Maine cardholders have access to the recording equipment and software that were used to produce this episode.

A text transcript of this episode can be found in the show’s notes.

The article referenced in this episode, Why Kanopy May Be Uniquely Positioned to Survive the Great Streaming Consolidation was written by Brian Welk for indiewire.com.

Thank you for listening, and if you have questions about Kanopy, other library resources, or any other technology question, you can find us on the lower level, at the Library’s technology desk. You can also email us at digitalservices@nileslibrary.org.

If you enjoy listening to this podcast, and want to have easy access every time a new episode is released, please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

[Music - Tech Bytes theme]



Tech Bytes #29 - Kanopy on IndieWire.com

In this episode, we discuss Google’s new NotebookLM tool and a new Telehealth Booth at Waukegan Public Library.


Tech Bytes #37 - Google Notebook LM & Telehealth in the Library

In this episode, we talk to Valerie Marshall, Executive Director of Niles-Maine District Library, to look back at her first year in that position and plans for the Library in 2025 and beyond.

Tech Bytes #38 - Valerie Marshall, Executive Director at Niles-Maine District Library

In this episode, part of a mini series on the Journey of a Library book, we discuss the collection development process with Youth Services L:ibrarian, Cate.


Tech Bytes #39 - The Journey of a Library Book: Collection Development

El sistema bibliotecario de Medellín Colombia sirve de ejemplo a muchos, es un verdadero medio para hacer y cuidar a la comunidad. Hoy la gestora cultural Gladys Lopera, con una maestría en Didáctica de la lengua, la literatura y las ciencias sociales, viene desde esa ciudad a hablarnos de cómo las bibliotecas y los planes conjuntos han ayudado tanto a una de las ciudades más golpeada por la violencia a lo largo del tiempo. Hablamos también de música, niños, memoria, escritoras Colombians, clubes d lectura y más. 

Episodio 623: Hablemos de... Gladys Lopera y el Sistema Bibliotecas Públicas  Medellín Colombia

Tech Bytes is a technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library about technology news and useful technology tips. In this episode, we discuss the Library’s newly rebranded Library of Things.

Tech Bytes #42 - Library of Things

Publiclibrariesonline.org is the companion website to the bi-monthly print publication  “Public Libraries,” the official magazine of the Public Library Association.

En Hablemos Escritoras hacemos visible la obra, biografía, premios y retos de escritoras, traductoras, críticas y artistas contemporáneas y de todos los tiempos. Conversamos sobre temas de literatura y cultura. Reseñamos y vendemos libros en nuestra tienda www.shopescritoras. Conversamos con promotores de lectura, editores de revistas y sellos editoriales. Publicamos un blog cada jueves y sábados. Además de escucharse en las plataformas de podcast más importantes, las secciones, índices, catálogo de libros, tags de búsqueda, y formato de su página web la hace una herramienta de gran utilidad para lectores, docentes, investigadores, promotores, gestores, y todos aquellos que entiendan la importancia de conocer y difundir la literatura escrita por mujeres. Somos #HEP #CuradoresLiterarios #Enciclopedia #Biblioteca #Traductoras #Escritoras #Críticas

Tech Bytes is a technology podcast, produced by the Digital Services department at Niles-Maine District Library.

With each mini episode, we'll share a little bit of new or useful technology information that we have learned while serving patrons at the Digital Services tech desk.

New tracks tagged #PublicLibraries