The Student Multimedia Studio is a resource located on the first floor of the Kent State Library and provides multimedia equipment and support for students.

There are several amenities offered within the studio: 3D printing machines, an audio recording booth, video editing software and a podcast room.

The podcast room is a miniature studio that features a mixer and recorder, four podcast microphones, two studio headphones and a Windows desktop computer.

The university acquired the equipment during the summer of 2022, and was motivated due to a heightened interest in podcasts among the student population, Hilary Kennedy, head of the Student Multimedia Studio, said. 

“We had never worked with mixers before as far as myself and the students at the time, so we kind of learned on the fly when we got the equipment,” she said. “I feel like that made it an easier way to teach others how to use it because we were learning it at a basic level, and then we could reflect on our instructions.” 

According to Kennedy, when the library has extra funds left over at the end of the year, they do an assessment of the materials currently available in the Student Multimedia Studio, in addition to the rest of the library. 

“We’d have students in a little recording booth, and they would try to record podcasts together, or they would drag a table that we had on the floor into this editing room, and sit together and make a mock-up version of a podcasting room,” Kennedy said.  “We were like, ‘Okay, I feel like this is something that there’s definitely an interest for.” 

During this time, there was no other place on campus that had the proper equipment that students of all majors had access to, if they were interested in starting their own podcast.

Kennedy also discussed that the library was the perfect location to introduce a podcast studio for student use on campus, given that it is open to all students and it’s a central location. 

“Students in certain courses might need it, but students don’t have to be in a class to use any of our resources, and that includes equipment, too. So, just students, even for personal interests, that want to create podcasts, we really encourage that,” Kennedy said. 

Kennedy explained that the goal of the podcast studio, and the Student Multimedia Studio as a whole, is to allow students to use pieces of technology that they might not own or have any level of familiarity with.

For example, there are many young people who enjoy listening to podcasts, but lack the resources to share their own ideas with the world.

The Student Multimedia Studio’s podcast room provides the resources needed for interested students. All the students need to bring to the library’s podcast room are their own ideas, concepts and excitement for their project. 

“Following the trends of popular culture where people are getting their information from social media to other formats, podcasting seemed like the one that was picking up the most steam at the time, and you were just seeing more of an interest on campus,” Kennedy said. “It just seemed like the most logical addition to what we already offer in the studio.”

The podcasting studio provides instructions for all students interested in creating a podcast, but do not have past experience. 

Additionally, the Student Multimedia Studio also has several staff members willing to help with any questions and problems that could potentially arise when using the equipment. 

“We actually prefer that if you’ve never used this technology before, to just walk through it together with a staff member with the instructions provided. Watch the person sit here in the driver’s seat, and run the mixer and just kind of point things out along the way,” Kennedy said. 

Students are able to reserve the podcasting studio ahead of time by filling out the library’s reservation form listed on the Student Multimedia Studio’s website.

The official website for the studio additionally provides tutorials, which they can choose to watch prior to their reservation.

Also, students are encouraged to bring their own SD card when utilizing the podcast room. If a student does not have an SD card, one can be supplied. 

“Students may not otherwise have access to this type of technology, depending on what program they are in,” Kennedy said. “Giving students exposure to that, where they may not have access to it through their programs, but really might have an interest in it, that could support the industry they’re getting into once they graduate.”

Reprinted from The Kent Stater Daily News. Ava Dunn is a reporter. Contact her at adunn37 [at] kent.edu.