Hamden Library Podcast Hamden Public Library

Awareness month or acceptance month? Either way, April is all about autism. In this episode, staff member Rebecca Coates takes the mic to spotlight books and podcasts about autism's history and social experience, with an emphasis on autistic self-advocates. 
Later, she talks to Jennifer Cretella, Kaitlyn Fenner, and Marilena Mademtzi, three representatives from Clifford Beers Community Care Center, about Clifford Beers' services for families with autistic kids, Autism Services & Resources Connecticut (ASRC), and the annual Walk for Autism and Resource Fair.
We hope you enjoy!  
Further Reading
Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity - Steve Silberman Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity - Devon Price Spectrum | The Transmitter 

Connecticut State Department of Social Services - Autism Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (USA) | Direct link to Resources Page 

The ARC Autism Self Advocacy Network Autistic Women’s & Nonbinary Network The Color of Autism Foundation 

The Reason I Jump and Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 –Naoki Higashida Thinking In Pictures – Temple Grandin Look Me In The Eye - John Elder Robison Autism In Heels – Jennifer Cook Sincerely, Your Autistic Child - Various authorsNeuroclastic The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism See our blog page for April 2024's episode for links to other podcasts and links to authors mentioned in the podcast

This episode features interviews with Geena Clonan, founding president of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, and Colette Anderson, executive director of the Connecticut Women’s Consortium, which provides gender-informed and trauma-responsive training to behavior health professionals. In March we celebrate the women who have helped build a fairer, more just society. After you listen to this episode, we encourage you to read the Proclamation on Women's History Month, 2024 put out by the White House on whitehouse.gov and spend time on the website womenshistorymonth.gov which is hosted by the Library of Congress and their partners.

In honor of Black History Month, Teen Librarian Jenny Nicolelli interviewed two of her former colleagues from the New Haven Free Public Library to talk about their careers as librarians. First you'll hear Jenny talk with Marian Huggins, branch manager of the Mitchell Library. Then you will hear her interview with Diane X. Brown, branch manager of Stetson Library. These are great talks – especially if you have ever considered entering the field of librarianship and want to get a sense of what it’s really like.

Additional resources:

Recommended Reading Lists (Inspired by Marian Huggins & Diane X. Brown)
All CT Reads

This month we are focusing on health literacy, or the ability to find, access, understand and use health-related information. First up, Ryan talks to Kate Nyhan, the founder of Community Access to Ventilation Information, about her mission to make air quality monitors available to the public through libraries. Then Ariana interviews Yale medical librarians and Hamden residents, Kayla del Biondo and Alexandria Brackett, on the importance of health literacy, how it informs their work and what we can do to make sure the health and medical information we are getting is accurate.

Additional resources:
CAVI websiteCRAAP TestNewsGuardMedlinePlusMedlinePlus MagazineNetwork of the National Library of MedicinePubMed Centralclinicaltrials.govThe Model Health ShowThe Huberman Lab Podcast@thatgaydoctor (Instagram)

To celebrate the end of the year, we asked our staff to talk about something they loved in 2023: a book, an album, an event - anything that stood out as superlative. Here are their picks. 

What did you like best in 2023? Email us at hamdenlibrarypodcast@gmail.com and we'll read the best submissions in a future episode!