Call Number with American Libraries Podcast

Call Number with American Libraries Podcast
  • 4.7 (43)
  • EDUCATION

Call Number is the popular podcast series from American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. Each month, your host and American Libraries Associate Editor Diana Panuncial will be your guide to conversations with librarians, authors, thinkers, and scholars about topics from the library world and beyond.

  1. 09/26/2024

    Bonus Episode: Check Out Your Library

    Libraries are so much more than their physical collections. They offer digital resources, innovative programs, essential services, new technologies, and opportunities to socialize. But not everyone knows this. That’s why OverDrive has started Check Out Your Library, an initiative that aims to reintroduce communities to their local libraries. In this bonus episode, sponsored by OverDrive, we learn more about Check Out Your Library and the campaign’s Fiction and Film Tour. American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski talks with Jen Leitman, chief marketing officer of OverDrive, about how the program is building public awareness and helping libraries fulfill their missions. For more information on Check Out Your Library—and how you can get involved—visit checkoutyourlibrary.com. And for marketing tools, trainings, and more, visit OverDrive’s Resource Center at resources.overdrive.com.

    8 min

  2. 09/15/2024

    Rebroadcast of Episode 87: Protecting the Right to Read

    The recent wave of book bans and other censorship attempts have threatened democracy, restricting access and the rights of many readers. In Episode 87, Call Number looks at how libraries and library workers are on the front lines defending intellectual freedom. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Peter Coyl, immediate past president of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and director and CEO of Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. They talk about FTRF’s recent work in support of intellectual freedom and library workers. They’re joined by Sukrit Goswami, current president of FTRF and director at Haverford (Penn.) Free Township Library, who shares his presidential goals. Then, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett talks with Martha Hickson, media specialist at North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, New Jersey. They discuss Hickson’s efforts to fight book bans and protect children’s right to read, including recruiting the help of author David Levithan, despite the personal attacks she has faced from community members. And finally, Kim Crutcher, a licensed mental health counselor who was onsite at ALA’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition’s Community of Care room, offers a special guided meditation—a good reminder for all to prioritize our wellbeing.

    36 min

  3. 06/17/2024

    Episode 96: Sunny San Diego

    Next week, we’re on route to San Diego for the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition. In Episode 96, Call Number explores “America’s Finest City” through the lens of local librarians. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Tim Tully, instruction and outreach librarian for San Diego State University’s Surf and Skate Studies Collaborative. He shares the origins of these local subcultures, how they have evolved, and where to go if you want to catch waves or hit a kickflip. Then, librarians from the area recommend their favorite spots to grab a taco. Finally, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett chats with Kelley Woolley, who oversees the library for San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They discuss notable items in the zoo’s library and the role the city’s 52-year-old institution plays in animal conservation. Is there a story or topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know at callnumber@ala.org. You can also follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), SoundCloud, or Spotify and leave a review on iTunes. We welcome your feedback.

    28 min

  4. 05/13/2024

    Episode 95: Sustainability Strategies

    In Episode 95, Call Number highlights ways libraries are practicing and promoting sustainability. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski pays a visit to the Sulzer Regional branch of Chicago Public Library, which hosts a repair café every month. At these events, participants bring household items in need of mending to the library. Volunteers with toolkits fix the items, sparing them from the landfill. Next, members of ALA’s Sustainability Round Table share what their libraries do to help the environment. Finally, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Dan Wilson, deputy director of Claude Moore Health Sciences Library at University of Virginia in Charlottesville. They discuss one-page disaster plans—what they are and why your library might need one. Is there a story or topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know at callnumber@ala.org. You can also follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), SoundCloud, or Spotify and leave a review on iTunes. We welcome your feedback.

    27 min

  5. 04/15/2024

    Episode 94: Preserving History

    In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, this year held April 28–May 4. With the theme of “Preserving Identities,” the week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with Indigenous author Traci Sorell, the honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week. Sorell, a former attorney who worked on Native Nations policy, discusses preservation’s part in telling stories. Next, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, about the importance of security in preservation. Monahan, who cochairs the Security Committee of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ALA’s Association of College and Research Libraries, provides insight into the committee’s recently updated Guidelines Regarding the Security of Special Collections Materials. Finally, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, a joint initiative of Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library (WMGL), and the University of Delaware (UD) in Newark. Grayburn is head of the scientific research and analysis laboratory at WMGL and an affiliated associate professor in the Winterthur–UD program in art conservation. Tedone is assistant professor for library and archives conservation at UD and associate director of the Winterthur–UD program in art conservation. They discuss their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century. Is there a story or topic you’d like us to cover? Let us know at callnumber@ala.org. You can also follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), SoundCloud, or Spotify and leave a review on iTunes. We welcome your feedback.

    39 min

  6. 02/12/2024

    Episode 92: The Wide World of Librarians in Sports

    Still reeling from Super Bowl excitement? In Episode 92, Call Number features conversations with librarian athletes who represent three sports: wheelchair racing, pickleball, and powerlifting. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Paralympian and librarian Amanda McGrory. McGrory, a seven-time medalist, has competed in wheelchair racing in four Paralympic games. Now retired from racing, she oversees the archive for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Then, American Libraries Senior Editor Greg Landgraf chats with Drew Evans, retired law librarian and pickleball enthusiast. Evans calls himself the Pickleball Librarian and uses social media to promote and teach this trending sport. Finally, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with nationally recognized competitive powerlifter Hilary Schiraldi. Schiraldi also serves as business librarian and interim head of the social sciences division at University of California, Berkeley.

    33 min

  7. 12/11/2023

    Episode 90: 2023 Author Chats

    As we say farewell to 2023, we look back at another year of unprecedented book challenges, efforts to defund libraries, and other threats to the profession. But one silver lining has been the authors who have voiced their support for librarians, books, and democracy. In Episode 90, Call Number presents its “2023 Author Chats.” Hear never-before-released clips from conversations with Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel, James Patterson, Rick Riordan, Brian Selznick, Clint Smith, Tracy K. Smith, Angie Thomas, and Kelly Yang. They share how libraries have been an integral part of their life and work—often highlighting how the library has been a sanctuary throughout their lives.

    18 min

  8. 07/17/2023

    Episode 85: The Colorful World of Comics

    Episode 85 of Call Number dives into the colorful world of comics, graphic novels, and manga. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Jenny Robb, head curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State University in Columbus, which houses the world’s largest collection of print cartoon art. Then, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial hits the halls of ALA’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago for rapid-fire interviews with graphic novelists Harmony Becker, Kazu Kibuishi, Pedro Martín, and Dave Scheidt. They discussed their work and what comics, graphic novels, and manga influenced them. And finally, Panuncial chats with Jillian Rudes, school librarian at the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in New York City. Rudes, who also serves as Japanese culture and manga librarian for the city’s Department of Education, discusses the benefits of reading manga and her tips for librarians who want to develop manga collections.

    29 min
See All (94)

4.7
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Call Number is the popular podcast series from American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. Each month, your host and American Libraries Associate Editor Diana Panuncial will be your guide to conversations with librarians, authors, thinkers, and scholars about topics from the library world and beyond.

Information