Call Number with American Libraries Podcast

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

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. NOV 11

    Episode 98: Small Libraries, Big Ideas

    Small and rural libraries don’t always have the same resources and opportunities that urban libraries do. But they still have big ideas about how to serve their communities—and, as we hear in Episode 98, they find ways to realize them. At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect. Both libraries have received funding from the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) grant program. Learn more about LTC grant-funded projects throughout the US in “Libraries Transforming Communities, One Year Later,” published in the November/December 2024 issue of American Libraries.

    31 min

  2. OCT 16

    Rebroadcast of Episode 31: The Haunting of Peoria Public Library

    Books flying off the shelves. Shadowy figures roaming the hallways. Unexplained sounds. What’s going on at Peoria (Ill.) Public Library? Is the building possessed by spirits hovering above cursed ground? Or are these apparitions just a sign that librarians have been spending too much time in the stacks? Do not attempt to adjust your audio. In this rebroadcast of Episode 31, “The Haunting of Peoria Public Library,” past-host Phil Morehart road-trips to Central Illinois to get to the bottom of these strange happenings. Along the way, he enlists the advice of professionals—including award-winning nonfiction author and well-known debunker Mary Roach (Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife) and paranormal writer and speaker John B. Kachuba (Ghosthunting Illinois)—and interviews staffers at Peoria Public Library and Bradley University Library about their otherworldly encounters.

    47 min

  3. SEP 26

    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

  4. SEP 15

    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

  5. AUG 16

    Rebroadcast of Episode 75: Rethinking Your Space

    As any library staffer who has gone through a building renovation knows, significant behind-the-scenes work goes into updating or overhauling a facility. From working with architects to communicating with committees to soliciting community feedback, rethinking a library doesn’t happen overnight. On Episode 75, the podcast team focuses on library design and architecture.First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Michael Haddock, associate dean for research, education, and engagement at Kansas State University Libraries in Manhattan. They talk about the fire that damaged Hale Library in 2018, the flagship library of K-State, and how staffers have rallied around a rebuild. Then, former Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with Amelia Anderson, assistant professor at Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and Abigail Phillips, assistant professor at the School of Information Studies at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. They discuss how to create public library makerspaces that are accessible for all.

    28 min

  6. JUL 16

    Episode 97: For the Love of Music

    Summer is in full swing. This means getting outside, soaking up some sunshine, and listening to our favorite tunes—from oldies-but-goodies to today’s hits. In Episode 97, Call Number covers music. Some libraries offered programs, hosted listening parties, and transformed into mini concert venues to celebrate their favorite musician’s latest release. American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Kafi-Ayanna Allah, adult services program coordinator at Orange County (N.C.) Public Library; Yesenia Baltierra, assistant library director at Placentia (Calif.) Library District; and Lizbeth Gamez, public service specialist at Dallas Public Library, about events they organized for local patrons who love Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and K-Pop. Then, library workers at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego share memories from the first concert they attended. Finally, American Libraries editor-at-large Anne Ford speaks with librarian and Grammy Award–winning French horn player Joy Worland. Worland is the consultant for continuing education and small and rural libraries at the Vermont Department of Libraries. She has performed regularly with a number of professional orchestras and chamber music groups, including the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, where she earned multiple Grammy Awards as associate principal horn. They discuss her illustrious career as a librarian and musician and how the worlds connected.

    34 min

  7. JUN 17

    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

  8. MAY 13

    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
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4.7
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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.

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