How I Library

American Library Association
  • 5.0 (14)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

The American Library Association (ALA) is proud to present the podcast, “How I Library.” Hosted by ALA Communications Manager Phil Morehart, this monthly series features authors, filmmakers, musicians, scholars, thought leaders, and, of course, librarians discussing the importance of libraries, their favorite library memories, and issues facing the library world. Along the way, they share thoughts about their work, what inspires them, and so much more. The podcast is an extension of the #HowILibrary campaign that ALA launched in 2023 that asked authors “how they library”: what the library means to them, how they use and have used the library, and how the library has impacted their lives.

  1. Episode 28: Brian Baker

    DEC 16

    Episode 28: Brian Baker

    In episode 28, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with musician Brian Baker from legendary punk bands Minor Threat, Bad Religion, and more about his new book of photography, “The Road” (Akashic Books, 2025). As the bassist and guitar player for Minor Threat in the 1980s, then-teenage Brian helped create a new form of music—hardcore punk—that would influence the world. His legacy was furthered cemented in the years following Minor Threat’s breakup, which saw him playing in the bands Dag Nasty, Samhain, The Meatmen, Government Issue, Junkyard, and more before joining long-running punk stalwarts Bad Religion in 1994—a position he holds to this day. Brian’s musical bone fides are unquestionable, but he has another passion that is just now being recognized and celebrated: photography. Brian has been taking photographs on Bad Religion tours and personal travels for years, and the photos have been collected in the impressive new volume, “The Road.” Brian joins the show to discuss his photography, “The Road” and its impetus, the legacy of punk rock, book bans, and, of course, how he libraries.

    41 min
  2. Episode 27: Kyle Edwards and Angeline Boulley

    NOV 28

    Episode 27: Kyle Edwards and Angeline Boulley

    In episode 27, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with two writers who capture unique aspects of the Indigenous American experience in their work: Kyle Edwards and Angeline Boulley. Kyle Edwards is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and writer from the Lake Manitoba First Nation in Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation. He’s the managing editor at Native News Online, a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and a 2021 Nieman Visiting Fellow at Harvard University. Kyle’s debut novel, "Small Ceremonies," is a poignant coming-of-age story that follows a group of Native high school students from Winnipeg’s North End, a remote area at the border of Canada's eastern woodlands and central prairies. It’s a story of friendship, hope, fear, and struggle in the waning days of high school when the future is uncertain, scary and hopeful; a story of growing up forgotten, urban, poor, and Indigenous; and a story about hockey. Kyle joins the show to discuss “Small Ceremonies” and its influences, his work as a journalist, the importance of telling the stories of Indigenous peoples, and how he libraries. Angeline Boulley, an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is a storyteller who writes about her Ojibwe community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Her debut novel, "Firekeeper's Daughter" (2021), is a New York Times bestseller and recipient of many international accolades, including the ALA Printz and Morris Awards; the YA Goodreads Choice Award; and the Walter Award for Outstanding Children's Literature. It was also named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time by Time magazine. Angeline’s new novel, "Sisters in the Wind," is a fascinating mystery about an Ojibwe teen who has been on the run since her father’s death and the dark secrets that arise when she finally stops to confront her past—one that’s found her a ward of the foster care system, unsure of her own identity, and literally fighting to survive against unknown actors. Angeline joins the show to discuss “Sisters in the Wind,” her research process, writing Indigenous American stories, book bans, and how she libraries.

    37 min
  3. Episode 26: Grace Lin

    NOV 15

    Episode 26: Grace Lin

    In episode 26, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with author and illustrator Grace Lin. Grace is the award-winning creator of scores of beloved books for kids, including the National Book Award finalist, "When the Sea Turned to Silver;" the Newbery Honor title, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon;" and the Caldecott Honor title, "A Big Mooncake for Little Star.” Grace’s work has earned her the American Library Association’s Children's Literature Legacy Award. She also hosts several podcasts devoted to children’s literature. Grace’s new book for young readers (and her first novel in nine years), "The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon," is based on Chinese folklore and follows a mythical stone lion cub who accidentally escapes from the realm of the spirits and his quest to return home and save his family. Grace joins the show to discuss her new book and its influences, her work as an illustrator, her podcasts, book bans, and of course, how she libraries.

    22 min
  4. Episode 25: Jerry Drake

    OCT 31

    Episode 25: Jerry Drake

    In this special Halloween episode, show host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with Jerry Drake, author of “Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder That Inspired Twin Peaks.” In the summer of 1908 near Troy, New York, the body of a young woman was found in a pond in a secluded rural area outside of the city. Her name was Hazel Drew, and her unsolved murder has confounded investigators and the curious for more than 100 years. One of whom was TV writer Mark Frost, who together with filmmaker David Lynch, found inspiration in Drew’s case when they created the groundbreaking TV show “Twin Peaks,” which begins with the unsolved murder of a young woman found in a body of water. Drew’s murder has fascinated people, inspired local ghost stories, and birthed numerous investigations. One of those is documented in the book “Hazel Was a Good Girl: Solving the Murder That Inspired Twin Peaks” by author and cold case investigator Jerry Drake. Drake joins the show to discuss the book and his research, why Hazel Drew has kept a grip on us for more than 100 years, the ghost stories attached to the murder, and of course, how he libraries.

    51 min
  5. Episode 24: Joe Hill

    OCT 24

    Episode 24: Joe Hill

    In episode 24, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with one of today’s leading creators of scary literature, author Joe Hill-just in time for Halloween! Hill is the bestselling author of the novels "The Fireman," "NOS4A2," "Horns," "Heart-Shaped Box," "Strange Weather,” and the acclaimed story collections, "Full Throttle" and "20th Century Ghosts." He is also the Eisner Award-winning writer of the seven-volume comic book series, "Locke & Key." Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, as well, including “Locke & Key,” “In the Tall Grass,” and “The Black Phone.” Hill joins the show the discuss his first novel in nine years, “King Sorrow,” a sprawling, intercontinental tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge that follows six friends—one of whom works in a library—who dabble in the occult and are (unfortunately) successful when they call up an evil entity that demands human sacrifice in return for its services. He also gets into his favorite horror movies and novels, writing for comic books, seeing his work adapted by others, book bans, and, of course, how he libraries.

    30 min
  6. Episode 23: George Takei

    OCT 11

    Episode 23: George Takei

    In episode 23 of the “How I Library” podcast, host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with actor and modern-day icon—and honorary chair of Banned Books Week 2025—George Takei. Takei is the author of the new graphic novel, “It Rhymes with Takei,” the follow-up to his 2019 graphic novel, “They Called Us Enemy,” which details his childhood spent in a Japanese-American internment camp during WWII. “It Rhymes with Takei” charts Takei’s adult life as a fierce social activist, a closeted gay man working in an entertainment industry that struggled to accept him, and as someone who found love as he struggled to eventually accept himself. Takei joins the show to discuss the book, his life and career, and, of course, how he libraries.

    35 min
  7. Episode 22: David Duchovny

    SEP 22

    Episode 22: David Duchovny

    In episode 22 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with actor, writer, and musician David Duchovny. With an acting career that stretches more than three decades, Duchovny is best known for playing FBI agent Fox Mulder on the TV series “The X-Files” and writer Hank Moody on the TV series “Californication,” both of which earned him Golden Globe awards. He is also host of the podcast, “Fail Better with David Duchovny," a successful singer-songwriter, and author of six best-selling novels. Duchovny’s latest book, “About Time: Poems” (Akashic Books, 2025), is his first collection of poetry. Duchovny joins the show to discuss “About Time: Poems,” his writing and music, his thoughts on book bans and censorship, and, of course, how he libraries. He also reads a brand-new poem for our listeners.

    29 min
  8. Episode 21: Brian Selznick

    AUG 23

    Episode 21: Brian Selznick

    In episode 21 of the “How I Library” podcast, host Phil Morehart from the American Library Association speaks with writer and artist Brian Selznick. Selznick is the author and illustrator of multiple books for young readers, including “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” which won the Caldecott Medal and was adapted into Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film “Hugo,” “Wonderstruck,” which was adapted into a feature film by Todd Haynes, and “The Marvels.” His illustrations include the 20th-anniversary book covers for the Harry Potter series. Selznick’s new book, and his first novel for young adult readers, “Run Away with Me,” is a coming-of-age love story about two teen boys who find each other and fall in love over one summer in Rome in the 1980s. It’s a beautiful, touching ode to Rome and its history and architecture, the magic of books, and being young, queer, and in love. And it’s gorgeously illustrated. Selznick joins the show to discuss “Run Away with Me” and its influences, Italian art and architecture, the importance of creating stories that depict the LGBTQ+ experience, book repair, and, of course, how he libraries.

    46 min
See All (28)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

The American Library Association (ALA) is proud to present the podcast, “How I Library.” Hosted by ALA Communications Manager Phil Morehart, this monthly series features authors, filmmakers, musicians, scholars, thought leaders, and, of course, librarians discussing the importance of libraries, their favorite library memories, and issues facing the library world. Along the way, they share thoughts about their work, what inspires them, and so much more. The podcast is an extension of the #HowILibrary campaign that ALA launched in 2023 that asked authors “how they library”: what the library means to them, how they use and have used the library, and how the library has impacted their lives.

Information

  • Creator
    American Library Association
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    How I Library

You Might Also Like