FYI: The Public Libraries Podcast

Today our guest is Lindsay Trammell, Youth Services Librarian at the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Public Library in Florida. We talk about how to start a book subscription box for teens: including finding resources for it, building the framework, and putting it all together. Book subscription boxes can Discover the impact this program can have—particularly on book desert communities—and imagine a new way to cultivate relationships with underserved populations. Lindsay also provides scaled options for how to institute a book subscription box, tips on how to design materials for the program, and points to consider when tailoring the program to your library’s unique situation and resources.

In this episode we discuss the results of the Public Library Association's 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey and the current 2022 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Survey. Our guests are: Sara Goek: Project Manager, Data and Research, at PLA; Dan Hensley: Co-chair of PLA’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Committee (aka MEAC) and Coordinator of Adult Learning at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; and Katina Jones: Program Manager, Evaluation and Assessment, at PLA and former member of MEAC

Job seekers with a criminal record face an enormous barrier to employment. While legal service providers can assist with the expungement process, often at little or no cost, they are predominantly located in urban centers, making access difficult for those in rural areas. In this episode Elena Coelho, Adult Program Manager, Worcester County (MD) Library; and Marshall Shord, Assistant Branch Manager, Worcester County (MD) Library will share their experience starting and running a bi-monthly expungement clinic in an area with few pro bono legal resources. The hybrid model they use, in partnership with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, allows participants to virtually connect with lawyers in other parts of the state through library-provided laptops in a semi-private meeting room.

Welcome Elena and Marshall

From leadership and management matters to current public library hot topics to strategic planning, capital projects, collection development, program planning, and so much more, the Directors Dialogue episodes aim to share ideas, best practices, and lessons learned.

For this inaugural effort, our guests are:

Doug Crane, Director of the Palm Beach County (FL) Public Library

And

Kent Oliver, Director of the Nashville (TN) Public Library

Both are also members of the PLA Leadership Development Committee and the idea for the Library Directors Conversation series came out of their committee discussions.

Want to learn how more public libraries in your state can participate in National Voter Registration Day? NVRD is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating democracy, planned for Tuesday, September 20, 2022. In this episode we talk with Lynda Reynolds, Public Library Management Consultant, State Library of North Carolina; and Lauren Clossey, Continuing Education Consultant, State Library of North Carolina, about their experience hosting a statewide initiative inviting all North Carolina libraries to participate in NVRD.

In this episode our guest is Lecia Michelle. Lecia is a long-time librarian, activist, and author. Her forthcoming book “THE WHITE ALLIES HANDBOOK: 4 Weeks to Join the Racial Justice Fight for Black Women” (published by Kensington Books) will be on sale July 26, 2022). The book is a practical, actionable, explicit guide for people looking to not just "start a conversation" but to take concrete steps toward equality.

In this episode we talk with Debra Keane and Margaret Ann Paauw, members of the Public Library Association Social Work Task Force (SWTF), about the emerging field of public library social work and the SWTF's new book (available from ALA in April of 2021) "A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons."

We talk with Cindy Khatri, Public Relations Manager, and Van McGary, Adult and Teen Services Assistant Manager, Downers Grove (IL) Public Library (DGPL) about the Anti-Hate Statements that the library releases in response to current events. The library believes that through the use of Anti-Hate Statements they are openly condemning hate and violence against historically marginalized groups. So Far, DGPL has released the following Anti-Hate Statements:

12/20/2021: From the Board of Library Trustees and Director: A Statement in Solidarity of the LGBTQ+ Community

6/10/2021: From the Board of Library Trustees and Director: A Message Against Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia

4/16/2021: From the Director: An Updated Message in Support of Black and Brown Lives

3/24/2021: From the Board of Library Trustees: A Message on Anti-Asian Racism

6/2/2020: From the Director: A Message on Anti-Racism and Free Speech

You can see the statements and read more about the library's EDISJ efforts at https://dglibrary.org/edi/. Khatri and McGary will also present a program at the upcoming PLA conference (PLA 2022) on this topic. More info at www.placonference.org.

Sara Goek, Program Manager at the Public Library Association and Linda Hofschire, Director of the Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL) discuss the 2021 Public Library Staff & Diversity Survey and "Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends," the latest evolution in PLA’s data-driven initiatives and tools for libraries.

In this episode, Stesha Brandon, Literature and Humanities Program Manager at the Seattle Public Library (SPL) shares how the library successfully moved author programming to a digital format during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in for tips on hosting robust digital author events.