The InBetween Stories Podcast

Learn more about PPL: ⁠Website⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠

In today’s episode, I’ll be speaking with Janie Hermann and Sonja Vloeberghs, two staff members at the Princeton Public Library.

Janie is a public programming librarian with more than 25 years of experience. She works closely with local organizations, artists, and writers, and leads a collaborative team responsible for thousands of public programs each year. She is passionate about bringing people together through culture, new ideas, and shared experiences.

Originally from Belgium, Sonja moved to the United States in 2004 and first joined the library as a volunteer. She became head of the Lending Services Department in 2010 and is passionate about providing excellent customer service, creating positive experiences for library users, and fostering a collaborative team environment.

Through our conversation, we explore their experiences working at the library and reflect on its role in Princeton: how it’s a place to study and borrow books but also something more as the community’s living room, providing a space for connection, and belonging. Together, their perspectives offer us a better understanding of what makes the Princeton Public Library such an important part of its community.

In today’s episode, I’ll be speaking with Barbara DiLorenzo, an artist, children’s book writer, and the 2026 Princeton Public Library Maker-in-Residence. While Barbara has created many works of art, today, we’ll be diving into her exhibition, The Places We Shop – The Princeton Series, and learning about her thought process and experiences while painting.

You can experience the exhibition for yourself, as it is currently on view on the second floor of the Princeton Public Library through September 30th, 2026. So whether you’re based in Princeton or just visiting, stop by, take a look, and see the paintings up close! 

Learn more about Barbara and her work: Website and Instagram.

Cover image: The Places We Shop – Princeton Series by Barbara DiLorenzo, courtesy of Barbara DiLorenzo.

In today’s episode, I speak with Bolin Shen, an alumna of Princeton Day School and a recent summa cum laude graduate from Harvard University.

We discuss what Princeton gave her, what Harvard taught her, and what she sees herself in the next chapter.

In today’s episode, I speak with Ellen Labrecque, a children’s author who has written over 100 books, including titles in the Who Was? and Who Is? series. She also works as a librarian at Princeton Day School. 

Through her work, she brings the lives of both historical figures and celebrities in a way that is engaging and accessible for younger readers. 

We discuss her journey into writing, the experiences that shaped her work, and what it means to bring real-life stories to young readers today.

For more information about Ellen’s work and writing, check out her website here.

Stories are everywhere—in the books we read, the films we watch, and the conversations we have. In this debut episode of The InBetween Stories Podcast, I speak with Yassine Ait Ali, founder and organizer of Princeton’s annual French Film Festival.

We explore the origins of the festival, the community it has built, and how it brings French cinema and culture to life through conversation.

For more information and to register, check out the festival's website here. Some screenings have already sold out, so be sure to register early!