The Librarian Is In

Margaret H. Willison, a.k.a. The Coolest Funniest Pop-Culture-iest Librarian Ever, joins Gwen and Frank this week for the ultimate high/low-culture episode.

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Along with Susen Shi from Mid-Manhattan Library, Frank and Gwen reveal their librarianship origin stories on this week's episode. Plus: Self-help books, plays in print, and the legacy of the Indigo Girls. Learn more: nypl.org/podcast

Frank and Gwen turn the tables on NYPL's Jessica Strand this week, interviewing the host of Books at Noon about the coolest authors she's ever interviewed herself. Plus: Prince's book-related legacy and Frank's best Carson impression.

Doug Reside from NYPL’s Library for the Performing Arts joins Gwen and Frank to talk about the Bard and the Great White Way. He even raps a teeny tiny bit from Hamilton.

Gwen and Frank discuss books that defy description and throw reality for a loop. Longtime residents of Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Bronx, and more get shout-outs in an interview with NYPL's Alex Kelly about the Library's oral history projects. Plus, Times Square and the attack of the Elmos. (Elmoes? Elmii?)

Who's ready to relive some traumatic moments from childhood?! We go toe-to-toe with the winner of the tri-library spelling bee: NYPL's very own Rob Kelley.

Also! After taping Rob discovered that both 'pimiento' and 'pimento' are acceptable ways to spell the pepper that stuffs an olive and wanted us (and you) to know. So, now we all know, and you'll see why that is significant in this week's episode.

Earnestness sets in when Singing Children's Librarian Emily Lazio joins us to talk about courage and encouragement, children's classics, and a cool new trend in picture books. Music by Podington Bear: "All Hot Lights" & "Ideas"

We're heading back to the '70s this week! Shola Lynch (of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) joins us to talk about film, art, collecting history, and what it's like to hug Bert from Sesame Street.

Taboo subjects in adult and children's books alike abound on our fifth episode. Plus, find out what makes a "rare book" rare with our very own rare book librarian, Jessica Pigza.

Go behind the scenes at BookOps, the Library's special secret spy agen— er, the "technical services" unit. Also: the Helen Ellis/Shirley Jackson/Anita Brookner triumvirate, Frank's shocking Harry Potter confession, and more.