Bob and Anna sit down with Dana Benner, Marketing Librarian for the Mercer County Library System and Adult Services Librarian at the Hopewell Branch. Dana shares how she brings her own interests and enthusiasm into her work—from shaping engaging programs to helping make the library a welcoming, vibrant place for the community. Then, our co-hosts turn to author Victoria Dillon to discuss her debut novel, Ava. They explore the inspiration behind the story and the themes at the heart of this unique and thought-provoking book. Shannon Tuorto returns with a "60 Seconds with Shannon," featuring The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower.

The Work We Love, the Stories We Imagine

Intro and Welcome

4:10 Catch up with MCLS: Dana Benner

13:51 Programs and Services @ MCLS

18:04 Sixty Seconds with Shannon

19:16 Interview with Victoria Dillon

29:53 Summary and Closing

Show Notes:

Learn more about Victoria Dillon at https://victoriadillonauthor.com/.

The documentary to which the author refers is Aftershock (2022). Additional information available at https://www.aftershockdocumentary.com/.

"60 Seconds with Shannon" features The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, which is available from MCLS. Check the MCLS Catalog via https://merl.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/mcl.

Attend the 2026 TrashedArt Awards Reception. Registration and additional information available at https://mcl.org/events/trashedart/.

Register for upcoming virtual programs and branch events, using the MCLS Event Calendar, located at https://events.mcl.org/.

Celebrate National Library Week with MCLS, April 19 through April 25. More information at https://mcl.org/national-library-week/.

Opening and closing music provided by Skilsel via Pixabay; music between segments is provided via Pixabay.