Unbound from Northeast Kansas Library System

Anna and Dan are back for a season 4 of the Northeast Kansas Library System podcast. In this episode we take a look at passive programming and interactive displays. Our guest, Liz Karstadt uses these "self-directed" programs to entice patrons to come to the library, and stay a while, even when there aren't big in-person programs going on.

In the season finale, Anna and Dan do their first clip show! Dan captured audio from the 2023 KLA Conference in Wichita, Kansas in early November, and today the Unbound hosts talk about some of the highlights.

Thanks to Dawn Krause, Terri Wojtalewicz, Shanna Smith-Ritterhouse, April Hernandez, Jason Robb, Ollie the Robot, Erin Downey Howerton, Valarie Lamoreaux, Erin Verbick, and all of the KLA Conference committees that made this year's conference possible.

Happy New Year – we'll be back in late 2024 with season 4 of Unbound!

Tonganoxie public library director, Max Wirestone, tells Anna and Dan about his foray into podcasting this past summer. In this episode, we also talk about mysteries, reading, and interviewing authors. Check out Max's podcast here: https://www.onebookmanyneighbors.org/blog

Anna and Dan chat with Dawn La Valle, Dawn is is the Director of the Division of Library Development for the Connecticut State Library and a Certified Strategic Foresight Practitioner. In October 2023, Dawn facilitated a workshop for NEKLS and our members on using Natural Foresight in libraries and in this episode we revisit this practice. Check out the LibGuide Dawn shares with us here: https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/home.

Anna and Dan pick up some storytelling tips from the best, Priscilla Howe! Priscilla is a former academic and youth services librarian who answered the calling to be a professional storyteller. Today we talk about Zoom, being an international storyteller, and, of course, libraries. Be sure to check out Priscilla's website to learn more: https://www.priscillahowe.com/.

Anna and Dan are joined by the former Emporia Public Library Director, Robin Newell. Today, Robin talks about library director and board relations, leadership training, and different avenues of learning and collaboration that professional organizations can provide.

Dan welcomes Lacie Griffin, Johnson County Library Collection Development Manager, and we get to learn about how collection development works in a large multi-branch library system. Also, Lacie lends her informed perspective on digital content, and how streaming services are problematic; you cannot borrow the Mandalorian from your library (though considering how season 3 is playing out, you may not want to). All this and more in our latest Unbound episode!

This time on Unbound, Anna and Dan chat with Autum Friedli, Public Services Supervisor at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. Listen in to hear about the difference between reader engagement and readers' advisory, witches imprisoning librarians, knowing the collection "front, back, and sideways", community partnerships, NoveList, and TSCPL's The Bookmark podcast.

Also, be sure to check out the new season of The Bookmark podcast for great reading suggestions: https://tscpl.org/books-movies-music/bookmark-podcast.

Unbound is back for a new season. In this episode we talk to librarian Alyssa LaRue, she does a little bit of everything at the Derby Public Library, teen services, marketing, yoga, and now adult services too! Tune in to hear about the awesomeness that is Alyssa.

Anna and Dan wrap up season two of the Unbound podcast and also the continuing education series on creating introvert-friendly libraries with best selling author and global speaker on introversion, Jennifer Kahnweiler, PhD. In this episode, our guest talks about the work she has done with introversion inclusion and how this might directly apply to libraries. We were not surprised to learn, in our recent workshops, that well over half of the participants from libraries self identify as being more introverted than extroverted, but unfortunately it seems our spaces and communication practices tend to favor the needs and preferences of extroverts. 

Learn more about Jennifer's work at https://jenniferkahnweiler.com/–we recommend taking the quizzes on the website to see how you and and your organization relate to introversion. Thanks to our very special guest for helping us become change agents!

Unbound will return in the second half of 2023, thanks for listening!