In this episode, the VOTO Team interviews Jeanette Berard, Special Collections Librarian, Thousand Oaks Library. Jeanette has been working in libraries and archives for twenty-nine years, and for twenty-two of those years has been with the Thousand Oaks Library overseeing our Special Collections. She also has an incredibly wide breadth of knowledge about local history.

In this episode the VOTO Team interviews Alan Salazar, a traditional storyteller, Indigenous educator, and a tribal Elder in both the Fernandeño Tataviam and Ventureño Chumash tribes. Join us as we discuss Alan's book, Tata, the Tataviam Towhee: A Tribal Story, where you can learn more about local tribes, and the importance of storytelling. 

Unfortunately we were not able to release this episode as early as we had planned and some of the events mentioned for upcoming happenings have already passed. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Join the VOTO team as they interview local comic writer Amy Chase. In this episode, Amy discusses how she became involved in writing, her experience writing for Archie Comics and independent publishers, her attraction to the horror genre, and roller derbies.

The team talks about the history of Pride and what it looks like today, Juneteenth, and offers some recommendations for reading the rainbow.

Join the VOTO Team as they interview Thousand Oaks Library Services Director, Jennifer Patterson. Jennifer has worked in library systems for over ten years before officially joining the Thousand Oaks Library on February 1st, 2022. In this episode, Jennifer and the team discuss her history and passion for libraries, celebrity encounters, everyone's pet cats, and the joys of finding hidden treasures while antiquing.

After recording, the VOTO Team realized that they had forgotten to ask Jennifer something she would like to recommend at the end of the episode. They reached out to ask the question later, and this was her response:

"I am going to go off the beaten path for a bit and recommend a show for all of the cooks/foodies out there. I am into watching cooking competitions and one of my favorites right now is Next Level Chef on FOX. This is a unique cooking competition as chefs are divided into three teams and faced with themed challenges in a three story high kitchen. Each floor contains a strikingly different kitchen. From the glistening top floor to the challenging bottom of the basement, the ingredients match the environment. Each team is mentored by one of three famous chefs: Gordon Ramsay, Nyesha Arrington, or Richard Blaise. Every week brings new challenges for the chefs and they race to grab ingredients off a platform and complete their dishes in time. Highly entertaining."

The VOTO team interviewed KCLU General Manager Mary Olson. Mary, who has been with KCLU since 1994,  has hosted and moderated Thousand Oaks Library's One City One Book events since 2021. In this episode, Mary talks to the team about her love for libraries, public radio, and the joys and challenges of working in broadcasting. 

Meet Ben Salin, Jenna Newcomb, and Michael Whitehead! The librarians hosting the Voice of the Oaks podcast introduce themselves.