We’re growing readers at Harris County Public Library! Logan visits with Jennifer and Anjela about the systemwide Growing Readers program launched earlier this year. Sadina gets a parent’s perspective on the LENA project when she chats with Nikki and Nikki’s son, Noah. We also learn more about the Barbara Bush Branch Library at Cypress Creek, one of the busiest libraries in Harris County. Music: Theme by Bryan Kratish Everyday Hero from Audioblocks Produced by: Sadina Shawver, Nancy Hu, Beth Kri...
Mar 07, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 3
This month's Are You Afraid of the Stacks covers zombies in children's literature. Zombies can be scary but Sadina and Jennifer look to dispel the fear. Books Mentioned: Zombie in Love by Kelly DiPucchio Zombie in Love 2 +1 by Kelly DiPucchio Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Drago Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligot Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace Crankenstein by Samantha Berger Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library. www.hcpl.net Podcast Team Members ...
Feb 23, 2022•18 min
We are celebrating and honoring Creators this month with interviews with Harold Trotter and the Jalen Baker Trio. We stop by the Crosby Branch Library for a highlight of what's happening, and end with a Database Drill for all you Genealogists out there. Credits: Host: Darla Pruitt Producer: John Harbaugh Editor: Jennifer Nandlal Segments: Laura Smith, Jennifer Finch, Logan Tuttle, Molly Mcginty Guests: Nils Aardahl, Jalen Baker, Gavin Moolchan, Harold Jay Trotter Created by the Podcast Team at t...
Feb 10, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
This month on Are You Afraid of the Stacks, Jennifer and Sadina explore alienation, toxic parenting, and communication through sci-fi horror. Book and Media Mentioned: The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away by Ronald L. Smith Stranger Things This podcast was produced by Jennifer Nandlal and Sadina Shawver. More books are available at www.hcpl.net Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library. www.hcpl.net Podcast Team Members include: Beth Krippel, John Harbaugh, Mary Mink, Dylan S...
Jan 18, 2022•24 min
January marks the start for new opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with those in your community and beyond. Harris County Public Libraries is here to help with our robust programs and events. This month's spotlight features our amazing collaboration with the Society for the Performing Arts, hearing from our fantastic staff at High Meadows Branch Library, and getting insight about resources the Learning Express Library offers to help fulfill your New Year's resolutions. This episode was pr...
Jan 06, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We end the year with a look back. Meet the voices behind "Using the Library Voices" podcast as they discuss all they experienced behind the scenes. This episode was produced by Darla Pruitt, edited by Beth Krippel, and hosted by Sadina Shawver and John Harbaugh. Featured staff in this episode include: John Harbaugh, Nancy Hu, Jennifer Finch , Jennifer Nandlal, Darla Pruitt, Nicole Hindmon, and Gaby Prado. Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library. www.hcpl.net Podcast Team ...
Dec 15, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This month on Are You Afraid of the Stacks, Jennifer and Sadina discuss navigating the holidays through horror and exploring stranger danger. Book and Media Mentioned: 12 Terrors of Christmas by John Updike, Illustrations by Edward Gorey The Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers by Stan & Jan Berenstein Who’s Bad and Who’s Good, Little Red Riding Hood by Steve Smallman Disney’s Tangled Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas by Melanie Watt The Fun Book of Scary Stuff by Emily Jenkins This ...
Dec 06, 2021•31 min
Join librarians, Jennifer, Daniel, Tony, and Margaret, to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of fandoms and the effects they have on modern society. Host: Jennifer Finch, Spring Branch-Memorial Branch Participants: Margaret Powell, Katy Branch Daniel Burch, Atascocita Branch Tony Goodwin, Clear Lake-Freeman Branch Music is Scanglobe by Sputnik; link to license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library. www.hcpl.net...
Nov 29, 2021•30 min
Honoring Native American Heritage Month with a discussion on The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline of the Georgia Bay Metis Nation of Ontario. Jennifer and Sadina talk about important themes and characters from the book and how they can lead to lifelong lessons at home. Media Mentioned: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline Killer of Enemies series by Joseph Bruchac The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger This podcast was produced by Jennifer Nandlal and Sadina Shawv...
Nov 17, 2021•20 min
This month, our host Logan Tuttle, speaks to native Houstonian, award winning young adult fantasy author J.Elle, urban fantasy writer Whit McClendon, and short fiction author Isabel Yap about their writing processes. Then we check in with Darcy and Amy Campbell about how to get your book into the library! Find books from these authors and more on our website at www.hcpl.net/ Follow J.Elle @AuthorJElle for more information about her Wings of Ebony series. Follow Whit McClendon @whitmccauthor for ...
Nov 10, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 14
There are groups of devoted library lovers out there working hard to improve libraries for everyone, they raise awareness of the importance of libraries to their communities, raise money to help pay for many programs in the library, and generally act as champions for libraries. These are the Friends of the Library. Our episode celebrates FRIENDS by gathering a group of our SUPER FRIENDS. Join our FRIEND's Group to support our library and it's programs! Harris County Friends: www.hcfol.org Evelyn...
Oct 25, 2021•37 min
Are You Afraid of the Stacks is a show, where we talk about the spookier side of children’s literature. Librarians Sadina Shawver and Jennifer Nandlal break down the psychology of horror books and give a couple recommendations on how scary books, aren't always all about the fright. This month's discussion is all about how horror books can help children, when it comes to recognizing and setting boundaries. Learn more about our collection by visiting www.hcpl.net and following us on social media @...
Oct 12, 2021•24 min
Hello and welcome to another episode of “Using Our Library Voices”. For those of you who like to look at an old tale through a new lens...We have FrankenStory where we dissect old stories and then reimagine them for modern times. For this episode, we examine the Bride of Frankenstein. Our next segment explores the origins of Zombies and track their development in our culture through the media in which they appear! Throughout this episode we will also feature readings from our library's Centennia...
Oct 04, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Thank you for joining us! This episode of Using our Library Voice, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month through the colorful and imaginative ways the different cultures are portrayed in literature. We start off with an "Are you Afraid of the Stacks" segment where Jennifer N. & Sadina, suggest slightly spooky books with Hispanic authors, characters and traditions for kids. Then we have a special guest interview with local Houston Artist, Marissa Valdez, who talks about her inspirations, proje...
Sep 20, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 12
On this 20 years anniversary, we find ourselves reflecting back on September 11th, 2001. Where were you when you heard the news? How did it make you feel? How did it change your life and the lives of those around you? On this special episode of Using Our Library Voices, our Podcast cast recall and remember the event and how it's impacted our lives. Voices in this episode include: John Harrbaugh, Geri Marquez, Maryam Shah, John Schaffer, Maria Madrid, Miranda Guillory, Jennifer Finch, Cassandra N...
Sep 10, 2021•19 min
What do you do when your favorite author, musician, or creator says or does something which turns your stomach? How do you handle it? Listen to three Harris County librarians discuss how they approach the pitfalls personally and professionally. Contributors: Jennifer Finch, Amy Campbell , Melanie Wachsmann For more materials visit: www.hcpl.net/explore Music is Scanglobe by Sputnik; link to license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Recommended Authors: Rick Riordan and Rick Rio...
Sep 02, 2021•39 min
August means back to school for Harris County students and for this episode, we spoke to teens from around Harris County to get an idea of what they're into and how the library has helped them this past year. Stay tuned for another install of our "Are you afraid of the stacks?" segment where librarians, Sadina and Jennifer talk about Wilder Girls by Rory Power , a spooky book that teens may really get into Media mentioned in this episode include: "Wilder Girls" by Rory Power (Review and Discussi...
Aug 02, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 10
How can the library help you get your creativity flowing ? We'll hear our crafty, fiber artist librarians gab about the resources, books and websites that help them be inspired and create their projects. We'll also check in with our Database Drill to learn more about the Craft and DIY Databases available to our library patrons. If you need more crafting, we have a few suggestions for Crazy crafting books from our resident Maker Central specialist, Lauren. Here are the featured books: https://hcp...
Jul 06, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Continuing our celebration of PRIDE month, Join us for this special Spinoff episode of Gabbing with the Librarians where we talk about our favorite LGBTQ+ novels and the importance of representation. Podcasters in this episode: Jennifer Finch , MC Brickell, Jennifer Longoria , Leslie Espinoza You can find the books discussed at www.hcpl.net Books in our catalog: Albertalli, B. (2020). Simon vs. the Homo sapiens agenda: Epic Reads editions Bildner, P. (2021). A High Five for Glenn Burke. Square F...
Jun 21, 2021•40 min
June is PRIDE month and to celebrate Houston PRIDE, we interview with the University of Houston- Special collections-LGBTQ research collection archivists Vince Lee and Marus Jenkins about the work their team has been doing to preserve and showcase Houston's LGBTQ history. Visit the archive here: UH's LGBT History Research Collection We also listen in on a conversation about Dungeons and Dragons and it's popularity with the LGBTQ community, especially how the RPG game has helped players with expl...
Jun 07, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 8
All about the annual summer reading program at Harris county public library! This year we'll be celebrating Tails and Tales, with virtual events, curbside crafts, and author visits all Summer long. Learn how to sign up, log reading to earn prizes and the fantastic virtual and outdoor programs our libraries have in store for our patrons! For more information on the Harris County Summer Reading Program, visit: www.hcpl.net To sign up for our Summer Reading Program, visit: www.hcpl.beanstack.org Vo...
May 28, 2021•13 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Spring has sprung here in Harris County, and along with the birds twittering, you may have your thoughts turning to poetry for National Poetry Month. Our Gabbing with the Librarians have you covered. It is also Autism Acceptance month. This yearly advocacy month has changed since it began in 1970, and we're honored to have individuals speak with us about awareness and acceptance of Autistic lives. We'll also share book reviews from our community and resources in our Harris County Public Library ...
Apr 05, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 6
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In a continued effort to eradicate racism and hate, we wanted to highlight and celebrate the many cultures, contributions, and perspectives from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Now more than ever we want to showcase the diversity in our communities and throughout the library system. We kick off this month's episode with John and Jason from Parker Williams as they give us the lowdown on Anime for beginners. In our Are Y...
Apr 05, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Join librarians Darcy Casavant, Jennifer Finch, and Rebecca Trent for a discussion of their favorite women in history as well as other influential women, both real and fictional. You can be a part of the discussion on poetry by emailing podcast@hcpl.net . Check out the list of resources below for further information on all the women discussed in today's episode. For Further Reading about: Eleanor of Aquitaine Gilded Cages the Trials of Eleanor Aquitaine, a Novel The Captive Queen: a Novel of Ele...
Mar 11, 2021•25 min
We're showcasing women's history in gaming, leadership, and writing in this month's episode of Using our Library Voices. Our librarians explore a bit of the history and controversy behind Gamergate, meet children's book author Dr. Raquel Ortiz, and learn about the women-led Craftivism movement within Maker Spaces. You can find Dr. Raquel Ortiz's books here and please join us for our bilingual virtual program this month on Facebook or on our virtual programs website www.hcpl.net/services/virtualp...
Mar 01, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 5
February is a month of celebrations, in this episode of Using our Library Voices, we will explore the history and meaning behind the Lunar New Year and the zodiac animals, talk with Houston podcasters, Opinions While Black, about Black History Month, and celebrate love with Bridgerton and unexpected romance book recommendations. Join us for our virtual programs www.hcpl.net/services/virtualprograms Media mentioned in this podcast include: RomeAntically Challenged (When in Rome #1) by Marina Adai...
Feb 03, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 4
On this episode of Using Our Library Voices, librarians talk about ways the different healthy ways we can start 2021. We will chat about the different ways we can all keep on track with bullet journaling and home organization, our predictions for this year and ways you can explore our health databases. Media mentioned in this podcast include: Books to help you start bullet journaling: Getting Things Done by David Allen The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll The Pomodoro Technique by Francesc...
Jan 11, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 3
On this episode of Using Our Library Voices, librarians talk about and explore different holiday traditions. We will chat about favorite books and movies about the holidays, we countdown the best Christmas carols, we learn about Hanukkah from Rabbi Dan and we bring back an old Christmas tradition of ghost stories, with some slightly creepy children's books. With a special bonus storytime of a seasonal classic-T'was the Night Before Christmas Media mentioned in this podcast include: Are you Afrai...
Dec 17, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This episode of Using our Library Voices, librarians talk loud and proud about our library, we invite you listen in and learn a bit about the history and services we provide to our communities. Media mentioned in this podcast include: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cochran, Almost an American Girl by Grace Ha, No Pirates Allowed Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene Featured staff in this episode include: Tanner Adams , Edward Melton, Amanda Tachibana, Melinda Brinkley, Beth Krippel, Moll...
Nov 17, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Harris County Public Library is Using our Library Voices to give you information about elections and voting in this very special episode of our new podcast. Learn more about and our library services at www.hcpl.net Created by the Podcast Team at the Harris County Public Library. www.hcpl.net Podcast Team Members include: Beth Krippel, John Harbaugh, Mary Mink, Dylan Smith, Sadina Shawver, Gisela Parker, Kara Ludwig, John Schaffer, Jennifer Finch, Katelyn Helberg, Darcy Casavant, Darla Pruitt and...
Oct 30, 2020•25 min
