The Librarian Is In

We're swinging from heavy, major, important nonfiction to the frothiest and most delightful YA romance this week. 

Our annual spelling bee,  words we can't pronounce, a trio of music recommendations, and of course what we're reading now.

Sweet-sad poems, ghosts of the Village Past, and melancholy post-Victorian tales of ruined childhoods in creeepy cults... But we manage to have a little fun, too.

Libraries and activism with Cory Eckert, one of the joint chiefs of Storytime Underground! We go in-depth on libraries as non-neutral spaces and how children's librarians stand up for social justice. Plus: recommendations for romance novels and two brand-new picture books.

The triumph and tragedy of Jim Thorpe, the difficulty of Henry James, and the ferocity of Emily Dickinson and Camille Paglia. Bonus: Barbra Streisand's underground wonderland!

The founders of Black Girls Create join us to talk about what it's like to be a black girl nerd, defaulting to whiteness in books and pop culture, nerds vs. geeks vs. dweebs, feminism and visibility and representation -- and, of course, sooooo much Harry Potter.

We’re going weekly!  One week, Gwen and Frank will talk books, culture, and what to read next. On alternate weeks they’ll welcome a very special guest. Let us know what you think!  This week: mesmerizing short stories, our Margaret Atwood obsession, and creepy/awesome young adult fiction.

Reena Glazer of the Pro Bono Institute joins Frank and Gwen to talk about lawyers in the library and recommendations for great nonfiction about pro bono legal work. Plus: Purple diaries, yellow cable cars, and colorful characters.

(Sorry! A previous version of this episode was buggy, but we fixed it. Take a listen, it's a good one!) Wait, Super Model?  Absolutely, but also:  Super Librarian!  Gwen and Frank talk to Outreach Services Librarian Shauntee Burns about her work with schools, her long and varied career at NYPL and her attendance at one very famous NYC high school!

How do libraries help immigrants and underserved communities? Find out with NYPL's very own Adriana Blancarte-Hayward. Plus: major love for great journalism, time travel, ghosts, Frank's hair, frozen yogurt, and Salt 'n Pepa.

Frank and Gwen dive into two very different romance novels with NYPL librarians Annie Lin and Kate Fais.  Plus: a super-clean podcast, a binge-watch-able show, and a gender-bending picture book.

With books on the Syrian refugee crisis and American "hillbilly" culture, Frank and Gwen are looking for a deeper undstanding of the world here at home, and abroad. Also, dinosaurs.  And then, the inimitable Nancy Aravecz, NYPL trainee and library-school student, joins us to talk about the core principles of libraries and the equal-opportunity learning at Jefferson Market University.

Overdue in NYC! Frank and Gwen welcome Andrew and Craig of the Overdue podcast for a deep dive into William Golding's 1954 classic, Lord of the Flies. Every reader for him/her/reallyjustHIMself...

Happy new year! Christopher Platt joins Gwen and Frank to talk about hate crimes, privacy and transparency, and how to start a revolution from your local library. Plus: Project Gutenberg reads, our technological future, and our crush on Carla Hayden.

Welcome to our Very Special Holiday Mini-Episode! We talk about our families' book-giving traditions, Santa stress, and a few random gift suggestions.

Children's librarian Louise Lareau joins Frank and Gwen to talk about NYPL's annual Best Books for Kids list and why you should say "underpants" during first-grade storytime. Plus: Eve Babitz, Joan Didion, Zadie Smith, joy, suffering, existentialism, etc., etc.

Gwen and Frank are joined by Sarah Ball from NYPL's Correctional Services unit to talk about library services for people in jail or prison. Plus: what we're reading, books we're thankful for, and a whole lot of Frank's singing.

Lynn Lobash, manager of Readers Services, peels back the curtain how how to make great book recommendations—and puts Gwen and Frank to the recommendations test.

As fall sets in and Halloween approaches, things get a little creeeeeeepy in the studio as Frank and Gwen bravely welcome horror expert and YA librarian Brian Stokes.

Manga madness overtakes the podcast when Frank and Gwen are joined by YA librarian Chantalle Uzan. Plus: Love for Liesel... not so much for Lionel Shriver.