Podcast
Circulating Ideas
Hosted by Steve Thomas · EN
the librarian interview podcast
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
311: Wake Now in the Fire by Jarrett Dapier
3w agoTap to summarizeSteve chats with Jarrett Dapier, writer of the graphic novel Wake Now in the Fire, about his path to librarianship, the story of Chicago public school students fighting back against censorship, the irony of Persepolis being the target of that censorship, and what librarians can do to fight quiet censorship. Read the transcript! It starts as an update at one Chicago high school: copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in the classrooms or the library. But it’s not just one high school—it’s all Chicago public schools. Not even the principals know why this is happening; they just know they must comply with the order. One thing is clear: The book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as a threat, dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is clear: Some of the students aren’t going to let this go without resistance of their own. As the extent of the ban becomes known, the students rise up. They organize a school-wide walkout and library sit-in. They publicize the banning in every forum they can: social media, the press, classes, clubs, the school paper. And most of all, they get everyone they know to read the book: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. With illustrations by Alex Award-winner AJ Dungo that perfectly capture the everyday joys, heartbreak, and stresses of high school, this graphic novel is an inspiring portrayal of student activism taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and a passionate reminder of why protecting the books we love matters. Jarrett Dapier is an author, librarian, and lifelong drummer. His debut YA graphic novel, WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE, illustrated by AJ Dungo and edited by Ginee Seo, is about teens fighting censorship in Chicago and is based on true events. Jarrett’s picture book, MR. WATSON’s CHICKENS, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi and published by Chronicle Books, received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, received the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard distinction, and was selected by NPR and Bookpage as one of the best books of 2021. Jarrett’s picture book, JAZZ FOR LUNCH!, illustrated by Eugenia Mello and published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, received a starred review in Kirkus and was a finalist for the Ezra Jack Keats awards for both writing and illustration. His third picture book, THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN AMERICA, is a goofy, ghostly, rhythmic romp based on Jarrett’s experience drumming while dressed as a skeleton at the White House in 2009. That book is illustrated by Lee Gatlin, published by Abrams Books, and was a 2023 Illinois Reads selection. Jarrett loves reading, playing the drums, visiting libraries and bookstores with friends, going to punk rock and heavy metal shows with his son, visiting historic Chicago sites with his wife, seeing theatre with his daughter (or theatre performed by his daughter), laying on the floor with his rescue dog Loki, swimming in Lake Michigan, watching and caring for birds around Chicago, kayaking in lagoons, and eating lots of candy (Nerds Gummy Clusters, please). Jarrett hosts a podcast called I’m With the Banned, which is devoted to examining censorship in American culture through conversations with writers, artists, and librarians. He also drums in a band called Fascinator (you can download their 4-song EP “Trust Falls” here). Jarrett was born with a crossed eye, a bad case of asthma, and the start of a sixth finger dangling off his left hand. He can see the hospital where he was born from his backyard. Jarrett lives within spitting distance of Chicago in Evanston, IL. SHOW NOTES: Wake Now in the Fire
Transcribe →310: Journalism Education, AI, and Local News, with Jeremy Shermak
Apr 23Tap to summarizeGuest host Troy Swanson chats with journalism instructor Jeremy Shermak about the state of media today, how AI is reshaping journalism education, and why local news may be the best hope for rebuilding trust in an increasingly polarized information landscape. Read the transcript! Dr. Jeremy Shermak is a journalism professor at Cuesta College and a lecturer in the Journalism Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He holds a Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Arts in Writing from DePaul University. Before entering academia, he worked as a professional journalist and has continued to integrate reporting into his teaching across courses in multimedia journalism, media ethics, and mass communication. His research and professional work focus on digital journalism, social media, and the evolving role of news in public life. He also produces independent media content, including the “MediaMak” podcast series. SHOW NOTES: Cuesta CollegeThe CuestonianMediaMak podcast [Apple Podcasts]
Transcribe →309: The Infinite Loop: Archives and Time Travel in the Popular Imagination, with Lynne M. Thomas and Katy Rawdon
Apr 13Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Lynne M. Thomas and Katy Rawdon, authors of The Infinite Loop: Archives and Time Travel in the Popular Imagination, about how they each got into the profession, why archives can never truly be neutral and objective, how archives and special collections are portrayed within time travel narratives in pop culture, and what we can learn from those narratives to correct misconceptions and misinformation. Read the transcript! Spanning H. G. Wells’s The Time Machine to Marvel’s Loki, this delightful book considers how science fiction stories portray archives and archivists, analyzes the ways in which these portrayals affect readers’ views, and shows how archivists can leverage these insights to improve the public’s understanding of the discipline. The fascination with time travel and its consistent popularity within the science fiction genre is deeply rooted in science fiction writers’ and readers’ passion for history and, by extension, for libraries and other kinds of archives. However, time travel, archives, and history intersect in the public imagination in ways that don’t always match up with the reality of archival work. This book engages archivists and devotees of science fiction alike by exploring common tropes within the genre—and common assumptions in the archival profession—and providing context. Presenting a book that can serve as a teaching text, readers’ advisory guide, and thought-provoking page turner, the authors explore dozens of novels, short stories, movies, and TV series (particularly Doctor Who), spotlighting different science fictional approaches to writing about time travel while pointing out how archives and archivists are represented in different time travel stories; examine how various cultures and societies view and understand time differently, using works such as Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Toshikazo Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts to show how differences in temporal perception affect the presentation of time travel in their works; look at stereotypes, outdated views, and biases depicted within time travel depictions of archives, comparing these portrayals with real-world archives and historical records; discuss ways in which understanding time travel fiction can help archivists improve their relationships with the public and encourage more accurate fictional depictions of their work; and connect the concepts in their book to cultural heritage practices that encourage critical thinking about archivists’ roles in documenting our times. Twelve-time Hugo Award winner Lynne M. Thomas is the Head of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library and Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Rare Book and Manuscript Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She previously served as the Head of Distinctive Collections and Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL (2004-2017) where she was responsible for popular culture special collections including the literary papers of over 75 SF/F authors and the official archives of SFWA. She is the co-author of Special Collections 2.0 (Libraries Unlimited, 2009) and the co-editor of New Directions for Special Collections: An Anthology of Practice, both with Beth Whittaker (ABC-CLIO, 2016). An alumna of Smith College with a degree in French and Comparative Literature, she also holds an MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MA in English and American Literature from Northern Illinois University. She co-edited the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords (2010) with Tara O’Shea, and currently contributes to the Verity! Doctor Who Podcast. Katy Rawdon is the Coordinator of Technical Services for the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University, a public research university in Philadelphia. She worked previously as the Director of Archives, Libraries, and Special Collections at the Barnes Foundation (2001-2012), an art collection and educational institution which houses one of the world’s greatest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern art. She co-authored the chapter “What’s in a Name? Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia and the Impact of Names and Name Authorities in Archival Description” in Ethical Questions in Name Authority Control, (Library Juice Press, 2019), the Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Resources (2019), and contributed to the Best Practices for Queer Metadata (2024) as part of the Queer Metadata Collective. A published author of romance novels (as Katy James) and poetry, and an enthusiastic fanfic writer, she has long been interested in intersections between popular culture and her work in special collections. She received her BA in Art History and Women’s Studies from Smith College and her MLS from Simmons College. SHOW NOTES: The Infinite Loop: Archives and Time Travel in the Popular Imagination“The Big Idea: Lynne M. Thomas & Katy Rawdon” [Whatever, 19 March 2026]
Transcribe →308: Enemy of My Enemy: A Daredevil Marvel Crime Novel by Alex Segura
Mar 24Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Alex Segura, author of the new book Daredevil: Enemy of My Enemy: a Daredevil Marvel Crime Novel, about the book, how Daredevil’s dual life as a defense attorney and vigilante makes him uniquely suited for legal thrillers, Alex’s journey from comics fan to writer of Spider-Man, Star Wars, and Dick Tracy, and the creative challenges of writing beloved characters you don’t own. Read the transcript! Matt Murdock defends the Punisher in the trial of the century—the murder of the Kingpin—while by night Daredevil staves off a war of succession for the throne of the criminal underworld.Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Alex Segura (Secret Identity) pens an all-new Marvel Crime thriller novel for adult readers. When reports come in that the Kingpin and a police officer have been killed and that Frank Castle (aka the Punisher) has turned himself in for it, Matt Murdock senses holes in the narratives the media and the streets are quick to run with. Both criminals have been Matt’s nemeses when he dons the cowl of the Daredevil, and there’s no denying that New York is better off without its Kingpin and with the Punisher behind bars. And yet . . . while the Punisher is a murderous vigilante, he doesn’t kill cops. And he doesn’t turn himself in. Castle certainly deserves prison for all of the other crimes he has committed in the past. However, Matt’s indominable sense of justice insists that nobody should be locked away for crimes they didn’t actually commit. Representing the vigilante in court, Matt enters a contest of wills and guile with Castle to try and uncover the game beneath the game. And when Matt’s girlfriend takes the stand and complicates matters, there’s truly no rest for the wicked or the just. As the Kingpin’s absence causes passion and ambitions to run hot in Hell’s Kitchen, Matt must decide if justice means the letter of the law, what’s best for the citizen on the streets, or where his heart leading him. Enemy of My Enemy continues the Marvel Crime series that began with Lisa Jewell’s Breaking the Dark, and brings fans into a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe. Marvel Crime novels build on one another but do not require in-depth familiarity with Marvel or the other books in the series. Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, which the New York Times called “wittily original” and named an Editors’ Choice. His work includes the YA superhero adventure Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow, the follow-up to Secret Identity, Alter Ego, and the sci-fi/espionage thriller, Dark Space (with Rob Hart). Alex is also the author of Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, the Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, and a number of comic books, including The Mysterious Micro-Face (in partnership with NPR), The Black Ghost, The Archies, The Dusk, The Awakened, and more. SHOW NOTES: Enemy of My Enemy: A Daredevil Marvel Crime Novel
Transcribe →307: ALA Presidential Candidates (2026)
Mar 9Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Tamika Barnes and Becky Calzada, this year’s candidates for President of the American Library Association. Tamika Barnes is Associate Dean for Perimeter Library Services at Georgia State University, and the current President of the Georgia Library Association, and Becky is the District Library Coordinator for the Leander Independent School District, TX. They discuss their backgrounds in librarianship, what motivated them to run for president, their approaches to ALA’s key challenges including financial transparency, member engagement across all library types, and advocacy during a time of increasing censorship battles, and their aligned values around member-centered leadership. Read the transcript! Tamika Barnes is the Associate Dean for Perimeter Library Services at Georgia State University, where she provides strategic leadership for libraries across five campuses in the metro Atlanta area serving students in more than 30 associate-degree pathways. A nationally recognized leader in the library profession, Tamika has served on the American Library Association Executive Board, recently chaired ALA’s Budget and Review Committee, and will serve as President of the Georgia Library Association in 2026. Her leadership has been recognized through numerous honors, including UCLA Library Senior Fellows, the Bob Richardson Award, and multiple national diversity and advocacy awards. She is also an educator, currently serving as an adjunct faculty member with Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and previously teaching at North Carolina Central University, UNC Chapel Hill, and UNC Greensboro. Across all roles, Tamika is committed to advancing advocacy, equity, professional development, and strong, transparent library leadership. Becky Calzada is a District Library Coordinator in Leander, Texas and a co-founding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters, a grass-roots led group of librarians launched back in October 2021. She is the Immediate Past President for the American Association of School Librarians President, has served on the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, and is actively engaged in supporting intellectual freedom advocacy both in her state and nationally. She is the recipient of several intellectual freedom awards and is the co-author of Prepared Libraries, Empowered Teams: A Workbook for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges Together published in June 2024. She is featured in The Librarians documentary, a film which spotlights brave school librarians who are on the front lines in the fight against censorship. SHOW NOTES: Tamika Barnes campaign siteBecky Calzada campaign site
Transcribe →306 – Valuing the Community College Library, with Terra Jacobson and Spencer Brayton
Feb 24Tap to summarizeGuest host Troy Swanson chats with Terra Jacobson and Spencer Brayton, editors of Valuing the Community College Library: Impactful Practices for Institutional Success, about the value that libraries bring to community colleges, the gap in research on community college libraries, the power of partnerships across campus, future opportunities for AI literacy and misinformation education, and why the “third space” concept can be reconsidered for today’s community college libraries. Read the transcript! Terra Jacobsen Terra B. Jacobson has been the dean of Learning Resources at Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, IL) since 2016 and has worked in community college libraries since 2009. She has a PhD in Information Studies from Dominican University, an MS in Information Science, and an MS in Library Science, both from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her current research interests are strategic planning, outreach, and advocacy in academic libraries, and the future and value of community college libraries. She has published in College and Research Libraries, Library Philosophy and Practice, and a chapter in Managing Crises in the Academic Library: Past, Present and Future. She has served as the chair of Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges (NILRC), a statewide consortium for community college learning resources, the CJCLS Scholarly Communications Committee, ACRL’s Standards Committee and the Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey Editorial Board. She currently teaches online at the State University of New York and at Dominican University in the School of Information Studies. Spencer Brayton is director of Library Services at Waubonsee Community College (northeastern Illinois, USA). His research and publication interests include media and information literacy, community college libraries, coaching and leadership. Spencer received his Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Science in Management from the University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL), and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education from the University of Southern Mississippi. SHOW NOTES: Valuing the Community College Library: Impactful Practices for Institutional Success
Transcribe →305: YOU & ME AND YOU & ME AND YOU & ME by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees
Feb 14Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees, authors of You & Me and You & Me and You & Me, a time-traveling romantic comedy about long-term love, about their past experiences with libraries, their writing process, the fun (but also the dangers) of nostalgia, and why your perfect life may be the one you’re living right now. Read the transcript! Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees first published together twenty-five years ago with the #1 Sunday Times bestseller Come Together, which was translated into twenty-seven languages and made into a film by Working Title. Josie and Emlyn then wrote a further six bestselling rom-coms together, all published in the UK. Josie has written thirteen other novels in a variety of genres, including The Bright Side Running Club, based on her own experience of breast cancer, which is currently in film development and was published in the U.S., while Emlyn has written a number of thrillers under his own name and as a ghost writer, published in the UK. Just like Adam and Jules in You & Me and You & Me and You & Me, Josie and Emlyn live with their kids and dog by Brighton Beach, but sadly they haven’t discovered a hole in the space-time continuum in their garden shed…or at least not yet… SHOW NOTES: You & Me and You & Me and You & Me
Transcribe →304: Passive Readers’ Advisory, with Lila Denning
Jan 26Tap to summarizeSteve chats with collection development librarian Lila Denning about passive readers’ advisory, practical tips for creating effective book displays, making displayed accessible and inclusive, partnering with local businesses to promote library services and collections, and how the horror genre helps readers understand different perspectives and emotions. Read the transcript! Lila Denning is a librarian in Florida specializing in Passive Readers’ Advisory for patrons of all ages. She is the Acquisitions Coordinator for the St Petersburg Library System and has worked in circulation, collection development, reference, and youth services. She serves the volunteer coordinator for the Horror Writers Association. You can find her on BlueSky @Vantine.bsky.social. On her blog, bookdisplays.blogspot.com, she talks about ideas for book displays and other forms of Passive Readers Advisory and how to best use it to serve your patrons. SHOW NOTES: Passively Recommending Books
Transcribe →303: Roll for Adventure: Tabletop Roleplaying Adventures for Your School or Public Library, by Lucas Maxwell
Jan 6Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Lucas Maxwell, author of Roll for Adventure: Tabletop Roleplaying Adventures for Your School or Public Library, about his journey from D&D enthusiast to librarian, the educational and social benefits of gaming for young people, and practical advice for librarians looking to start their own tabletop gaming programs! Read the transcript! Become the ultimate Game Master and deliver tabletop role-playing games with confidence! For librarians, teachers, school staff, and parents who want to run a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) but who don’t know where to begin, this practical guide includes five tabletop role-playing adventures written so a first-time Game Master can jump straight in and start playing. Alongside the adventures the book includes examples of safety tools to allow players to stay safe; a comprehensive TTRPG glossary; practical tips for helping new players at the TTRPG table; practical tips for first-time Game Master and new players; ideas on how to establish role-playing sessions and festivals in your school; and lists of potions, magic items and non-player characters, including their motivations and occupations. A companion to Maxwell’s bestselling Let’s Roll, this book is a must-read for librarians and teachers looking to deliver exciting and creative games and quests. Now roll the dice and have fun! Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Lucas Maxwell has been working with teens in public and school libraries for close to fifteen years. He is currently the librarian at Glenthorne High School in London, UK. He writes for Book Riot and has contributed to School Library Journal and American Library Association publications. In 2017, Lucas was named the School Librarian of the Year by the UK’s School Library Association. SHOW NOTES: Let’s Roll: A Guide to Setting up Tabletop Role-Playing Games in your School or Public LibraryRoll for Adventure: Tabletop Roleplaying Adventures for Your School or Public LibraryDungeon Master’s Guild: Wild Sheep Chase | Grammy’s Country Apple PieA Million Tiny Missiles All At Once Looking for a catalog solution on a tiny budget? TinyCat offers a powerful and professional catalog perfect for small libraries; from classrooms and churches, to schools and public libraries. The catalog is easy to use and easy to customize to your library’s needs. You can import library records or scan books in with the mobile app, track circulation, send reminder emails, and view detailed reports. TinyCat is powered by LibraryThing, and has served thousands of libraries over the last 10 years. To double the length of your free trial, sign up at librarycat.org and say you heard about TinyCat from the Circulating Ideas podcast.
Transcribe →302: School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents by Karla Collins
Dec 11Tap to summarizeSteve chats with Karla Bame Collins, author of School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents: From ADHD to Vision Impairment, about her focus on supporting students with diverse and often invisible needs, practical strategies for making school libraries more inclusive, universal design for learning, and the importance of building supportive networks within schools and the broader library community. Read the transcript! Together, librarians and specialists can create experiences to reach all learners in their buildings, including those with hidden needs and talents. While school librarians are experts at collaborating with classroom teachers, too often they overlook the specialists in their buildings as key collaborative partners. Focusing on the many specialists who work with students, Karla Bame Collins provides information about their roles and responsibilities and discusses how school librarians can collaborate to improve learning for all students, including those with hidden needs, disabilities, and talents that are not easily detected and may go undiagnosed. Because librarians work with every student, but may not always be informed about each student’s particular needs, it’s important for them to know whom in the school to turn to for information. Librarians will gain ideas for working with students to provide the best possible learning environment for each. This practical book looks at the whole school library environment-collection, instruction, space, and programming-and offers many ideas for librarians to collaborate with other educators and specialists for the good of all students. SHOW NOTES: School Libraries Supporting Students with Hidden Needs and Talents: From ADHD to Vision Impairment Looking for a catalog solution on a tiny budget? TinyCat offers a powerful and professional catalog perfect for small libraries; from classrooms and churches, to schools and public libraries. The catalog is easy to use and easy to customize to your library’s needs. You can import library records or scan books in with the mobile app, track circulation, send reminder emails, and view detailed reports. TinyCat is powered by LibraryThing, and has served thousands of libraries over the last 10 years. To double the length of your free trial, sign up at librarycat.org and say you heard about TinyCat from the Circulating Ideas podcast.
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