Episode 67: Guest Host Series: Digging In - What Records Remember

Our Guest Host Series continues this month with a new block of episodes led by L'Oréal Porçeia McCollum, aka L’Or, vinyl DJ, licensed therapist, community educator, and full-time music nerd whose work brings together music, storytelling, culture, and community care.For her first episode L'Oreal takes us inside the Free Library of Philadelphia for a conversation about records as personal and cultural archives, what physical media can preserve that digital formats can't, and why libraries have an important role in keeping music history accessible.L'Oréal sits down with Jane Lippman, Vinyl Record Collections Librarian, and Suzanna A. Urminska, Curator of Exhibitions at the Free Library of Philadelphia, to dig into the stories records carry beyond the music in the grooves. Jane shares their work building vinyl-centered collections and programming at the Library, including Library Mixtape, named Philadelphia Magazine's 2026 "Best of Analog Joy." Suzanna brings more than 20 years of experience across libraries, archives, and museums, with a focus on connecting collections to lived experience, community, and the ways we tell and preserve our stories.Together, they explore records as artifacts of memory, identity, place, and culture; the responsibility institutions have in deciding what gets collected and remembered; and why making these histories accessible matters. It's a conversation about what we keep, what we pass on, and everything a record can tell us when we take the time to listen.Produced by: Ray Blevins Brought to You By: Women in Vinyl Founder Jenn D’Eugenio and Contributor Robyn Raymond Check out:L’Oreal’s’ Instagram: @fkalolakinksFree Library Music Instagram: @freelibrarymusicFree Library Exhibitions Instagram: @freelibraryexhibitsFree Library of Philadelphia Music Department: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/locations/departments/music-departmentFind the video at: https://www.youtube.com/@womeninvinyl/videosGrab a copy of our book 'Women in Vinyl, the Art of Making Vinyl'! Learn more and buy a copy at: womeninvinyl.com/book as well as grab some merch at: womeninvinyl.com/storeTHANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS!Keep your records clean and sounding great with GrooveWasher. Use WomenInVinyl10 at check out: www.groovewasher.comCommercial-Free & High Resolution version of this podcast, along with membership options and ton of other discount codes available at: https://www.patreon.com/womeninvinylYou can also contribute to furthering our mission by donating https://www.womeninvinyl.com/donate as a 501(c)3 all donations are tax deductible.Visit the website to check out past episodes, features, and our ever growing library of resources to further the education, demystification and diversification of the Vinyl Making Space.Don’t forget to like, subscribe and give us a review on your favorite podcast delivery method!Want to be a sponsor or just get in touch? Email us: [email protected]