PODCAST · arts
Library Life
by Library Life
The podcast where we talk about all things library and some things not.
Episodes
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Publishing Trends We Hate (S3E10)
Shaena and Jenna talk about three types of books that they "hate." These are the books that they are tired to seeing on the new book shelves at the library and wish would be banished to the overflow stacks. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh, and Jenna…
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Is Professionalism Dead? (S3E9)
Shaena and Jenna discuss the many facets of professionalism. What does it mean to be professional in appearance and behaviour? Does it even matter anymore? They get into the nitty gritty on issues such as wearing jeans to work (gasp!), using clothes to build confidence, cell phone usage and...
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We Read the Governor General's Literary Award Books So You Don't Have To (S3 E8)
Shaena and Jenna talk about the 5 children's books that were nominated for the Governor General's Literary Awards (2020). The books are: Nevers by Sara Cassidy, Pine Island Home by Polly Horvath, Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson, The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson, and The King Of Jam...
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A Journey Into Diverse Romance (S3 E7)
Shaena shares her love of romance by giving ten book recommendations that have diverse main characters. Jenna gets schooled in romance terminology, such as "H.E.A" and "forced proximity." On the Reading Break (21:52 - 28:37), Jenna talks about Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo and The Shakespeare...
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Should The Library Get Rid Of Problematic Books? (S3 E6)
Shaena and Jenna discuss the slippery slope of censorship in public libraries. Prompted by recent headlines (Dr. Seuss, Halifax Public Library etc.), the conversation explores the tension between standing up for what's right and protecting freedom of speech. On the Reading Break (17:10-24:25),...
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What is the Future of Library Programming? (S3 E5)
In some not-so-casual small talk, Shaena and Jenna open the episode with a discussion about the most memorable programs they've attended. Shaena shares some research about the evolution of children's programs, and then they get into some of the pleasant and not-so-pleasant surprises of virtual...
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First Pages: Literary Fiction vs. Genre Fiction (S3 E4)
Shaena and Jenna talk about the differences between literary fiction and genre fiction by comparing the first few pages of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs. The conversation touches on award culture, book snobbery and if you should challenge yourself when reading....
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Do We Actually Miss Having Customers in the Library? (S3 E3)
No customers are allowed in our library buildings right now, due to COVID-19. Do library staff actually miss having them in the building? Shaena and Jenna discuss their thoughts. The conversation covers how their jobs have changed during curbside service, the problem with one-sided reference...
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Are We Using Our Kobos Too Much? (S3 E2)
Shaena and Jenna share their experiences with reading on their Kobos and consider abandoning paper books altogether. Maybe it's okay, maybe it's not. Jenna (Kobo-newbie) also explains the history of the ereader, and Shaena (Kobo-pro) shares her ereader journey. In the second half of the podcast,...
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We Want to Be Better in 2021 (S3 E1)
Welcome back to another season of Library Life! Shaena and Jenna each share some professional goals for 2021 and get caught up on how life's been going. Shaena talks about returning to school and some new duties at work. Jenna shares her struggles with finding the work-from-home/life balance, as...
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Season 2 Finale: Goodbye 2020, See You Never (S2 E18)
Like any good library-themed project, we begin with the stats for season two of Library Life. Next, we look at our favourite and least favourite episodes of the season. We reflect on the year's ups and downs and chat about where we want the show to go in season three. On the Reading Break, Shaena...
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How to Say "No" to Customers (S2 E17)
How do you maintain good boundaries in the library? We attempt to answer this question and dive into the many complexities of providing good customer service without giving too much of yourself. This conversation is filled with personal examples of how we've over-extended ourselves and our...
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Thoughts From a Shelver During Covid (ft. Elizabeth) (S2 E16)
We are joined by our friend Elizabeth, who just started working as a shelver. We talk about how Covid has affected the shelvers' regular duties, the library hierarchy and how working at the library shapes reading habits. During our Reading Break we talk about a Gathering of Shadows by V.E.…
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Shaena Finally Reads Still Life by Louise Penny!!! (S2 E15)
The day has finally come! Shaena has read one of Jenna's all-time favourite books, Still Life by Louise Penny. We laugh a lot and discuss our thoughts on this mystery novel. There is fangirling (by Jenna) and musings on the actual number of trees in Three Pines (by Shaena). The conversation…
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Do People Really Have Library Shame?! (S2 E14)
Sometimes good people have big library fines. We talk about how shame keeps people away from the library, and Jenna's friends kindly share some of their own library shame. We also talk about how no overdue fines (as a COVID-19 relief effort) has changed the experience of "library shame." During…
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Jenna Wrote a Novel and It's About a Library! (S2 E13)
This is a bit of a departure from our usual content, but Jenna wanted to share some big news: she finished writing her book! Shaena interviews her, and Jenna shares the story of why she wrote a novel that's set in a library. The conversation gets into different aspects of the writing life and how...
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Summer Reading Round Up: Best and Worst Books of the Summer (S2 E12)
In this "micro" episode Shaena and Jenna talk about the books they've read this summer. They each share a highlight and a lowlight. The books that they talk about are The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart, Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz, No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper and…
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I Survived the Library Reopening!! (S2 E11)
Shaena talks about her anxieties surrounding the reopening of her library during the pandemic and what happened when the customers finally returned for browsing. She also shares some of the mechanics of reopening a library and offers some words of advice. On the Reading Break, Jenna talks about…
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A Journey Into Urban Fantasy (S2 E10)
In this episode, Shaena introduces Jenna to the world of Urban Fantasy through book recommendations. We also talk about the books that we are currently reading and just finished in our Reading Break. The books mentioned in this episode are: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moing, Magic Bites by Ilona...
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What is it like to Work in a Library During Coronavirus? (S2 E9)
Jenna's gone back to work at the library! Shaena interviews her to see what it's like to work at a library during a pandemic. She talks about safety measures, having no customers in the building and curbside pick-up. In the second half of the episode, we look back at our 2020 library predictions...
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5 Ways Libraries Can Support the Black Lives Matter Movement (S2 E8)
In this episode, we talk about how libraries can engage with the Black Lives Matter movement. We have a frank discussion about our own shortcomings in this area and discuss practical ways that libraries can to support people of colour. As always we have our Reading Break where we discuss the…
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You, Me and Quarantine: a Chatty Episode (S2 E7)
Join us for a casual chat on the podcast. We talk about what we've been up to during quarantine, the effect it has on our reading routines, what the future might look like and the state of our mental health. During Reading Break, Shaena talks about Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong and House…
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Books That Help You Escape Everyday Life (S2 E6)
In times like these, books can be a great source of comfort. In this episode we talk about books that let you escape into another world. There is no official Reading Break, but we talk about a number of books in this episode and our current reads towards the end. You can see the complete list…
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Reviewing Reviews of Libraries (S2 E5)
This episode we read Google Reviews of libraries! We share a few laughs, and get serious about some of the issues brought up. The conversation touches on "risky play," paying for parking, being too noisy, homelessness and more. In the Reading Break, Shaena talks about When We Left Cuba by Chanel...
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Vacations, Hemingway and Do "Classics" Really Matter? (S2 E4)
In this episode, we begin with a little bookclub for The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, and then we talk a bit about visiting the Hemingway House in the Key West. After the Reading Break, we get into a discussion about classic books--love 'em or hate 'em. On the Reading Break, Shaena...
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Ten Thoughts on Audiobooks (S2 E3)
In this episode we chat all about audiobooks! We talk what makes a good narrator, discuss if listening is "real" reading, our favourite/least favourite audiobook performances, the crazy people who listen to an audiobook sped up and more. On the Reading Break Shaena talks about Moon of the Crusted...
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So You Want to Start A Book Club? (S2 E2)
In this episode of Library Life, we talk about book clubs! We discuss our feelings and experiences with book clubs, how to start your own and some does and don'ts. On our Reading Break Jenna talks about Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas and Sheets by Brenna Thummier, while Shaena talks about the…
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Goodbye 2010s, Hello 2020s: Trends in Public Libraries (S2 E1)
Welcome to the first episode of Season 2! In this episode we talk about some trends that occurred in the last decade of libraries, and the trends that we hope to see in the new decade. Some of the topics we get into are maker-spaces, library layouts, roving and hiring staff without library...
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Season 1 Finale: The Good, the Bad and the In-Progress (Episode 18)
In the season finale of Library Life, Season 1, we reflect on the first seventeen episodes of this podcast. We discuss our favourite and least favourite episodes, our challenges and the process of making a podcast when you know nothing about making a podcast. There's lots of laughs in this…
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Understanding the Macmillan Ebook Embargo (Episode 17)
The purchasing of library eBooks has always been complicated, and it just got worse. In this episode we learn about library ebooks by examining the Macmillan ebook embargo. The Macmillan embargo went into effect on November 1, 2019, limiting the amount of ebooks a library could purchase in the...
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Shaena's Journey From Part Time to Full Time (Episode 16)
In this episode Shaena talks about her career journey from the highs to the lows. Shaena also discusses the full time grind and how she handles working full time. As always we have our Reading Break where we talk about the books we are currently reading. On this Reading Break, we discuss The Line...
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Nancy Drew in Film and TV: Featuring the CW's Nancy Drew (2019) (Episode 15)
In this episode of the podcast we look at the beloved girl detective, Nancy Drew, and her appearances in television and film. This episode was prompted by the latest 2019 adaption simply called, Nancy Drew, that airs on the CW. The other versions that we chat about are Nancy Drew...Detective...
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We Answered Your Questions (Episode 14)
On this episode we answered your burning questions about the library. You guys asked, and we answered. We also talked about the books we are currently reading on our Reading Break. We hope you enjoy the episode; we had a lot of fun making it! As always we want to hear from you! Contact us at:...
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Does Library Rebranding Work? (Episode 13)
On this episode of Library Life we talk about the Toronto Public Library's new logo and the Seattle Public Library's controversy. We also discuss the pros and cons around library rebranding. As always, on Reading Break we talk about the books we are currently reading. As always we want to hear…
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Bridging the Gap Between Fiction and Non-Fiction (Episode 12)
On this episode we discuss why readers tend to choose between fiction and non-fiction. Jenna introduces Shaena to different types of non-fiction books to get her started on her journey into the non-fiction stacks. And of course, we talk about the books that we are currently reading during the...
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Who Gets To Be Called a "Librarian" (Episode 11)
In this episode we discuss the issue of who gets to be called a librarian. We learn about the history of the librarian profession, the education needed, and the role of librarians and library assistants. We debate the idea that everyone who works in a library should be called a librarian. On our...
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Interview with a Returning Reader (Episode 10)
This episode we are joined by our good friend, Nathan, who has recently come back to reading by listening to audiobooks. We discuss his reading journey, the value of audiobooks, and what we are currently listening to. As always we want to hear from you! Contact us at: Twitter: @librarylifepod...
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Looking At Librarians in Film and TV (Episode 9)
We watched 10 films and TV shows, all featuring librarians and libraries, and talked about how realistic the librarian was, their presence in the film/TV show, and how much we enjoyed the film/TV show overall. Due to the length of the episode we decided to forgo the Reading Break. We hope you…
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Our Lives In Books (Episode 8)
This is the podcast where we talk about the books that shaped us into the readers that we are today. It's basically one big Reading Break! Oh, and don't mind the thumps and bumps; it's just the sound of our books hitting the desk. Our bad. We would love to hear about the books that you loved at…
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The Curious Case of Impostor Syndrome (Episode 7)
Impostor Syndrome what is it? Listen as Jenna discusses her experiences with it at the beginning of her career. Find out what we are currently reading in the Reading Break. As always we want to hear from you. Find us at: Twitter: @librarylifepod Instagram: @librarylifepod Email:...
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2019 Mother's Day Special (Episode 6)
In this episode we have a very special guest on the podcast--our mom! We talk about child literacy, reminiscence about childhood and some of our favourite books that we read while growing up. Happy Mother's Day! If you have any suggestions on what we should talk about or if you just want to say…
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Readers' Advisory: Where We Came From and What We're Doing (Episode 5)
In this episode we look at some of the history behind Reader's Advisory, with a special focus on Joyce Saricks and the Downers Grove Public Library. After the Reading Break, where we discuss what we're reading, we share some of our own experiences with R.A. and offer some helpful tips. If you…
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Our Top 3 Library Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Episode 4)
Find out what mistakes we made in our library careers and what we learned from them. Also find out what books we're currently reading in Reading Break. If you have any suggestions on what we should talk about or if you just want to say hi, you can find us on: Twitter: @librarylifepod Instagram:...
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Library Fines: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Episode 3)
This is episode three of Library Life, and in this episode we talk about the possibility of abolishing library fines. We also share some of our own stories about fines and look at some libraries who have already made the leap to eliminate the dreaded library fine. If you have any suggestions on...
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Night Libraries (Episode 2)
Welcome to our second episode, where we talk about the concept of a public library being open 24 hours--good idea or not? Prompted by a recent twitter discussion, Jenna decides to do some research to figure out if a night library would work and if any public library is currently doing it. Find…
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Introduction and Why Libraries Matter (Episode 1)
Welcome to our first episode of our brand new podcast where we talk about how we got started in the public library system, the books we are currently reading and why libraries matter. We plan on releasing an episode on a bi-weekly schedule. Bare with us as we learn the ins and outs of creating…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Library Life have?
Library Life currently has 46 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Library Life about?
The podcast where we talk about all things library and some things not.
How often does Library Life release new episodes?
Library Life has 46 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Library Life?
You can listen to Library Life on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Library Life?
Library Life is created and hosted by Library Life.
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