Call Number with American Libraries Podcast

In this special bonus episode, Call Number with American Libraries celebrates Preservation Week (April 25–May 1) by looking at the 1619 Project, a collection of historical records, essays, photos, and audio that aims to reframe the consequences of slavery in the US and highlight the contributions of Black people to the American experience. American Libraries senior editor and Call Number host Phil...

In Episode 61, Call Number with American Libraries talks with school librarians about how they changed their work and services during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with three school library media specialists for Goochland County Public Schools in Virginia about how they bootstrapped a bookmobile to provide free books to kids learning remote...

With libraries closed or operating at reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach is essential to let the community know that the library is still there for them and providing essential services. That outreach is particularly important for senior citizens who rely on the library not just for books, but often as a lifeline to others. On Episode 60, Call Number with American Libraries looks...

All eyes are on Washington D.C., this week with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act on March 10. The relief checks for Americans, money for state and local governments, child tax credits, and vaccine funding contained within the bill make headlines, but the bill also affects much more of American life, including libraries. But how did that happen? How are libraries represented in US govern...

In Episode 59, Call Number with American Libraries looks at efforts to move forward conversations about race and racism in the United States. First, American Libraries managing editor Terra Dankowski speaks with Emmanuel Acho, former NFL linebacker and current sports analyst for Fox Sports, about his YouTube series Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man and book of the same name. Next, Ameri...

In Episode 58, Call Number with American Libraries looks at library efforts to prevent COVID-19 contamination. First, American Libraries Editorial and Advertising Associate Carrie Smith speaks with OCLC's Sharon Streams, director of the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) project. A collaboration between OCLC, IMLS, and science and technology development nonprofit Battelle Memorial...

In Episode 57, Call Number looks back on author interviews conducted by American Libraries staffers throughout 2020. Author, poet, and essayist Julia Alvarez, writer and artist Chanel Miller, chef Jeff Henderson, ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani, and writers Echo Brown and Yaa Gyasi discuss their work and reveal the important role that libraries and books have played in their lives.

This year has seen an increase in activism and community engagement from people across the country—especially teens. Whether working in-person or virtually because of the pandemic, the youth of today are energized to change the world. And librarians are helping. On Episode 56, Call Number looks at library efforts to support and engage teen activism. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Sally...

Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year here at the podcast, because we get to indulge our love of all things spooky and scary, particularly in the realm of literature and libraries. On Episode 55 of Call Number with American Libraries, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Matt Ruff, author of Lovecraft Country, the bestselling horror/fantasy n...

This past summer, American Library Association (ALA) President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. toured the US—virtually—to spotlight issues affecting libraries across the country, in particular small and rural libraries. In Episode 54, we speak with Jefferson, as well as two librarians whose work was showcased on his tour. First, host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart discusses small-libra...

In Episode 53, Dewey Decibel explores new ideas and issues in library architecture and design. First, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart speaks with Wardell Ross Jr., director of Houston operations for architectural firm Moody Nolan, who was project manager for Texas Southern University’s new Library Learning Center. Morehart and Ross discuss the library’s featur...

In 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) added sustainability as one of the core values of librarianship, and libraries across the US are working to reduce their environmental footprint and raise awareness about resilience, climate change, and a sustainable future. In Episode 52, Dewey Decibel talks with librarians who are implementing sustainable practices in both their libraries and their...

In Episode 51, Dewey Decibel welcomes two winners of 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Awards for illustration to discuss their work in the lead up to the American Library Association's Book Award Celebration on June 28. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with James E. Ransome, author and illustrator of The Bell Rang, a 2020 Coretta Scott King Book Award...

In Episode 50, Dewey Decibel looks at privacy issues in libraries, including how COVID-19 is affecting privacy for both patrons and librarians alike. First, Dewey Decibel host and American Libraries Senior Editor Phil Morehart speaks with Becky Yoose, a library data privacy consultant with LDH Consulting Services, about Zoombombing—what it is, who it targets, and how to stop it. Next, Morehart tal...

Five years ago this week, the city of Baltimore was upended by protests and riots following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old unarmed black man who died while in Baltimore Police Department custody. Wes Moore, a Baltimore native and author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work: Searching for a Life that Matters, looks at Gray’s death and its aftereffects in his upcoming book, Five Days: The F...

In Episode 49, Dewey Decibel looks at the library world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Felton Thomas, Jr., CEO of Cleveland Public Library, about the library’s use of 3D printers to make personal protective equipment for emergency workers. Then Morehart talks with Evan Knight, preservation specialist at...

It’s Women’s History Month, and librarians looking to supplement lesson plans and readings for students can find a wealth of resources in Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive, an online repository of primary sources and other materials that examine the social, political, and professional aspects of women’s lives and the experiences and achievements of women throughout history. In this special bonus epis...

In Episode 48, Dewey Decibel celebrates women's history with conversations about feminism, the importance of oral histories in social justice movements and in telling women’s stories, and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with authors Mikki Kendall (Hood Feminism), Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist, Hunger), and Marilyn Harhai, professor of library science at Clarion University.

On February 24, Tracie D. Hall took the reins at the American Library Association as the new executive director. In this special bonus episode of the Dewey Decibel podcast, Hall sits down with American Libraries Editor and Publisher Sanhita SinhaRoy to discuss the changing face of the Association, the future of librarianship, library work with social justice issues, her favorite music, and more.

Presidential libraries have changed significantly since President Franklin D. Roosevelt conceived the system as a means to preserve evidence of the presidency for future generations to study and appreciate. In Episode 47, Dewey Decibel celebrates Presidents’ Day through conversations with directors of two presidential libraries about those changes and more. First, American Libraries Senior Editor...

On Thursday, January 23, thousands of librarians and library workers will being to descend on Philadelphia for the American Library Association’s 2020 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. And they’ll be searching for the best places to eat and things to do while visiting the City of Brotherly Love. In Episode 46, Dewey Decibel explores what to see and where to eat during Midwinter. First, American Librar...

In Episode 45, Dewey Decibel looks back at interviews conducted with speakers at the American Library Association’s 2019 Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference. NBC's Today co-host Hoda Kotb, journalist Mariana Atencio, actor and activist George Takei, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA Sylvia Acevedo, journalist and activist Isha Sesay, writer and CBS Sunday Morning contributor Mo Rocca, and philanth...

In Episode 44, Dewey Decibel looks at the importance of library advocacy and offers tips on how to get involved. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Denis Cotter, chair of Loudon County (Va.) Public Library Board of Trustees, about how the board successfully lobbied the county board of supervisors for the elimination of fines at the library. Nex...

Everyone loves a good mystery, especially during the Halloween season. In Episode 43, Dewey Decibel talks with library workers who were involved in three very different cases. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Rebekah Heath, a research librarian and amateur sleuth who helped uncover the identities of the victims of the Bear Brook Murders in Al...

In Episode 42, Dewey Decibel looks at new and renovated libraries featured in American Libraries’ September/October 2019 library design and architecture issue. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Gretchen Caserotti, director of Meridian (Idaho) Library District, about its 320-square-foot Tiny Library. Next, American Libraries Managing Editor Ter...