Overdueing It: The Rhode Island Library Podcast

Host Lauren talks with local luminary Allison Horricks; park ranger, historian, podcaster and author of Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl.    Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library staff around the Ocean State. We are proud to be a resident partner of the Rhode Island Center for the Book . The vi...

Host Emily connects with Elvira from Now or Never PVD about all the hobbies we love to try, want to try, and how exploring crafts is a nexus for making meaningful friends and connections. Want to explore a new craft or hobby and meet new people? Visit @noworneverpvd at their next art cafe or special workshop! Find Now or Never on Instagram, Tik Tok, or at nonpvd.com.   Overdueing It is a project f...

Emily and Lauren are both on vacation celebrating their birthdays, and they left you with some throwback Rhody Recommends episodes to share with you. Back when we were working on Rhody Radio, these would be short Friday segments sharing what the team has been reading, watching, and listening to. This is the perfect opportunity for you to line up some summer reading lists and decide what streaming...

Host Lauren is joined by Khamry Varfley and Amanda Strauss to introduce us to The Alcove, a feminist cultural center in Providence celebrating women and gender expansive people. In the Last Chapter, they discuss: what is the last book you bought, and have you read it yet? Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library sta...

Host Lauren chats with poet, Special Projects Manager at Providence Art, Culture & Tourism, and Reading Across Rhode Island Honorary Chair, Charlotte Abotsi about this year's RARI pick, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. They also discuss poetry, Providence's artsy vibe, and the impact of their high school English teachers. In the Last Chapter they answer the question: What is a poem or a line fr...

Host Emily is joined by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of the 2026 Reading Across Rhode Island selection Happy Land , to discuss the themes of family and community in her book. They also dig into strong sisterhood bonds, Queen Charlotte, and crab cakes. In the Last Chapter, Emily asks: is there a character from a book whose story you'd like to see get a different ending? Overdueing It is a project f...

Host Lauren chats with  artists  Michael Townsend and Leah Smith   about Tape Art, the secret apartment that Michael created in the Providence Place Mall, and  its  eponymous documentary,  Secret Mall Apartment .   They also discuss  world cinema ,  the ease of keeping secrets before the inven tion of the iPhone, and  creative ideas about what to do with  t he  Providence Place Mall .   In the Las...

Host Dave talks to Liza Birch, founder and board president of the Providence Streets Coalition, about their work advocating for a public transit system that can meet the needs of all Rhode Islanders. They also discuss why even car drivers should want a robust public bus system, Heated Rivalry, and Jesuits in space. In the Last Chapter they reveal the worldbuilding details they love to see in works...

On this hostful episode, Emily, Lauren, and Dave take a walk down memory lane and share their favorite books, movies, games, and treats from their childhoods. They also discuss the poetry of Andrea Gibson, book-logging apps, and being territorial about little treats. In the Last Chapter they swap childhood memories of going to the library.   Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Of...

Host   Lauren chat s  with  Anne Conway, Director of the  Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.  They talk about  the  M useum ,   the Winter Olympics, and how 20 th  century Quebecois  textile workers  kept their culture alive after im migrating to  the U.S .   In the Last Chapter they  discuss:  When you walk into a bookstore or a library,  what's  the first thing you look for?       For inf...

Host Dave talks to Kate Schapira, author of Lessons From the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth , about how we all can take a measured approach to responding to the many anxieties we face in this modern era. They also discuss affording everyone an expansive view of their humanity, the need for layered meanings in books that make us think, and the need for real community. In the Last Chapter Dave ask...

What even is AI anyway, and how do we harness it for the good of the people? Host Emily talks technology and public power in this episode with Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders, authors of Rewiring Democracy: How AI will Transform our Politics, Government, and Citizenship. Find the book at your local library!   Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information...

Host Emily chats with Rhode Island Librarians about the Winter Reading Challenge coming to a library near you this February. Learn more and head to your local library to sign up and win some sweet prizes!    Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library staff around the Ocean State. We are proud to be a resident partner...

This week we're bringing you an ITEM RENEWAL from our archives. In this episode of Rhody Radio first released on December 19, 2023, Liz Gotauco AKA Cosbrarian dispenses with the merry and instead wishes you a Very Scary Christmas, sharing some macabre yuletide folk tales to accompany a dark winter night. If you love this episode and haven't yet, be sure to read Liz's book and listen to our episode...

Civic engagement correspondent Meg Hamlin-Black talks to Rebecca Davis, co-director and producer of the 2023 documentary  Join or Die , a film about why you should join a club, and why the fate of America depends on it. The doc follows the story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of Robert Putnam, whose legendary "Bowling Alone" research into American community decline may hold the...

Host Zach talks to authors Trish FitzSimons and Madelyn Shaw about their book Fleeced: Unraveling the History of Wool and War . They also talk about the glut of viewing options available and reading humor as escape. In the Last Chapter: If you could go back in time for research, where would you go and why? Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Serv...

Host Emily chats romance (what else?!) with, and learns a cricket joke from, international comedian, writer, podcaster, and all-around super cool human, Alice Fraser, author of A Passion for Passion.  Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library staff around the Ocean State. We are proud to be a resident partner of the...

Host Lauren chats with bestselling author Vanessa Lillie to discuss her latest book, The Bone Thief . They talk about the book, repatriating historic Indigenous artifacts, Vanessa's writing process, and the importance of self-care when writing about traumatic events. In the Last Chapter they discuss the seasonally appropriate topic: If you could have a custom candle to burn while you cozy up with...

Host Dave is joined by Liz and Jade Gotauco to learn about F*cked Up Fairy Tales , Liz's debut book based on her wildly popular TikTok series by the same name and illustrated by Jade. They also get into their respective efforts using their art to shine a light on neglected stories, Jade's work as a scrimshander, and gentle television competition shows. In the Last Chapter they discuss: what's a fa...

Host Meg Hamlin-Black talks to Nicole Dyszlewski, Professor & Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation at Roger Williams University School of Law, about building a broad coalition to advocate for legislative change, working to pass the Freedom to Read Act in the 2025 Rhode Island General Assembly session. They also get into graphic novels as accessibility, law textbooks, and their love of reality...

Host Dave talks to Marta Martinez, Executive Director of RI Latino Arts, and Maria Cotto, bilingual children's librarian at Pawtucket Public Library, about Hispanic Heritage Month and the Rhode Island Latino Books Award. They also talk about their love of documentaries and how it feels to find a mirror to your own experiences in books. In the Last Chapter they discuss: what's a fictional world you...

We're back! On this hostful episode, Lauren, Emily, and Dave dig into their approach to comfort reads. They also discuss engaging ideas in nonfiction and the need for intermissions in long movies and TV episodes. In the Last Chapter they spill some tea: What's a book you did not finish and what made you dump that book? Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Inf...

We're on a break for August, and taking this opportunity to share some encore episodes with you. Today we are revisiting episode 15 from the 17th of December 2024. In it, host Cheryl, library director at the Community Libraries of Providence, talks with her colleagues Dhana, Michelle, Lee, and Khamry about the variety of ways CLPVD is building library services that respond to the unique communitie...

We're on a break for August, and taking this opportunity to share some encore episodes with you. Today we are revisiting episode 6 from the 13th of August 2024. In it, host Tayla is joined by Fallon Masterson, producer and co-founder of Stranger Stories PVD, and Lauren LaBelle, writer and Stranger Stories participant, to talk about this free monthly lit night event taking place in Providence. Be s...

Host Emily chats with Jessica (@localreturnri), Andy (@capitalgoodfund) and Dominique (@one_neighborhoodbuilders) about investing in our local communities and economy. How, and why, do we ensure that our investments benefit our neighbors? Learn more about the ways these organizations are helping people put their money where their values are, and how recipients of that investment are able to thrive...