From the great people who brought you twin lions called Patience and Fortitude comes a podcast series that will set you up for months to come.  These are recordings of live talks by and discussions with authors and thinkers at the New York Public Library’s branches.  Hosted by Aidan Flax-Clark, Events Manager, these are the authors you love and the ones you’re just learning about.  I often find real gems and race to put books on my library’s hold list — a service privilege I take full advantage of.

New Episodes drop each Sunday and are about an hour long.  

If you believe that the best things in life really are free, then the Free Library of Philadelphia is perhaps one of the more persuasive arguments.   This hallowed institution has been in the forefront of the podcast revolution.  The Parkway Central Library’s events feature authors in discussion with patrons or delivering talks, and this popular podcast is a great way to experience them.  Episodes are posted shortly after events happen, but the backlist is extensive, so there is no fear of running out any time soon.  

Gwen Glazer and Frank Collerius are two hard-working librarians in the New York Public Library system, but I like to think of them as the Will and Grace of the book world.  I subscribed to The Librarian is In a few months ago, and it has fast become a regular in my weekly listens. Not only to Frank and Gwen offer excellent suggestions for great books in all genres, but they also take us behind the scenes to show us how a library system works and how it can best be used for everything from finding hard-to-locate sources to getting the inspiration you need to finish your creative project. 

The format ranges from interviews with other librarians and book lovers to casual discussions between Gwen and Frank about books and libraries.  

 The discussions are informal, fresh, and fun.   I get the sense that the podcast is pitched towards a slightly younger listener, but this should not prevent readers and book lovers of all ages from tuning in.  

My enthusiasm for this podcast knows no bounds!  This is a treasure trove of lectures, talks, and symposia from Oxford’s storied Bodleian Libraries.  This is a massive library network of 28 separate libraries, which includes the iconic round building.  Together, the network is home to over 12 million printed items, including rare and historically significant documents.  

The BODcasts are definitely for you if your tastes are eclectic and/or scholarly, or if you enjoyed In Our Time by Melvyn Bragg, you will be just as excited about these lectures, available in audio and video format. The subjects include range across disciplines, including history, linguistics, law, politics, and others.  

The only drawback to The BODcasts is that they are not universally available on all of the apps and listening platforms, but this matters less than other more episodic podcasts.  The BODcasts, technically are more archive than a classic podcast series, but that isn’t going to stop me from listening.  I’ve found the best success streaming them on my desktop from the university website listed below.