Library Life

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 talks about Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose. The episode ends on a positive note, where Shaena and Jenna share the trends that they love. What do you think of current book trends? Share your thoughts using #librarylifepod 

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 bringing your personal life to work. Jenna also shares her dreams about loose punctuality policies. On the Reading Break (21:30-27:50), Shaena talks about The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler, and Jenna talks about Well Met by Jen DeLuca. What do you think professionalism is? Share your thoughts using #librarylifepod

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 Sandwiches by Eric Walters. Did these titles deserve to be nominated? What book did we think was going to win? Is it hard to read children's books as an adult? The conversation covers all these topics and more. On the Reading Break (21:58-28:06), Jenna talks about The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, and Shaena talks about A Study In Scarlett Women by Sherry Thomas. Share your thoughts on social media using #librarylifepod 

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 Requirement by Julie Schumacher, and Shaena talks about The Dating Plan by Sara Desai. The books mentioned in this episode are: the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, the Bergmen Brothers series by Chloe Liese, Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heran, The Boyfriend Project by Farah Rochan, The Bride Test by Helen Hoang and The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Share your thoughts on social media using #librarylifepod !

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), Shaena talks about Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, and Jenna talks about The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Censorship is a complex topic, and this conversation just scratches the surface. Share your thoughts on social media using #librarylifepodcast

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 programming during a pandemic. During the Reading Break (36:15-30:28), Shaena talks about "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, and Jenna talks about "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo and "Nevers" by Sarah Cassidy. The episode ends with Shaena and Jenna's predictions for library programming post-pandemic. Will virtual programs still exist? Share your thoughts with us on social media using #librarylifepodcast . 

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. During the Reading Break (26:00-33:10), Shaena talks about The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman and Jenna talks about City Of Thieves by David Benioff. Do you enjoy literary fiction or genre fiction more? Let us know by using #librarylifepodcast

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 questions, the chaos of creating book bundles and if they still find the same fulfillment at work. On the Reading Break (25:45-38:03), Shaena talks about "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell and "The Last Train to Key West" by Chanel Cleeton. Jenna talks about her mixed feelings regarding "Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders." Do you miss customers? Reach out to use on social media using #librarylifepodcast . 

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, the idea of books as "art objects" is discussed. During the Reading Break (22:11-31:00) Jenna talks about "A Court Of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas, and Shaena talks about "A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novak. We would love to hear your opinion on ebooks. Reach out to us on social media using #librarylifepodcast!   

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 well as an idea for a future training session. On the Reading Break (20:22-28:15), Shaena talks about "The Midnight Bargain" by C.L. Polk, and Jenna talks about the "Rockton Series" by Kelly Armstrong. Reach out on social media and share your goals for 2021 using #librarylifepodcast!

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 talks about her Christmas-themed book, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, and Jenna talks about The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Thanks for another great season! We'll see you in the new year! Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 strategies to improve our own boundaries. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and Homework by Julie Andrews. Jenna talks about The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Feel free to reach out on social media.  Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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. Schwab, A Study In Scarlett Woman by Sherry Thomas, Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters, and Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. You can find Elizabeth on Instagram @elizabethreda. Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 strays to topics including the middle-aged women POV and the many themes of Can Lit. Heavy spoilers occur from 32:37-38:39. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab, and Jenna talks about Come and Eat by Bri Mckoy. Have you read Still Life? If so, let us know what you think! Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 the Reading Break Shaena talks about A Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw, and Jenna talks about Highfire by Eoin Colfer. This episode was inspired by a CBC article called "I'm a bookaholic... and a bad library patron." Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 part-time library jobs make room for creative pursuits. Jenna also gets real about self-doubt and the need for perseverance in any kind of art. To continue the conversation, reach out on social media!  This episode has no Reading Break.  Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews. We hope you enjoy this shorter episode! Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 how reading urban fantasy went and The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart. Shaena talks about The Custard Protocol series by Gail Carriger and Who Speaks for the Damned by C.S. Harris. Enjoy! Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 Andrews, Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch, Angel Blood by Nalini Singh, Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, Hounded by Kevin Hearne, Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep and A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones. Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com

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 and see if they'll still stand up in the post-pandemic world. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice and Hounded by Kevin Hearne, and Jenna talks about Undercover Bromance by Lyssa K. Adams and Locke & Key: Volume 1 by Joe Hill.  Reach out to us on social media and share your experiences with working in libraries during this time.  Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com