Borrowed
92 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 164 ratingsBrooklyn Public Library is full of stories. Borrowed brings the very best of them to you.
Borrowed is a narrative series about superhero librarians, neighborhood stories and what it means to be a free, democratic place in today’s changing world. We tell stories about libraries during natural disasters, the challenges of homelessness, and NYC’s fraught relationship with trash.
Borrowed and Banned is our limited series about America's ideological war with its bookshelves. From September to December 2023, we released ten episodes featuring the stories of students on the frontlines, librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and writers whose books have become political battleground.
For transcripts, pictures, book lists, and resources, please visit our web page: bklynlib.org/podcasts
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Episodes
Bridging the Gap
March 21, 2024 10:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBTeens and older adults are perhaps the two age groups you might think have the least in common. But a new program at BPL seeks to bring the two generations together ... by having them debate. Read a transcript of this episode on our web page. Resources mentioned on this episode: Learn more about services for older adults at BPL and programs for teens! Listen to "Bridging the Gap," a podcast series on our BKLYN Community Audio feed and check out these books about debate. Take this very s...
Browse the Branches
March 14, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBBrooklyn has 62 neighborhood libraries, each with a distinct architecture, culture, and soul. To kick off the new season and to celebrate our audio stories coming home to Brooklyn, we'll take a tour of the borough with the help of our neighborhood libraries and some of our stalwart patrons who visited all 62 of them ... in a matter of days! Read a transcript of this episode. Take our Browse the Branches challenge! Not in New York City? You can read your way through the branches with this b...
The Challenge
December 14, 2023 10:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBStudent activists in York, Pennsylvania organized a silent protest when hundreds of books were banned from their classrooms, paving the way for lasting change in their community. In this final episode of the series, we tackle the challenge head-on: from encouraging open dialogue about the books on our shelves to the ongoing work of protecting the freedom to read. Read the transcript here. Our call to action for this episode: How will you use the stories you’ve heard over the course of th...
On the Frontlines
December 07, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBLibrary workers often risk their livelihoods when they speak out against censorship, spurring community members to pick up the fight for intellectual freedom. We tell the story of how one Louisiana parish came together to defend their library amidst book challenges, tip lines, and even sign burning. Read the transcript here. Our call to action for this episode: Find the people in your community who care about public libraries and get together with them. More resources: EveryLibrary Inst...
An Interview with Maia Kobabe
November 30, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBMaia Kobabe's debut memoir, Gender Queer, was the most frequently banned book in 2021 and 2022. We talked with em about what it's like to be on the recieving end of so many challenges, and the importance of public libraries. Read the transcript here. More resources: Check out Gender Queer. Find Maia's resources for defending Gender Queer, and eir recent comic about book bans and libraries. Read The Washington Post's article on book bans. Help us keep our libraries open by fighting ...
Beloved Blues
November 22, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBDespite being one of the most frequently banned authors, Toni Morrison’s work has inspired countless others to tell stories outside the mainstream. We take a closer look at Morisson's writing, her legacy, and her impact on the anti-censorship movement. Read the transcript here. Our call to action for this episode: Learn how you can support and defend public libraries at Libraries for the People. More resources: Read Toni Morrison's books. If you're a young person, you can apply for a Bo...
An Interview with George M. Johnson
November 16, 2023 10:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBGeorge M. Johnson talks about their debut Young Adult memoir All Boys Aren't Blue, the support of their family, their love of Toni Morrison, and the importance of standing against book bans. Read the transcript here. Resources: Check out All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. Read about Johnson's family supporting their book when it was challenged in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Access other banned books with our free Books Unbanned library card for teens. Help us keep our librari...
Battle of the Classics
November 09, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBHelp us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
An Interview with Mike Curato
November 02, 2023 09:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBMike Curato talks about his award-winning graphic novel Flamer, his writing practice, and how it feels to have his story vaulted into national headlines as parents, politicians, and school boards campaign to remove his book from school and library shelves. Read the transcript here. Resources: Check out Flamer from BPL, or other books by Mike Curato. See what books were most frequently challenged in 2022, according to the America Library Association. This conversation touches on suicide....
Of Parents and School Boards
October 26, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBOver the past few years, school board races have become more heated and more political — and books have become the center of that political storm. We look at what happened in Keller, Texas when an ultra-conservative group took over the school board. You can read a transcript of this episode here. Our call to action for this episode: Find out when the next school board meeting is happening in your community, and show up. Unite Against Book Bans has an Action Toolkit with advice for how to...
This Day in Esoteric Political History: United States vs One Book Called Ulysses (1933)
October 19, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBIt’s an off-week for Borrowed and Banned, but we do have something special to share. We’re doing a collaboration with PRX’s Radiotopia, and they sent along an episode from one of their shows that is really relevant to our series. This Day in Esoteric Political History is a podcast that tells the story of one moment from US history that took place on a particular day -- and discuss what it might have to teach us about our current moment. Back in 2020, the hosts did an episode about th...
Seen and Obscene
October 12, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBThe birth of obscenity laws in the 1870s provides a cautionary tale for the present moment, when far-right conservatives incorrectly label books “sexually explicit” as a way to provoke outrage in communities nationwide. This episode, we delve into the parallels that history can reveal and hear from students in Texas fighting for their freedom to read. You can read a transcript of this episode here. Our calls to action for this episode: Be an ally and an advocate for the teens in your lif...
All for a Library Card
September 28, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBWhen a high school teacher in Norman, Oklahoma shared a QR code with her students that would grant them access to BPL’s digital collection, she took a stand against a restrictive state law. That act of resistance made her first day of school ... also her last. Our call to action for this episode: Get a library card! Wherever you live, sign up for a library card in person or online. If you're between the ages of 13 and 21, you can apply to our free Books Unbanned e-library card. Plus, Seatt...
Introducing: Borrowed and Banned
September 18, 2023 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.08 MBLast year, over 2,500 unique titles were challenged in libraries across the country. That’s the highest number in over 20 years. On Borrowed and Banned, we tell the story of America’s ideological war with its bookshelves by talking with the people most impacted: the students on the frontlines, the librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and the writers whose books have become political battleground. Read the transcript and find resources: https://www.bk...
An Episode from Grown: Culture and Identity
September 08, 2023 10:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBWe’re doing something a little bit different today and sharing an episode from a totally different podcast we love … it’s called Grown, and it’s from the Moth. Grown is all about the experience of growing up. There's conversations, true stories told live, and young people grappling with big questions. Read more about Grown and subscribe at grownpod.com. We hope you enjoy! About the episode: "Natural hair. A culture festival. Middle school jerks. In this episode, we hear storie...
Jay-Z at the Library
September 01, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 6.86 MBOver 14,000 patrons have signed up for their first library card since Jay-Z's exhibit came to Central Library in mid-July. We talk to Brooklynites traveling around the borough to collect all 13 Jay-Z library cards, and ask what The Book of HOV means to them. Learn more about the exhibit and our signature library cards: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/jay-z-library Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf...
Pathways to Leadership
July 05, 2023 16:26 - 15 minutes - 11 MBKesha Powell and Amen Emile have been working at BPL for over 20 years in various roles, from public safety to circulation manager. Thanks to BPL's Pathways to Leadership program—a scholarship and mentorship initiative designed to diversify the field of librarianship—they will soon be fully-certified librarians. Read the transcript and find further resources here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/pathways-leadership Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Wri...
Meet Our (Almost) Six-Year-Old Librarian
June 14, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 7.84 MBIf you ask Hannah Jean what would be her greatest wish, she will say running Brooklyn Public Library. Last month, she got to do just that. Read the transcript and check out our book list: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/meet-our-almost-six-year Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
The Teens are Offline
May 30, 2023 10:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBMeet the Luddite Club, a group of library-loving, flip-phone-toting teenagers in Brooklyn who come together every week out of a shared sense that social media and smart phones just aren't working for them. Read the transcript and check out additional resources here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/teens-are-offline Listen to Undiscarded: Stories of New York: https://undiscarded.org/ Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or...
Seeking Asylum
May 17, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBAsylum seekers continue to arrive in New York City. We look at how one faith-based organization is responding to the continuing crisis in the hope that these personal narratives offer a window into the experience of migrants in Brooklyn today. For a transcript of this episode in English and links to resources, visit: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/seeking-asylum Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf o...
Buscando Asilo
May 17, 2023 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBEste episodio es sobre los solicitantes de asilo en la ciudad de Nueva York. Estamos compartiendo estas narrativas personales con la esperanza de que escucharlas devuelva la humanidad a esta crisis. Para leer el episodio en inglés y más recursos: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/buscando-asilo Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
A Place of Refuge
April 18, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBLast year, New York City began to see an increase in the number of migrants seeking asylum. The library is a small part of the city-wide response to help those seeking refuge. This episode, we'll talk about library and city efforts with Manuel Castro, the Commissioner at the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Affairs. Links to resources and the epiosde transcript are here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/place-refuge Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to...
What's Your Library Worth?
March 30, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 8.23 MBDid you know there are some public libraries that loan out snowshoes? And cement mixers? And Santa suits? This episode, we try to calculate what your public library is worth, and ask how you can give back to support public libraries. Read the transcript and find more resources here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/whats-your-library-worth Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or ...
Go, Robots, Go!
March 02, 2023 11:00 - 11 minutes - 7.94 MBWith tablets, Legos, and coding, these fourteen teams from library branches across Brooklyn met at Central Library to compete in the final championship of Brooklyn Robotics League — resulting in what is surely one of our loudest stories ever. Read a transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/go-robots-go Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library o...
Happily Ever After
February 14, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBWe love love at the library, so for Valentine's Day this year, we're devoting the episode Romance Novels! We'll learn how Romance covers hint at what's between them, and chat with writer Nichole Perkins about how the genre is diversifying. Read the transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/happily-ever-after Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Libra...
La Hora Mágica
February 01, 2023 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9 MBLa Hora Mágica has been the heart of Sunset Park’s storytime programming for a decade now, highlighting songs and stories in Spanish and English for speakers of all different languages. Read the transcript here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/la-hora-m%C3%A1gica Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
Dyker Singers, Dyker Lights
December 20, 2022 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.84 MBDyker Heights, Brooklyn is a destination this time of year, with houses decked out in lights drawing visitors from all around the world. And inside Dyker Library, a strong community gathers to sing, play mahjong, do yoga, and so much more. You can find a transcript of this episode here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/dyker-singers-dyker Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library o...
Rebroadcast: Work in Progress
December 07, 2022 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBFrom “the most expensive pigeon roost in the world” to one of the world’s most unique libraries, Brooklyn’s Central Library has many stories to tell. We’ll dive into the history of Central Library, hear from Brooklynites starting small businesses, and one patron’s path from homelessness to determined author. Find the transcript and book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/rebroadcast-work-progress Take our new audio tour of Central Library: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podc...
Family Meal
November 22, 2022 11:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBThis Thanksgiving, meet the people who run Central Library's café and get a peak into their kitchen on the Library's third floor, where fourteen students speaking seven different language meet every day. This episode is a collaboration with Emma's Torch, a workforce development program that empowers refugees through the culinary arts and job placement services. Read the transcript here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/family-meal Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for cit...
Stories of Service
November 11, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBIn honor of Veterans Day, we are bringing you four stories of service, from veterans who served in World War II, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Iraq. Three voices come to us from interviews collected at BPL for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress. Check out our book list and transcript here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/stories-service Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Qu...
Rebroadcast: Weathering the Storm
October 28, 2022 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBTo honor the tenth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we are returning to an episode we produced in 2019 about the impact of the storm on our library system, and how libraries can become information centers, shelters and community spaces in the wake of natural disaster. Check out our book list and transcript here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/rebroadcast-weathering Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf...
School's Out! Time for a Pop Quiz
June 24, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBHelp us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
Books Unbanned
May 31, 2022 10:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBBook bans and challenges have been on the rise in the past few years. When BPL launched a free eCard to give out-of-state teens access to our eBook collection, including many banned titles, we saw an incredible response. We look at the impact of that initiative, and our own history of censorship over the past 125 years. Check out our book list and transcript here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/books-unbanned Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to ...
A Library Sounds Like This
April 27, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBFrom defunct recording technology to vinyl’s comeback, we've been through a lot of media changes over the last 125 years. And we're still not done changing! We talk about audio's next great frontier with the world's first two podcast librarians. Read the transcript and check out our listening list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/library-sounds Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public...
World Wide Web
March 25, 2022 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBIn 1996, we were one of the first libraries in the nation to connect our patrons to the internet. Today, we're extending our WiFi reach down the block, loaning hotspots, and archiving hyperlocal websites for the future. Read the transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/world-wide-web Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Pub...
Decolonizing Dewey
February 24, 2022 11:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBA lot had changed since Melvil Dewey came up with a classification system to organize all known and not-yet-known knowledge into a string of numbers and search terms. And yet, hundreds of thousands of libraries use the same system to this day, often preserving out-dated and offensive terms. In this episode, we take a look at what has changed—and what hasn't—in our library catalog. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/decolonizing...
New Libraries, Old Places
January 28, 2022 11:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBLibraries weren't always located in their own stately buildings. Many of our branches used to operate out of pharmacies, laundry rooms, storefronts, and more! In celebration of our first new branch in nearly forty years—Adams Street Library, located in a former factory in DUMBO—we're bringing you stories of new libraries in old places. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/new-libraries-old-places Help us keep our libraries op...
Goodbye to All Fines
December 21, 2021 11:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBOn October 5th, 2021, all three public library systems in New York City eliminated late fines. The change was 125 years in the making, and it made us think: why did public libraries start charging late fines in the first place? And how will the library have to adapt now that we're truly free and truly for all? Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/goodbye-all-fines Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Wr...
Happy Birthday, BPL!
November 30, 2021 11:00 - 5 minutes - 3.78 MBIn this season of Borrowed, we’ll take a look at what the library was like 125 years ago, the radical ideas that founded public libraries across the country, as well as our missteps along the way. Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Public Library.
Building Brooklyn: We've Been Here Before
October 27, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBThe story of Canarsie in reverse, from the racial unrest in the 1990s, to the anti-integration school boycotts in the 1960s, the community of Canarsie's Black residents in the 19th century, all the way back to Brooklyn's first residents, the Native Lenape people, who gave the neighborhood its name. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/building-brooklyn-weve Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your...
Building Brooklyn: Finntown
October 20, 2021 10:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBIn the early 1900s, if you walked around Sunset Park, you might have heard Finnish being spoken on the streets. That's because the neighborhood was home to the largest concentration of Finns in New York City, and though most have since gone from Brooklyn, they left behind their co-operative spirit. The Finns built the first non-profit co-operative apartment buildings in the nation, many of which are still standing today. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bkl...
Building Brooklyn: Eighth Avenue
October 13, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBBrooklyn is constantly changing. This episode takes a look at the changes on just one street in one neighborhood: Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park, which many call Brooklyn's Chinatown. In the early 1990s, BPL and the Museum of Chinese in America collected oral histories about Sunset Park. We dive back into that archive, with help from Professor Tarry Hum, urban planner and former Sunset Parker. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/buildi...
Building Brooklyn: Women on the Waterfront
October 06, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBAt the start of World War II, 200 women were employed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. That number ballooned to 7,000 at the height of the war, but afterward—women workers were gone as rapidly as they appeared. We tell the story of this unique moment in history, using oral histories from women who worked at the yard during the war, and an interview with author Jennifer Egan, who helped create the collection and used it as research for her award-winning novel, Manhattan Beach. Read our transcript...
Building Brooklyn: Like Coming Home
September 29, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBIn the middle of the 20th century, a ten square block area in North Gowanus was home to the largest Mohawk settlement outside of Canada. We hear about the Mohawk women who built that community while their husbands and fathers were building skyscrapers. And, we go back hundreds of years in Gowanus and tell the story of the original inhabitants of Brooklyn: the Lenape people, who gave the neighborhood its name. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibr...
Like Coming Home
September 29, 2021 10:00 - 28 minutes - 64.7 MBIn the middle of the 20th century, a ten square block area in North Gowanus was home to the largest Mohawk settlement outside of Canada. We hear about the Mohawk women who built that community while their husbands and fathers were building skyscrapers. And, we go back hundreds of years in Gowanus and tell the story of the original inhabitants of Brooklyn: the Lenape people, who gave the neighborhood its name
Building Brooklyn: From Gowanus to Canarsie
August 31, 2021 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.06 MBWe're launching a mini-series about four neighborhoods that made Brooklyn the vibrant, diverse borough it is today! “Building Brooklyn” will take you to Gowanus, the Navy Yard, Sunset Park, and Canarsie to discover some of Brooklyn’s most unique and over-looked stories. Episode transcript: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/building-brooklyn-coming Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Li...
New Yorkers: Rank Your Vote!
May 27, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBIt’s the start of summer, which means block parties, beach trips, and also, big primary elections here in New York City. This will be the city's first election cycle where voters will get to cast their votes for up to five candidates for each position. It’s called ranked choice voting. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/new-yorkers-rank-your Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city lead...
That All May Participate
April 07, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MB"To me, what all these books say is independence and personal choice," says Nefertiti Matos of the stacks of Braille books at NYPL's Andrew Heiskell Library. In this episode, we talk about what inclusion means, whether it's creating tactile graphics so that all may encounter the visual world, or making our virtual classes accessible to kids with disabilities. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/all-may-participate Help us keep our ...
Good News
March 24, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBIt’s been a rough year. So, we gathered all the good news we could find to brighten your podcast feed. Hear kids read to a therapy dog, a library love story, babies learning ASL, and adults age 90 and older learning to use Zoom. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/good-news Help us keep our libraries open by fighting for city funding. Write to your city leaders! Or, send a letter on behalf of Queens Public Library or New York Publi...
Education For All
March 12, 2021 11:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBIngrid Douglas never finished high school as a teenager. When she started looking for a better job at age sixty, she found not having a degree was a huge barrier. So, Ingrid came to the library to get her diploma. In this episode, we talk to students and instructors at BPL about how the library can be a refuge for those who have experienced trauma or adversity on their path to education. Read our transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/education-f...