What’s it like to move from New York to Whatcom County during a pandemic to start working at a rural library? Who does the Post Office call when they get a delivery of abandoned ducklings? Why were Youth Services librarians tearing pages out of children’s books? There’s a story behind each of these questions, and stories are the heartbeat of the new Whatcom County Library System podcast, WCLS in Whatcom County Presents Library Stories.
Launched in May 2021, the bi-weekly show is available on most podcast platforms and at www.wcls.org/podcast. WCLS Online Experience Coordinator Neil McKay produces and hosts the show, which features library staff and community members talking about the great things that happen at county libraries.
“We started planning a podcast in 2019 as a way to engage our community in a new way and tell the story of our libraries to a wider audience.” McKay says. “When the pandemic temporarily shut the doors to our buildings, we saw that as an opportunity to get it up and running to help our community stay connected. The podcast allows us to reach out to our communities, talk about who we are and what’s happening, tell stories and laugh together.”
The new podcast continues WCLS’ online storytelling tradition that began with Check It Out, a library podcast created by Sumas and Everson Library Manager Alexa Andrews that aired in 2018 and 2019 on KAVZ 102.5 FM, the community radio station for east Whatcom County. Alexa provided helpful guidance for the new podcast and episodes of her original podcast can still be found at the KVAZ website: http://kavz.org/check-it-out/.
Each episode of WCLS in Whatcom County Presents Library Stories runs 30 to 40 minutes and will feature an interview or two, book recommendations and some friendly banter. Show notes on the website (wcls.org/podcast) allow listeners to learn more about the topics and books discussed on the show. Tune in and subscribe to learn about the communities, the staff, the events, the backrooms, the happenings and much more. “It’s a half hour of happiness delivered to your earbuds every couple of weeks,” McKay says.
The new podcast – WCLS in Whatcom County Presents Library Stories – airs on KAVZ at 6 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. Fridays. It is also available at wcls.org/podcast.
