A LITTLE TOO QUIET: THE FERNDALE LIBRARY PODCAST

No matter what, though, we promising you compelling conversations with lots of creative people, including creative librarians, discussing what inspires them and keeps them motivated Our original tag line referred to the prevailing 20th-century perception of libraries as quiet places where people just read books....that perception, frankly, portrayed us as a little too quiet.... libraries are different, libraries are adventurous, experimental, engaging, inventive, imaginative....they're often not so quiet... and this is a podcast that looks at all the ways in which libraries, including ours, continue to serve their communities.

Photographer Joseph Ferraro is taking a bigger look at the tiny world around us. Ferraro is a macro photographer and a conservation photographer; his images tell the story of a very tiny world inhabited by important organisms that all have roles to play in creating harmony for our ecosystem. Random patches of nature in urban environments become sources of new insects that Ferraro can observe, track, and take photos of on their own terms, never harming them or taking them out of their environment.   Ferraro was originally scheduled to install a full exhibition of works to be displayed here in the library. That is, before the shutdown. So, we talk about our high hopes for finally getting to coordinate the art show here in the library in the very near future, as well as his passion for nature and science. We also talk about how he manages to capture amazingly close-up images of the smallest creatures on the planet.    https://www.instagram.com/josephferraro/ http://www.joseph-ferraro.com

That's a wrap on season one of A Little Too Quiet. We're grateful to everyone who downloaded, streamed, or shared episodes of our new podcast. We're also grateful to the Friends of the Ferndale Library for making this podcast a reality.  The library remains closed until further notice, but since we had already produced this episode in-advance, we wanted to share it with you. We hope you are taking advantage of our online resources and listening to some audiobooks that you could download with your library card! If you need MORE things to listen to in the weeks ahead--well, then this podcast is here for you, also!  In this episode, Kelly and Jeff look back on some of their favorite memories that occurred in this library over the last 10 years, from the eclipse of 2017, to party-starting marching bands, to globally renowned authors flying in from Ireland! Images from 2011, when author John Connolly visited Ferndale Libraries aren’t as quiet as they used to be. We're a podcast for library lovers and the library curious. Stay tuned for more book chatter with librarians, community perspectives and author interviews.

The library remains closed until further notice as we follow safety measures for containing the spread of coronavirus. We were sad to cancel our event with author Joe Grimm, but we had already recorded this interview with the man behind the Faygo Book, so we still wanted to share that via our podcast!  We had a great chat with Joe Grimm, author of The Faygo Book" the social history of a company that has forged a bond with a city and its residents for more than a century...The story of a pop, a people, and a place! Joe Grimm previously wrote the book Coney Detroit with Katherine Yung (Wayne State University Press, 2012). A lifelong Detroit-area resident and twenty-five-year veteran of the Detroit Free Press, Grimm is a Michigan State University journalism professor. His favorite Faygo flavor is Rock & Rye.

We are chatting with two local musicians, both of whom have flourished in pursuit of artforms adjacent to music. The award-winning singer/songwriter Carolyn Striho visits us first to discuss her new book of poetry and lyrics, 'Detroit (Maiden Energy).' Striho is a veteran of the local (and global) rock and folk music scenes, but she shares several of her influences in the poetic arts... (not mentioned on the show, but included here, would be icons like Nikki Giovanni, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Shakespeare, and Amiri Baraka). Striho also talks about the role that libraries played in her life, (as writing and reading have been lifelong passions for her).    Striho is scheduled to perform at the Cadieux Cafe on April 25.        http://www.carolynstriho.com/ Detroit (Maiden Energy) ______   After that, guitarist Scotty Iulianelli (of the band Bars of Gold) stops by to talk about his fascination with pedals and amps--and how he wound up in the world of graphic design as Analog Prints, drawing intricate portraits of various gear utilized for recording and live performance. Iulianelli works just down the street from the Ferndale Library, over at Vintage King Audio. Iulianelli was initially set to lead a presentation all about guitar pedals, but it has been canceled indefinitely, due to public health concerns regarding Covid 19. We will either reschedule or create a new podcast episode (all about guitar pedals)--stay tuned.    https://www.analogprints.net/ https://vintageking.com/detroit

Reference Librarian Susan Paley is here to talk about genres, and so much more! Paley leads monthly in-staff book club meetings designed to strengthen a key component of a librarian's service to patrons--specifically: "Readers Advisory." We'll get into that, as well as talk about genres like horror and romance, along with Paley's efforts to enrich the library's collection of audiobooks, and travel books.     Coming soon, a new International Collection that Paley collaboratively developed with Youth Services Librarian Jordan Wright.

On today's episode, we're linking up the ongoing efforts of two librarians and finding common cause: the information connection! Librarians like Michelle Williamson (Adult Services) and Jasmine Parker (Youth/Teen Services) are equipping their patrons with the capability to be wise and savvy interpreters of the deluge of information streaming through their individual social feeds on a daily basis, and encouraging them to always ask more questions and be as prepared as possible to be participants in a democratic society. Significant and as vital as that sounds, it's just one of the many things that librarians (as well as teachers) are doing on a daily basis. We're talking with Parker about programs that widen the perspectives of teen patrons and get them interested in asking more questions about the way the world works. Williamson, meanwhile, is talking about the second set of Information Literacy panel discussions that we have coming up soon, starting in April. Click here to watch the first Ferndale Library panel discussion on media literacy, from January 2018

Today, we're hearing the stories of Laurinda Ross, the treasurer of our Friends of the Ferndale Library group. Ross is a lifetime library supporter and a lifetime supporter of local arts, whether it's here in Metro Detroit, or back in her native state of California, where she was an active attendee of live music events in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ross tells us all about California, the Berkeley CA Library, and especially about the sense of community she found when she joined the library's Friends group. We also talk about the ways in which libraries are inherently welcoming spaces for everyone, no matter what, as well as a welcoming and safe space for all ages. We also talk a good bit about baking!  As referenced in the episode, here's an image of last year's CAKE OFF, hosted by the Friends   For more info, visit: http://ferndalefriends.org/  Follow the Friends on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/ferndalelibrary/ And, if you've been keeping up with their ongoing 'Book It To Your Couch 5k (five-thousand pages' read), find info on social media about today's check-in!

We're chatting Michael Zadoorian, author of The Leisure Seeker. (You may have even heard, or seen, the recent film adaptation of that story, starring Helen Mirren & Donald Sutherland). Zadoorian has a new book coming out this May, The Narcissism of Small Differences (Akashic Books). Zadoorian creates compelling characters in the slow-motion throes of big changes to their lives, and the relatable ways in which they bond, or have bonded, with cultural artifacts of a steadily fading past. He invites you into their worlds and builds them out with accessible narration that builds a world for the reader to inhabit, leading us to reflect on our own little worlds, and what we hold on to, and the permanence of what we treasure.   http://www.michaelzadoorian.com/

We've got another podcast episode with our panel of romance readers diving into a nuanced topic around the popular genre: this time, we're running through our wishlists of things, tropes, devices, and twists that we'd like to see more of (or less of?) when it comes to romance novels! And, p.s., our next ROMANCE BOOK CLUB meets on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 pm at Urbanrest! P.p.s.: We now have our own Romance Section! All romance titles in adult fiction have their own location/shelf/section!

This week, Becca from the Royal Oak Public Library joins Jeff & Mary Grahame, here at Ferndale, to chat about some deeply held appreciations for historical fiction, particularly from the late 90's and into the early 00's, with a focus on the American Girl book series, along with Dear America, and others! This inevitably leads into discussions of Banned Books Week, which, by the way, we're in the middle of, right now!  Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and raises awareness about attempts to censor/remove books from the shelves of public libraries, school libraries, and bookstores.   

Today, we're joined by Emily and Savannah, the President and Vice President of the Friends of the Ferndale Library! We'll talk about all the mighty work that this volunteer organization does to support the library, its programming and resources, as well as its staff, AND we'll talk about all the amazing events that the Friends host throughout the year, including their Park & Read program AND their upcoming Dip-Off, a juried competition for the best dip recipes!  The Friends of the Ferndale Library Dip-Off is on Sat., October 25, from 1pm-3pm, the culmination of National Friends of Libraries Week! Find more information at: ferndalefriends.org + Follow them at @friendsofferndalelibrary on Instagram! 

Our Romance Panel discusses the nuances of the subgenre that combines fantasy and romance! You'll hear hot takes, you'll get recommendations, and, together, we'll consider the virtues of finishing a book only to see the culmination of its subtly compelling subplots. 

Do you remember when you signed up for your very first library card? Has it been a while since you've had one? Well, tune in to our panel discussion this week when Rae from the Madison Heights Library and Becca from the Royal Oak Library join Jeff and Mary Grahame to revel in the wonders of having a library card! Did we mention it's Library Card Sign-Up Month? 

You could win fabulous prizes just by using your library card! And in case you've forgotten, or never paused to appreciate fully, just how fantastic your life could be when you fully utilize the wonders and whimsy of a library card, well..., then tune in to this week's podcast to hear all about it! We'll also share details about our current Bingo Challenge, which you can participate in through Beanstack! fadl.org/sign-up 

We're back to finish up a short RPG game, with our players returning, taking on the roles of monster hunters, to investigate and resolve a supernatural mystery! Stay tuned, because we'll be announcing details about our new (quarterly) TEEN RPG Group, starting in October! 

This week, our Romance Reading Squad is talking about the particular subgenre known as historical romance, including their recommended favorites, some of the prevailing tropes, the highs, the lows, and the Bridgerton-of-it-all... Tune in! 

This week, our staff are playing a live one-shot Tabletop RPG Game called Monster of the Week: where they'll take on the roles of a group of monster hunters who have to get creative when facing off against the terrors that prey on humanity... Wild! In harmony with the spirit of this "game" today, we not only host a Tabletop RPG Group for middle-schoolers, but we'll SOON be introducing a recurring quarterly RPG program for teens!! Tune in and enjoy the chaos! 

"There's probably NOT going to be another crazy Corn/Clown Cult this time..." That's just one direct quote from the episode you're about to listen to! We're discussing the ins and outs of Tabletop RPGs! We'll discuss our current bi-monthly Middle Grade Table Top RPG Group, but also our upcoming quarterly Teen RPG Group, which launches in October! We're also teasing an upcoming episode in which our staff will PLAY a one-shot RPG game for you--sure to result in entertaining shenanigans!   

This week, our Romance Reading Panel returns to discuss their favorite and least-favorite tropes that appear across a variety of romance novels! Keen ears will be able to pull a lot of excellent reading recommendations from their lively discussion! Plus, we have an announcement about our upcoming Romance Book Club, which officially launches in October!