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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we learn about Winter Reading, library card renewals, and Northside Library children’s educational app program. But first Abby and I did some book talking.

Books we talked about –

Erica

• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams ( and we are excited because she will be appearing at the Virginia Festival of the Book)
• Code Girls by Liza Mundy (Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures — which we mention, will also be appearing at the Virginia Festival of the Book)
• Quackery by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen (update: the cannibalism chapter was a little tough to get through)

Abby

• Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins (Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan)
• Verax by Pratap Chatterjee
• Don’t Call Us Dead: poems by Danez Smith

We also mentioned:

• The Handmaid’s Tale and the Maddaddam series by Margaret Atwood
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Crossed by Ally Condie

Learn about Winter Reading and Thousand Books Before Kindergarten on the Kids page.

Angela is reading Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett

Corey, from Northside Library, talked about their featured app program which was inspired by the Virginia Discovery Museum.

• Apps they have featured so far include:
• Sushi Monster (iOS)
• Draw and Tell by Duck Duck Moose (iOS)
• Marco Polo Weather (iOS and Android)

Corey recently read Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley (author of Circus Mirandus)

Brittany is reading The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They Do-and How To Get Them To Do What You Want by Mieshelle Nagelschneider

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode our book chat focuses on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy and some books you might want to dip into to learn more. We highlight some library services you may not know about, and get to talk to JMRL employee and local historian Maddie about her recently published article.

Abby and Erica talked about the following books:

• I See The Promised Land by A. R. Flowers
• The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
• We Were Eight Years in Power and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
• Tears We Cannot Stop and April 4, 1968 by Michael Eric Dyson
• Dear Martin by Nic Stone
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Maddie read a book by Yeats and The Greater Journey by David McCullough

She mentioned the subject of her article worked at:

• The Daily Progress newspaper
• The Richmond News Leader newspaper (now defunct)
• Life magazine (now defunct)
• She was doing archival work at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Historical Society when she decided to write her article.
• The Magazine of Albemarle County History is a journal of local history which has been published since 1940. It is also available from the library.

The library services Abby and Erica talked about are:

• Passes to the Virginia Discovery Museum
• Virginia State Park backpacks and passes
• Electricity usage monitors
• Wifi hotspots – Link to policy/handout?
• Toys
• Chromebooks – which check out per day at the Central Library
• Downloadables
• eBooks
• Audiobooks
• Magazines
• Databases
• Learn a language with Transparent(&app)
• Fix your car with Chilton’s
• Work on Genealogy with Ancestry (in library only) & Heritage Quest
• Look up articles in journals with General OneFile and eLibrary
• Find grants with Foundation Directory Online and The Directory of Virginia Foundations
• The Daily Progress online 1893-1964
• Microfilm – available at Central (and some digitized online)
• Tutorials/Test Proctoring – call your branch to schedule a one-hour help session or exam
• Notaries – call ahead; bring your own witnesses
• Visit the City of Charlottesville Downtown Job Center – located inside the Central Library
• Audio recording equipment – available at Northside and Crozet
• Makerspace and 3d printing – available at Northside Library
• Read daily newspapers, monthly magazines (like Consumer Reports)
• Scanners – flatbeds available at all locations; photo/negative/slide available at Central
• Local history collections at the Central, Louisa County, and Nelson Memorial Libraries
• Bookmobile services to Albemarle and Charlottesville locations

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

Happy New Year! In this episode we hear from Abby and Erica about their reading resolutions for 2018, as well as from a few staff members from around the system. After that we talk to recently retired Library Director John Halliday and newly christened Library Director David Plunkett.

Erica plans to read (yes, we know this is an extreme amount) 200 books in the calendar year, and tackle the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. [Ugh, sorry Rick, we mangled your name. It’s actually RY-er-don as pronounced by the author himself here.]

Abby would like to read 175 books in 2018, more works by Octavia Butler, and five romance/historical fiction/westerns, and read more books set outside the US.

They will be keeping track of their progress using Goodreads.
Share your reading resolutions with us by tagging JMRL onTwitter or Instagram or using the hashtag #JMRLreads.
If you need reading suggestions for the new year ask us through ourWhat Do I Read Next? form.

Here are the recent reads and resolutions from our staffers:

Mary N. read: The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons; The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser; Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake; A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge; Renegades by Marissa Meyer; A Line In The Dark by Malinda Lo; Feminist Baby by Loryn Brantz; She mentioned the Feminist Literature for All Ages wiki list she’s working on.
In the new year she hopes to read all the books on that list.

Hayley read All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and hopes to complete a reading challenge in 2018 (like the ones by PopSugar or BookRiot)

Heather read A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. She hopes to put down more books she isn’t into in the coming year.

Liz read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. For 2018 she hopes to read more nonfiction.

Sarah read The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen and The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. She hopes to read the Man Booker longlist and continue to choose diverse books in the coming year.

Corey read All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater (which you will like if you liked The Raven Boys). In 2018 she hopes to read more books she loves.

Megan read Crooked Kingdom (a Six of Crows novel) by Leigh Bardugo. She plans to read more middle grade books in 2018.

Holly read News of the World by Paulette Jiles. She plans to participate in her church’s Christian book reading challenge in 2018.

John read American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Just Getting Started by (musician) Tony Bennett. He plans to write more books in retirement. If you want to read his writing check out his previously published titles.

David read Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar and Robert’s Rules of Order to prep for upcoming meetings of the library Board of Trustees. He plans to read La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman in 2018 and hopefully also the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. *heavenly music plays*

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.
Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we do a brief book chat before hearing from local author Stefan Bechtel about Hurricane Camille’s effects on Nelson County in 1969.

Abby and Erica talked about the following books that they have been reading.

Books for Living by Will Schwalbe which reminded Abby of Wonder by RJ Palacio recently made into a movie (and his previous title The End Of Your Life Book Club, which reminded Erica of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom)

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Nelson Memorial Library was built with proceeds from the fundraising post-Camille.

Author Stefan Bechtel talked about his book detailing Camille’s effects on Nelson, Roar of the Heavens

If you want to use the holiday season to give to the Library you can do so in a variety of ways.   

Buy a book for the library from our Amazon Wishlist or become a member of the Friends of the Library or support them through their donation form

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we talk to Brittany, Circulation Manager at JMRL, about our inaugural Food Drive. We also talk about some books we’ve read as well as how you can get some ideas for books to give as gifts this holiday season.

Abby and Erica talked about the following books that they have been reading.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (and his other books: The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass, and his newest book, the first in a new series in the same universe called The Book of Dust. They talk about how it is a similar read to the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis and the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

And Then You’re Dead by Cody Cassidy (like Zoom by Bob Berman – previously mentioned – and What If? by Randall Munroe – not mentioned, but excellent and similar in tone and content)

The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Get gift book recommendations from Library staff through our What Do I Read Next? Service.

Brittany talked about the Food Drive for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (and the Louisa County Resource Council).

Items they need:

• cereal
• peanut or almond butter
• canned tuna or chicken
• canned soups/stews/chili
• canned fruit
• canned veggies
• beans, canned or dried
• boxed mac and cheese
• pasta/rice
• spaghetti sauce
• soap
• toothbrushes
• feminine products
• paper products (like toilet paper/paper towels/tissues)
• baby food/formula
• diapers

Donations can be dropped off at any library location through Dec. 9.

Brittany mentions reading the highly entertaining novel Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan

If you want to use the holiday season to give to the Library you can do so in a variety of ways.   

Buy a book for the library from our Amazon Wishlist or become a member of the Friends of the Library or support them through their donation form

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we have recorded a lecture by William Walker about the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I which he presented at Central Library as part of our World War I and America programming. We also talk about some books.

Abby and Erica talked about the following books that they have been reading.

• Zoom by Bob Berman, while waiting for his new book Zapped to come in on hold.
• Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, as well as his other novels and videos

If you are struggling with mental illness and would like assistance, please use these resources to locate a provider.

William Walker joined us to talk about the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I. His talk was a part of World War I and America, a two-year national initiative of The Library of America presented in partnership with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and other organizations, with generous support from The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Find out about additional programs made possible by the grant funding on the JMRL blog. Dive into the WWI and America reader online or check a copy out from the library. You can also find a copy of Walker’s book Betrayal at Little Gibraltar in the JMRL catalog.

Learn more about the Virginia Festival of the Book where we first had the opportunity to hear Walker speak.

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we interview Peter Manno, Manager of the Friends of the Library Book Sale about the upcoming Fall Book Sale. We also talk to Young Adult Librarian and soon-to-be-published author Megan England from our Crozet Branch about her writing process just in time to kick off NaNoWriMo.

Abby and Erica talked about the following books that they have been reading.

• Abby:
  • White Working Class by Joan Williams (mentioned JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy)
  • Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis
• Erica:
  • The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (mentioned Peter Brannen’s The Ends of the World)
  • Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret (and the film it inspired), Wonderstruck, and The Marvels

Peter talked about becoming a Friend of the Library, Valuable and Attractive Books available at the book sale, Beyond the Books library programming brochure, and mentioned he was about to begin reading The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell and Philip Pullman’s latest The Book of Dust since he so enjoyed Pullman’s popular His Dark Materials series.

The book sale begins this Saturday, November 4th. Find details about dates and times here.

Megan talked the roles that NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and Pitchwars have played in her writing and publishing experiences. 

• What inspired her: Star Wars films and  books, particularly Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray, and the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis. She also recommends the Illuminae Files series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
• Books she’s currently reading: Dear Martin by Nic Stone, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and Ship It by Britta Lundin (upcoming).
• Megan and Erica also discussed Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

To follow Megan’s work online

• Add The Disasters to Goodreads here.
• Subscribe to her Monthly Newsletter, where she shares everything first: cover reveals, release date, signings, exclusive content and giveaways.
• Megan and her writer friend Jamie Pacton have a weekly live show on YouTube, Tea & Type.
• You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and visit her website is here.

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we interview four of the mystery authors who took part in the Authors in Your Backyard panel at Gordon Avenue Library on September 30. We also we talk to Lydia Witman, Manager of UVA’s Patient and Family Library, about upcoming grant-funded community health literacy initiatives in which JMRL is taking part. As always we talk about books.

Titles from Book Chat:

Erica mentioned:

• Alan Bradley’s great Flavia de Luce mystery series (which begins with the book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward (while discussing what Abby is reading)

Abby talks about:

• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Abby mentioned that Ward’s earlier book Salvage the Bones won the 2011 National Book Award, but shortly after recording Sing, Unburied, Sing was announced as a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award. And then Ward was awarded the 2017 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Swing Time by Zadie Smith

During our talk with the mystery authors we learned:

About Sisters in Crime and Sisters in Crime Central Va. Well-known national members include: Laurie King, Louise Penny, Dana Stabenow, G.M. Malliet, and Anne Hillerman.

Authors of the Central VA chapter (including Meredith Cole and Rosemary Shomaker) contributed to the Virginia Is For Mysteries anthology.

Rosemary Shomaker recommends:

• Dana Stabenow’s PI Kate Shugak series

Meredith Cole recommends:

• Plainsong by Kent Haruf
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith

Jenna Harte talks about:

• The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack, which reminded her of The Bookman’s Tale/First Impressions by Charlie Lovett

Mollie Cox Bryan recommends:

• The Promise Girls by Marie Bostwick
• Fiona Griffiths series by Harry Bingham

Bryan mentions that her first book, Scrapbook of Secrets, was written during NaNoWriMo. She has also written the Cumberland Creek series (set in the Shenandoah Valley)

General Links
Meredith mentions meeting a librarian at the Festival of the Book.

We talk about NaNoWriMo and how it provided inspiration for their writing. Find more JMRL NaNoWriMo resources on our Wiki.

Lydia Witman is the Library Manager at UVA’s Patient and Family Library. We talked about how October is Health Literacy Month and upcoming health literacy programming at JMRL provided by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine. Other agencies that will be involved with the grant are Jefferson Area CHIP, Ronald McDonald House, and Charlottesville Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition. We also discussed JMRL’s current health information database Magill’s Medical Guide Online (accessible with a library card).

The book Lydia mentioned reading recently was Coyote Wisdom by Lewis Mehl-Madrona

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

In this episode we talk about the newly expanded Toy Library and learn more about the newly created Local Voices collection. As always we talk about a lot of books.

Titles We Talked About during Book Chat:

Zach mentioned:

• Leviathan by Jens Harder
• Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (Abby thought he was talking about History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund)
• Fatal Invention by Dorothy E. Roberts (generously donated by Cville NOW)
• The Grip Of It by Jac Jemc (which reminded him of the SuperMega webcomic)
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein

Erica and Abby discussed:

• My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman (and his other works Beartown and A Man Called Ove)
• Alone by Chabouté
• Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick (and his previous works Midwinter Blood and Ghosts of Heaven)
• The Universe in Your Hand by Christophe Galfard
• #cvillestrong OverDrive collection
• Stand Strong & Stand Together collection donated by OverDrive

The Local Voices collection will go live later this month. To find out more about it, or add your work go to jmrl.org/localvoices.

If you missed the last episode’s conversation we had with Meredith about challenged books you can find it here.

The new Toy Library at JMRL was created by student volunteers from the University of Virginia, and is maintained by volunteers from UVA’s Madison House. To find a toy to check out, head to our catalog. Angela is listening to Spy School by Stuart Gibbs.

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library

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On The Same Page is a new podcast from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library to keep you in the loop and on the same page about what’s happening at your library.

The second half of September is made up of Welcoming Week September 15-24 and Banned Books Week September 24-30.

Find titles Erica and Abby talked about in the catalog:

• The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by W. Kamau Bell
• You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris* – which is part of the Stand Strong & Stand Together collection donated to JMRL by OverDrive after August 12.
• Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance
• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins – find downloadable audiobooks here and her Hunger Games trilogy here.
• Give and Take by Adam Grant – we also mentioned his previous book Originals as well as Option B, on which he collaborate with Sheryl Sandberg.

*Erica incorrectly says this is “You Shall Not Have My Hate”. Sorry! Abby was correct.

Liz talked about the programs JMRL is hosting for Welcome Week.

Titles Liz Mentioned:

• If The Creek Don’t Rise by Leah Weiss
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Fahrenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury

Meredith talked about the Request for Reconsideration form and process here at JMRL and why titles sometimes get suggested for this process.

Titles Meredith Mentioned:

• The Nest by Kenneth Oppel
• In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
• A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein
• The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland
• Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Links Meredith talked about using to find information about materials:

• Common Sense Media
• School Library Journal
• The Horn Book

Access the policy governing library material selection and retention here. Request for Reconsideration forms are available at all library locations. Find more information about Banned Books Week events at JMRL on the Wiki.

This podcast is made possible with generous support from the Friends of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Find out more about the Friends, what they do, and how to support them at the following link.

Friends of the Library