WCLS in Whatcom County Presents Library Stories!

Welcome to our podcast!

This twice-monthly show will feature conversations and interviews all about your public libraries and the people who populate them. Tune in to laugh a little and learn a little about the communities, the staff, the events, the backrooms, the happenings, and, of course, the books!

It’s a half hour of happiness delivered to your earbuds every two weeks!

Open your eyes to all the ways your local libraries matter.

Listen to the podcast here or subscribe on your favorite Podcast platform.

Let us know what you would like to hear. Email the host at neil.mckay@wcls.org

Listen to the Sumas Library story from 2019 flood to 2023 reopening!
Find out more about the Sumas Library Recovery here.

You can also listen to the show on Mondays at 6:00 pm and Fridays at 10:00 am on KVAX 102.5 FM in East Whatcom County and on Saturdays at 11:00 am on KMRE 102.3 FM in Bellingham

Episode 35 – Summer Reading with Sarah Lavender and and Whatcom Million Trees Executive Director Michael Feerer

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson

Episode 34 – 2023 Washington Library Association Conference in Wenatchee

I Been Everywhere sung by Hank Snow

Robert Lashley reading at Whatcom READS in 2021

Books by Robert Lashley in the WCLS Catalog

George Adams on Nooksack Land and Language

Episode 32 – Whatcom READS: An Oral History
Episode 33 – Jess Walter Interview

Whatcom READS playlist of author events and other presentations

Whatcom Reads 2023 Selection: The Cold Millions by Jess Walter

Episode 31 – Bringing Books Back to the Sumas Library

Show Notes

The Waters are Rising: Stories of Inspiration and Hope from the Sumas, Washington Flood of November 2021

staff loading books at the Sumas Library

Episode 30 – Remembering Joan Airoldi

Show Notes

Remembering Joan Airoldi

WCLS’s former Executive Director Joan Airoldi passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

Joan led the county library system from 2002 to 2013. She will be remembered as a Library Champion on a multitude of counts: establishing the Whatcom READS program in collaboration with partners at Whatcom Community College, advocating for new libraries in Ferndale, North Fork, South Whatcom, Island and Point Roberts and encouraging all of us to “Be Curious” and to “Listen, Learn & Lead.” Joan’s courage in defending patrons’ rights to privacy earned her a national recognition with a PEN/Newman Award. She generously donated the prize money to start the Whatcom County Library Foundation.

We asked WCLS staff and friends who knew Joan if they wanted to share stories and we offer a sampling of the many stories that were recorded. Heartfelt thanks to the friends and coworkers of Joan who allowed us the privilege of capturing their stories.

Frances Barbagallo
Tina Bixby
Mariya Farmagay
Jeanne Fondrie
Lisa Gresham
Lois Holub

Amy Jones
Sarah Koehler
Linda Lambert
Tammy LaPlante
Laura Larson-Kollmar

Dick Little
Di Marrs-Smith
Theresa Morrison
Lisa Neulicht
Carol Oberton
Amory Peck

Christine Perkins
Cindy Pfeiffer-Hoyt
Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt
Jenn Rick
Lizz Roberts
Erin Suda

All of us at the Whatcom County Library System extend our sympathy to Joan’s family and to everyone who loved and admired her. We miss her deeply and honor her spirit in the work we do on behalf on library patrons.

Donations to the Whatcom County Library Foundation can be made in Joan’s honor here.

Hard Times Require Furious Dancing: New Poems by Alice Walker

Episode 29 – Jail Services with Barry MacHale

Show Notes

Barry MacHale at the Whatcom County Jail library

Episode 28 Life Cycle of a Book with Lisa Gresham

Show Notes

Thanks to Shari Sievers for the photos of just some of the 142 book carts at our Administrative Offices

Book carts at the WCLS Administrative Offices

Episode 27 – Sumas Flood One Year Later

Show Notes

The Waters are rising book cover — *The Waters Are Rising: Stories of Inspiration and Hope from the Sumas, Washington Flood of November 2021* by Carl Crouse

Episode 26 Ferndale Manager Alix Prior, Storytime with Theresa Morrison and Sarah Lavender

Show Notes

Kanopy streaming films and documentaries
Freegal streaming music
Three Billy Goats Gruff by Mac Barnett
The Peculiar Pig by Joy Steuerwald

“Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole.”
– Eudora Welty

Episode 25 – Jenn Rick, Library Foundation

Show Notes

“A library is vibrant,
And vital,
And chatty,
And interesting,
And colorful.”
– Jenn Rick

“You can’t turn back the clock,
but you can wind it up again”
– Bonnie Prudden

Episode 24 Clyde Ford, author of Think Black

Show Notes

Think Black by Clyde Ford
Of Blood and Sweat by Clyde Ford
Other books by Clyde Ford
Clyde’s recommendations
- How To Be an Antiracist
- The 1619 Project
- Infinite Potential (film)

Read & Share
Previous Read & Share books
- My Old Man and the Mountain by Leif Whittaker
- Thirst by Heather Anderson
- House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Episode 23 North Fork Library 11th Anniversary Party

Show Notes

Historical Photos from the Washington Rural Heritage website

Book Recommendations

Courage My Love by Kristen Beck
The Children’s Train by Viola Ardone
Books by local author Michael Impero
Jesus Christ: Quantum Physicist
(While we don’t currently have this book in our collection, you can request it through our Interlibrary Loan form here)

Vern Yadon and Ann Marie Impero at North Fork Library

WCLS staff clown around at North Fork Library — WCLS staff entertaining at the North Fork Library 11th Anniversary Party

Raising a wall of the North Fork Library in 2010

Episode 22 Summer Reading with Sarah Lavender

Show Notes

Episode 21 – Cayla Samms, Jonathan Jakobitz, Emma Radosevich and Marie Guenette

Show Notes

Cayla standing in Sumas Library during flood repairs — Sumas Library undergoing repairs

Donate to Sumas Library Recovery Fund

Blaine Library Events

Sumas Events

Jonathan’s recommendations

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
The Maid by Nita Prose

Marie and Emma podcasting — Marie and Emma talking YA Lit

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Books by Sarah Dessen
Books by Mindy McGinness
The Cask of Amontillado and other stories by Edgar Allen Poe
Legendbor n by Tracie Deonn
Blood and Bone by Erin Hunter
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
The Beautiful Ones by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Marie's puffy paint tee shirt with text: "Team Edward or Jacob?" — Puffy paint t-shirt

Barely Adulting Book Club

Episode 20 Poetry Month and PLA Conference

Show Notes

Crowd of people with long haired man staring at camera — Buzzy wondering why I’m taking a photo

image of Neil McKay and Buzzy Nielsen — Neil and Buzzy, separated at birth

Go to 1:36 to see the WCLS staff group photo shoot!

Rena Priest presenting at Whatcom READS

Episode 19 Whatcom READS Wrap-up with Emma Radosevich, Michael Christie and Amy Jones

Show Notes

Episode 18 Whatcom READS Author’s Week with Paul Hanson and Amy Jones

Show Notes

“A community that reads is nothing but good.” – Paul Hanson
Greenwood by Michael Christie
WhatcomREADS Events
Village Books
Chuckanut Radio Hour on KMRE 102.3 FM
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro

“Brutiful”
The Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word,
is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug.” – Mark Twain
Ken Burns’ documentary on Mark Twain on Kanopy (free with your WCLS library card)

Episode 17 Whatcomics with Tamar Clarke and Sorrel Thoerner

Show Notes

Episode 16 – Freegal with Rose Momsen, Whatcom READS with Ann McAllen

Show Notes

Whatcom READS
Singer Debby Harry explains The Pogo, the dance that was all the rage in central Missouri in the 1980s.

Episode 15 Blooper Reel

Show Notes

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” – Victor Hugo
Books and items in the WCLS collection by and about Victor Hugo
Radio’s Favorite Bloopers (CD available at WCLS)
The Haunted Library by Dori Hillestad Butler

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things,
trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself,
changing yourself, changing your world.
You’re doing things you’ve never done before,
and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.”

Neil Gaiman
(Books and items written by Neil Gaiman)

Episode 14 Flood in Sumas with Paul Fullner and Deborah Morgan

Show Notes

Hopeful Book Recommendation