Menu

Public Library

Site Menu

Listeners' Advisory: The San Diego Public Library Podcast

Season 3

Listeners’ Advisory is the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) podcast and audio access point that connects users with SDPL services, facilities, and staff. Enjoy a mixture of narrative-driven segments, in-depth interviews, and roundtable discussions about everything from professional recommendations to community-centric matters. Now in its third season, the Listeners’ Advisory podcast strives to engage listeners with unique content that expands perspective and knowledge.
 
This podcast is supported by the Library Foundation of San Diego.
Listeners’ Advisory is the San Diego Public Library podcast

Bonus Episode: LGBTQIA+ CommitteeImage of 2024 San Diego Public Library Pride card as a large sign

Listen to Bonus Episode

In this bonus episode, Bob hangs out with library workers Carrie Sanabria, Jeremy Davies, and Craig Wimberly, members of the San Diego Public Library's LGBTQIA+ Committee. They discuss various aspects of the committee's work, including SDPL's annual Pride Card Contest, outreach at the Pride festival, and their year-round advocacy efforts.

S3 E12: Homeless and Mental Health OutreachHomeless and Mental Health Outreach sign

Listen to Episode Twelve

In this season finale, Bob catches up with Sciences Manager, Michelle Ruiz, and Mission Valley Branch Manager, Karen Reilly about library services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Bob also speaks with Aaron Basila and Gedalyahu Ben-Shimeon from the National Alliance on Mental Illness about NAMI's partnership with the Central Library.

Mental Health Services at the Central Library 

National Alliance for Mental Illness

S3 E11: Queue Time with ScottWall of plaques

Listen to Episode Eleven

In this episode, Bob hangs with Listeners' Advisory cohost and Library Shop Manager, Scott Ehrig-Burgess for a second installment of the pop-culture recommendation segment, Queue Time. Recommendations range from non-fiction reads, to crime shows, to marathon interview podcasts on the limits of LLMs. 

Scott's recs

Bob's Recs

Library Shop
Library Foundation SD Events
Prestige TV
Large Language Models
Dewey Decimal
 

S3 E10: READ/San DiegoWall of plaques

Listen to Episode Ten

In this episode, Bob hangs out with staff from READ/San Diego, the city's premier literacy service. He chats with Program Administrator Nicole Settle about the program's mission and history, as well as with Coordinators Stephanie Contreras and Tim Donolon about READ's two prongs of service: Adult & Family Literacy. They also discuss the recent 35th Annual Recognition Dinner, which honors program participants, volunteer tutors, READ staff, and other advocates for literacy.

READ/San Diego

California Library Literacy Services

S3 E9: Romance RecommendationsLibrarian holding a book open while sitting down next to piles of books

Listen to Episode Nine

In this third and final installment of our romance series, Jessica catches up with three librarians and romance enthusiasts to hear about how they got started with the genre, recommended authors and titles, and where newbies can get started.

Authors Mentioned: 

Books Mentioned: 

S3 E8: Library Master Plan Pt. 3Patrick Stewart in presenting Library Master Plan to City Council

Listen to Episode Eight

In this episode, Scott presents his third and final report on the now City Council approved Library Master Plan. Scott gives us a sneak peek into the library’s efforts to collect feedback from the community in the form of listening sessions as well as presentation highlights from the consulting firm, Group 4, that was hired to put the plan together. This is the library geekiness we’re here for!

The Library Master Plan

The Mind Orchestra “Awen” © 2020.

S3 E7: Queue TimeTime cover featuring Person of the year, Taylor Swift; CD case of Taylor Swift album Lover; book cover of DJ Screw: A Life of Slow Revolution; iPhone open to the Spotify app

Listen to Episode Seven

In this episode, Bob hangs with Deputy Director of Customer Experience and Listeners' Advisory Executive Producer, Jennifer Jenkins, for a new segment titled Queue Time. Queue Time participants discuss what they're currently reading, listening to, and watching so listeners can enjoy popular culture recommendations beyond the collections of the San Diego Public Library.

Taylor Swift

DJ Screw: A Life in Slow Revolution - Lance Scott Walker

Little Brother

True Detective: Night Country

This podcast uses a sound from freesound: “record scratch” by Luffy.

S3 E6: Romance Tropes, Steam, and Everything In BetweenRomance Librarian, Jessica Buck hangs with podcast host and romance author, Kelly Reynolds and podcaster, Bookstagram Bree

Listen to Episode Six

In this episode, Romance Librarian, Jessica Buck hangs with podcast host and romance author, Kelly Reynolds and podcaster, Bookstagram Bree. They discuss common tropes of the genre, spice levels, content warnings, terms, and more. *Warning, this episode contains language that is sexually explicit in nature.*

Kelly Reynolds - Boobies and Newbies
Bookstagram Bree - Categorically Romance

Authors Mentioned:

Books Mentioned:

Mentions and terms:

  • Too Stupid To Live (@tstlpodcast) hosted by Becky Feldman.
  • DNF: Did Not Finish.
  • Shifter romance: novels set in a world where shifters, or people who can change into different animals, exist.
  • Harlequin Presents: flagship category romance of the Harlequin imprint.
  • Spice: sexual content, also known as steam or smut. The spicier/steamier the book, the more explicit the sexual content is.
  • Closed Door: when a sex scene develops between characters, that part of the romance does not occur on page in the book.
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: highlight content which might trigger an adverse reaction (physical or emo)

S3 E5: Cory DoctorowAuthor and journalist, Cory Doctorow

Listen to Episode Five

In this episode, cohost Scott presents his extended interview with Red Team Blues author and journalist, Cory Doctorow. They discuss a wide range of topics that include Artificial Intelligence, differentiating fables and predictions, issues of intellectual property, and absurdist potentials for technology-driven dystopias.

Cory Doctorow’s Craphound.com

Fortunately, the Milk - Neil Gaiman
Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech - Brian Merchant

Stefano Quintarelli - SALAMI
Chat GPT - OpenAI
Electronic Frontier Foundation

De La Soul - “De La Soul is Back. It’s a Bittersweet Victory”
Sid Vicious - “My Way”
Taylor Swift - “Why is Taylor Swift Rerecording Her Old Albums”

Librarian Jessica Buck in front of a book shelf

S3, E4: History of Romance

Listen to Episode Four

In this episode, Youth Services Librarian Jessica Buck chats with historian Steve Ammidown and Becca Title, owner of Meet Cute Book Shop, about the history of the romance genre. They share their personal connections to the genre, discuss its roots, and aspects of its continuing evolution.

Jessica Buck - College-Rolando Branch Library
Steve Ammidown - RomanceHistory.com
Becca Title - Meet Cute Book Shop

Authors Mentioned: 

Books Mentioned

People and terms:

  • Vivian Stephens 
  • Romantasy (Romance and Fantasy)
  • RomCom (Romance and Comedy)
  • Sapphic (female/female or lesbian)
Homeschool Resource Center logo in teal and orange

S3 E3: Homeschool Resource Center

Listen to Episode Three

In this episode, Bob speaks with Mission Valley Branch Library Manager, Karen Reilly and Youth Services Librarian, Marika Jeffrey about the branch's new Homeschool Resource Center. They discuss identifying the community need for the center, the homeschool community that relies on the space, and all else the Center has to offer.

Mission Valley Branch Library

Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Branch Library

S3 E2: Shereen Marisol MerajiShereen meraji headshot

Listen to Episode Two

In this episode, Bob speaks with Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Professor and former host/producer of the NPR podcast, Codeswitch, Shereen Marisol Meraji. They discuss race and culture reporting, growing up in the Bay Area, and a subject near and dear to both Shereen and Bob, hip hop music.

"Can't Truss It" - Public Enemy
"Humpty Dance" - Digital Underground
"Fat Cats, Bigga Fish" - The Coup

NPR - Code Switch
Morning Edition - The Many Sounds of 1993 Bay Area Rap

Nieman Fellowship - Harvard University
Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism - Audio Journalism

Shereen's Audiobook Recommendations: 

S3 E1: New Central Turns 10!Cake decorated with Central Library 10 year anniversary logo

Listen to Episode One
In this Season 3 premier, Bob speaks with Supervising Librarian, Monnee Tong about the 10 year celebration of the Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common. They discuss Monnee's history with SDPL, some of the enduring features of the new building, and what we can expect from Central's future. Bob also catches up with Listener's Advisory cohost, Scott about the celebration and what you can do if you're thinking of a belated birthday gift.

Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common
Floor-by-Floor Directory

Plan a Visit

S3 Bonus Episode: Banned Books Week 2023Books Unbanned with marker lines

Listen to Bonus Episode
In this bonus episode, Bob conducts several lightning round interviews with his colleagues about their favorite banned books and why they matter. Bob also makes a couple announcements regarding a new service and the upcoming third season of Listeners' Advisory!

San Diego Public Library - Books Unbanned
Seattle Public Library - Books Unbanned
Brooklyn Public Library - Books Unbanned 

S3 Bonus Episode: Our Favorite Podcasts and Cory DoctorowCory Doctorow

Listen to Bonus Episode
In this Season 3 bonus episode, Bob hangs with Listeners' Advisory Executive Producer, Jennifer Jenkins and podcast cohost, Scott to discuss their favorite podcasts. Scott also speaks with science fiction writer, Cory Doctorow, about his new novel, Red Team Blues.

 
 
 
 

Listen On:

  • Listen on Apple Podcasts button
  • Listen on Google Podcasts logo
  • Buzzsprout podcast button
 

More episodes:

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3