Best Brooklyn Public Library Podcasts (2025)

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Book Riot: The Untold Story of Black Librarians 20:02

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9h ago20:02

20:02

This episode comes to us from our friends at Book Riot! In this segment, you'll hear Book Riot’s Erica Ezeifedi speak with Rodney Freeman, a librarian and producer of the forthcoming documentary, Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians. This is part of their Reading and Resistance series, which looks at the relationship between re…

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Matt de la Peña on Small Stories and the Power of Perspective 18:58

14d ago18:58

18:58

Matt de la Peña is the Newbery Medal-winning author of seven Young Adult novels and five picture books. We talked with him about writing small stories and what it means to write a book that is, as he calls it, “Diversity 2.0.” You can read a transcript of this episode on our website. Check out our booklist with books by Matt de la Peña and more! Le…

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Meg Medina on Latine Stories and Reading as a Family 17:07

14d ago17:07

17:07

Meg Medina is an award-winning author of books for kids and young adults, and she was the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. We talked to her about what it meant to be the first Latinx author in that role, about the need for more diverse kids books, and the importance of reading in families. You can read a transcript of th…

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How The Snowy Day Changed Children’s Books 28:22

27d ago28:22

28:22

The Snowy Day wasn’t the first picture book to feature a Black child as its beloved protagonist, but it might be the most visible. When it came out in 1962, it challenged the publishing industry to champion books that depict kids of color. Today, we find ourselves in a moment not so different from the one Ezra Jack Keats was in when he sat down to …

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The Legacy of Howard Zinn's Radical History 21:27

1M ago21:27

21:27

When Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States came out in 1980, it literally rocked the boat. Instead of starting where most histories of the Americas start — on the deck of Columbus’s ship as it approached land — Howard Zinn flipped the script, focusing instead on what the people standing on the shore would have seen. In this episode,…

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Reginald Dwayne Betts on Freedom and Poetic Constraint 20:33

2M ago20:33

20:33

Reginald Dwayne Betts is a poet, a lawyer, and the founder and CEO of Freedom Reads, an organization with the goal of bringing a library to every cell block in America. We talked with him about what he read – and wrote – while he was incarcerated, and what it taught him about what it means to be free, to be loved, and to be part of a community. Rea…

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On Reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in Prison 25:42

2M ago25:42

25:42

There are so many reasons to read – and reread – The Autobiography of Malcolm X. But for this episode, we’re revisiting the book with the perspectives of readers who are, or were, incarcerated. Malcolm X’s story isn’t just radical for its narrative of change and self-improvement; it also encourages readers to think more critically about the prison …

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N.K. Jemisin on Truth, Education, and Speculation 21:27

2M ago21:27

21:27

N.K. Jemisin is a New York Times-bestselling science fiction and fantasy writer. She’s a Brooklynite, the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, and the first author to win three Best Novel Hugos in a row. We talked to her about Octavia Butler’s influence on her writing, and how she processes the present moment in her own fiction. You can re…

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What Parable of the Sower Taught Us About the Future 26:38

2M ago26:38

26:38

In these unfathomable moments, when the world seems to be falling apart—we often turn to stories for guidance. For the folks in Southern California earlier this year, that story was Parable of the Sower. Readers are returning to the book today because it shows us how speculation – and Afrofuturism in particular – can help us move through the world …

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Introducing: Borrowed and Returned 2:14

3M ago2:14

2:14

Borrowed and Returned is a new podcast series that examines what our reading public borrowed in the past, and what we’re all reading now. In conversations with library workers, authors and readers across the country, we’ll return to the books that changed us, and changed America, too. First episode drops July 8, with new episodes coming out weekly.…

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Tracing the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn 14:03

3M ago14:03

14:03

A new exhibit at BPL's Center for Brooklyn History explores the history and legacy of slavery here in Brooklyn. The team at CBH gathered documents and accounts from people who were touched by slavery in Brooklyn, and traced the descendants of both the enslaved and enslavers. "Trace/s" is up at the Center for Brooklyn History (128 Pierrepont Street)…

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Expanding Access to Care through Community Health Workers 49:36

3M ago49:36

49:36

Podcast Evaluation Link | This episode of Share Public Health, originally a live webinar on 05/13/25, explores the vital role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in bridging gaps in healthcare access and improving health outcomes, as well as strategies to strengthen support systems for CHWs and the communities they serve. After listening, please tak…

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Overcoming Barriers to Oral Health 51:43

4M ago51:43

51:43

Podcast Evaluation Link | This episode of Share Public Health, originally a live webinar on 03/11/25, explores the importance of oral health promotion, including focusing on populations at higher risk for poor oral health, available resources, and strategies to increase awareness, improve access, and support healthier communities. After listening, …

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A New Year’s Plunge (Rebroadcast) 11:25

9M ago11:25

11:25

As 2024 comes to a close, we wanted to share with you an episode that we produced all the way back in 2020. That year, we went to Coney Island to record the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the group of swimmers that congregate on Coney Island every Sunday in winter to swim in the frigid ocean as a way to renew themselves. It’s a fun one, and we hope …

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Why We Still Read Together: The Joy of Book Clubs 18:23

10M ago18:23

18:23

Graphic novels, Haitian-American book bingo, and The Power Broker. These are just a few of the book clubs happening at Brooklyn Public Library! This episode, we take a tour around the borough to listen in on our patrons' reading habits and ask why we still read together. Read a transcript of this episode here. Further resources: Check out our book …

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Book Sanctuaries, Buttons and Bouncy Houses 14:42

11M ago14:42

14:42

We're pulling out all the stops for the first annual Freedom to Read Day of Action on Saturday, October 19th! Hear from libraries in Los Angeles, San Diego, Hoboken, NJ and Austin, TX about what they're doing to promote the freedom to read. And, if you're in Brooklyn, meet us on the steps of Central Library this Saturday for a book rally! You can r…

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Banned Books Week: All for a Library Card 27:03

12M ago27:03

27:03

For Banned Books Week this year, we’re returning to our award-winning series, Borrowed and Banned. Because the fight isn’t over. In 2023, the American Library Association documented a 65% increase in the number of book titles challenged across the country. Listen to the first episode of the series about what happened in one Oklahoma town when their…

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Rebroadcast: Blocks and Brownstones 24:57

1y ago24:57

24:57

Bedford-Stuyvesant is perhaps one of Brooklyn’s most iconic neighborhoods. Its tree-lined streets and grand brownstones have been here for over 150 years. This episode, a re-broadcast from 2019, tells the story of Bed-Stuy through the lives of three women who set down roots here in different ways: activist Hattie Carthan, writer Paule Marshall, and…

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Bed-Stuy Tea: An Interview with Cookbook Author Nicole A. Taylor 29:14

1y ago29:14

29:14

Splitting her time between Athens, Georgia and Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Nicole A. Taylor is a food writer and author of several cookbooks. She sat down with BPL’s Bed-Stuy Tea podcast to discuss finding and preserving her Southern voice, the pleasures of restaurant research, and her favorite local spots to eat and drink. Read a transcript of this episod…

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Explore Your City This Summer! 11:38

1y ago11:38

11:38

It's summer and school's out! No matter what age you are, you can spend your summer at the library with book lists and activities galore. We go over the facts and stats of BPL's popular Culture Pass program, which has helped thousands of New Yorkers visit museums and performance spaces in the city ... for free! Read a transcript of the episode here…

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Drag Story Hour 14:53

1+ y ago14:53

14:53

Brooklyn Public Library has been hosting Drag Story Hours since 2016. It's one of our most popular, colorful, and well-attended events for kids. In this episode, we explore why Drag Story Hour is important, and how it’s had to change in recent years in response to an increasingly tense political climate. More resources: June is Pride Month! Celebra…

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Say His Name: Arthur Miller 17:10

1+ y ago17:10

17:10

Outside of Brooklyn, Arthur Miller's name has largely faded from memory. On this episode, we tell the story of the Black community leader who was killed by NYPD chokehold in 1978, the movement pushed forward as a result of his death, and the ways that Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History helps to keep the story alive. Further resou…

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When the Library's a Stage 16:50

1+ y ago16:50

16:50

Listen in on one of BPL's most popular art programs: a theater workshop where, once a week, budding thespians come together to read plays, talk about character motivations, and dig into some surprisingly emotional and political topics. Read a transcript of this episode on our website. Join fellow thespians at Central Library's theater workshop. Or,…

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Rebroadcast: Secret Lives of Librarians 16:49

1+ y ago16:49

16:49

We revisit an episode from January 2021 in honor of National Library Workers Day, and ask: what do librarians do all day? When they're not planning programs or working the reference desk, these librarians are also obscure trivia players, birders and ... sword fighters! Read a transcript here. Have a minute? Vote for Borrowed and Banned in the Webby…

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Bridging the Gap 12:28

1+ y ago12:28

12:28

Teens and older adults are perhaps the two age groups you might think have the least in common. But a new program at BPL seeks to bring the two generations together ... by having them debate. Read a transcript of this episode on our web page. Resources mentioned on this episode: Learn more about services for older adults at BPL and programs for tee…

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Browse the Branches 14:24

1+ y ago14:24

14:24

Brooklyn has 62 neighborhood libraries, each with a distinct architecture, culture, and soul. To kick off the new season and to celebrate our audio stories coming home to Brooklyn, we'll take a tour of the borough with the help of our neighborhood libraries and some of our stalwart patrons who visited all 62 of them ... in a matter of days! Read a …

Brooklyn Public Library Podcasts

1
Borrowed & Returned

Brooklyn Public Library

1
Share Public Health

Midwestern Public Health Training Center

1
The Owl: The Brooklyn Public Philosophers Podcast

Sophie Murphy

1
Our Streets, Our Stories

Brooklyn Public Library

1
The Review Panel

artcritical

1
Book Riot: The Untold Story of Black Librarians 20:02

1
Matt de la Peña on Small Stories and the Power of Perspective 18:58

1
Meg Medina on Latine Stories and Reading as a Family 17:07

1
How The Snowy Day Changed Children’s Books 28:22

1
The Legacy of Howard Zinn's Radical History 21:27

1
Reginald Dwayne Betts on Freedom and Poetic Constraint 20:33

1
On Reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in Prison 25:42

1
N.K. Jemisin on Truth, Education, and Speculation 21:27

1
What Parable of the Sower Taught Us About the Future 26:38

1
Introducing: Borrowed and Returned 2:14

1
Tracing the Legacy of Slavery in Brooklyn 14:03

1
Expanding Access to Care through Community Health Workers 49:36

1
Overcoming Barriers to Oral Health 51:43

1
A New Year’s Plunge (Rebroadcast) 11:25

1
Why We Still Read Together: The Joy of Book Clubs 18:23

1
Book Sanctuaries, Buttons and Bouncy Houses 14:42

1
Banned Books Week: All for a Library Card 27:03

1
Rebroadcast: Blocks and Brownstones 24:57

1
Bed-Stuy Tea: An Interview with Cookbook Author Nicole A. Taylor 29:14

1
Explore Your City This Summer! 11:38

1
Drag Story Hour 14:53

1
Say His Name: Arthur Miller 17:10

1
When the Library's a Stage 16:50

1
Rebroadcast: Secret Lives of Librarians 16:49

1
Bridging the Gap 12:28

1
Browse the Branches 14:24