Stacks and Stories

Bookmobiles & Mobile Services

On today’s episode, Lacy chats with various libraries around the state about the state of mobile services—better known as bookmobiles! The first interview is with Evanne Flanders with the Madison County Library System and Barbara Carouthers from the Lee-Itawamba Library System. Both Madison County and Lee-Itawamba have successful, currently running bookmobile programs. Learn about the history and future of these programs as well as a few fun stories about your average bookmobile patron. In the next interview, Lacy chats with Sarah Russkie from the Harrison County Library System and Lindsay Fitz from the Mid-Mississippi Regional Library System. Both Harrison County and Mid-Mississippi are in the middle of starting a bookmobile program. Learn about what drove them to start these programs as well as all the little considerations one has to take into account when purchasing a bookmobile.

Weeding Library Collections

On this episode of Stacks and Stories, Tracy and Shellie chat about weeding in the library. Listen as they discuss what weeding is and why libraries have to do it.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Join Elisabeth, Kristina, and Russell as they chat with Shellie about their favorite sci-fi/fantasy books. They talk about the different types of sci-fi/fantasy, favorite authors, and what they are currently streaming. Books, authors, and subgenres mentioned: Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan Jim Butcher The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein Paranormal Romance Simon R. Green The Stand by Stephen King

Black Authors Round-Up

Join Tracy and Shellie as they talk about some of their favorite books by Black authors! They talk old favorites, recent reads, and a little bit of poetry as well. Books mentioned in the episode: In Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson Haiku by Richard Wright

World Read Aloud Day

Celebrate World Read Aloud Day with MLC! Listen in to five of our staff reading selections from five different books written by five different Mississippi authors.

The Magnolia Book Awards

Elisabeth and Katie talk about the Magnolia Book Awards, a Mississippi based award for children's and young adult books. Learn what the award is and hear Elisabeth and Katie talk about some of their favorite nominations! Link to the 2022 Magnolia Book Awards page: https://mschildrensmuseum.org/parent-community-resources/magnolia-book-awards/ Full list of nominations for the 2022 Magnolia Book Awards: PRE-K - 2ND GRADE Feast of Peas written by Kashmira Sheth; illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler Kaia and the Bees written by Maribeth Boelts; illustrated by Angela Dominguez Nana Says I Will Be Famous One Day written by Ann Stott; illustrated by Andrew Joyner Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep written & illustrated by Catherine Rayner The Camping Trip written & illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann The Stars Just Up the Street written by Sue Soltis; illustrated by Christine Davenier Hat Tricks written & illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura If Winter Comes, Tell It I’m Not Here written & illustrated by Simona Ciraolo I’m Trying to Love Math written & illustrated by Bethany Barton 3RD - 5TH GRADE Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem written by Jude Isabella; illustrated by Kim Smith Becoming Mahammad Ali written by James Patterson & Kwame Alexander; illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile Ghost Squad written by Claribel A. Ortega Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened written by Emily Blejwas Foreverland written by Nicole C. Kear Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor written by Ann Carter Birrarung Wilam: A Story from Aboriginal Australia written by Aunty Joy Murphy & Andrew Kelly; illustrated by Lisa Kennedy The Secret Time Machine and the Gherkin Switcheroo written & illustrated by Simone Lia The Candy Mafia written by Lavie Tidhar; illustrated by Daniel Duncan 6TH - 8TH GRADE The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II written by Michael Rosen Zora & Me: The Summoner written by Victoria Bond Daring Darleen Queen of Screen written by Ann Nesbet Caterpillar Summer written by Gillian McDunn The List of Things That Will Not Change written by Rebecca Stead 96 Miles written by J.L. Esplin Boys in the Back Row written by Mike Jung Black Brother, Black Brother written by Jewell Parker Rhodes 9TH -12TH GRADE The Inheritance Games written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes This is My America written by Kim Johnson The Grace Year written by Kim Liggett Punching the Air written by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam Stamped written by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi You Should See Me in a Crown written by Leah Johnson

Look Ahead for 2022

Join Tracy and Shellie as they discuss the books they look forward to reading during 2022. Will they all be new releases? Do their plans include any rereading? What kind of reading goals will they set for themselves, and what is their motivation for setting these goals? Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in. Books Discussed Beach Music by Pat Conroy Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Anticipated release date: February 01, 2022) The Candy House by Jennifer Egan (Anticipated release date: April 5, 2022) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Diary of a Misfit by Casey Parks (Anticipated release date: May 31, 2022) Either/Or by Elif Batuman (Anticipated release date:  May 24, 2022) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum

Our Favorite Reads of 2021

Join Tracy and Shellie as they discuss the best books they read, but were not necessarily published, during 2021. How well did their reading routines hold up during the ongoing pandemic? Did they find anything that they truly enjoyed, or did they find books they couldn’t even finish? Find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in. Books Discussed 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge Mrs. March by Virginia Feito Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw Truly Like Lightning by David Duchovny Zorrie by Laird Hunt

The Rights and Wrongs of History

Join Dr. Anne Marshall as she outlines the creation and spread of the Lost Cause ideology and how white Southerners fought to control the image of slavery in the South in "The Rights and Wrongs of History: The Lost Cause and Confederate Civil War Memory.” Please note that the audio has been taken from a live Zoom presentation, which premiered April 2, 2021, and has been better edited to fit the podcast format.

Fine Free Libraries - Part 2

Our discussion about fine-free and reduced fine libraries continues, as Lacy talks with Phillip Carter of the Starkville-Oktibbeha Public Library and Tonja Johnson from the Madison County Library System. Both of these libraries are fully fine free: Lacy, Phillip and Tonja talk about the process of going fine free, resistance both of their libraries have faced in the process, and the benefits of a fine free library