Ep. 25 How The Library Keeps Us LITerate with mk Eagle and Hannah Elliott 11-20-19

Do you remember when a library was just a library? A building with books and periodicals; maybe a few DVDS. Today’s library, though, is in flux; transforming beyond a static brick and mortar facility to become a movement with social events, digital interfaces, and futuristic technologies. While reading is still a huge part of that movement, it is just one of many unique ways in which people can interact with the library.

Today’s guests, mk Eagle and Hannah Elliott, are librarians at Louisville’s new Northeast Regional Library’s branch and also coordinate much of the adult programming system-wide. They started a program 4 years ago called Books and Brews 502, which is just like the LIbrary’s summer reading program for kids but in this case an awesome winter program for adults that can include beer, coffee, and food.

Sounds fun, right? It runs December 1 - Feb. 29 and you can sign up at the Louisville Free Public Library website. And as millenials, mk and Hannah are striving to offer programming to appeal to all adults but especially to this demographic. They are part of a movement to take the library outside of 4 walls and into the larger community.

mk and Hannah tell us what a “pop up” is in terms of libraries, how to earn points towards fun prizes just for reading books, at what events you can actually drink beer in the library, and how a simple library card can open up a world of cool gadgets and equipment to use for free. Those two millennials are teaching these two Gen Xers a thing or two about how the library is transforming which includes cool outings and silent disco.

You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com

Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.