Meet Me In The Stacks

Learn about book-ish things and hear from book-ish people with librarians from Vancouver Island Regional Library.

45 - The Shadow Knows 03/24/2025

45 - The Shadow Knows Come along for a strange ride with Nathan as he takes you down an rabbit hole. Yes, this episode is as random as the day in the life of a librarian. Also as random as the hobbies, both past and present, of a librarian. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/35845605

A Christmas Carol -Fifth Stave 12/18/2024

A Christmas Carol -Fifth Stave Anthony reads the entirety of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you, dear listener! The staves will be released one per day until the entirety of the novella is revealed. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34440910

A Christmas Carol -Fourth Stave 12/17/2024

A Christmas Carol -Fourth Stave Anthony reads the entirety of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you, dear listener! The staves will be released one per day until the entirety of the novella is revealed. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34440885

A Christmas Carol -Third Stave 12/16/2024

A Christmas Carol -Third Stave Anthony reads the entirety of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you, dear listener! The staves will be released one per day until the entirety of the novella is revealed. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34440855

A Christmas Carol -Second Stave 12/14/2024

A Christmas Carol -Second Stave Anthony reads the entirety of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you, dear listener! The staves will be released one per day until the entirety of the novella is revealed. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34440810

A Christmas Carol -First Stave 12/14/2024

A Christmas Carol -First Stave Anthony reads the entirety of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to you, dear listener! The staves will be released one per day until the entirety of the novella is revealed. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34440705

44 - Searching for Mary MacLeod with Marilyn Bowering 12/10/2024

44 - Searching for Mary MacLeod with Marilyn Bowering A thoughtful and thought provoking conversation between writers , , and about Marilyn's new work (2024). Mary MacLeod is an intriguing figure who is i /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/34373935

43 - Spooky Stories for Boo-kish People 10/24/2024

43 - Spooky Stories for Boo-kish People Spooky stories and terrifying old poetry read to you by Anthony, who is very boo-kish indeed. First up is The Haunted Dock by Clara Le Grand, which was a Spooky Scribbles Writing Contest winner last season. Spooky Scribbles is a writing contest sponsored by the Library and the Comox Valley Lifelong Learning Center for young writers. Second is Til Death Do Us Part by Tim Maleeny, because long term relationships can be horrifying. And third is The Raven by Homer Simpson, ummm.... I mean Edgar Allan Poe. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/33602642

42 - Chatting About Chickens 10/15/2024

42 - Chatting About Chickens This episode is a good egg for sure. Darby talks with Gabriola Island blogger and educator Claire from Bitchin' Chickens about all sorts of chicken topics. Then Nathan rules the roost at chicken trivia. There's definitely nobody here but us chickens today! Episode links: and Guinness World Record holding chicken training and Dr. Emily Carrington's Facebook group and YouTube channel And books you'll be interested in if you liked the episode: by Dalia Monterroso by Tove Danovich by Susan Juby Remember to tell your peeps about the show! /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/33472137

41 - All Things Seaweed 07/18/2024

41 - All Things Seaweed Nathan talks with Vancouver Island-based all about seaweed. She has a BSc. that involved taking an algae physiology couse and harvests seaweed to eat. She also has written The Science and Sprit of Seaweed for adults and The Science and Superpowers of Seaweed for kids. You can find them in the library. Pro tip from Darby: don't brandish bull kelp as a whip unless you are prepared to whip yourself in the butt (or face!) accidentally. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/32207972

40 - Beach Listening: Sea & Sea-darr Storytime 07/09/2024

40 - Beach Listening: Sea & Sea-darr Storytime It's a Sea & Cedar Storytime episode! Nathan gets piratey to set some beach vibes. Enjoy work from the Winter, 2024 edition of with local writers. Featured writers: Camilla Arnold, Cate Sandilands, Jonathan Moskaluk, Marlene Dean, Mary Alissa, Erica Keen, Petra Chambers, Richard Youds, Shelley Stein-Wotten, T.J. Radcliffe You can READ this issue of Sea & Cedar or in . You can also SUBMIT your own work . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/32074007

39 - Murder in Echo Bay with Yvonne Maximchuk 07/03/2024

39 - Murder in Echo Bay with Yvonne Maximchuk Was it Really Murder? Big crime comes to a town too small to merit even that title in Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind. Beloved West Coast author and artist Yvonne Maximchuck is best known for her slices of BC marine life written with friend Billy Proctor, but has turned her hand to writing a murder mystery! Yvonne reads from the book to whet your appetite and then chats with Darby. Check out more about her writing and art, including purchasing her books at her website: You can borrow some of her books from the library /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/31998442

38 - SOGI 1, 2, 3... 04/26/2024

38 - SOGI 1, 2, 3... Have you always wondered what SOGI stands for but didn't want to ask the angry people with the signs by the side of the road? Nathan thinks maybe you have. He conducts an investigation with the help of Scout from . Find some . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/31007893

37 Canadian Letters & Images Project 04/15/2024

37 Canadian Letters & Images Project Join us in our first sponsored episode! Buster and Barnfather's Children's Cigarettes are the perfect pairing for this educational look at Vancouver Island University's Canadian Letters & Images Project with Dr. Stephen Davies. See the project here at including some famous Canadian guest readers! You can help the project financially by which is a tax-deductible donation. If you have wartime letters, postcards, etc. you can lend them to the project as per the . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/30838653

36 - Climate Action and Preparing for the Inferno 03/11/2024

36 - Climate Action and Preparing for the Inferno Nathan gets a bit down/realistic about climate change with some special guests. First he talks to Teegan Walshe from in Qualicum, which is an ongoing school strike for climate justice. (Back in Nathan and Darby's day, people skipped school to smoke pot or buy candy.) Second, he talks with Lucy Grainger of FireSmart BC. You can learn more, including the free fire assessment mentioned, at . Books on the topic of Climate Optimism selected by our Librarians can be found . Books mentioned by Teegan: by Michael E. Mann by Christiana Figueres by Katherine Hayhoe /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/30330623

35 - Freedom to Read, this week & every week 02/17/2024

35 - Freedom to Read, this week & every week Ex-high school investigative journal turned Library Manager Stephanie interviews Library Manager Monica about Freedom to Read Week, which we observe from Feb. 18-24 this year. Tune in for this interesting library values conversation on this still very relevant topic. Further reading: Check out the of Freedom to Read items. Or some resources on the site . SOGI =Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. See the BC government site about SOGI . Books with these topics have been challenged many times recently in affiliation with a group called Action for Canada. The Canadian Federation of Library Association have a that Monica talks about. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/29992718

34 - Library Trivialities in the Arena, vol. 3 02/01/2024

34 - Library Trivialities in the Arena, vol. 3 Nathan tests his Manager Stephanie's trivia prowess in today's episode. Can you beat Stephanie at trivia? Peter Parker Gretzky thinks you can in one section for sure. Winners will of course receive FREE BOOKS FOR LIFE! If you did not win, you will also receive free books for life, but only real Alex Cross titles. Redeemable at your local library branch. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/29762638

33 - LAC de livres, etc. 01/17/2024

33 - LAC de livres, etc. We are feeling very educational today. So today is the day you learn a new acronym! LAC stands for Library and Archives Canada and we are really nerding out with Julie Anne Richardson from LAC. Ever wondered what the Library and Archives of Canada does? Or how Canada preserves its written and recorded culture? Or what animal noises Nathan's former bandmates can make? Listen to find out the answers to these questions and more... Check out , where to do your if you made something they want to collect, and you can listen to Jordan Venn's Phosphorescence song on . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/29520208

32 - Goosefeather 11/24/2023

32 - Goosefeather How do YOU feel about honking like a goose for people? If you're very comfortable, perhaps you are our next guest! Meet , storyteller and author. There are no spoilers, just enjoy the voyage... *HONK!* /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/28776308

31 - Sea & Cedar Storytime 10/20/2023

31 - Sea & Cedar Storytime Enjoy your literary adult storytime with these Sea & Cedar magazine readings! Works included: Storyteller Spirits & Tuesday's Tide by Heather Hendry Hedgerow & Moss by Allie Picketts Flame Girl by Jann Everard Snake Spur Road by Karl Sturmanis Planting Onions by Zoe Dickinson Pop-Up Grebe by Christine Lowther Spell for Skookumchuck Narrows by Anne Hopkinson You can READ this issue of Sea & Cedar or in . You can also SUBMIT your own work . A limited number of PRINT copies are also available for purchase! Email to place an order (for pick up only at any VIRL branch). Cost is $15 + GST per copy. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/28380665

30 - The Great Debate: eBooks vs. pBooks 09/29/2023

30 - The Great Debate: eBooks vs. pBooks Do paper (or "pbooks", if you will) have a place in this world anymore? Will reading an ebook lead to buying unneeded items on the internet and generally ruin your health? Nathan and Darby duke it out. Can they come together on the topic, or will the excitement of the debate rhetoric prove to be too much? Find out on this impassioned episode. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/28182749

29 - Jan Zwicky reads & talks philosophy and climate change 07/10/2023

29 - Jan Zwicky reads & talks philosophy and climate change Spurred on by our special guest, Nathan reflects on whether he is "award winning" for a brief, awkward moment. Then Quadra Island dwelling and Order of Canada winning poet Jan Zwicky (and lovely human being) does a special reading of her essays and poems. From this, she dives into a discussion with Darby about climate change and accepting the mess we seem to be in. If you're feeling stressed out about climate change, chill out with some exquisite poetry and feel admiration for the boundless energy of nature in this moment. If that still doesn't work, Jan and Darby suggest growing garlic and making garlic scape pesto, which is very good on pizza. You can get started with our . Failing the garlic cure, you should . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/27425472

28 - Romance Recipe with Ruby Barret for Pride Month 06/29/2023

28 - Romance Recipe with Ruby Barret for Pride Month Casey talks with Ottawa based bisexual author She is the author of , a queer rom-com featuring Amy and Sophie possibly adding the non-FDA approved ingredient of "love" into their restaurant food. Publisher's Weekly calls it "a down-to-earth queer romance". This episode was recorded at our live Pride Month event with Ruby Barrett. Check out some other on our Pride Month page. Queer books are great to read all year round! /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/27325434

27 - F This 05/30/2023

27 - F This Not for sensitive ears! There are a lot of words that start with different letters, but mostly "F". Get ready to feel like a kid looking up bad words in the dictionary! (Tee hee.) Nathan talks about all of the books with the eff word in the title. Apparently this kind of title is helpful to us all. And then there is some profanity trivia for you! /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/26983497

26 - Sea & Cedar Storytime 04/21/2023

26 - Sea & Cedar Storytime Nathan gets to reuse his accordion rendition of our theme to welcome you to this second special episode of Sea & Cedar magazine readings! It's like a literary adult storytime for you, really. Works included: Orca Cafe by Anna Russell West Coast Mornings: the view by Chris Lihou Tracks by Deborah Graham You can READ this issue of Sea & Cedar or in . You can also SUBMIT your own work . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/26616504

25 - From School to Sky 03/28/2023

25 - From School to Sky Does your family have war stories? Are they shared or unspoken? Join blues musician George Halpern for his father's action-packed war story from his book From School to Sky: Joseph's Tale of War. You can or find out where to . See . This event was originally at the Nanaimo North Branch in early 2023. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/26368863

24 Win Free Books for Life with Library Trivia Vol. 2! 02/21/2023

24 Win Free Books for Life with Library Trivia Vol. 2! Nathan quizzes Darby on such topics as: what kind of library is an osmothèque? detective or dancer? Shakespeare word, or not? and many more... YOU could win FREE BOOKS FOR LIFE! Please redeem your prize at your nearest branch. /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/26001714

23 Best Books Read in 2022 & what is time? 02/10/2023

23 Best Books Read in 2022 & what is time? Nathan and Darby talk about books (again) and important topics like “what is a new year anyway?” We may or may not be late with this segment about our top picks from 2022 (though we are totally early for Nowruz/Persian New Year, so there!). Our top picks: FICTION GENERAL FICTION: by Jo Owens -Victoria author TOP SERIES: The by Kelley Armstrong -Canadian author Start at the beginning with BEST MYSTERY: by Jane Pek HISTORICAL FICTION: by Rivka Galchen DUAL LITERARY FICTION & TOP BOOK CLUB PICK: by Louise Erdrich GRAPHIC NOVEL MEMOIRS: by Kate Beaton by Emily Carrington -Gabriola Island author NON-FICTION: by Tracey Williams by Barbara Burman by Jessica Bruder by Gretchen Rubin KIDS/JUVENILE NOVEL: The by Lev Grossman ( sequel) /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/25886850

22 Something to Talk About (*woof*, *meow*) 12/20/2022

22 Something to Talk About (*woof*, *meow*) When Nathan gets a bee in his bonnet, he really goes all the way. Listen to him talk about phone booths and "computer phones". Yes, this is library related, really. Don't get Nathan started again. Please. Darby brings you 5 books to talk about. They are book club approved! Or you can just think about them really hard by yourself. by Kim Michele Richardson by Miriam Toews by Jessica Bruder by Alyssa Cole by Christina Baker Kline /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/25389582

21 Sea & Cedar Storytime 11/11/2022

21 Sea & Cedar Storytime Nathan is inspired to procure an accordion to welcome you to this special episode of Sea & Cedar magazine readings! It's like a literary adult storytime for you, really. Works included: Steelhead! by Jess H. Brewer The Long View & Youth is an Absence by Diane Massam Hockey Fights by Miles Hayes Cedar Psalm III by Allie Picketts Back Road Bonanza, Solstice Ceremony, & Raining Glory by Neall Calvert You can READ this issue of Sea & Cedar or in . You can also SUBMIT your own work . /episode/index/show/meetmeinthestacks/id/24974718

Meet Me In The Stacks

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