Did you read our article last week on BHAGs? If so, you not only got a quick leadership lesson, but also a spoiler on one of CMLE’s upcoming programs!

Our library training podcast, Linking Our Libraries, has been so fun; and we have had a lot of good feedback from members and other listeners. We have really enjoyed talking about library topics, and with our library guests! And a surprising number of people have mentioned one of their favorite segments in each episode is when we talk about the books we are reading.

Of course, as library people, we love books! We like reading  them, we like talking about them. I spend a significant percent of my time, when visiting our member libraries, telling myself to NOT TOUCH ALL THE BOOKS. #TheStruggleIsReal

So we decided to add a second podcast! It will be called Books and Beverages. The idea is two-fold.

• First: we want to chat about books, and to have fun doing it! There are so many great books to read out there, that we are establishing a weekly theme. (Otherwise, we might spend too much time on my go-to genre of Urban Fantasy, and talk about werewolves every week! Have you read Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series? Do so!!)
• Second: we do like to provide some educational content to our work. So this podcast will also help library people in their Reader’s Advisory work! If you don’t do that – no worries. We will be talking about fun stuff; but there will also be material available on our website to help you learn more about RA work, and about each week’s genre in specific.

We want this to be fun – like a book group! Instead of making book assignments (we already have that!), we just want to hang out with you and chat. We are inviting in guests to be part of each episode, to get a diverse set of ideas and suggestions. We will talk about our favorites, or be baffled about the genre. We will share titles we loved, we will talk about the books we just couldn’t finish, and everyone will leave with ideas for at least a new book or two to read!

And of course, we will have the one thing that really makes a book group complete: beverages. As we start each episode, we will be enjoying our beverages; and as you – the listener – are also members of this book group, you should also have a beverage! If you are listening at 9pm, and your beverage of choice is a glass of wine – great! If you are listening at 9am, and your beverage is a steaming mug of coffee – great! And if you have having a day that requires you to reverse those – we are not judging!

Just take a few minutes to sit back, relax, and sip along with us as we talk about books.

It will be fun. We will all get some good book ideas. And we will all have some time to just enjoy being together for a while, with our books.

Books. Beverages. Libraries. What could be better?

Our first episode will drop Tuesday, October 17. In the meantime, keep listening to our Linking Our Libraries episodes, dropping every Thursday morning!

Would you like to be a Guest Host on Books and Beverages? Are you passionate about your genre?? We want to hang out with you and talk about books!
Fill out the form below, and tell us your genre. We will try to get to everyone, and if we miss you this season, there will be many, many more!