
Welcome to the home of HCPL Podcast, Using our Library Voices. This monthly podcast represents yet another way that Harris County Public Library provides information and resources to enrich lives and strengthen communities through innovative programs and services both within and beyond our walls.
Using our Library Voices creates conversation for listeners. In each episode, librarians will explore a theme with the resources available to you at the library. We aim to spark a dialogue, spread a little knowledge, and add some entertainment to your day with our podcast.
Listen to episodes here!
Episodes

Media mentioned in this podcast include: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cochran, Almost an American Girl by Robin Ha, No Pirates Allowed Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Hosted by Tanner Adams
Featured staff in this episode include: And, featured Edward Melton, Amanda Tachibana, Melinda Brinkley, Beth Krippel, Molly McGinty, Cecilia Williams, Linda Stevens, Maria Madrid, Jennifer Finch, Anjela Martinez, Anna Weinberger, and Jason Cruz
This podcast was produced by Nancy Hu and John Harbaugh. Original Music created by Bryan Kratish. Edited by Beth Krippel and Nancy Hu
This episode was hosted by Nicole Hindmon.
Featured staff in this episode include: Gaby Prado, Molly McGinty, Jennifer Finch, Kelly Hayden, Leslie Espinoza, Nicole Hindmon and John Harbaugh
This podcast was produced by: Nicole Hindmon, Jennifer Finch, Nancy Hu and John Harbaugh. This episode was edited by Nancy Hu and Nicole Hindmon.
With a special bonus storytime of a seasonal classic-T'was the Night Before Christmas
Media mentioned in this podcast include:
Are you Afraid of the Stacks:
Creepy Carrots - Aaron Reynolds
Creepy Underwear - Aaron Reynolds
The Diviners - Libba Bray
To hear the Christmas carols mentioned in our Countdown segment please visit this link to listen along
Best Gift Book recommendations:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian by Phil Szostak
Help Wanted Must Love Books by Janet Summer Johnson
Bonus Storytime:
T'was the Night Before Christmas
This episode was hosted by Rachel Moir
Featured staff in this episode include: Tanner Adams , Laura Echevarria, Jennifer Finch, John Harbaugh, Ellen Kaluza, Edward Melton, Beth Krippel, Sadina Shawver, Eric Ray, Jennifer Nandlal, and Darcy Casavant with special guests, Rabbi Dan Gordon and Renee Harbaugh.
This episode was edited by Sadina Shawver, Beth Krippel, and Nancy Hu
Original Music Provided by Bryan Kratish with other music provided by Pixabay as listed below:United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps: Reveille Variation Drum Call,
JuliusH: Adventure - Movie & Animation Soundtrack, JuliusH: Snowflakes, Magic 828: Winter is Coming
Media mentioned in this podcast include:
Books to help you start bullet journaling:
Getting Things Done by David Allen
The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo
Books to help you start organizing your space:
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo,
The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
The Home Edit Life: The No Guilt Guide to Owning What you Want and Organizing Everything by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin
Visit our e-resources, including our health Databases here: https://www.hcpl.net/explore/research
Featured staff in this episode include: Rachel Moir, Jennifer Finch, Beth Krippel, Jennifer Nandlal, Jennifer Finch, Darla J. Pruitt, Rebecca Trent, Laura Smith, and Anna Weinberger
This episode was hosted by Beth Krippel and was edited by Loyd B. Huhn and Nancy Hu
Media mentioned in this podcast include:
RomeAntically Challenged (When in Rome #1) by Marina Adair
How to fail at flirting by Denise Williams
You should see me in a Crown by Lean Johnson
I'll be the one by Lyla lee
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
Check out Opinions While Black podcast
Learn more about the Asia Society of Texas
Special thank you to our guests: Rebecca Becerra, Oz Longworth, Dee Randall
Featured staff in this episode include: Sadina Shawver, Jennifer Finch, Nancy Hu, Loli De Llano, Ellen Kaluza, Laura Echevarria, Jennifer Bacall and Laura Smith
This episode was hosted by Sadina Shawver and was edited by Loyd B. Huhn and John Harbaugh
Media Mentioned in this podcast:
Craftivism Books mentioned in this podcast:
Fesity Felties by Missy Covington
Be the Change by Eunice and Sabrina Moyle
Crafting the Resistance by Lara Neel and Heather Marano
Special thank you to our guest: Raquel Ortiz
You can find Dr. Raquel Ortiz's books here and please join us for our bilingual virtual program
this month on Facebook or on our virtual programs website www.hcpl.net/services/virtualprograms
Learn more about her here: Arte Publico Press
Sofi Paints Her Dreams teaching guide: Sofi-Paints-Her-Dreams_4-08-19.pdf (artepublicopress.com)
Featured staff in this episode include: Elizabeth Burton, Darcy Casavant, Nicole Hindmon,Jennifer Finch, Ellen Kaluza, Lauren Peters, Rebbeca Trent, and Sadina Shawver
This episode was hosted by Ellen Kaluza and was edited by Nicole Hindmon and Beth Kripple
For Further Reading about the women mentioned in this podcast:
Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Gilded Cages the Trials of Eleanor Aquitaine, a Novel
- The Captive Queen: a Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
- A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
- Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings
Shirley Chisholm
- She Was the First!: the Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm
- Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All
- Unbought and Unbossed
Boudicca:
- Kings & Queens of Ancient Britain: a Magnificent Chronicle of the First Rulers of the British Isles, from the Time of Boudicca and King Arthur to the War of the Roses, the Crusades and the Reign of Richard III
- Hideous History: Death & Destruction: the Grim, Gruesome, and Gory Parts of History's Dark Side
Featured staff in this episode include: Jennifer Finch, Darcy Casavant, and Rebecca Trent
This episode was hosted by Jennifer Finch and was edited by Nicole Hindmon and Beth Kripple
Learn more here about autism here: https://autism.wikia.org/wiki/ActuallyAutistic
For the works mentioned in our Gabbing with the Librarians segment listed below:
Eminem. Angry Blonde. ReganBooks, 2002.
Gorman, Amanda. Amanda Gorman, 2021, www.theamandagorman.com/.
Matejka, Adrian. The Big Smoke Poems. Penguin Poets, 2013.
Matejka, Adrian. Map to the Stars. Penguin Books, 2017
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Modern Library, 1992.
Siegel, Matthew. Blood Work. The University of Wisconsin Press, 2015.
“Taylor Swift.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/c/TaylorSwift/featured.
Wordsworth, William, et al. LYRICAL BALLADS; edited by Michael Mason, LONGMAN, 2007. https://www.hcpl.net/title-record/1033786
Items mentioned in the Neurodiversity Book list are listed below:
The New Social Story book by Carol Gray
NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman
Sincerely Your Autistic Child edited by Emily Paige Ballou, Sharon daVanport, Morénike Giwa-Onaiwu
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! By Sarah Kapit
Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit
A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan
If you would like to join the conversation, email [email protected]
This podcast was produced by Nancy Hu, Beth Krippel, and Darla Pruitt. Edited by Nicole Hindmon and hosted by Jennifer Nandlal. Featured presenters were Suellen Dunn, Jennifer Finch, Darla Pruitt, Beth Krippel, Israel Favela, Laura Echeverria, and William Purdy