DC Public Library Radio: Recent Episodes
Full Service Radio
The official radio program of the D.C. Public Library. Hear author talks, interviews, special presentations, stories about the goings-on in the library system and Washington, D.C., and much more!
This show records and broadcasts LIVE on Full Service Radio from the lobby of the LINE DC in Adams Morgan, Washington DC.
In this episode the crew from the studio lab discusses, what we’ve been working on creatively, what effects the Covid-19 outbreak has on creativity, and ways individuals and families can be creative during the quarantine. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
David Quick asks some of DC's most well read readers, how has reading changed during social distancing? The conversation includes Lupita Aquino (LupitaReads), Nick Brown of Prince Georges County Memorial Library, Chantal Tseng of Literary Cocktails, and DCPL's own Aja Clark. Powered and distributed Simplecast.
DC Street musician Joel Bailes has played on the streets of Capitol Hill/Eastern Market since 1980. Hear Joel share his history playing with the Capitol Hillbillies and how he's managing in these unique times. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Authors Breanna J. McDaniel, “Hands Up!,” and Zetta Elliot, “SAY HER NAME,” join us on this episode of “Get Lit”. McDaniel and Elliot read from their celebrated books and discuss the beauty, danger, and magic found at the intersection of race and gender. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
David Quick and Aja Clark talk with local poet Regie Cabico about our special edition DC Reads book "With the Fire on High" by Elizabeth Acevedo. A pioneer of slam poetry, Cabico will discuss Acevedo's poetry and poetry in DC. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
DCPL Special Collections Archivist Ray Barker is in conversation with area musician, and punk rock enthusiast Tom Berard. They discuss Tom's life growing up in the DC punk music scene, and play tracks from current DC bands who inhabit that punk spirit. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
David Quick, Adult Services Coordinator, will lead a conversation with Susan Benton, President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council and Rich Reyes-Gavilan, Director of DC Public Library. They will discuss the world of urban public libraries and DC Public Library's work with the ULC entrepreneurship cohort. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Special Collections Archivist Ray Barker is in conversation with local photographers Athena Angelos and Christopher Grady, as they discuss their individual histories behind the lens, capturing shows at various DC music venues, including Fort Reno, and The Black Cat. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Linda Crichlow White, President of the DC Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss the origins of AAHGS and shares genealogy tips for beginners. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
This episode features a conversation with librarian Shawn McDermott and Mr. Donald Shaw about making the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.There is a growing interest in this pilgrimage walk with more and more people embarking upon it each year. Donald Shaw presented on this topic at the WTD/Shaw and Northeast Neighborhood Libraries two times over the last four years.This is part of the library’s ongoing “Trips of a Lifetime” and “Know Your Neighborhood” series. Powered & Distributed by Simplecast.
Today's DCPL Presents focused on a conversation with Ashleigh Coren, Women’s History Content and Interpretation Curator at the National Portrait Gallery. In addition to discussing the DCPL/NPG program ArtAfterWords, we discussed her work as a librarian working on women's representation at the Smithsonian Institution. ArtAfterWords offers participants a chance to discuss a book and portrait, and February's discussion will focus on a portrait of Angela Davis and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Paul Coates is owner and operator of Black Classic Press, one of the oldest Black publishing companies in the U.S. He joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss his life, his publishing company and the public library's role in social justice. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
In conversation with Katie Petitt on the upcoming exhibit at the Northeast Neighborhood Library. Katie will share her work that centers around activism, grassroots organizing, and movement building through the arts, film, and technology. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
DC Public Library Archivist, Ray Barker, in conversation with DC poet and Jazz Archives Specialist, Reuben Jackson. Reuben discusses his life as a writer, "old DC," and the celebrated venue d.c. space. Reuben reads from his latest collection, Scattered Clouds.
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DCPL’s Robert LaRose interviews Molly Keefe about her experiences using the Memory Lab to preserve thousands of her family's photos and VHS tapes.
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Tech is broad. But is it universal?
On this episode of Notes from the Library, we sit down with Catherine Buccello, a strategic restaurant success manager and diversity advocate, to discuss tech, diversity, and the lack of equity within digital spaces.
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DCPL’s Robert LaRose interviews Rebecca Kling about her experiences using the Memory Lab to preserve her collection of family videos. Her story focuses on her life as a transgender woman and activist, as well as memories of her pre-transition childhood. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
Special Collections Archivist Ray Barker interviews members of the music ensemble, Tadzio. They discuss the band's origins, recording history, and play select tracks from their new record.
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The central African nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a materially and culturally rich nation yet its citizens struggle to survive. Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss the history of the DRC and the challenges it currently faces.
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Editors Derek Guthrie and Al Jirikowic discuss the publishing history of the New Art Examiner and its relationship to the DC arts scene.
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What are the Friends of the Library? David Quick discusses all things friendly with Emily Wagner and Carlos Izurieta, Friends of the Library.
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A sneak peak into the transformation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and updates on the re-opening in fall 2020!
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On this first episode of Memories on Tap, Robert LaRose interviews Angela Forest about her experiences using the Memory Lab to preserve her family’s history. Her history focuses on her great-uncle, Russell Forest, who dedicated his life to helping young people through his work with the city of Baltimore.
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Booksellers Cecelia Cackley, East City Books, and Hannah Oliver, Loyalty Bookstore, will join David Quick to talk about summer reading, upcoming books, and much more.
On this episode of DCPL Presents, DCPL's Special Collections Manager, Kerrie Cotten Williams, sits down with award-winning essayist and critical-cultural scholar, Dr. Natalie Hopkinson, to discuss the history and preservation of #DontMuteDC.
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On this episode of Notes from the Library, we learn about the Adult Literacy Resource Center at DC Public Library. The ALRC provides literacy services to young adults and adults and is staffed with adult literacy education specialists. Learn about the ALRC services and programming on this episode.
On this episode, author, photographer and filmmaker Alyscia Cunningham joins DC Public Library's Olubunmi Bakare to discuss photography, filmmaking, and her current project I Am More Than My Hair: My Outward Appearance Does Not Define Me.
In this episode, we will talk about DC Public Library's Summer Challenge, some recent author talks, and ALA conference that came through town.
On this episode of Notes from the Library, we meet the team behind DC Public Library’s Jail Branch. The Jail Branch opened in 2015 inside the DC Central Detention Facility and serves over 2000 inmates. Learn about the Jail Branch’s library services and programming on this episode.
In this episode of Get Lit on DCPL Radio we discuss the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the upcoming American Library Association Conference in Washington, D.C. and DCPL's Summer Reading Challenge. Host Olubunmi Bakare is joined by DCPL Children's Services Coordinator Carmen Boston, DCPL Children's Librarian Eboni Njoku and past recipient of the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, Deborah Taylor.
On this episode of DCPL Presents, we highlight a program at the Northeast Neighborhood Library with Preserve This Podcast (PTP) project. Preserve This Podcast will discuss issues related to preserving born-digital files used in podcasting. Guests will include Mary Kidd and Sarah Nguyen who talk about their work on the project. Listeners will also be introduced to the DCPL Memory Lab and the services it provides.
You are now entering the Library-verse, today’s show is all about music! We will be talking about the music archives at the DC Public Library and the impact that music has had on D.C. culture. We will highlight some recent local activism that has been fueled by local music, go-go, with Claire and Diamond, two library staff members.
Curator's of DCPL's Chamber Music at Noon monthly concert series, Vasily Popov and Ralitza Patcheva, stop by the studio to talk about presenting live music in a library and will perform selections live in-studio. The two long standing music professionals will be joined by their sons, Yuri and Vlad.
Baltimore resident Joshua Gamma discusses a defunct pirate radio station in Mt. Pleasant, RadioCPR, and it's relationship to a current exhibit at Transformer, an art gallery in Dupont Circle, using materials from the DCPL Punk Archives.
Dana Williams, Howard University, Lupita and Jamise of Lit on H St, bookclub, discuss this year's DC Reads selection, Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
You are now entering the Library-verse. Today we meet Julia and Tracy and learn more about the personalities behind the roles at DCPL.
DCPL Special Collections Archivist Ray Barker is in conversation with local photographers Carolyne Toye, and Chris Suspect, discussing their interests in photography, and favorite areas to capture images in the city.
Lark Cato was born in Taiwan to Taiwanese parents but was shortly thereafter adopted by an African American mother. Growing up Lark knew her mother was eccentric but only later in life did she learn the reason why. Lark joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss her struggle to deal with the care of her aging mother and her mothers recent diagnosis.
Anna MacNiven (aka BiFurious Cosplay) and Mol Cutpurse are two accomplished local cosplayers who love celebrating their fandoms through the creation of unique costumes. We talk with them about how they develop their ideas and create these wearable works of art.
Washington Performing Arts will present two programs this month in partnership with the DC Public Library. The first is a takeover of DC Public Library's monthly Chamber Music at Noon concert, happening this Thursday April 4th and featuring our guests on today's show, Wavelength Winds. The second is a book discussion with Lupita Reads, part of a three part series examinging Latinx and immigrant voices in literature, at the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library on April 30th. On air today, we'll talk with Lupita about the book selections and the connectiong this book discussion has with Washington Performing Arts.
In this episode local educator, world traveller and blogger Carmel Domond sits down with host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss maintaining a balanced lifestyle, travelling with purpose, and what it means to inspire.
You are now entering the Library-verse. Today we meet Amy and B and learn more about the personalities behind the roles at DCPL.
Fanny Julissa García, oral historian, educator, and artist joins DCPL Radio to talk about art and ethics in oral histories.
George Derek Musgrove, co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital, joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss the DCPL Black History Month Theme: Black Migrations and much more.
A talk with area writer Buck Downs regarding the Washington, DC poetry group In Your Ear, which has met at DC Arts Center in Adams Morgan since the early 1990s. We'll discuss that group's lineage as it relates to the Mass Transit poetry group active in DC in the 1970s, IYE current activities, and hear a poem or two.
You are now entering the Library-verse. Today we meet Diamond and Jordan and learn more about the personalities behind the roles at DCPL.
Amanda Figueroa and Ravon Ruffin, creators of Brown Girls Museum Blog, join us to talk about their work in museums and creatiang community.
Local author Dale Brumfield talks about his book, Independent Press in D.C. and Virginia: An Underground History. Portions of his book feature defunct publications whose extant newspaper issues are housed in the DC Public Library Special Collections and available online, like the Washington Free Press, Quicksilver Times, and The Blade, and Underground.
You are now entering the Library-verse. Today we meet David and Xeryus and learn more about the personalities behind the roles at DCPL.
At age 15 Marcus Bullock was sentenced to 8 years in a maximum security prison. Today he is the CEO of Flikshop, a company he founded that helps keep families connected to their loved ones while they are incarcerated. Marcus sits down with host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss what led to his incarceration and his drive to become an entreprenuer.
As part of this year’s NSO In Your Neighborhood series, DC Public Library presents cellist Mark Evans and bassist Charles Nilles who perform. NSO General Manager Genevieve Twomey talks about NSO In Your Neighborhood program and its dynamic community partnerships.
Author, actor, songwriter and motivational speaker Hermond Palmer joins host, Olubunmi Bakare, to discuss his life and shares insights about how to live your best life.
Jean Badalamenti, Health & Human Services Coordinator, and the Peer Outreach Specialists join us to talk about about the library's role in assisting DC's most vulnerable and at-risk residents.
Librarians Bobbie Dougherty and Maggie Gilmore will talk about the Read Your Way Up Bike Tour, which was part of last month's DC History Conference. They’ll share the history and evolution of the DC Public Library’s community storefront libraries, portabranches and kiosks of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Joining them on the show is Tim Wright a library patron who joined them on the ride. Wright is the owner of Attucks Adams, a DC tour company that explores both national and local DC.
In anticipation of the film debut of If Beale Street Could Talk, DCPL staff will discuss James Baldwin's original book with Derrick Young of Mahagony Books.
An informal chat about what artists can do in libraries and what libraries can do with artists, and what our work teaches us about caring for the city we live in. Featuring Nando Álvarez, member of the local collective The Sanctuaries and Don Russell, Curator, George Mason University Galleries and Director of Provisions Library for Art and Social Change.
Blight Records is a local music label, which just released a cassette compilation, "Blight Makes Right," featuring a diverse roster of musicians, both locally and nationally. In the studio we will play live recordings of one of Blight's most recent releases, Luna Honey's "Peace Will Grind you Down." Luna Honey band members discuss their lives as musicians living and performing in DC.
The crew from the Studio Lab Express share news and updates, talk about customers' work, and what's to come.
Washington DC visual and performance artist, musician, and once-upon-a-time HardArt Gallery owner, Rogelio Maxwell discusses his life, and his relationship to the DC arts, from the mid-1970s to today.
A CryptoParty is a free, public gathering to learn different approaches to privacy and security for your computers, mobile devices, social media, and other digital platforms. Listen to learn why digital prvacy & security matters, and learn some strategies for staying safe online.
Talking about the upcoming exhibition and performance series, RETROperSPECTIVE - a collaboration between DC Public Library and Rhizome DC. We'll also discuss the process of archiving and digitizing the DC Punk Archive Zine Collection
Straight from the main DCPL offices at K street, Aja Clark and David Quick will talk all things library including a Summer Challenge wrap-up, what books we're reading, and the library's best money-saving options.
Mr. Bailey joins DCPL Radio to discuss his life and his personal relationship with Malcolm X.
During the month of September, the library is celebrating the freedom to read. This year's Uncensored theme is "Words Ignite: The Literature of Activism," listen to learn more about the celebration, activities, and events all month long. During the week of September 23-29, the library will join the American Library Association for the national observance of Banned Books Week.
In conversation with Anu Yadav, DC Public Library's 2018 Artist-in-Residence, on "Soul Tent Stories"
In celebration of DC Public Library's Go Go History Month. DCPL Radio welcomes author Natalie Hopkinson to discuss her book Go-Go Live.
DC has an active music scene, but guest Jay Bruder researches, archives, and writes about its "early music" - blues, bluegrass, country, and pop music. Additional guests in town for annual archives conference will share stories about archiving local music scenes in Akron, Ohio (Calvin Rydbom) and Lousiville, KY (Heather Fox).
Gabi and Mahdvi, co-founders of the local Women of Color Book Club, talk about the inspiration for creating an intentional space for women of color in DC. They discuss the importance of supporting women of color authors in this current political climate, and dive into Thrity Umrigar’s The Secrets Between Us, their August book selection.
Winners from a poetry slam held earlier in the month at Busboys & Poets will read original poetry written about inequality, civil rights and more. This project is part of a collaboration between the DC Public Library, the Maryland Institute College of Arts and the Poor People's Campaign. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement and we, collaboratively, are still working on these issues.
Noel Lopez, cultural anthropologist for the National Parks Service, shares with DC Public Library some of the history he has come across around the Summer in the Parks series of outdoor concerts beginning 50 years ago in 1968. Amanda Mackaye, organizer of the Fort Reno concert series, will share with us what it's like to reach the 50th anniversary of this series, and how Fort Reno ties into the broader stories of cultural programming in DC's public spaces.
Hailu Mergia was a famous recording and performing musician in Ethiopia in the 1960s and 1970s. He moved to the DC-area in the 1980s and became a cab driver. Today, Mergia lives in Fort Washington, MD, still drives a cab (the Dulles route), and records and releases traditional and original music. We discuss his life then and now, and play selections form his recordings, past and present.
Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale, Chairperson of The DC Legendary Musicians, and host of "Don't Forget the Blues" on WPFW FM 89.3 every Wednesday at noon EST, sits with us to talk about her work, DC history, and shares stories about the many lengendary musicicans that live in DC.
We speak in-studio with Maurice Jackson, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Georgetown University, who recently served as co-editor (with Blair Ruble) and contributor to DC Jazz: Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, DC. Lauren Sinclair, a call-in guest, and faculty member at American University in the School of Professional and Extended Studies, provides her insights serving as one of the contributors to the collection.
Are you ready to learn about the ancient study of numbers, why it works and how it can help you better understand who you really are and why you are here? Our guest today , Cheryl Neil Humphreys, will take us through a journey as we explore the numbers 1to 9, master numbers, and the 4 main numbers you need to know about you.
David Quick, Adult Services Coordinator at DC Public Library, joins us to recap the library's DCReads program, we share clips of conversations between library staff and customers around "The Refugees" by Viet Thanh Nguyen, and look forward to this year's reading summer challenge.
Matt Dowling and Ben Schurr have played in several noteable DC bands including Deleted Scenes, Paperhaus, and Br'er, and released their first album in March, as Swoll. Matt and Ben share details of the recording process, their collaboration, and we listen to a few live tracks, too.
Derek Gray, Archivist at DC Public Library Special Collections Department, talks to us about the library’s Go-Go Archive.
A conversation with Samir Meghelli, chief curator at the Anacostia Community Musuem. We will discuss his early writings and the current exchibt, "A Right to the City"
In conversation with Mary Ghikas, Executive Director of the American Library Association, on the changing information field, libraries, and communities.
On this episode of All Things Creative, Raquel L, an up and coming author, screenwriter, and filmmaker, discusses here creative process and the intersectionality of being an artist and a black woman in the film industry.
Many today know Georgetown as a popular tourist stop for its vaulted history, and premier shopping and dining. But peel back the current scene to 30 years or so ago and you’ll find a vibrant, eclectic live music and nightlife scene. The Bayou was one such club, and son of one of the original owners, Mike Tramonte, will share his memories growing up, and working in that area.
Marya McQuirter talks to us about the dc1968project. This past Saturday, April 7, 2018, 50 years after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Marya joined other Washingtonians at Anacostia Library for DCPL's "Pop-Up Museum: Your D.C. Stories 1968 - 2018." Each day, Dr. McQuirter shares stories and photos about an event that happened on that same day in 1968. If you or a family member were in DC in 1968, she’d love to share your stories and photos on her site, dc1968project.com
Maker-in-Residence and the Fab LabTsedaye Makonnen joins us to discuss her ongoing experience as DCPL's Maker-in-Residence. Hear what projects is she working on, and get the latest updates about what's going on with DCPL's Fab Lab.
Columbia, MD resident Lynne Hulse Javier, recorded a timeless folk album in Potomac, MD in 1969 when she was 16 years old. The album was recently rereleased through DC's Federal Green Records. We listen to two songs from their only album, No More Words.
Author and founder of YouNeek Studios discusses his comic book series, Afrofuturism and the blockbuster hit Black Panther.
A talk with the Irene Kellogg, Fotocraft Camera Club, an organization of pro, and amateur photographers in the city.
On this two-part episode from our "Notes from the Library" series, we’ll talk about movies and theatres with the Washington Psychotronic Film Society, and old Washington, D.C., movie theatres with local historians Pat Padua and robert Headley!
On this special episode of "All Things Local" we talk to the DC Oral History Collaborative, one of the DC Public Library’s partners. The collaborative has the important goal of preserving the unrecorded oral histories of Washington, D.C. and ensuring that generations have access to this history. We talk to them today about their methods, why it’s important to collect oral histories, and how others can help with this work.
On this month's episode of All Things Local guest Lamont Carey discusses his life growing up in Washington, being incarcerated as a juvenile and re-entering society as an adult. We also discuss his lifes work.
Today on DCPL Radio, we compare and contrast three very different documentarians -- The Maysles brothers, Nick Broomfield and Ken Burns. Casey Danielson is joined by his DCPL Studio Lab colleagues who are also documentary filmmakers.
Gabi of DC Public Library and Madhvi discuss the WOC Book Club DC and books that they've read so far including: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar, Human Acts by Han Kang, Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and Re Jane by Patricia Park. Get Lit is DC Public Library's, "all library things and staff" series.
Guest Anthony T. Browder joins host Olubunmi Bakare to discuss his life and work.Anthony is an author, publisher, cultural historian, artist and educational consultant. He's the founder and director of IKG Cultural Resources and has devoted 35 years researching ancient Egyptian history, science, philosophy and culture.
DCPL Presents Andrew White, Northeast, Washington, DC, multi-instrumentalist and "self-producer." A conversation about his origins, life as a musician and businessman, and we're listening to "Shaft Blues" and "Superfly Blues" from his 1974 record "Passion Flower"
Juan Pablo Guzman: Originally from Guatemala and now living in the US, Pablo has lived among the indigenous Ixil people and is in production on a documentary series about the Guatemalan genocide of the Ixil people in the early 1980s, focusing on the brave resistance of the people in the face of a mighty American-backed military force.
On this week's episode of DCPL Radio, hosts William Reid and Victor Benitez are joined by Jeremy Gardner, an archivist for the Smithsonian and a volunteer archivist at the DC Punk Archive. We'll be discussing why punk history matters, what's in the Punk Archive and how technology is changing the way libraries and archives work. Also joining us is Thaddeus Coates who recently self-published a book using library equipment.
On this week's episode of DCPL's "All Things Local", host Olubunmi Bakare is joined by Dianne Dale, author of "The Village That SHaped Us". According to Dr. Thomas Battle, director emeritus of the Moorland-Spingarn Center at Howard University, The Village That Shaped Us sets the standard for how to look at a community. Using oral history interviews in the way of Anna Deavere Smith and Studs Terkel to tell the story of a Freedmen's Village settled in 1867 on a hill overlooking the nation's capital in SE Washington, DC, the reader is taken on a journey into a community sold to blacks by the Freedmen's Bureau after the Civil War. Sale of the land and life in the community led to such events as the establishment of Howard University, the Tuskegee Airmen program at Tuskegee Institute (now University), and Brown v. Board of Education. In a series of oral history interviews copiously illustrated with over 300 pictures and documents, the book takes you on a journey through the history of a neighborhood; safe, industrious, self-sufficient, now gone through changes brought by or through the 1954 Supreme Court school desegregation ruling marking the beginning of changes that devastated the landscape of this quiet village--chopped to pieces by highways, byways, bridges, flight to the suburbs and urban renewal. It chronicles in plain language the inevitable decline of a community that mirrors the devastation wreaked in comparable communities across the country.
For our first episode, we'll let listeners know what to expect from our program, talk about ourselves as library people, then transition into talking about the MLK Jr. Memorial Library renovation, memories about the old library building, and hopes for the new building. We'll end by plugging any major upcoming library events/programs.