17: Caleb Nichols, Poet Laureate and the 2026 Summer Reading Program

17: Caleb Nichols, Poet Laureate and the 2026 Summer Reading Program

- Meet poet Caleb Nichols, our San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureate. Caleb explains how their journey to becoming Poet Laureate of SLO County began at the Atascadero Library. We hope you enjoy this delightful and informative conversation as much as we did.  - Learn more about the 2026 Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme calls back to the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books that were popular in the 1980s. Participants are encouraged to choose different adventures for Quincy the Quail at each of the 14 libraries along the public library “quail trail.”

16: Santa Margarita Library Power Users & Nipomo Library 30th Anniversary

- Meet another collection of Library Power Users: Zoey (age 10), her sister Ember (age 7), and their Mom (and our friend) Brianne. These fun folks are heavy users of the adorable Santa Margarita Library. We discuss what they love about the library right before they give me a kids-eye view and tour of their favorite public library space. - Then, we also speak with supporters of the Nipomo Library which is celebrating its 30th anniversary June 10 from 11 to 1pm. Did you know the idea for the Nipomo Library was hatched by a group of library enthusiasts over a cup of coffee at Jocko’s? Stay tuned to learn more about this charming library and the people who love it.

15: Money Issues and the Public Library & Book of the the Year

- We welcome back to the podcast Monique Matta, the Adult Services Coordinating Librarian for the SLO County Library System. We’ll discuss e-books, audiobooks, and other materials in the collections with a particular focus on costs for digital items within the library system. If you have questions about wait lists for digital materials, this segment is for you. - Then, we’ll recap the 2026 Book of the Year event at Cuesta College, which happened Tuesday April 28. Author Susan Straight wrote the powerful novel Sacrament about a group of ICU nurses, other frontline workers, and their families in California during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss Sacrament with Outreach Coordinator Jackie Kinsey, who also serves on the Book of the Year selection committee, as well as Juliane McAdam, president of the SLO County Library Foundation.

14: Biblioteca Discoteca and Library Foundation Treasurer Charlotte Alexander

- We discover how the public library collections can help you throw a party. Whether it’s a dance party, dinner party, game night party, live music party, or book club party, the public library has you covered. Local DJ FlutterByCam joins us to suggest some great music you can check out from the library to provide the soundtrack for your own fun get together, including for kid’s parties. - Meet another member of the San Luis Obispo County Library Foundation board of directors, Charlotte Alexander. We’ll learn more about her role as the Library Foundation’s treasurer as well as her support of the arts and culture in SLO County through her work with her SLO Review project. She’ll explain the donation/bequest process and highlight some major donors to the Library Foundation over the years.

13: The Memory Lab and Inspiring Books

- Learn more about the SLO County public library system’s Memory Lab, where library card holders can access equipment to transfer their photos, videotapes, albums, and other analog data into a digital format. We’ll also speak with local radio professional Carol Tangeman, who has used the Memory Lab and is a big fan of the public library.   - Also, we will hop back into our time machine to learn about the books and authors that inspired our friends at Festival Mozaic and the SLO MakerSpace to become lifelong readers.