Under the Charter Oak

Under the Charter Oak, Season 1.5 Trailer

What stories could possibly come from a pocket watch, a flag, a sculpted shoulder, a brick, a portrait, and a napkin? Our colleagues from the Museum will be sharing information, not only about the items, but the people and stories behind them. You can expect mutiny, lies, Trumbulls, Putnams, and word has it, we might not have won the American Revolution without the tiny state of Connecticut. Buckle up as we preserve the past to inform the future in Small but Mighty: Connecticut’s Revolution, episode 1 of 6 launches May 27, 2026. The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

Never More Than 15 Minutes Away!

In this lively episode of Under the Charter Oak, Ashley, Kym, and Matt welcome a special guest from outside the library world, Kristen Bellantuono from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) State Parks. Kristen oversees beloved statewide programs including No Child Left Inside, and the long‑running Sky’s the Limit Hiking and Walking Challenge, which will probably occupy the rest of Kym's year, that leaderboard is everything to her. Together the group discuss how DEEP works to make outdoor recreation safe, educational, and accessible for everyone. Which state parks will you visit this year? What we’re reading: Connecticut State Parks: A Centennial History [https://ctdeepstore.com/products/connecticut-state-parks-a-centennial-history] Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/780686/yesteryear-a-gma-book-club-pick-by-caro-claire-burke/] The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555989/the-childrens-blizzard-by-melanie-benjamin/] Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/183598/cutting-for-stone-by-abraham-verghese/]  Still Live by Louise Penny [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250403865/stilllifedeluxeedition/] Resource we mentioned: Sky's the Limit [https://ctparks.com/skys-the-limit-hiking-challenge] No Child Left Inside  [https://ctparks.com/NCLI] Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

He's Some Dog: Stg. Stubby a WW1 Hero

Do you have a famous dog on your van? We do. Today Ashley, Matt, and Kym learn all about Sargent Stubby, the most decorated war dog of WWI and the only dog promoted to Sargent. Where was Stubby from you ask? Where else, Connecticut. Christine Pittsley, Museum Curator at the Museum of Connecticut History joins us on the pod to tell us about Sgt. Stubby, his owner, and the impact Stubby had not only in CT, but across the country and even in a few others! He was small, but he was also mighty! Photos of Sgt. Stubby, the movie premiere, and the visit to France. [https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/ld.php?content_id=84434370] Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

The Many Layers of CT LAB

CT LAB, also known as the CT Library for Accessible Books, is a FREE service of the CT State Library in partnership with the National Library Service. CT residents who struggle to read a physical book due to visual, physical or reading disabilities can qualify for access to tools such as talking book players, refreshable Braille display machines, a catalog of thousands of books, magazines, and music scores, and so much more. Our guest today is….. Matt Geeza, a host of the show!! He takes Ashley and Kym through the application process, the technology, resources, and the variety of ways that CT LAB services can support CT readers! We’ll have an extra special “guest” make a vocal appearance, and Matt says it’s okay to increase the speed of talking books. Don’t let others lie to you. What we’re reading: The House on Vesper Sands By Paraic O’Donnell [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/825415/the-house-on-vesper-sands-by-paraic-odonnell/] There are Rivers in the Sky By Elif Shafak [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743978/there-are-rivers-in-the-sky-by-elif-shafak/] When Women Were Dragons By Kelly Barnhill [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/695825/when-women-were-dragons-by-kelly-barnhill/]   Resource we mentioned: CT Library for Accessible Books [https://portal.ct.gov/csl/departments/ct-lab?language=en_US] The Palace Project App [https://thepalaceproject.org/] National Library Service [https://www.loc.gov/nls/] All CT Reads [https://sites.google.com/view/allctreads/home]   Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!

Living the Stories

What do William Webb, Jordan Freeman, and James H. Williams have in common? They were all black men who lived in Connecticut before the 1900’s, and they’ve all been portrayed as living history figures by Kevin Johnson an employee of the Connecticut State Library’s History and Genealogy department. This month Ashley, Kym, and Matt are joined by Kevin to learn about his research and the creative process that went into brining to life three men from CT’s history. Kevin’s passion for history and education is almost unprecedented, and his enthusiasm is infectious, and we mention Denzel Washington! Can’t get enough of Kevin! Listen to his episode on the Grating the Nutmeg Podcast! [https://gratingthenutmeg.libsyn.com/126-the-three-lives-of-kevin-johnson] What we’re reading: The Leaving Room by Amber McBride [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250411440/theleavingroom/] Zoey and Sasafrass: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro [https://www.zoeyandsassafras.com/thebooks] The End of Drum-Time by Hanna Pylväinen [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250822901/theendofdrumtime/] Colores Patriots of the American Revolution by William C Nell [https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/nell/nell.html]   Resource we mentioned: Kevin Johnson's performance schedule [https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/c.php?g=920251&p=6631485] The Connecticut State Library [https://portal.ct.gov/csl?language=en_US] History & Genealogy: The Nutmeg Navigator Blog [https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/c.php?g=262640&p=8759789&t=174512] The Voice of Black America by Philip S. Foner [https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Black-America-Speeches-1797-1971/dp/0671208241] Black Soldiers of the Revolutionary War   Credit: “Wholesome” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/ [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/be/3.0/] The Connecticut State Library. Preserving the Past to Inform the Future!