Borrowed
Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is full of stories. Borrowed brings the very best of them to you.
Borrowed is a narrative series about superhero librarians, neighborhood stories and what it means to be a free, democratic place in today’s changing world. We tell stories about libraries during natural disasters, the challenges of homelessness, and NYC’s fraught relationship with trash.
Borrowed and Banned is our limited series about America's ideological war with its bookshelves. From September to December 2023, we released ten episodes featuring the stories of students on the frontlines, librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and writers whose books have become political battleground.
For transcripts, pictures, book lists, and resources, please visit our web page: bklynlib.org/podcasts
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Top 10 Borrowed Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Borrowed episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Borrowed for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Borrowed episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
10/15/24 • 14 min
We're pulling out all the stops for the first annual Freedom to Read Day of Action on Saturday, October 19th! Hear from libraries in Los Angeles, San Diego, Hoboken, NJ and Austin, TX about what they're doing to promote the freedom to read. And, if you're in Brooklyn, meet us on the steps of Central Library this Saturday for a book rally!
You can read the transcript here.
Further resources:
- Join Brooklyn Public Library on October 19th for our Freedom to Read Day of Action! Or check out events across the country.
- Visit San Diego Public Library and LA County Library online to learn about their Freedom to Read Day of Action events. And you can brush up on the California Freedom to Read Act. You can read the New York Times story about SDPL’s LGBTQ+ book displays
- Learn more about Hoboken Library and the book sanctuary movement.
- Austin Public Library has events planned for October 19th, and a new podcast called Save the Books!
2 Listeners
Seen and Obscene
Borrowed
10/12/23 • 27 min
The birth of obscenity laws in the 1870s provides a cautionary tale for the present moment, when far-right conservatives incorrectly label books “sexually explicit” as a way to provoke outrage in communities nationwide. This episode, we delve into the parallels that history can reveal and hear from students in Texas fighting for their freedom to read.
You can read a transcript of this episode here.
Our calls to action for this episode:
- Be an ally and an advocate for the teens in your life. Start a conversation about what matters to them, and how you can help.
- Support getting more LGBTQ+ affirming books into classrooms: Rainbow Library is a program created by GLSEN that allows school staff to request a set of 10 free LGBTQ+ books for their own classrooms.
More resources
- Check out some of the books mentioned in this episode. If you live anywhere in the US and are between the ages of 13 and 21, you can check out those books (and many more!) with a Books Unbanned library card.
- Learn more about Cameron Samuels, Da'Taeveyon Daniels, and their organization SEAT: Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.
- Read the PEN America reports about book bans in schools for the 2021-2022 school year, and 2022-2023.
- Delve into the history of censorship with Amy Werbel's book Lust on Trial and read her article about the parallels to today, co-authored with PEN America's Free Expression and Education Director Jonathan Friedman
2 Listeners
All for a Library Card
Borrowed
09/28/23 • 27 min
When a high school teacher in Norman, Oklahoma shared a QR code with her students that would grant them access to BPL’s digital collection, she took a stand against a restrictive state law. That act of resistance made her first day of school ... also her last.
Our call to action for this episode: Get a library card! Wherever you live, sign up for a library card in person or online. If you're between the ages of 13 and 21, you can apply to our free Books Unbanned e-library card. Plus, Seattle Public Library and Boston Public Library now also have Books Unbanned cards that you can apply to up to age 26. And, if you live anywhere in California, you can apply to LA County Library's Books Unbanned program if you are between the ages of 13 and 18.
If you'd like, you can read a transcript of this episode. Borrowed and Banned is a production of Brooklyn Public Library and receives support from the Metropolitan New York Library Council’s Equity in Action Grant and Goat Rodeo.
More resources:
- October 1 - 7 is Banned Books Week! There are lots of events you can attend in Brooklyn and across the country. On October 4th, join our social media campaign by posting a picture of yourself reading in public (a banned book, or any book) and tell everyone that you protect the #FreedomtoRead.
- Read new reports from PEN America about book bans in schools, and the American Library Association's stats on bans in libraries across the country.
- Read some of the most frequently-challenged books (many of which will be featured on this podcast series)!
- Start your own movement by wearing BPL's Books Unbanned QR code on your T-shirt or hoodie (and support the library while doing it!)
- Sign up for our newsletter to get every episode delivered to your inbox.
2 Listeners
09/23/24 • 27 min
For Banned Books Week this year, we’re returning to our award-winning series, Borrowed and Banned. Because the fight isn’t over. In 2023, the American Library Association documented a 65% increase in the number of book titles challenged across the country.
Listen to the first episode of the series about what happened in one Oklahoma town when their freedom to read was challenged. And how one teacher’s response caught the nation’s attention.
Read the transcript here, and check out the following resources:
- Like what you hear? Listen to the rest of Borrowed and Banned, our award-winning podcast, series by visiting this page.
- We’ve got a week of programming around Banned Books Week this year. Check out our calendar and attend an event in Brooklyn!
- On October 19, 2024, libraries across the country are coming together for a Freedom to Read Day of Action. Learn more about how you can join!
2 Listeners
A Library Sounds Like This
Borrowed
04/27/22 • 26 min
Read the transcript and check out our listening list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/library-sounds
2 Listeners
Introducing: Borrowed and Banned
Borrowed
09/18/23 • 3 min
Last year, over 2,500 unique titles were challenged in libraries across the country. That’s the highest number in over 20 years. On Borrowed and Banned, we tell the story of America’s ideological war with its bookshelves by talking with the people most impacted: the students on the frontlines, the librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and the writers whose books have become political battleground.
Read the transcript and find resources: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/introducing-borrowed-and
2 Listeners
Three Brooklyn Stories
Borrowed
03/03/20 • 11 min
1 Listener
Reopening, Reimagining
Borrowed
09/30/20 • 26 min
You can physically borrow books again, Brooklyn! This episode, we ask how the pandemic can help us re-imagine what we use libraries for. Plus, we talk to LA County Library about how extreme weather is impacting their reopening, and dig into the science of how we are keeping you (and your books) healthy.
Read the transcript and check out our book list here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/podcasts/reopening-reimagining
1 Listener
Rekindling from Burnout
Borrowed
02/25/21 • 25 min
1 Listener
Getting Home
Borrowed
10/29/19 • 24 min
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does Borrowed have?
Borrowed currently has 101 episodes available.
What topics does Borrowed cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Podcasts, Books and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Borrowed?
The episode title 'Book Sanctuaries, Buttons and Bouncy Houses' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Borrowed?
The average episode length on Borrowed is 21 minutes.
How often are episodes of Borrowed released?
Episodes of Borrowed are typically released every 14 days, 1 hour.
When was the first episode of Borrowed?
The first episode of Borrowed was released on Feb 21, 2019.
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