Shaena and Jenna talk about three types of books that they "hate." These are the books that they are tired to seeing on the new book shelves at the library and wish would be banished to the overflow stacks. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh, and Jenna talks about Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose. The episode ends on a positive note, where Shaena and Jenna share the trends that they love. What do you think of current book trends? Share your thoughts using #librarylifepod  ..read more

Shaena and Jenna talk about the 5 children's books that were nominated for the Governor General's Literary Awards (2020). The books are: Nevers by Sara Cassidy, Pine Island Home by Polly Horvath, Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson, The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson, and The King Of Jam Sandwiches by Eric Walters. Did these titles deserve to be nominated? What book did we think was going to win? Is it hard to read children's books as an adult? The conversation covers all these topics and more. On the Reading Break (21:58-28:06), Jenna talks about The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street by ..read more

Shaena shares her love of romance by giving ten book recommendations that have diverse main characters. Jenna gets schooled in romance terminology, such as "H.E.A" and "forced proximity." On the Reading Break (21:52 - 28:37), Jenna talks about Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo and The Shakespeare Requirement by Julie Schumacher, and Shaena talks about The Dating Plan by Sara Desai. The books mentioned in this episode are: the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, the Bergmen Brothers series by Chloe Liese, Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heran, The Boyfriend Project by Farah Rochan, The Bride Te ..read more

Shaena and Jenna discuss the slippery slope of censorship in public libraries. Prompted by recent headlines (Dr. Seuss, Halifax Public Library etc.), the conversation explores the tension between standing up for what's right and protecting freedom of speech. On the Reading Break (17:10-24:25), Shaena talks about Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, and Jenna talks about The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Censorship is a complex topic, and this conversation just scratches the surface. Share your thoughts on social media using #librarylifepodcast ..read more

Shaena and Jenna talk about the differences between literary fiction and genre fiction by comparing the first few pages of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs. The conversation touches on award culture, book snobbery and if you should challenge yourself when reading. During the Reading Break (26:00-33:10), Shaena talks about The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman and Jenna talks about City Of Thieves by David Benioff. Do you enjoy literary fiction or genre fiction more? Let us know by using #librarylifepodcast ..read more

No customers are allowed in our library buildings right now, due to COVID-19. Do library staff actually miss having them in the building? Shaena and Jenna discuss their thoughts. The conversation covers how their jobs have changed during curbside service, the problem with one-sided reference questions, the chaos of creating book bundles and if they still find the same fulfillment at work. On the Reading Break (25:45-38:03), Shaena talks about "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell and "The Last Train to Key West" by Chanel Cleeton. Jenna talks about her mixed feelings regarding "Lincoln in ..read more

Shaena and Jenna share their experiences with reading on their Kobos and consider abandoning paper books altogether. Maybe it's okay, maybe it's not. Jenna (Kobo-newbie) also explains the history of the ereader, and Shaena (Kobo-pro) shares her ereader journey. In the second half of the podcast, the idea of books as "art objects" is discussed. During the Reading Break (22:11-31:00) Jenna talks about "A Court Of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas, and Shaena talks about "A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novak. We would love to hear your opinion on ebooks. Reach out to us on social media using #library ..read more

Welcome back to another season of Library Life! Shaena and Jenna each share some professional goals for 2021 and get caught up on how life's been going. Shaena talks about returning to school and some new duties at work. Jenna shares her struggles with finding the work-from-home/life balance, as well as an idea for a future training session. On the Reading Break (20:22-28:15), Shaena talks about "The Midnight Bargain" by C.L. Polk, and Jenna talks about the "Rockton Series" by Kelly Armstrong. Reach out on social media and share your goals for 2021 using #librarylifepodcast ..read more

Like any good library-themed project, we begin with the stats for season two of Library Life. Next, we look at our favourite and least favourite episodes of the season. We reflect on the year's ups and downs and chat about where we want the show to go in season three. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about her Christmas-themed book, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, and Jenna talks about The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Thanks for another great season! We'll see you in the new year! Music Used: Thorn Horn by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com ..read more

How do you maintain good boundaries in the library? We attempt to answer this question and dive into the many complexities of providing good customer service without giving too much of yourself. This conversation is filled with personal examples of how we've over-extended ourselves and our strategies to improve our own boundaries. On the Reading Break, Shaena talks about Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and Homework by Julie Andrews. Jenna talks about The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Feel free to reach out on social media.  M ..read more