Brooklyn has so many stories to tell, and a lot of them start at the library. Brooklyn Public Library's flagship podcast, Borrowed, brings you stories that start here and take you somewhere new.
Which episode should I start with?
It depends what you like!
For the budding activist: Something to Offend Everyone or Decolonizing Dewey; for the social work warrior: Getting Home or Showing Up; for the light-hearted listener: Happily Ever After or Secret Lives of Librarians; for the New York City history buff: Our Garbage, Ourselves or Building Brooklyn
Can I read a transcript of the podcast?
Yes! You can read full transcripts for each episode by clicking on the title of the episode below. You'll also find pictures and links to articles or books mentioned in the episode.
I have an idea for an episode. Can I tell you about it?
Yes! We're always looking for stories about our Brooklyn community, or how public libraries impact our lives. Reach out to us by emailing [email protected].
How do I listen?
You can listen right on our website by clicking the audio players below. You can also listen to Borrowed on your smart phone on any podcast app of your choice. All you have to do is search for “Borrowed,” then click “subscribe” or “follow” to get new episodes downloaded to your device as soon as they come out. We release new episodes every other week when we're producing a season.
Season 6, Episode 3
Go, Robots, Go!
February 28, 2023
With tablets, Legos, and coding, these fourteen teams from library branches across Brooklyn met at Central Library to compete in the final championship of Brooklyn Robotics League — resulting in what is surely one of our loudest stories ever.
Check out our BKLYN Robotics League book list.
Season 6, Episode 2
Happily Ever After
February 14, 2023
We love love at the library, so for Valentine's Day this year, we're devoting the episode Romance Novels! We'll learn how Romance covers hint at what's between them, and chat with writer Nichole Perkins about how the genre is diversifying.
Check out our list of starter Romance Novels.
Season 6, Episode 1
La Hora Mágica
February 1, 2023
La Hora Mágica has been the heart of Sunset Park’s storytime programming for a decade now, highlighting songs and stories in Spanish and English for speakers of all different languages.
Check out these multilingual picture books for kids.
Season 5, Episode 12
Dyker Singers, Dyker Lights
December 20, 2022
Dyker Heights is a destination this time of year, with houses decked out in lights drawing visitors from all around the world. And inside Dyker Library, a strong community gathers to sing, play mahjong, do yoga, and so much more.
Season 5, Episode 11
Rebroadcast: Work in Progress
December 7, 2022
From “the most expensive pigeon roost in the world” to one of the world’s most unique libraries, Brooklyn’s Central Library has many stories to tell. We’ll dive into the history of Central Library, hear from Brooklynites starting small businesses, and one patron’s path from homelessness to determined author.
Click here for a full list of book recommendations curated for this episode, "Work in Progress."
Season 5, Episode 10
Family Meal
November 22, 2022
This Thanksgiving, meet the people who run Central Library's café and get a peak into their kitchen on the Library's third floor, where fourteen students speaking seven different language meet every day. This episode is a collaboration with Emma's Torch, a workforce development program that empowers refugees through the culinary arts and job placement services.
Season 5, Episode 9
Stories of Service
November 11, 2022
In honor of Veterans Day, we are bringing you four stories of service, from veterans who served in World War II, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Iraq. Three voices come to us from interviews collected at BPL for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Check out our full list of book recommendations, curated for this episode.
Season 5, Episode 8
Rebroadcast: Weathering the Storm
October 28, 2022
To honor the tenth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we are returning to an episode we produced in 2019 about the impact of the storm on our library system, and how libraries can become information centers, shelters and community spaces in the wake of natural disaster.
Click here for a full list of book recommendations, curated for this episode, "Weathering the Storm."
Season 5, Episode 7
School's Out! Time for a Pop Quiz
June 24, 2022
Will you visit your library this summer? To kick off a season of reading, we thought we'd have some fun! How many Brooklyn and library trivia questions can you answer correctly?
Check out our 125 essential Brooklyn books, for readers of all ages, in honor of our 125th anniversary.
Season 5, Episode 6
Books Unbanned
May 31, 2022
Book bans and challenges have been on the rise in the past few years. When BPL launched a free eCard to give out-of-state teens access to our eBook collection, including many banned titles, we saw an incredible response. We look at the impact of that initiative, and our own history of censorship over the past 125 years.
Take the Banned Book Challenge and read these ten frequently challenged or banned titles.
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