Middle Country Public Library Podcast

Spring is blooming at the library! In this episode, Sara, Nicole, and Sal unpack the exciting lineup of spring programs. From Free Comic Book Day to MCPL Under the Stars concerts in July, there’s something for everyone. Adults can enjoy crafts like paper peonies and crocheting, plus the Strictly Business networking event on May 6th. Kids and teens get in on the fun with Great Dane meet-and-greets, Harry Potter escape rooms, and Regents reviews. And don't forget the Budget Vote on April 8th!

In this episode, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with Nicole spotlighting fascinating new children’s picture books about trailblazing women like Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, a conservationist who helped save the Everglades; Ruth Asawa, an artist shaped by her internment camp experience; and Clara Driscoll, the creative force behind Tiffany Studios’ iconic glasswork. Then, Sara previews a thrilling lineup of April DVD releases, including the mysterious Companion starring Jack Quaid, the high-stakes Flight Risk with Mark Wahlberg, and the award-winning Anora, a modern Cinderella tale. Packed with history, humor, and movie buzz, this episode has it all! Catch up on past shows at mcplpodcast.com, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and check out our History Bites series on YouTube. #WomensHistoryMonth #Podcast #MovieReleases

This week, we’re gearing up for St. Patrick's Day with a tasty dive into Irish cuisine—think bacon and cabbage, boxty pancakes, "poundies" with scallions, and even quirky dishes like batter burgers and black pudding. Sara shares a primer on these traditional foods, plus tips on finding Irish cookbooks at the library (check call number 641.59415!). Meanwhile, Nicole spills a hilarious tax blunder tied to her pregnancy announcement (Congrats, Nicole!), and offers practical advice for teens on understanding paychecks and taxes, courtesy of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. From savory recipes to money smarts, this episode has it all!

In this lively episode of the podcast, Sara and Nicole take on a 1990s-themed trivia challenge! Featuring questions crafted by Sal—with a lot of help from A.I.—the team explores a fun mix of topics from that decade, including a few tricky A.I. surprises. Packed with 90s nostalgia, this episode promises an enjoyable time for anyone who loves a good throwback vibe. (And isn't it crazy that A.I. wrote this description too?!)

In this week's episode of the podcast, Sara takes a closer look at the fascinating world of Oscar eligibility, breaking down how movies and actors qualify, the process of nominations, how directors submit their films for consideration, and the way winners are ultimately voted on by the Academy. She’ll also walk us through the lineup of movies nominated for this year’s Academy Awards, offering insights into the contenders. Meanwhile, Nicole brings something special for educators: a resource from Stanford University designed to assist teachers in explaining the complexities of artificial intelligence to their students. With A.I. sparking curiosity and plenty of questions among young learners, this material provides engaging answers and support for classroom discussions.

The Harlem Renaissance sparked a wave of creativity, inspiring timeless literature—Nicole’s got a list of must-read books about that era to grab on your next library trip. Meanwhile, did you know New York is home to 17 snake species? Some are venomous, and they’ve got their favorite haunts across the state. Find out where they like to slither.

Happy Valentine's Day! Ready for a weekend of love with a twist? How about diving into a horror movie that's got a dash of romance? Sara has curated a spine-chilling yet romantic list, all accessible for free on Hoopla Digital with just your library card. If reading is more your speed, Nicole's got you covered with a selection of romantic books that will make your heart flutter. And, to set the mood, we'll explore the intriguing history behind St. Valentine. Tune in for a unique blend of frights, love, and lore!

We're absolutely delighted to welcome Brookhaven Town Councilman Neil Manzella as our special guest this week! Join us for an enlightening discussion on everything you need to know about your tax bill. We'll dive into how appraisal values are determined, break down what portion of your taxes goes to the school district versus the town, and explain what it means to "grieve" your tax bill. You won't want to miss this informative episode packed with insights that could really make a difference in understanding your taxes.

It's that time once again for Sara to give us a list of the upcoming movie releases on DVD available here at MCPL! Plus: Nicole discusses the importance of recognizing misinformation, especially online, and what resources you can use to help wade through everything that's out there to find accurate information. One of those resources is All Sides, a site that provides balanced news and media bias ratings. Check it out here: https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news.

Coming to you this week from Podfest 2025 in Orlando, Florida...Sara and Sal reflect on the upcoming seventh anniversary of the podcast as well as discuss how the podcast came to be, along with details on how budding podcasters can use the resources at the library to create their very own professional sounding podcast. Want to learn more about podcasting? Check out the Miller Business Center's Podcasting Workshop series here: https://tinyurl.com/mcpl-how2podcast

Jim is back for another jam-packed This Week in History. Did you know that this week is the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, the creation of Wikipedia, and the amazing story of the "Miracle on the Hudson," U.S. Airways flight 1549? And there's much more: join us for an informative and entertaining episode.

Sara's here to let us know which Golden Globe winners you can take out from the library, plus Nicole has a follow-up on the Sold a Story podcast and what the future may be on teaching kids how to read.

Happy New Year! Wishing our listeners and viewers best wishes in the new year. On our 360th episode, we chat about the things coming up this year including the new Superman movie, new music, the new Cormoran Strike novel, and more.

Happy Holidays from the MCPL Podcast team! As we wrap up this year, we'd like to thank everyone who joins us every week. We look forward to bringing you more great episodes in 2025. But now it's once again that time of year when Sara, Nicole, and Sal let us know what their favorite things were in 2024...  

Can you believe the podcast team has never seen the holiday classic "It's a Wonderful Life"? Just in time for the holidays, we discuss Frank Capra's 1946 film starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Henry Travers. Haven't seen it yet? We have it here at the library...take out your copy today and get into the holiday spirit.

On this week's supersized episode, Nicole and Sara discuss all things tech: from Social Media trends and new laws coming in 2025, to the top tech trends coming next year.

From the arrest to Rosa Parks to the completion of the Washington Monument, so much has happened this week in history! Join Sal and Jim as they weave their way through events such Ford's introduction of the Assembly Line, George Washington's resignation as military commander, Walt Disney's birthday and more!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the MCPL Podcast! As is our tradition, every year we dive into some interesting trivia to kick off the holiday season... this year based on a Reader's Digest article, which you can read here: https://www.rd.com/article/thanksgiving-trivia/.   Who will triumph and win this year's contest? Tune in for some fun and find out!

It's that time of year again...time to get ready for the holidays, Thanksgiving dinner, food and merriment! Do you know what you are cooking this year? Perhaps you'd like to do something different. The library has a cornucopia of cooking books dedicated to holiday meals, baking, hosting, and so much more. Sara has just a small sample of what we have in our collection. Nicole chats about our fabulous Innovation Space where patrons can make personalized items for a potential gift for someone special...you'll need to make an appointment and it's busy this time of year, so check out the details at http://www.mcplibrary.org/innovation-space.  

This week, Nicole discusses an interesting article on ways kids are learning to read today and how it's changed over the years. But first, Sara has a list of the latest DVD releases available at the library.