Middle Country Public Library Podcast

This week, Nicole shines a light on Mercy Otis Warren, the remarkable playwright and writer from Massachusetts whose works helped rally support for independence. Often overlooked in history, Warren used her plays and writings to challenge British rule and inspire the revolutionary cause.

Sara then delivers a "dramatic" reading of the full Declaration of Independence as only Sara can, followed by a discussion of its powerful words, ...

In this special America 250 episode, Sal quizzes Sara & Nicole with questions from the US Citizenship Civics test!

Explore the path to naturalization, eligibility requirements, and the naturalization process before diving into trivia covering the Constitution, separation of powers, the Great Compromise, the Electoral College, key amendments, historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Sojourner Truth, major events from the Ci...

Dive into a delightful chat about North America's only marsupial—the opossum—and why these wobbly, tick-munching backyard heroes deserve more love. Learn their wild facts: pouches full of tiny babies, playing dead like pros, snake venom resistance, and why they're secretly ecosystem superstars.

Then shift gears to the rising world of young adult romance graphic novels, where dreamy stories, figure skating rivals, and he...

Nicole explores the "Fourth Grade Slump"—the well-documented drop in reading comprehension scores that often occurs when students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Drawing from Daniel Willingham’s book "Why Don’t Students Like School?", she discusses how background knowledge is essential for understanding texts, why the gap widens along socioeconomic lines, and how prior exposure to ideas, vocabular...

This week: discover a selection of fresh arrivals at the library—from pulse-pounding thrillers and emotional romances to fascinating nonfiction and easy sheet-pan meals that make weeknight cooking a breeze.

Then join a lively debate on a groundbreaking California jury verdict holding tech giants accountable for the addictive design of social media and its impact on young users, raising timely questions about responsibility, p...

This week, Nicole breaks down agentic AI: what it really means, how open-source tools are enabling personal AI agents to run locally on your computer, and why this next-level technology could soon handle real-life tasks and ease daily mental load—along with important cautions.

Then Sara highlights the newest DVDs arriving in April, including the latest chapter in a hit horror franchise, intense independent thrillers, survival...

Dive into common eye conditions like astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, and presbyopia in this eye-opening episode. Learn what your glasses prescription really means, why the eye is so complex, and hear personal stories about vision challenges and fixes.

Then, explore the growing push to go analog: why some parents are ditching school laptops for pen and paper, research on better retention with handwriting, and how Gen Z is rediscover...

In this episode, Sara dives into the science behind snow—from how delicate ice crystals form and grow into intricate snowflakes, to the surprising facts about blizzards, record snowfalls, and why one inch of rain can equal up to 30 inches of fluffy powder. Plus hear her personal tale of getting stranded during a major storm and essential tips for winter driving safety.

Then, Nicole busts some common library myths: discover wh...

This week: Discover an exciting new exhibit opening soon, packed with hands-on activities, seasonal recipes, and creative ways to inspire healthier choices at home—from farm-to-table ideas to growing your own microgreens. Then, celebrate a special month dedicated to something we all cherish: libraries! Explore a curated selection of captivating reads featuring librarians as heroes, detectives, villains, and everything in betw...