Between The Stacks

Local author A.J. Coleman debuts the first book in her Happy Hallomentary series titled Welcome to Life (and the fifth grade). The book follows Frankie Stein, a one-month-old green robot who is nervous about entering the fifth grade in a school for Halloween creatures. His classmates include witches, spiders, ghosts, and trolls, and their principal is an extra large pumpkin with creeping vines. In the series, aimed at ages...

Representatives from mental health support groups talk with library outreach coordinator, Lauren Tubbs, about services available in Limestone County. Alicia Davila from Pearl Behavioral Health Services stresses the need to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Neal Vickers from NAMI highlights the importance of peer support and education. Jeff Hastings from ROSS discusses the correlation between substance use d...

Lisa Hoffman, Museum Curator at Athens State University, talks about the traveling quilt exhibit celebrating Black History on display through March 7.  Originating from Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee, the exhibit features quilts honoring Black Americans who have made important contributions in literature, science, medicine, technology, and patriotism. She talks about the rich history of qu...

Brian "Fox" Ellis, author and storyteller, previews his role in the 2025 Festival of Cranes. Portraying John James Audubon, Brian depicts the artist and naturalist who traveled over 30 years to wilderness areas painting and documenting over 400 bird species. The Festival of Cranes is an annual event and celebrates the birds, featuring the sandhill and whooping cranes, that winter at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Br...

Local author and Calhoun Community College English Instructor, Bradley Sides, talks about his writing journey. He began writing in college and published his first story in 2014. After his first book, Those Fantastic Lives, was released in 2021 critics called him "an exciting new voice in fiction." His second book, Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause The Flood, has been described as "a traveling carnival filled with pond monsters,...

When Alabama author Heather L. Montgomery isn’t writing children’s books, you might find her hanging out in trees or catching bugs. Her passion for uncovering the mysteries of the natural world have ignited the curiosity of countless numbers of kids. Heavily researched topics from roadkill to mummies to animal poop, she frames many of her books as mysteries challenging readers to investigate both the gross and cool facts o...

The Athens Storytelling Festival, held annually the last weekend in October, hosts master storytellers spinning tales from life, legends, memories, and inspiration. This year the library partnered with the festival and hosted a workshop led by storyteller Carol Cain from La Grange, Georgia for those interested in this unique art form. In this podcast they share their stories - from a runaway circus elephant to an ‘accident...

Calhoun Community College faculty members discuss the Common Read 2024-2025. Dr. Symmetris Gohanna, Bradley Sides, and Brandi Gindhart of the English, Literature, and Composition programs introduce this year's theme on disability awareness. They highlight programs being held throughout the year to bring students and the community together through the experience of reading a common text. The two books selections for the Com...

Dr. Kem Roper, college professor and Writing Center Director at Athens State University, discusses the upcoming Summer Writing Summit featuring interactive sessions and workshops designed to guide writers of all genres. From resumes and research papers to creative fiction and poetry, the Writing Center at Athens State is a year round resource helping writers sharpen their skills.

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Heidi Stinnett and Madison Herron from the Limestone County Council on Aging discuss programs designed to enhance recreation, socialization, independence, and vitality for older adults. This important resource helps with with transportation, nutrition, and prescriptions, but perhaps most popular are their outings in the community. From picnics and walks in the park to shopping and bingo, there is always something fun plann...

Cydney Amos Honaker from the Athens Women's Resource Center talks about their services which include pregnancy testing, prenatal counseling, parenting and birth education, ultrasounds, and more. They rely on community donations to provide a free baby boutique and they welcome volunteers to help run their Community Baby Shower! 

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Medicare Chick, Lauri King, brings clarity to the medicare confusion. From open enrollment to special elections and the latest benefits, Lauri brings her 20 years of expertise to answer questions and sound the alert on potential pitfalls when signing up for Medicare.

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Have questions about this episode? Email askalibrarian@alcpl.org 
Music from Pixabay   

Yolanda Turner is a domestic violence survivor from an early abusive marriage. She was able to turn her life around after much spiritual reflection and authored the book  Morning Glory  - a 52-week devotional featuring scripture passages with commentary and personal stories of application from Yolanda s own experience with the message. In this inspirational podcast she highlights domestic violence awareness and talks about...

A conversation with authors A.E. Chewning and James C. Chewning. Living in Athens, A.E. Chewning draws upon the rich history and local folklore to inspire her paranormal novels, including one based on the Athens Houston Memorial Library. James C. Chewning is a motivational speaker and has written Success Defined by Me: A Guide to Developing a Personal Success Plan and how to Implement It. Listen to their conversation about...

On a business retreat to the Yucatan, Dr. Jodi Green was detained at a Mexican airport for having a pistol in her luggage, despite following airline protocol for carrying a firearm. What transpired was a 28-day life changing incarceration in a Mexican jail cell. How she navigated the daily harsh reality of prison life, and the mindset it took to cope until her release, became the basis of what she calls The Purple Principl...

A conversation with Olivia Wade, Case Manager for AIDB. As a young child growing up with low vision, Olivia talks about how AIDB gave her tools she needed to become an independent adult. Now, working for AIDB, she is able to share both her story and expertise to individuals in the deaf and blind community looking for answers. She talks about the multitude of services offered and also does some myth busting. 

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