For the literary minded, the newest way to learn about the Dakota County Library system, from its newest books to why e-books can take so long to reserve, began appearing in podcast feeds early in 2025. Between the Covers, hosted by Digital Service Manager Maureen Gormley and Library Technology Specialist Michael Lopez is Dakota County Library System’s podcast on everything from books to library services.
Despite neither being regular podcast listeners, a podcast for the Dakota County Library system was long something Lopez and Gormley had considered.
“We were looking for something we could do in the communications field,” said Gormley.
Together, the pair researched the equipment needed for podcasting from microphones to mixers to hosting sites, as well as looking into the format of other literary or library podcasts. Lopez cites a few other library podcasts as inspiration including Book Club for Masochists and Overdue Fines from the Edmonton Public Library.
“Two librarians doing research is a powerful thing,” said Lopez.
With a focus on promoting library services, interviewing staff, highlighting new books, and showcasing those library secrets that maybe “shouldn’t be secrets,” said Gormley, in January, Between the Covers launched.
The podcast episodes are around 30 minutes and have covered topics like reading resolutions, using the Wescott Library recording studio, to how to make the most of your library card.
“We purposely made it kind of ambiguous,” said Lopez.
Rather than focus in on a specific genre, the duo wanted the ability to change the scope and the focus of the podcast in the future.
A theme of the podcast is answering regular questions received from librarians ranging from why e-books have a long wait to where residents can drop off their library books to what the difference is between the Ramsey County Library and St. Paul Public Library. Gormley calls these issues “secret in the sense that everyone that works in libraries knows this, but it’s not intuitive to everyone.”
To that point, e-books, unlike physical books the library owns are rented. Sometimes the library has access for a set period of time, or for a set number of checkouts.
“It’s more akin to a lease situation,” said Gormley.
Getting access to these leases or renewing them is often much more expensive for a library as opposed to the discounts libraries often have for physical books which can further extend a timeline for getting them into a listener’s hand.
When explaining questions like e-book wait times, questions that many librarians are asked over and over again, “It is kind of nice to have a place to point to,” said Gormley.
Gormley and Lopez cover library services under the segment “I didn’t know the library had that.” While not covered in the podcast yet, Lopez specifically mentioned the Pleasant Hill Library iLab. The iLab is a creative space for residents of all ages with equipment available from 3-D printers to video and audio production equipment to VHS converters to sewing machines.
“I think a lot of people think maker’s spacers are for kids and they’re not,” said Lopez.
The podcast releases a new episode every three weeks and both Lopez and Gormley have high hopes for the podcast to grow to coordinate with other library events, host authors, and further answer the public’s burning library questions. The most recent episode was released Tuesday, Feb. 4, and features an interview with Dakota County Library Director Margaret Stone.