Welcome to Checked Out, a monthly podcast from Lancaster Public Library! Each episode offers insights into books, community resources, upcoming programs, and the many ways Lancaster Public Library connects people with information, ideas, and enriching experiences. Join us for engaging conversations as we explore diverse perspectives, celebrate storytelling, and give you a behind the scenes look at library operations. Subscribe now to be part of our ongoing story at Lancaster Public Library.
#CheckedOut, Episode 10Theodore and Amanda discuss their current reads, including a trip to the pacific northwest and its history of unsavory activities. Tune in next time for a special interview with our Collection Development Librarian, Sue!
Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 9 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
Murderland by Caroline Fraser - https://tinyurl.com/3ps6hy6c
The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva - https://tinyurl.com/389eehn6
The Unreal and the Real by Ursula K Le Guin - https://tinyurl.com/yrnzyebb
Japan (Lonely Planet Travel Guide) - https://tinyurl.com/4vyat3j4
3 Jul 2026
The History of Summer Reading Part Two | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 9.75
With Summer Reading at Lancaster Public Library in full swing, Amanda and Theodore take a look at the history of Summer Reading in libraries, bookstores, and popular reading.
In the second part of their discussion, they explore how Summer Reading evolved into the nationwide event that it is today, and even the corporate interests that further expanded its reach.
Ready to Unearth a Story at Lancaster Public Library? Visit this link: https://lancasterpubliclibrary.org/summer-reading-2026/
3 Jul 2026
The History of Summer Reading | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 9.5
With Summer Reading at Lancaster Public Library in full swing, Amanda and Theodore take a look at the history of Summer Reading in libraries, bookstores, and popular reading.
In part one of their discussion, they look at both local and national sources to paint a full picture of Summer Reading from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century. Make sure to check back for part two!
Ready to Unearth a Story at Lancaster Public Library? Visit this link: https://lancasterpubliclibrary.org/summer-reading-2026/
3 Jul 2026
Murakami, Monsters, and More | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 9
At the start of Episode 9, Theodore and Amanda discuss their currents reads which include the summer of 1816, trailblazing female authors, and some of Murakami's oddities. Tune in next time for the conclusion of Episode 9 and a discussion of the history of Summer Reading.
Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 9 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami - https://tinyurl.com/ynm5ps6u
Love & Other Monsters by Emily Franklin - https://tinyurl.com/y4s8r8s6
Shakespeare's Sisters by Ramie Targoff - https://tinyurl.com/mwmyw574
26 May 2026
Meet the Director of Library Services | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 8.5
Episode 8 concludes with Theodore's interview of our Director of Library Services, Jill Westen.
Check out some of the books described by Jill in this episode!
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland: https://tinyurl.com/58h8588z
Bamboo Kingdom: Creatures of the Flood by Erin Hunter: https://tinyurl.com/2p9z5mzf
18 May 2026
Spring Reads
#CheckedOut, Episode 8
At the start of Episode 8, Theodore and Amanda discuss their current spring reads, which include cannibals, book eaters, and even the Welsh! Tune in next week for the conclusion of the episode to meet our new Director of Library Services, Jill Westen.
Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 8 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
Tomorrow Will Be Better by Betty Smith - https://tinyurl.com/5cjxp3rj
The Butcher's Daughter by David Demchuk and Corinne Leigh Clark - https://tinyurl.com/4j6596pk
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - https://tinyurl.com/ycxyar7v
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor - https://tinyurl.com/35h9nj5u
How To Be a Good Leader When You've Never Had One by Mick Hunt - https://tinyurl.com/mprrrvhz
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - https://tinyurl.com/7avzabnb
Clear by Carys Davis - https://tinyurl.com/4bcjccd4
28 Apr 2026
Meet the Manager of Children and Teen Services | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 7
This month, Amanda interviews our Manager of Children and Teen Services, Christine Landis, to discuss the joys of youth literacy, the bridge between children's librarianship and adult readers, and her favorite children's literature.
Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 6 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
Herculine by Grace Byron - https://tinyurl.com/3rfrvuhn
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor - https://tinyurl.com/yr444zcd
The Great Secret by Jennet Conant - https://tinyurl.com/4mnmdzky
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton - https://tinyurl.com/4y7a4uuk
Tow Truck Joe Makes a Splash by June Sobel - https://tinyurl.com/5xk64x9h
2:48 - What We're Reading Now
13:15 - Interview with Christine Landis
38:55 - Outro
*This month's episode does not have video due to a technical error of Theodore not pressing the record button on his phone.
16 Mar 2026
March Madness | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 6
This month, Amanda and Theodore catch bracket fever and pit eight iconic book characters against each other in a bid to find out who the best character in literature really is!
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davis - https://tinyurl.com/25sza5u9
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield - https://tinyurl.com/247etykx
Ruin Their Crops on the Ground by Andrea Freeman - https://tinyurl.com/2embcrk2
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - https://tinyurl.com/mvp6pam3
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - https://tinyurl.com/2xf6u22u
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman - https://tinyurl.com/7424ap4r
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - https://tinyurl.com/yrw8b2es
Macbeth by William Shakespeare - https://tinyurl.com/36dkavv4
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - https://tinyurl.com/wtw3mtcf
The Giver by Lois Lowry - https://tinyurl.com/nf66advv
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - https://tinyurl.com/yy62vd3r
3:30 - What We're Reading Now
8:42 - The Character Bracket
38:55 - Outro
18 Feb 2026
Workplace Rivalry | Checked Out
#CheckedOut, Episode 5In the fifth episode of Checked Out, Amanda and Theodore discuss their current reads and break down their buddy read of "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry.
21 Jan 2026
A Lifetime of Library Service
#CheckedOut, Episode 4
In the fourth episode of Checked Out, Amanda and Theodore discuss their current reads and interview a very special guest, Kathy Leader. During her 50 years of service at Lancaster Public Library, Kathy has an almost unlimited supply of fantastic stories, and she shares a few of them with us!Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 4 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
0:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c)-Intro
2:23 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=129s)-What We're Reading
12:57 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=964s)-Interview With Kathy Leader
36:02 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=2117s)-Outro/End
Orbital by Samantha Harvey - https://tinyurl.com/4f5y7sp8The Merge by Grace Walker - https://tinyurl.com/ys9nuc5y
16 Dec 2025
Season's Readings
#CheckedOut, Episode 3
In the third episode of Checked Out, Amanda and Theodore discuss their current reads, cope with the holiday blues while breaking down their buddy read of "The Dead" by James Joyce, and "gift" each other some reading recommendations. Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 3 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
0:00 - Intro/What We're Reading Now
9:41 - Discussion of The Dead by James Joyce
25:12 - Giving the Gift of Reading...To Each Other!
40:34 - Outro/EndThe Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - https://tinyurl.com/5ftnjhvb
The Bluestockings: A History of the First Women's Movement by Susannah Gibson - https://tinyurl.com/465c3caf
Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine - https://tinyurl.com/3nm9wayk
Dubliners by James Joyce - https://tinyurl.com/4ayemx8sTime of the Child by Niall Williams - https://tinyurl.com/56tr5hxc
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski - https://tinyurl.com/2nzea7kb
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura - https://tinyurl.com/ycxy4z38
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro - https://tinyurl.com/2pruh99e
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz - https://tinyurl.com/y8bzt5k2
17 Nov 2025
Meet the Library's Executive Director Lissa Holland
In the second episode of Checked Out, Amanda and Theodore are excited to introduce you to Lissa Holland, Lancaster Public Library's Executive Director.
Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 2 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
0:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c)-Intro
2:09 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=129s)-What We're Reading
16:04 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=964s)-Interview With Lissa Holland
35:17 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5steyrtY4c&t=2117s)-Wrapping It Up!
The Witching Tide by Margaret Meyer - https://tinyurl.com/7ay93fyk (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbW5id2t6U0pXSmZTdU0zREtVbi1fM3RxRkdYQXxBQ3Jtc0tuMEc3OF9UNmFHdHd6OWNJV2JUZ2R2SXE3d01naTl0YXVvNVdjSmRHOW9jQmpRSTl2V2pwX0ZQVG9zT2U3Sk5NNG9NWFd6a19jckFtN0RoS3hjQnpwcThrMnlUMHg2cng0b3VGanEtRDlFZGZRWlZuWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2F7ay93fyk&v=u5steyrtY4c)
The Five : The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - https://tinyurl.com/28ezbxas (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTU5cElmOHplSmVlZVFMalhVVURkQTNuVFNnZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsVm8xeWFkYXRyUjlVMWdiM2RJYmhtaHF2ZEhId3Jyc3ZKUHJPVEZWUTQzWXEzRE9PMjRWOWJjcmo5blVsZ3hzelBRTmtZcllaNThxdlI1MkNRNVE3SkpoNHBYRndiMjhLN3VKSzN6Wl92NXU3RzBwSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2F28ezbxas&v=u5steyrtY4c)
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - https://tinyurl.com/yv5vun3u (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk5XcnVmWUUteUtlY25iUV90QXRjT2NzdUlmUXxBQ3Jtc0tsTmRhaklYV2Q5cnVHdXNuRmJHaHY2Xzl0WnhDaE1LSS04Q2VMbXA0V2dMM3hualZXVDhfNVI4ZGNJM3A5a2MySDhwc3RWazdzY3FrVmJ4cnAzTng0cGw3ZXRaUHNPU3dLQnBRSkFwT2pTclRac1Znbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fyv5vun3u&v=u5steyrtY4c)
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings - https://tinyurl.com/ye29pn4m (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXJ5dlRheVdwV1B5WjVNblJZTVZkcnBEX1NVUXxBQ3Jtc0ttY2ozamJmcnp3LVVfUkVEM19QaVFKNnluNk42Nm53djFoREJ4OEtXTG14RkkyR21NMHVGMDFXbmJiNmk3QVhXZjlCNVBtYUxfNnpDY0oxYklXTkVEWVIwdnVZUUhXQnpNTDZJZzM4M0NqM1JSN0xBcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fye29pn4m&v=u5steyrtY4c)
This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud - https://tinyurl.com/2ecu8r9r (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3hjSXgwUUs2M3FoeFIwVWpYcUtZYnEtSjVDUXxBQ3Jtc0tsOGc2SVEwcXpBOXJ2M1ZKUXlhSkFFNUlNLW9VX3oxWmVtdEQ0M0xXNlBuLXZSbmQwa1pUbmhwQkZXaXh1cGVLbjY0UnMyZGU5eklnVm9YZkZLSGpUZTZZVVpDMGRPMmVhSXo2ZkZZM1pPQUNOZ09RUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2F2ecu8r9r&v=u5steyrtY4c)
Check out https://www.hoopladigital.com/ (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazR0WHpfbUlZYmFxY3h2VzJER1R4d2VBand2QXxBQ3Jtc0trVUtSTFJoekJ5cC12dm4tWkcxVkp6VHUzMnF0NjE1MUhWUERIUEJXQkxNWHZtYWN0Z3V6Z1Q3bjd6UkVCQTNMTXlEbXd2dDZjVV8yWGZzUGRHVTBCS044Nms3TUhqeERaR1JPOUdkMUtBRmg2clM1VQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopladigital.com%2F&v=u5steyrtY4c) for all of your audiobook needs, injury-related or otherwise!
22 Oct 2025
Scary, Spooky, and Just Plain Silly
Amanda and Theodore discuss their current reads, get into a spooky mood while breaking down their buddy read of The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, and take a look at some visually disturbing book covers...from a graphic design perspective. Check out the links below to see the books discussed in episode 1 and request them from Lancaster Public Library.
The Secret Life of Cecily Larson (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1784340__SThe%20Hidden%20Life%20of%20Cecily%20Larson__Orightresult__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Ellen Baker
Muppets in Moscow (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1761244__SMuppets%20in%20Moscow__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Natasha Lance Rogoff
The Hounding (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1828712__Sthe%20hounding__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Xenobe Purvis
The Unworthy (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1822318__Sthe%20unworthy__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Agustina Bazterrica
In the Lonely Hours (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1791071__SIn%20the%20Lonely%20Hours__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Shannon Morgan
We Came to Welcome You (https://search.lancasterlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1804587__Swe%20came%20to%20welcome%20you__Orightresult__U__X7?lang=eng&suite=def) by Vincent Tirado
Timestamps
(00:00) - Intro
(03:40) - What We're Reading
(09:42) - Introduction to Discussion on The Unworthy
(12:21) - Synopsis of The Unworthy
(13:16) - Main Discussion of The Unworthy
(29:29) - Final Thoughts on The Unworthy
(36:32) - Covers Only a Publisher Could Love
(45:20) - Wrapping It Up!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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