Libraries Lead!

Libraries Lead! is a provocative podcast about all things information & library hosted by Beth Patin (Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, Syracuse U), Dave Lankes (Professor, iSchool, U of Texas), and Mike Eisenberg (Dean/Professor Emeritus, iSchool, U of Washington). Information age opportunities and challenges affect every aspect of human existence. We wrestle with such topics as social justice, political unrest, mis- and dis-information, kids, family and adult living; education and learning; work, employment, training and jobs; recreation, entertainment, and play; disasters & emergency preparedness with a focus on libraries & information science, services, and systems. 4 segments in approx. 1 hour: WAZZUP, AI WATCH, MAIN TOPIC, and AWESOME LIBRARY THINGY. For Resources & References for All Episodes please go to: https://tinyurl.com/libleadresources

Libraries Lead! is a education podcast hosted by Beth Patin, Dave Lankes, & Mike Eisenberg, with 58 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Beth Patin, Dave Lankes, & Mike Eisenberg hosts Libraries Lead!, a education show with 58 episodes published.

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  Episode #52

  Episode 52 (Sept 2026): Information Shock!

  Sep 1, 20261h 4mS6

  Every so often the way we make information changes enough that the field built around it must rebuild. It happened after WWII when a flood of scientific data and the digital computer turned librarianship into library and information science. It is happening again. This time the cause is a machine you can talk to. When learning happens inside a conversation, there is no document left to check, and AI literacy runs out of things to grip. Generative AI triggers a major "information shock"—a fundamental disruption on par with the printing press or digital computer that forces fundamental changes in how we create, store, retrieve, use, and evaluate information. Dave makes the case; Beth and Mike push back.

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  Episode #51

  Episode 51 (May 2026): The Changing Contours of the Information Field

  May 1, 20261h 11mS6

  This episode examines the ascent of library science education from the academic periphery to becoming central to the modern university within Information Schools (iSchools). Over the past fifty years, the field has transformed from a niche, single-degree program into broad-based, robust, multi-program iSchool powerhouses with significant research funding and enrollments. But, iSchools exist within universities, and universities today are facing a "perfect storm" of severe enrollment declines ( the 2026 demographic cliff), mounting fiscal pressures, and a shifting cultural landscape. One “solution” taken by some is to merge and consolidate schools and departments. According to recent 2025–2026 data, nearly 20% of university presidents have engaged in serious merger discussions. This is called, the "Great Consolidation." In this episode we examine the implications of this consolidation, and whether it is the right move or misguided in relation to the field, universities, and society.

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  Episode #50

  Episode 50 (April 2026): Open Doors: Libraries as Sanctuary Space

  Mar 31, 202657 minS6

  Libraries aspire to be a place where everyone belongs — and in Episode 50, we explore what that commitment looks like in today's world. Far from simply reaffirming tradition, libraries are actively expanding their roles, From welcoming undocumented community members without fear, to opening their doors to neighbors experiencing homelessness, to providing access and safe spaces for student well-being in schools, libraries are fulfilling their function as true public sanctuaries. At the same time, the reversal of federal protected areas policies has put libraries in a new and uncertain position, with staff navigating real questions about how to keep their doors open and welcoming to all. Library leaders are also navigating the very real tension between serving their most vulnerable patrons and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment where families and community members of all backgrounds feel welcome. We talk policy, we talk heart, and we talk about the librarians and staff who show up every day to make sure no one is turned away.

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  Episode #49

  Episode 49 (March 2026): It's a Crime! And, that's an INFORMATION Problem.

  Mar 1, 20261h 6mS6

  America's obsession with crime, from Serial to Investigation Discovery marathons, runs deep, and libraries are right there with our patrons, stocking the thrillers and hosting the book clubs. But in Episode 49, Dave, Beth, and Mike ask a harder question: what lies beneath every cold case, wrongful conviction, and uninvestigated crime? The answer, again and again, is an information failure. Witness statements that never get digitized. Rape kit backlogs numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women who vanish from official databases as easily as they vanish from news coverage. Algorithms trained on biased data that tell police where to patrol and judges who to detain. From the Golden State Killer's multi-decade run across jurisdictions that weren't sharing data, to the Nancy Guthrie abduction case and the stark disparities it reveals about whose stories get resources, this episode explores how the architecture of information systems shapes who gets justice, and who gets erased. NOTE: This episode discusses true crime cases and includes discussions of violent crime, sexual assault missing persons cases, and the systematic failures that leave victims and families without justice.

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  Libraries Lead!

  Episode 48 (February 2026): Can Mad Libs be Masterpieces? AI and The Arts!

  Feb 1, 202659 min

  Some say it’s theft, some call Generative AI a collaborator, many see the underpinnings of AI as simply remixing what is. Yet, the ideas of theft, remixing, and collaboration are all firmly founded in the arts. From pop art to hip hop, the idea of creation through imitation and derivation has a long tradition. Renaissance painters learned and made a living from copying their masters. Song covers like Luke Comb’s Fast Car and, yes, even The Beatles “Twist and Shout” have become more well known than the originals. In this episode we look at AI filling our playlists, our literary magazines, and gulp, even our library shelves. Does an embrace of AI alienate institutions like libraries from their communities, or is it an embrace of a new creative medium? How do you draw the line between AI slop and AI assist?

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