Episode

Beyond books: How public libraries are changing

Podcast: MPR News with Angela Davis
Published: Aug 20, 2026
Duration seconds: 2827
Processing state: not_requested
Canonical source: https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2026/08/20/more-than-books-what-your-local-library-has-to-offer
Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/VnCzW2iO9G8z4eDWfXCd/play.publicradio.org/podcast/o/minnesota/podcasts/angela-davis/2026/08/20/ad-libraries_20260820_64.mp3?awCollectionId=apm-ADavis&awEpisodeId=01M0DG3EK6VJHN5P49H2JAR5BZ
JSON: /v1/public/podcasts/mpr-news-with-angela-davis-239489/episodes/beyond-books-how-public-libraries-are-changing
Markdown: /podcast/mpr-news-with-angela-davis-239489/beyond-books-how-public-libraries-are-changing.md

Actions

POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/mpr-news-with-angela-davis-239489/episodes/beyond-books-how-public-libraries-are-changing/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/mpr-news-with-angela-davis-239489/beyond-books-how-public-libraries-are-changing.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

Summary

Your local library has more to offer than a good book. A library card can connect you with job-search help, classes and events, computers, free or discounted tickets to museums and even 3D printing. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her guests about the wide range of resources libraries provide, how to access them and how the role of public libraries is changing. Guests: Jennifer Baker is community relations manager for Metropolitan Library Services Agency , or MELSA, which supports eight public library systems across the Twin Cities. She works to connect people with the resources and services available through the region’s libraries. Maureen Hartman is the director of St. Paul Public Libraries . She oversees its library branches, mobile library and online services.