Matthew Winner is one busy librarian. In fact, it’s no wonder his blog is titled The Busy Librarian. A National Board Certified Teacher who is passionate and enthusiastic about the teaching profession, and a leading kid lit podcaster, Matthew Winner is a busy bee that is always on the go. We were lucky enough to catch up with him and make him KidLit TV’s Featured Expert of the month.
Matthew has always been motivated by the way children learn. As a librarian, he tries his best to include and celebrate a diverse population of learners and knows how important it is to meet the educational needs of every child. While some librarians and educators are iffy about including technology in a student’s curriculum, Matthew believes today’s technology can help improve literacy skills. He is a perfect example for the Library vs. Technology debate! In fact, some of his publications relate to this debate, including Teach Math With the Wii Engage Your K-7 Students Through Gaming Technology (Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education, 2013)
Matthew’s comprehensive knowledge has helped him develop library collections that reflect the instructional needs and interests of the students and staff. He has always loved books, especially those that have been featured on his Let’s Get Busy podcast.
The Let’s Get Busy podcast is just like a radio talk show, with Matthew as its fabulous and upbeat host. But instead of interviewing the next pop star or talking about the news or weather, Matthew dedicates his show to interviewing authors in the children’s literature world like Ame Dyckman, Jennifer Gray Olson, Adam Rex, and so many more. It was also a 2014 Edublog Awards Finalist for Best Educational Use of Media and has been devoted to teaching its listeners not only about the author, but what that author’s book has in store for parents, teachers and, of course, kids.
Check out KidLit TV’s interview with Matthew Winner!
What first inspired you to start the LGBPodcasts?
Get Busy came about from a combination of things. I regularly listen to podcasts including Nerdist, This American Life, RadioLab, and 99% Invisible. What struck me about listening to the Nerdist, in particular, was how the casual format lent itself to much deeper, more insightful conversations with guests. I had been thinking similarly about the experience of attending library conferences and all of the great conversations exchanged over drinks with librarians, authors, and illustrators. What struck me was an opportunity to share those entertaining and often insightful conversations with the rest of the reading community. With a little nudge from a friend, Let’s Get Busy was born within the next week.
What was one of the best experiences you’ve ever had on the show? Were there any bad experiences?
There are few criteria I maintain regarding who I talk with on the show. First, I have to feel a connection to the person or their work in some authentic way. If I didn’t genuinely like their books or the work they’re doing to serve our readers and the reading community, a conversation in the format I’ve established for the podcast would be very difficult. I’ve had some experiences on the show that have become memories I know I’ll hold onto for the rest of my life. One such was hearing Matt Cordell read the poem he wrote for his at-the-time infant child, whose birth followed a period of unrest and not knowing whether or not Matt and his wife would be able to have a child. Wish, his newest book, is inspired by this very period in Matt and his wife’s life. Another was hearing Dan Santat first describe Beekle, several weeks before it published. It was a moment that felt much like I was outside of the conversation and just listening in the same way my listeners do. I was completely enraptured with wonder. The bad experiences with the podcast are all related to faulty technology. Sometimes we lose recording quality because of a bad connection over Skype. A few times my recording equipment has failed and the entire recording is compromised. As much as I make efforts to make sure things run smoothly, it can be challenging to rely so heavily on web-based software.
Why is the show called LGBPodcast?
I started a blog back in 2010 called The Busy Librarian. Let’s Get Busy seemed like a natural extension to that flagship name. Plus, I love the idea that the thing keeping us all so busy is keeping up with good books. What an excellent problem to have!
Parents and teachers are always interested in literacy. How will they benefit from tuning into the show?
Knowing the person and the process behind the book is invaluable, as is the opportunity to glimpse at the origin from which book ideas spring. And knowing the story behind the book or, for that matter, a story about the person behind the book breathes life into that story and helps it to stay on the minds of readers for a much greater amount of time. Many of the teachers who listen to the show have told me that they’ve started using the podcast as a primary source when researching authors. And parents and teachers alike share often with me how much their children or students enjoyed a particular book they read which was brought to their attention because of Let’s Get Busy. It’s nice that the podcast has given people another reason to talk about books. That’s something I think we could never do too much.
Why do you think it’s important for libraries to be a big part of a child’s life?
Libraries are important to the life of a child because it’s perhaps the only space in which a child can ask any question he or she may have without fear of judgment or discrimination. It’s also in many cases the only time a child has freedom to select without question whatever he or she wants to read. I value libraries and the work of librarians for the opportunity to help connect children with their world and to help connect them with answers to their queries. Today every answer to every question is readily available to children and adults alike all at once. A librarian can help teach how to sort out what’s relevant to your need and how to evaluate if the information is accurate and comes from a reputable source. It’s my humble opinion that it’s a wonder anyone survives in life without the help of a good librarian.
Speaking of libraries vs. technology do you think literacy and libraries will benefit from technology?
Both libraries and literacy already benefit a great deal from technology. Technology provides access, which allows more people to consume more information in both print and digital formats. It also allows people to communicate in unparalleled ways thanks to social networks, video conferencing tools, and open collaborative software. We now speak of students being technology literate, meaning that they are versed in the language of technology skills and processes. I’d say it’s a really great time to be a kid.
You’ve created something wonderful for the kid lit community. If you had to give a speech about your work what would the opening line be?
I’m assembling an Allstar Kidlit DreamTeam kickball tournament, and I want you to know that you’re all members of my first draft pick.
What are some of your favorite books?
…first three books that come to my mind:
Three Chapter Books:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
George by Alex Gino
Three Graphic Novels:
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Astronaut Academy by Dave Roman
Rust by Royden Lepp
Three Picture Books:
Shhh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton
Hampire by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light
How have children inspired your work?
I’ve never spoken to an author or illustrator or even another librarian without thinking of my kids. They’re always on my mind, so it goes without saying that they are always influencing and inspiring my work.
What institutions are putting out great research on the benefits of reading for kids? Are there any studies that all librarians should check out?
That’s an easy one to google, but the resources I refer parents and friends to most often are The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, and the School Libraries Count survey published through the American Library Association. In general, staying involved with our national organizations is a way to stay abreast of new research, new tools for advocacy, and new statistics on impact. The American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) are all excellent places to start.
You can find all kinds of fun interviews on the LGB podcast. Be sure to also check out KidLit TV’s episode of the Let’s Get Busy podcast to find out about our history! You’ll be sure to get a few laughs.
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