Rephonic
Artwork for Circulating Ideas

Circulating Ideas

Steve Thomas
Libraries
Horror Literature
Carl Sagan
The Last Kids On Earth
Where You're Planted
American Library Association
Education
Children's Literature
Dungeons & Dragons
Long-Term Relationships
Artificial Intelligence
Science Communication
Generative AI
Weird Sad and Silent
Hurricane Harvey
Human Resources
Time Travel
Community Engagement
Grief
Bosnian War

the librarian interview podcast

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes101Founded15 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Circulating Ideas

Latest Episodes

Steve chats with Gene Ambaum, creator and writer of the webcomic Library Comic, about his new Library Game on Kickstarter, the origins and mechanics of the game, collaborating with his Library Comic artist Willow Payne to create the cards, and how re... more

Steve chats with Bobbi L. Newman and Sam Helmick about their recent Inside Higher Ed article, “The Case for a Professional Foundation in Librarianship,” about their spirited defense of the MLS degree, the shared ethical foundation that library school... more

Steve chats with Erin Jones, editor of the new 11th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual from the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom, about her winding path from theater studies into librarianship, how she reshaped th... more

Steve chats with Alma Katsu, author of the new book Incarnate, about her CIA background into early social media research, AI’s threat to creativity and authenticity, the story’s parallels with Picture of Dorian Gray, and the diversity of voices in th... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Libraries Lead!
Libraries Lead!Beth Patin, Dave Lankes, & Mike Eisenberg
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times
The Book Review
The Book ReviewThe New York Times

Recent Guests

Gene Ambaum
Writer of Library Comic; creator of Library Game
Library Comic
Episode: 323: Library Game Kickstarter with Gene Ambaum
Bobbi Newman
Librarian, author, professor, and consultant
Librarian/Academia
Episode: 322: The Case for a Professional Foundation in Librarianship, with Bobbi L. Newman and Sam Helmick
Sam Helmick
Community and Access Services Coordinator at Iowa City Public Library; former ALA president
Iowa City Public Library
Episode: 322: The Case for a Professional Foundation in Librarianship, with Bobbi L. Newman and Sam Helmick
Erin Jones
Editor of the 11th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual
American Library Association – Office for Intellectual Freedom
Episode: 321: Intellectual Freedom Manual, with Erin Jones
Alma Katsu
Author
Author of Incarnate
Episode: 320: Incarnate by Alma Katsu – Summer Reading Spectacular 2026
Araminta Hall
Author of Unreliable Narrator
Author
Episode: 319: Unreliable Narrator by Araminta Hall – Summer Reading Spectacular 2026
Kerri Maher
Author of Summer of Love
Author
Episode: 318: Summer of Love by Kerri Maher – Summer Reading Spectacular 2026
Laura Sims
Librarian and author of The Man
Episode: 317: The Man by Laura Sims – Summer Reading Spectacular 2026
Zach Weinersmith
Creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal; author of Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home
Independent author/creator
Episode: 316: Sawyer Lee and the Quest to Just Stay Home by Zach Weinersmith – Summer Reading Spectacular 2026

Host

Steve Thomas
Host of Circulating Ideas

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 47 ratings
  • Love the summer author interview

    Hi Steve,

    Longtime listener. Just want to say I’m really enjoying the summer author series, especially the read-alike suggestions and Novelist tips.

    Kirsten

    Librarian in Ontario.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Smith613
    Canada2 years ago
  • Thanks to Circulating Ideas!

    Thank to Steve for giving a voice to librarians & the issues that impact our communities!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Librarian Troy
    United States5 years ago
  • đź’ˇ Love it! đź’ˇ

    Steve’s thoughtfulness shines through in each episode and I always find a gem (or several) in every discussion. Although library-centric, people in government, education, and evening social services professions will also benefit from list being this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LibraryHillary
    United States7 years ago
  • Timely and Informative

    Steve always picks great guests and topics to discuss. I am not a librarian, but I still find this show fascinating and look forward to hearing the variety of educational and intellectual voices on the pod. I highly encourage anyone who is interested in library science, education, publishing, or cultural discussion to give this a listen.

    The more podcasts like this, the better off we will all be.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    The Monarchist
    United States8 years ago
  • Terry Gross of Librarians

    This is quintessential listening to librarians and those who are interested in the library field. Steve is a great interviewer with excellent guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    yolaleah
    United States10 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is a must-listen for librarians and library students.
Listeners praise the host's thoughtful interviewing style and robust library focus.
Guests consistently receive high praise for expertise and relevance to library culture.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

323: Library Game Kickstarter with Gene Ambaum
Q: How is fulfillment and add-ons handled for Kickstarter backers?
They use BackerKit to manage add-ons and shipping, aiming to set prices closer to actual costs and offering backers the option to add items and review shipping impact before finalizing orders.
323: Library Game Kickstarter with Gene Ambaum
Q: What were the biggest design considerations during development?
Balancing the spectrum of problem patrons and staff, translating comic characters into playable cards, and deciding how to reveal contents in preview materials without spoiling surprises.
323: Library Game Kickstarter with Gene Ambaum
Q: Where did the idea for a Library Game come from?
It sprang from wanting a game about libraries that is easy to teach but has enough depth, using mechanics inspired by games like Five Crowns and letting library staff and problem patrons clash in fun, chaotic ways.
322: The Case for a Professional Foundation in Librarianship, with Bobbi L. Newman and Sam Helmick
Q: But what do you think people misunderstand about the role of the MLS degree? What does that degree really bring to the table?
It reminds us of the fundamentals and core values of the profession and provides a professional, ethical framework that guides decisions about access, privacy, intellectual freedom, and public good, beyond the specific cataloging or technical tasks.
321: Intellectual Freedom Manual, with Erin Jones
Q: How does the book address adversarial environments and challenges to intellectual freedom?
It emphasizes proactive advocacy, community engagement, and practical steps such as policy templates, reconsideration processes, and guidance on communicating with stakeholders, so staff feel supported and prepared.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Circulating Ideas

What is Circulating Ideas about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Circulating Ideas centers on in-depth conversations with librarians, authors, archivists, and information professionals, with a recurring focus on libraries, archives, censorship, education, and publishing. Episodes pair author interviews with library-driven perspectives, exploring writing craft, information literacy, and the role of libraries in media and culture. A distinctive element is the Cirque Desk/Desk segments that offer read-alikes and actionable recommendations, making it useful for listeners who want concrete book suggestions and context around library and education topics.

Where can I find podcast stats for Circulating Ideas?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Circulating Ideas. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Circulating Ideas and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Circulating Ideas get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Circulating Ideas, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Circulating Ideas?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Circulating Ideas, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Circulating Ideas have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Circulating Ideas has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Circulating Ideas?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Circulating Ideas:

1. Libraries Lead!
2. Throughline
3. Up First from NPR
4. The Daily
5. The Book Review

How many episodes of Circulating Ideas are there?

Circulating Ideas launched 15 years ago and published 101 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Circulating Ideas?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Circulating Ideas?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Circulating Ideas from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Circulating Ideas?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Circulating Ideas. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Circulating Ideas?

Recent guests on Circulating Ideas include:

1. Gene Ambaum
2. Bobbi Newman
3. Sam Helmick
4. Erin Jones
5. Alma Katsu
6. Araminta Hall
7. Kerri Maher
8. Laura Sims

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days