Matt Naylor, Interim Director at the Clark County Public Library, wraps up the year with a round-up of all the new happenings at the library for 2025.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Northridge and Tuttle Branches - Take a look at the newest CCPL locations through construction snapshots and photos from the grand opening celebrations. Be sure to visit in person, say hello to staff, and see all the fantastic things these new branches have to offer!
• Library of Things - A Library of Things breaks the mold of what a library typically offers with items ranging from board games, cones for driving test practice, CD players, book magnifiers, and much more. Plus, why buy when you can borrow? Check out the Bicycles tab for more information on the Bike Borrowing Program.
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities going on at the Clark County Public Library!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

Amanda chats about International Games Month and National Novel Writing Month and the Reference staff share their favorite games.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Great Courses Library Edition - Available through Libby Extras, The Great Courses Library Collection is a video on demand service brought to you by The Great Courses. With thousands of in-depth videos by the world's greatest professors, you'll always have something fascinating to learn about. There are never any commercials no matter how much you watch, and you can pause, rewind, fast forward or re-watch as often as you like. The best part is, it's free with your library card! Check out a 7-day pass through the Libby app and take a look at the Literature category for courses such as The Art of Storytelling, Writing Great Fiction, and How to Publish your Book!
• Gale Courses - Gale Courses offers a wide range of highly interactive, instructor led courses that you can take entirely online. As a library card holder in good standing, you are entitled to these courses at no cost. Courses run for six weeks and new sessions begin every month. Looking to brush up on your writing skills? Check out the Writing and Publishing category for courses like Beginning Writer's Workshop, Keys to Effective Editing, Beginner's Guide to Getting Published and many more!
• Board Games at CCPL - Did you know you can check out board games at the library? We also have TTRPG books and boxed sets! The weather outside is getting frightful, so stop by the library and plan your next cozy family game night. Once the weather warms up, be sure to check out the outdoor games available in our Library of Things!
• Video Games at CCPL - Get your game on with the library! Our collection includes games for PlayStation, Nintendo, and XBox (consoles not included).
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities mentioned in this episode and all of the other fun you can find at the Clark County Public Library!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

Listeners beware, you're in for a scare!

Come one, come all! The winners of the 2025 Spooky Short Story Contest are here to send shivers down your spine. Pull up a chair and listen to these tales of terror written by local young authors.

6-8 Runner-Up: "The Pumpkin Book" by Dylan (00:01:59)

6-8 Winner: "The Three Witches" by Riley, read by CCPL staff (00:04:39)

9-12 Runner-Up: "12.07" by Devyn (00:09:19)

9-12 Winner: "Turndown Service" by Matthew (00:14:33)

Teen Runner-Up: "The Puppeteer" by Lillianna (00:20:17)

Teen Winner: "The Crib" by Devyn, read by CCPL staff (00:27:12)

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

Riddle me this, riddle me that, when is the day we celebrate the Bat...man? September 20th is Batman Day and some of our staff are very excited about it! Join Library Assistant Skye Perez and IT Manager Jonathan Knight as they share their love of all things Batman.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Batman in the CCPL Collection - From comics to books, movies to games, and much more! Check out all of the Batman items available from CCPL.
• Comics on Hoopla - Whether you're looking for the classic Detective Comics, the new Absolute Batman, or anything in between, take a look at Hoopla's comics section for all your Dark Knight needs!
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities going on at your library!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

Patron Advocate Katie Miller and Reference Librarian Zoë Spangler rejoin Amanda in the booth for a comedy cavalcade! Katie gives insight into comedy and mental health while Zoë stumps her cohosts with top comedy film trivia.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Funny and Female - In honor of the first lady of comedy, Lucille Ball, check out some of these great films featuring other funny ladies. List courtesy of IMDb.com.
• Must-Read Humor - A mix of witty, satirical, and offbeat reads—this list blends classic humor with irreverent twists for laughs in all forms. From NoveList Plus, a trusted source of expert read-alike recommendations, available through libraries around the world.
• Spooky Short Story Contest - Attention young writers! It's time for the annual CCPL Spooky Short Story Contest! Open to Clark County residents age 6-18 (and still in high school), full contest details and submission requirements can be found on the library's website.
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities mentioned in this episode and many, many more!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

We're halfway through the 2025 Summer Challenge and halfway through the year. That makes this the perfect time to catch up with our January guests, Cathy Reid and Cindy Firman, to see how their yearly reading challenges are going.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Color Our World: Summer Challenge 2025 - Check out our website for more information on the Summer Challenge, how to participate, and all the great programs and events this summer at CCPL!
• Beanstack - Sign up with Beanstack to log your Summer Challenge activities for the chance to earn freebies and be entered in the grand prize drawings! Download the Beanstack Tracker app or visit the website at ccplohio.beanstack.org.
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities mentioned in this episode and many, many more!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

It's Summer Challenge time! Catie Stewart and Sonya Knisley return to give us the scoop on Clark County Public Library's 2025 Summer Challenge. This year's theme is Color Our World and the challenge runs from June 1st through July 31st. Be sure to sign up early and check out all the fun happening at your library!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Color Our World: Summer Challenge 2025 - Check out our website for more information on the Summer Challenge, how to participate, and all the great programs and events this summer at CCPL!
• Beanstack - Sign up with Beanstack to log your Summer Challenge activities for the chance to earn freebies and be entered in the grand prize drawings! Download the Beanstack Tracker app or visit the website at ccplohio.beanstack.org.
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities mentioned in this episode and many, many more!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.

Your presence is requested at The Information Place. You'll be joining your host, Amanda, and other esteemed guests, Cathy Hackett and Allison Peck, for a delightful evening of murder, mystery, and mayhem. And we would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids!

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Great Courses - The Libby app has more to offer than great eBooks. Available through Libby Extras, The Great Courses offers engaging and understandable lectures by esteemed professors, professionals, and experts in topics ranging from history, better living, science, language learning, and much more. Checking out a 7-day pass gives you access to the full The Great Courses Library Collection including The Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction taught by Professor David Schmid, Ph.D.
• Kanopy - Kanopy has over 30,000 documentaries, classic, and indie films available to Clark County Public Library cardholders. Looking for some of the British detective shows we mentioned in the episode? You're in luck! Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders, and Father Brown are all available through Kanopy.
• Five Minute Mysteries - Check out this link to the Internet Archive for eighty-two stories from the Five Minute Mysteries radio show. Originally aired on the Mutual Broadcasting Network from August of 1947 to March of 1950, Five Minute Mysteries offered guest panelists the opportunity to play detective and guess the perpetrator before the solution to the crime was revealed at the end of the episode.
• CCPL Events - Learn about the events and activities mentioned in this episode including the Mental Health Resource Fair, Tunes-n-Tales: There Was A Party For Langston, and many, many more!

The Information Place is a podcast of the Clark County Public Library in Springfield, Ohio. For more information about the library, visit our website at ccplohio.org.