Fifty-one percent of Americans age 12+ listened to podcasts in the last year, according to 2019 data from Edison Research; nearly a quarter listen to podcasts weekly. At KCLS, a 30% increase in downloadable audiobook circulation also shows that our patrons are hungry for audio content. Clearly, there is an opportunity for KCLS to reach patrons in this new setting. Additionally, input for our strategic focus identified long commutes and community disconnect as issues for our patrons; the podcast is an opportunity to improve both.

The Desk Set represents a unique approach to library podcasts. It is focused on our annual reading challenge and offers a new way for patrons to engage with that program. Because a majority of the guests are local authors, it helps listeners develop connections to their community. The Desk Set intentionally and explicitly reflects the library’s values of intellectual freedom and diversity, equity and inclusion. One recent episode featured queer authors; another included a discussion of banned books.

Since the podcast's October 2018 launch, the Desk Set team has produced 10 episodes which have been downloaded over 8,700 times; we reached number six in the Apple Podcasts literature category. Each episode published in 2019 has more than 1,000 downloads. We anticipate that our audience will continue to grow, allowing us to connect more listeners with local authors, new and diverse titles and library resources. We also anticipate that we will have greater participation in our annual reading challenge thanks to the podcast.