
Welcome to Kent District Library’s Stump the Librarian Podcast where your friendly neighborhood librarians put their research skills to the test answering questions from you, the listener! Jill and Liz every other Wednesday to learn new and exciting information. Think you have a question that can stump us? Visit www.kdl.org/stump to submit a question of your own!
Episodes

6 days ago
Episode 29 Oh Sail Can You Sea
6 days ago
6 days ago
Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Can a sailboat sail forever with a fan?” and “How do cruise ships stay afloat?” We also share a boat fact of the day and a storytelling book recommendation. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Jill’s Fact of the Day, Boats! (And Other Things That Float) https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C850226
Liz’s book recommendation, The Storyteller’s Handbook https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C895894
Concerning sailboats:
https://wgvu.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/kqed09.sci.phys.maf.kqedsailing/the-physics-of-sailing/
Is It Possible To Blow Your Own Sail?
Fan Cart - Blowing into your own Sail- part 1 // Homemade Science with Bruce Yeany
https://projectarchaeology.org/2020/01/17/how-sailing-happened/
Concerning cruise ships:
Bill Nye explains buoyancy: Bill Nye the Science Guy - S01E05 Buoyancy
Royal Caribbean: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/
Archimedes: https://www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home?subacct=18279#article/ar832494
Book: Adler, David A. Things That Float and Things That Don’t New York: Holiday House, c2013

Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Episode 28 Jill Vs the Volcano
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “How come people don’t have to pay for books at the library?” and “How do volcanoes happen?” To submit your own question go to KDL.org/Stump or email us at stumpthelibrarian@kdl.org We can’t wait to hear from you!
Regarding library books...
https://taxfoundation.org/tax-basics/property-tax/
https://www.milibraries.org/state-aid-to-libraries
https://peterboroughtownlibrary.org
https://kdl.org/about/policies/
Regarding volcanoes...
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/volcano/108777
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plate-tectonics-volcanic-activity
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/volcano/353902

Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Episode 27 Duck, Duck, Dragon!
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “Who invented Sign Language” and “How do different countries celebrate Lunar New Year?” We also share an animal fact of the day and a classic book recommendation. To submit your own question go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Liz’s fact of the day, How to Speak Animal https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C905688
Jill’s book recommendation, Little Women
https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C44664
Concerning ASL:
ASL Deafined database: https://www.asldeafined.com/
https://asl-kids.com/history-of-sign-language/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Sign-Language
Book: Kent, Deborah. What is Sign Language? Berkley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary, 2012.
Video of PISL & ASL, side by side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI9mCITMu_k
Concerning Lunar New Year:
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Chinese-New-Year/574653
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_New_Year
https://www.livescience.com/61773-chinese-new-year.html
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/lunar-calendar/49352
Lunar New Year for Kids | Educational Video

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Episode 26 POPCORN!
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Join Jill and Liz as they tackle the questions "Why do we eat popcorn at the movies?" and "How do tornadoes happen?" You can submit your own questions too! http://kdl.org/stump
Or email us at Stumpthelibrarian@kdl.org
Regarding Movie Popcorn:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-do-we-eat-popcorn-at-the-movies-475063/
Action!: how movies began McCarthy - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - 2022
Let’s All Go to the Lobby video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm6IU6V-dE8
Regarding Tornadoes:
Tornadoes 101 | National Geographic
Fact of the day https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C871173
Book recommendation: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C879418

Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Episode 25 My Nocturnal Gerbil
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Join Jill and Liz as they tackle questions about nocturnal animals from a Girl Scout Troop. To submit a question of your own go to KDL.org/stump. We can't wait to hear from you!
Regarding Nocturnal Animals
https://www.activewild.com/nocturnal-animals/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturnality
Guess the Animal Sound Game | 12 Nocturnal Animal Sounds Quiz
Regarding Polar Winter/Midnight Sun
https://www.popsci.com/how-do-animals-survive-polar-night/
https://www.livescience.com/62870-summer-solstice-animals.html
https://uphere.ca/articles/what-does-24-hours-light-do-animals
Books:
Listen up!: exploring the world of natural sound
Aitken - Orca Book Publishers – 2022
https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C890148
Snack, snooze, skedaddle how animals get ready for winter
Salas et al. - Findaway World, LLC – 2020
https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C703454
Liz’s Booktalk: A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga

Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Episode 24 Ice Cream Dream
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Join Jill and Liz as they answer the questions “How does a credit card work” and “How can I control my dreams?” We also share an ice cream fact of the day and a slightly spooky book recommendation. To submit your own question go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Fact of the day: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C889799
Book Recommendation: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C874153
Concerning Credit Cards
https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/how-credit-cards-work.html
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/bank-and-banking/352823#251394
https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/debt-management/chip-and-pin-credit-cards.html
Concerning Dreams
Hoel, E. (2020). Dream power. New Scientist, 248(3307), 34–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(20)31972-2
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/

Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Episode 23 SNOW Much Fun
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Join Jill and Liz as they answer questions from YOU, the listener. Today we are answering the questions “What is a down in football? and “How does different weather happen?” Check it out to see if you can stump us! Submit your own question at KDL.org/stump
Regarding football:
https://coachingkidz.com/what-is-a-down-in-football-everything-you-need-to-know/
https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rules-digest/#penalty-enforcement
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/football/353142
Regarding weather:
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/weather/76362/related#nodeId=websites&page=1
https://www.3dgeography.co.uk/weather-for-kids
How to make a Rain Cloud in a Jar | Kids Science Experiment
Liz’s Fun Fact of the Day: Ultimate Weather-pedia by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Jill’s Booktalk: The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo

Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Crafting with Cat Hair
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Join Courtnei and Jill as they answer questions from YOU, the listener. Today we are answering the questions “What is the weirdest book you’ve seen?”, “How do I stay entertained in math class?”, and “Who invented books?” Check it out to see if you can stump us! Submit your own question at KDL.org/stump
Regarding math class:
https://www.thoughtco.com/why-math-seems-more-difficult-for-some-students-1857216
https://math.uoregon.edu/undergraduate/tips-for-success
Regarding books:
https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-are-books-made
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/history-of-publishing/109461
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/printing-press/102489
https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/printing/109435#36881.toc

Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Episode 21- Falling?!
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Welcome to season three of Stump the Librarian! Join Courtnei and Jill as we tackle your toughest questions. Today we are answering the questions “How far do you have to travel in a space rocket before you lose gravity?” and “Why do kids keep growing but adults stop growing?” We’ll also discuss the mystery of why Emily is not joining us today!
As always, check us out at KDL.org/stump and send in your questions! We look forward to hearing from you.
Regarding Gravity
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-microgravity-58.html
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/
How far would you have to go to escape gravity? - Rene Laufer
Regarding Growing
https://www.britannica.com/science/human-development
https://www.britannica.com/science/human-development
https://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/human-body/growth
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567767/

Wednesday May 18, 2022
Episode 20 - Puppets in the Blue Skies
Wednesday May 18, 2022
Wednesday May 18, 2022
It’s the season finale of Stump the Librarian! The podcast where YOU the listener, attempt to Stump Librarians Courtnei and Emily, with a little help from the Librarian-behind-the-computer, Jill. Tune in this week to hear why the sky is so blue, how TVs work, and who were some of the oldest known puppeteers in Michigan. We will be back with season 3 after just a short break. In the meantime, submit a question of your own! We would love to hear from you. Check us out at kdl.org/stump.
While you wait for season 3, catch up on our first two seasons at stumpthelibrarian.podbean.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. We can’t wait to join you again and answer your tricky questions!
Interested in learning and exploring more about this episode's curious questions? You can always use any of the databases KDL has to offer with your library card. Just go to kdl.org/online-resources/ to find the best database for more information on the answer to your question. And don’t forget the books! Our catalog is full of amazing books that are filled with fascinating information. Just visit kdl.bibliocommons.com/ to search for your next great read!
Check out the books we discussed in this episode:
Battle of the Butts https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C837790
Whale Fall Café https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C872328
Everything Under the Sun https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C839958
Concerning Blue Skies....
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/en/
https://science.nasa.gov/ems/09_visiblelight
Concerning TVs...
How do plasma TVs work? I James May Q&A I Head Squeeze
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/television/353844
Concerning Puppets...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppetry
https://wepa.unima.org/en/native-american-puppetry/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/detroit-puppetry_b_1158516
https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/detroit-on-a-string/Content?oid=2182642