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Under the Charter Oak
The CT State Library is a gateway to lifelong learning for all residents and visitors, inspiring a shared and informed future through our diverse, historic, and cultural resources.
The Under the Charter Oak Podcast will be a monthly podcast produced and run by Division of Library Development (DLD) staff members highlighting different library projects and initiatives of the CT State Library and partners.
Episodes
16 episodes
Connecticut's Revolution Season 1.5, Ep. 5: The Putnam Napkin
A napkin might not seem like an item of historical significance at first glance. When you find out it was present at a dinner party hosted by Major General Israel Putnam that was purportedly attended by General George Washington and the Marquis...
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Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 4: A Brick from a Field Oven
This is not your average brick. It's an 18th century brick that is believed to be one of the remnants from the field ovens built in Lebanon, CT during the American Revolution. These field ovens fed a multinational legion of cavalry and infantry...
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Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 3: King George III Statue Fragment
In the 1770s, Americans had big feelings about King George III, so much so that a 4,000 pound lead sculpture of him that was installed in 1770 on Bowling Green, New York, was torn down by 1776. Dramatic as that sounds, what happens to 4,000 pou...
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Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 2: The 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons Flag
The 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons was made up of hundreds of brave soldiers, one of which was Private Joseph Robins, an Indigenous man who may have belonged to the Nipmuc, Pequot, Mohegan, or Narragansett nations. While we don't know why he en...
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Connecticut's Revolution, Season 1.5 Ep. 1: Colonel Elisha Bostwick's Pocket Watch
Colonel Elisha Bostwick's pocket watch is more than just a time keeper. It's an object that carries us across the ice-choked Delaware with George Washington to Trenton, New Jersey on a journey to battle German soldiers.Learn about Colon...
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Under the Charter Oak, Season 1.5 Trailer
What stories could possibly come from a pocket watch, a flag, a sculpted shoulder, a brick, a portrait, and a napkin? Our colleagues from the Museum will be sharing information, not only about the items, but the people and stories behind them. ...
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Never More Than 15 Minutes Away!
In this lively episode of Under the Charter Oak, Ashley, Kym, and Matt welcome a special guest from outside the library world, Kristen Bellantuono from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) State Park...
He's Some Dog: Stg. Stubby a WW1 Hero
Do you have a famous dog on your van? We do. Today Ashley, Matt, and Kym learn all about Sargent Stubby, the most decorated war dog of WWI and the only dog promoted to Sargent. Where was Stubby from you ask? Where else, Connecticut. Christine P...
The Many Layers of CT LAB
CT LAB, also known as the CT Library for Accessible Books, is a FREE service of the CT State Library in partnership with the National Library Service. CT residents who struggle to read a physical book due to visual, physical or reading disabili...
Living the Stories
What do William Webb, Jordan Freeman, and James H. Williams have in common? They were all black men who lived in Connecticut before the 1900’s, and they’ve all been portrayed as living history figures by Kevin Johnson an employee of the Connect...
Building Community with I’m Your Neighbor Books
Ashley, Kym, and Matt are joined by Kirsten Cappy, the Executive Director of I’m Your Neighbor Books, an organization that cultivates a sense of belonging and engagement with immigrants and new Americans. We dive into the power of storytelling,...
Small but Mighty: The people's Collection
Ashley, Kym, and Matt are joined by Jennifer Matos, the Administrator at the Museum of Connecticut History at the Connecticut State Library. We learn about the history and mission of the museum, get highlights about various collections and arti...
Books for you, Connecticut!
We have our first guest! Brad Bullis, the CT State Library Digital Content and Innovation Coordinator joins Ashley, Kym, and Matt as we jump out from behind the curtain and take center stage! Much of how the Division of Library Development cont...
Libraries Contain Multitudes
Are libraries quiet study tombs, book repositories, or community spaces? Spoiler alert, they’re all of the above and more. Join Ashley, Kym, and Matt, as they discuss their journeys into the field of librarianship, why none of them planned to a...
Library Card Sign Up Month
September is Library Card Sign Up Month and here in Connecticut we have more public libraries than towns! How do you get a library card? What do they have there? Why should I bother? Ashley, Kym, and Matt, librarians from the CT State Library, ...
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