Celebrating 300 Episodes of The Authority File: Most Listened to Episodes

We unveil the most listened to episodes of The Authority File since its launch in 2017

Posted on December 19, 2022 in Blog

To celebrate The Authority File reaching 300 episodes, the Choice team put together several lists highlighting key episodes and topics. First up, we have the most listened to episodes by our listeners. These picks range from primary source literacy and archives to open science, the commercialization of the space industry, and the changing role of the academic library. Enjoy!

AM logo. "AM" in orange lettering against white background.

Episode 224: Primary Source Literacy: Definitions and Approaches to Archival Material

Primary source research no longer requires pulling scrolls from basement-stored archives. Thanks to modern database technology, students can easily access and interact with digital primary sources throughout their academic careers. But access doesn’t necessarily equate to expertise. Read more and listen here.

Episode 257: Redefining Space, Access, and Formats in Academic Libraries: Libraries as a Service

COVID-19 forever altered the academic library. Classes moved online. Quick fixes like mailing services or web chat emerged. Librarians poured their budgets into digital resources—ebooks, audio content, streaming video—and even began to invest in textbooks to alleviate student costs. Now, libraries face a strange intermediacy. Read more and listen here.

OverDrive Academic logo. Against a white background, "OverDrive" in dark blue bolded text. "Academic" below it at the halfway point of "OverDrive" in light blue text.
The Queer Evangelist book cover. Against a yellow/cream background, "The Queer Evangelist" is in tilted, bolded letters with a photo of a protest in pink and black within the lettering. Protest photo has a group of people with a sign that reads "Toronto Gay Action."

Episode 186: The Queer Evangelist: “It’s Been Quite a Life”

“Queer evangelist,” “socialist clergy,” and “honest politician” are not phrases you typically see thrown together. Cheri DiNovo, former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and current United Church of Canada minister, embraces all three. Read more and listen here.

Episode 211: Emerging Space Markets: Unpacking Space Commercialization

On July 20th, 2021, Blue Origin—the aerospace company founded by multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos—launched a space flight with four passengers, including the founder himself. This 10-minute flight to the borders of outer space sparked new discussions surrounding commercial investments in the space economy. How has space exploration evolved from a government-sanctioned space race to an industry rife with privately-funded business ventures? Read more and listen here.

Emerging Space Markets book cover. Against gradient blue background, book title and author name in white. In the top right corner is a photograph of Earth.
DisPlace book cover. Against a black background, the top half has the book title and author/editor names in green and white. In the bottom half of the cover is a drawing with three columns. Within each column is a figure. The first column's figure is shaded in black with red buttons and a blue Mickey Mouse outline head. The second column's figure is shaded in white with a mask for the head. The third column's figure has orange squiggles and a green Mickey Mouse head. Behind each figure are smaller drawings in black and red at the bottom.

Episode 223: The Making of DisPlace: Backgrounds and Beginnings

For Nduka Otiono, associate professor of African Studies and English at Carleton University, and Peter Midgley, an independent scholar and editor, their friendship was inevitable. Meeting at the University of Alberta, they crossed paths within a community of writers and quickly bonded over a shared interest in oral and African literature. Read more and listen here.

Episode 196: Preparing Diverse Students for Success in the Academic and Private Sectors: The PhD Project and GSU’s DEI Database

Supporting diverse students doesn’t end when they leave the classroom. In fact, our guests on this four-part series demonstrate that meaningful, valuable, and equitable support should begin before a student steps on campus and extend past graduation—even if they make their way outside of academia. Read more and listen here.

SAGE Publishing logo. Against a white background, "SAGE" in bolded large dark blue. "Publishing" starts at the halfway point under "SAGE" in smaller text. To the left of "SAGE" is a bolded filled-in "S" with a circle around it.
Springer Nature logo. Against a white background, "SPRINGER" in bolded dark blue text, and next to it. "NATURE" in bolded red text.

Episode 219: The Path Toward Open Science: Background and Defining “Open”

Open access (OA)—initiatives that push for free, publicly-available research—has faced an uphill battle. But despite OA’s initial lack of funding and government support, authors, organizations, and publishers have now begun to adopt open policies around the globe. Looking ahead, where will open access go from here? Read more and listen here.

Episode 182: MIT Press’s Direct to Open: Exploratory Phase No More

Monographs are an integral part of the Humanities, an area of academia known for its slower shift into the open access world. While journals and ebooks have adjusted to OA models with relative ease, publishers have struggled to do the same with monographs. What can be done? Read more and listen here.

Direct to Open logo. Against a white background, "Direct to Open" written in black text. To the right, "D2O" is in bolded, large black text. "D" and "2" are next to each other, with a black triangle below the "D" and the "O" below the "2".
Community Music at the Borders book cover. Cream background. In the top half, the book title is rainbow colored. The bottom half of the cover has a drawing of figures holding hands in a circle, with more, smaller figures in a larger circle around them.

Episode 232: Looking at Community Music: A Fluid Definition

Whether a local youth choir, a drum circle, or a musical ensemble, community music can take many forms. Perhaps because of this malleability, the subject area has attracted a devoted following in academic study and continues to grow into its own beside and within the more traditional field of music education. Read more and listen here.

Episode 215: The Myth of the COVID-Transformed Workplace: Are Changes Long-lasting or Temporary?

Starting in March 2020, widespread changes to work life prompted declarations of a “new normal.” The implementation of remote work, reliance on video conferencing, and shift in balance between home and work life appeared to signal a “transformed workplace.” But will these adaptions remain permanent? Read more and listen here.

Keep up with the rest of the Celebrating 300 Episodes of The Authority File posts on Choice’s blog, Open Stacks.

You can find more Authority File episodes on our website, Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

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