Think Like a Librarian Podcast

In this episode, you'll learn...

Why weekly reviews are about visibility, not control—and how that changes everythingHow lack of regular calendar reviews can lead to preventable scheduling conflictsWhat weeding means in library science—and why your task list needs it tooThe MUSTIE framework for deciding what to let go of (Misleading, Superseded, Trivial, Irrelevant, Elsewhere)How to implement your own Weekly Review: a 4-step framework you can actually sustainHow to tell urgency, importance, and noise apart—and why the Eisenhower Matrix only gets you partway thereHow preparation through mini-reviews transforms panic into confident responseWhy location is a design...

In this episode, you'll learn...

Why projects vs. areas in PARA is the single most important distinction to make, and why mixing them makes everything feel urgent all the timeExit criteria — what they are, why most projects don’t have them, and the one sentence that changes everythingWhy self-paced courses are a sneaky trap (and how to split them so they stop haunting you)Resources vs. archives: the difference between a waiting room and a graveyardThe reversed hanger method — borrowed from professional organizers — as a practical archiving triggerWhy “the archive” is not admitting defeat. It’s system hygiene.

A Story fr...

Show Notes

Every time you name a file, a folder, or a note, you're making a bet that future-you will search for the same word you're using right now. This week's episode is about why that bet so often fails — and what librarians figured out centuries ago that can help.

We're talking naming conventions, controlled vocabularies, and five practical principles for naming things in ways that actually hold up over time.

In this episode, you'll learn...

Why naming is a design decision — not administrative busywork — with real consequences for findability What the "vocabu...

What if the reason your perfectly planned day keeps falling apart isn’t that you need better time management — but that you’ve been measuring the wrong thing entirely?

We interact with systems every day without recognizing them as systems — calendars, chore charts, project trackers, workplace policies, fitness apps. And nearly all of them make the same flawed assumptions about human capacity: that our attention is consistent, our availability is predictable, our progress is linear, and our energy is equal from day to day.

In this episode, we examine these hidden assumptions and explore why time-bas...

In this episode, you'll learn...

Why the “ideal learner” most courses are designed for doesn’t actually existWhat librarians know about designing for real humans (hint: we design for patrons, not “users”)Smart questions to ask before you buy your next courseHow to build (or choose) learning systems that expect real life and design around itWhy completion isn’t the only metric — and better ways to measure successMetadata Minute: The “Re-Entry Ramp” technique for returning to abandoned projects without shame

Featured Segment: Metadata Minute

The Re-Entry Ramp

When you abandon a course or project, the harde...

What if the key to feeling more organized, more creative, and less overwhelmed wasn’t another app… but a different way of thinking?

Welcome to Think Like a Librarian: Systems for Curious Minds — a podcast for curious, ambitious humans who want systems that actually work in real life.

In this launch episode, I’m sharing what it truly means to think like a librarian — and why librarian-style thinking goes far beyond libraries. We’re talking about organization, metadata, productivity, technology, ethics, privacy, creativity, and curiosity — all through a humane, flexible lens that honors real life, including moth...

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Show Notes

Welcome to Think Like a Librarian: Systems for Curious Minds

What if the key to feeling more organized, more creative, and less overwhelmed wasn't another app… but a different way of thinking?

Welcome to Think Like a Librarian: Systems for Curious Minds — a podcast for curious, ambitious humans who want systems that actually work in real life.

I'm Meredith — librarian, systems thinker, multi-passionate entrepreneur, mom, and ADHDer who has spent years turning chaos into clarity. In this trailer, I share what the sh...