Potterversity Episode 68: When in Doubt, Go to the Library

About this episode

The episode explores the role of libraries and librarians in Harry Potter, featuring a discussion on censorship and the portrayal of Madam Pince.

We're heading to Hermione's favorite place in this episode: the library! Ian McLaughlin, an PhD student in English who also holds an MLIS, joins Katy and Emily to reflect on libraries and librarians in Harry Potter , following up on his recent presentations at the Harry Potter Academic Conference. Hogwarts librarian Madam Pince is portrayed as extremely strict and irritable, but is she unfairly maligned, and is she actually a good librarian? While books are portrayed as important in the series, theoretical knowledge is not sufficient, as demonstrated by the need to form Dumbledore's Army to learn practical defense skills when Umbridge only allows reading. Books aren't the form of media in the series - Ian compares the Mirror of Erised and two-way mirror to smartphones, which leads us to think about how wands function as technology. Back to librarians, we discuss the issues with censorship and limiting children's access to books, including Harry Potter . We also touch on yet another of Ian's HPAC presentations, exploring the significance of double-casting in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child .

People in this episode

Hosts: Katy, Emily

Guest: Ian McLaughlin

Topics covered

• libraries
• librarians
• censorship
• Harry Potter
• Dumbledore's Army
• technology in Harry Potter

Keywords

• libraries
• librarians
• Harry Potter
• censorship
• Dumbledore's Army
• Mirror of Erised
• two-way mirror
• technology

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

More episodes of Potterversity: A Potter Studies Podcast

• Potterversity Episode 72: Harry Potter and Identity · May 11, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Potterversity Episode 71: Potter Meets Molesworth · April 13, 2026 · 60 min
• Potterversity Episode 70: Harry Potter and the Call for Papers · March 30, 2026 · 47 min
• Potterversity Episode 69: Potter Gets Stranger · March 9, 2026 · 1h 17m
• Potterversity Episode 67: The Best Hope We Have · January 12, 2026 · 58 min
• Potterversity Episode 66: Back to Wizarding Business · July 14, 2025 · 42 min