Librarian Josh Conver Shares Libraries’ Music Collection Recordings in KZUU Radio Show

Books and other media aren’t the only things you can find at WSU Libraries. GIS Librarian Josh Conver has a passion for music and wants more people to discover the treasure trove of recordings available to check out.

To do this, Conver has taken to the airwaves of KZUU 90.7 FM, ASWSU student radio, to host “From the Stacks,” a show where he shares recordings from the WSU Libraries along with their catalog numbers for checkout. With over 10,000 titles available, WSU Libraries are home to one of the largest music collections in the Pacific Northwest, so Conver has no shortage of selections to choose from each week.

As a librarian with a doctorate in geography, and a master’s in natural resources and conservation, Conver lists his research interests as “spatial and landscape ecology, cultural and natural resource management, long-term monitoring, field data collection methods, public science, integrated GIS, fire modeling, arid regions.” So how does a WSU faculty member with that kind of background become a DJ on the ASWSU student radio station?

It all started when Conver discovered a passion for music as a child. Classically trained in viola beginning in the second grade, Conver continued to play his entire childhood. During his undergraduate studies as a geography and political science major, he no longer had time for the viola, but his love of music remained, and he became a DJ at KAMP, the University of Arizona student radio station. In subsequent years, that love combined with his skills as a researcher have resulted in a personal music collection he estimates to be more than 30,000 MP3 files.

Conver came to WSU from the University of Colorado in 2023, and settling into a new office just a few floors above WSU Libraries’ expansive music collection proved an irresistible temptation. Almost immediately, Conver began to dig in.

At the beginning of fall semester, he encountered KZUU representatives recruiting new DJs at the Get Involved Fair and was compelled to inquire. As it turns out, they were enthusiastic about faculty and other community members participating in their programming, and “From the Stacks” was born. Now Conver can share his favorite recordings with all of us.

“One of my favorite discoveries,” says Conver, “has been the ‘desert blues’ genre pioneered by Malian multi-instrumentalist Ali Farka Touré. The rhythmic syncopation, guitar fingerpicking, and steady drone of Touré’s music reminds me of the hill country blues of Junior Kimbrough.”

How does someone even begin to approach such a large catalog of recordings? Conver encourages people to “take half an hour to wander the stacks and see what jumps out at them. It might be the name of the album, the cover art, or a familiar artist. Being able to see and touch the medium is a unique characteristic of the collection in today’s increasingly digital world. Albums can be checked out for a week, so choose about 10 and come back next week. The more time spent with the collection, the more rewarding it becomes.”

To become a DJ, Conver’s recommendation is to “get in contact with KZUU through the website and jump in! Don’t give up if things don’t go perfectly from the start. It’s OK to make mistakes; that’s how we learn. With time and experience, the show will find its voice. Being able to express yourself through sharing music is incredibly gratifying.”

Listen to Conver, aka “The Librarian,” live on KZUU 90.7 FM Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. when he will take you through some of his favorite discoveries from the music recordings kept in the stacks on Terrell Library’s ground floor. You can also visit KZUU to listen to each show’s playlist, The Librarian on KZUU Pullman 90.7 FM. Conver’s selections cover an eclectic range of genres, including jazz, blues, country, classical, bluegrass, pop, and more.

Note: Josh Conver lives in Pullman with his wife Samantha Fladd, assistant professor and director of the WSU Museum of Anthropology, and daughter Josephine. Other hobbies include cooking, hiking, golfing, and gardening.