Brandy McNeil is the Associate Director for Technology Education at the New York Public Library. Over 100,000 New Yorkers come through their TechConnect classes in 89 branch libraries across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We talk to Brandy about how she has expanded the program to include advanced computer programming classes as part of Project Code, and how these classes changed the life of Vera Zago, who quit her job to become a full-stack engineer.

CORRECTION: The woman who donated her first paycheck back to NYPL had participate in TechConnect's office classes, not Project Code.

Rough Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ieQNc3EEGGjxfTtE_eEmUA2fXjlv-R7tWlrZgZe-0fw/edit?usp=sharing

Audio Mastering by Dalton Harts

Further Reading:

“Library has site stuff: Coding classes at New York Public Library draw thousands, and 73% of the students are women” by Erica Perason in New York Daily News, June 8, 2015: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/coding-classes-nypl-draw-thousands-article-1.2250962

“Tech Diversity: Coding Boot Camps Bringing Higher Percentages Of Women, Minorities Into Tech, Study Finds” by Salvador Rodriguez in International Business Times, October 26, 2015: http://www.ibtimes.com/tech-diversity-coding-boot-camps-bringing-higher-percentages-women-minorities-tech-2155530

“Code (or, How You Can Write Something Differently),” by Friedrich Kittler: https://monoskop.org/images/6/6e/Kittler_Friedrich_2008_Code_or_How_You_Can_Write_Something_Differently.pdf

Music and Soundtracks:Opening track: “Magic” by Otis MacDonald from the YouTube Audio Library“Filaments” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive“Gravy” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive""Epiphany" choir vst chords" by daalvinz from freesound.org“Gears Spinning” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive“Across the River” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive“All the Colors in the World” by Podington Bear from the Free Music Archive

Tools used to record this podcast:Blue Yeti microphone: www.bluemic.com/products/yeti/ Transcribe: https://transcribe.wreally.com/app Reaper: https://www.reaper.fm/ Izotope: https://www.izotope.com/en/products/repai%E2%80%A6plug-in-pack.html