Reflections on GARE’s Advancing racial equity in public libraries: Case studies from the field

“It takes political will, intellectual energy, and practical skill, first, to recognize the racist legacies of LIS structures ... and, then, to devise ways to transform them.” (Christine Pawley, “Unequal legacies: Race and multiculturalism in the LIS curriculum,” Library Quarterly, 2006) The document Advancing racial equity in public libraries: Case studies from the field from the Government Alliance on …

The Miscellany

I was advised today to make myself unique, differentiate myself if I want to eventually work full-time in the library field. Asante Cain, Reference and Adult Services Coordinator at Grand Rapids Public Library, was very generous with his time this afternoon. (I'm not looking for a new job, I assure you--I'm just trying to understand the …

The Problem with Conferences …

The 2016 Michigan Library Association Annual Conference was a huge success ... But, what does that mean? The immediate translation is I now have even more ideas than I have time and other resources to implement. Ideas are storming the gate, crowding the exit, rushing the stage. Between that and the upcoming election, my mental bouncers …

Post-SOUP Reflections

Post-SOUP, pre-dinner. Here is the fact: I didn't expect to win. Upon scanning the competition's descriptions, my first thought was that a program addressing such basic needs as food for the hungry and citizenship for immigrants had me beat from the start. Creative writing is not a necessity, like eating and living in a free country are necessities. Unless, of course, you're a …