Amy Vidlak Girmscheid
Contents
Guest
Amy Vidlak Girmscheid is a professional librarian with over 30 years of experience in public and special libraries. She has served the Library community as an archivist, Collection Development Librarian, reference librarian, library director and overall change agent.
"Libraries help us understand ourselves and others. They preserve history, celebrate diverse voices, and offer stories where people can see their own experiences reflected. Yet without libraries, important ideas and voices would go unheard, and people and communities would struggle to connect."
Credits
Without Libraries was created to provide librarians a platform to share stories about education, discuss current programs, and consider life without libraries. Libraries provide access to information and educational resources, promoting literacy, critical thinking skills, and community building by offering a safe space for people to learn, research, and connect with others. Join the conversation at Past Forward.
Guest: Amy Vidlak Girmscheid
Produced by: Past Forward
Past Forward is providing this podcast as a public service. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Please read our Program and Product Disclaimer for more information.
Books
Our public podcast service, paired with millions of discounted books curated into topic-themed collections, provides guidance and tools to support lifelong learning.
Transcription
Amy Vidlak Girmscheid: Libraries help us understand ourselves and others. They preserve history, celebrate diverse voices, and offer stories where people can see their own experiences reflected. Yet without libraries, important ideas and voices would go unheard, and people and communities would struggle to connect.
[music]
Hi, my name is Amy Vidlak Girmscheid. I have worked in libraries for over 30 years, serving in various roles across different types of libraries. My experience includes working as an archivist at a military museum, a history and genealogy librarian, and numerous positions in public libraries, including library director. With the recent presidential executive orders mandating the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal agency that funds libraries across the country, I am reflecting on the profound impact that this will have on our society.
It's known that libraries provide vital access to information, especially for those without textbooks, technology, or the internet at home. They offer opportunities to learn new skills, explore new ideas, to grow both personally and professionally. Without libraries, the knowledge gap would widen, leaving many at a disadvantage in today's digital world.
Beyond access, libraries are also a space for curiosity and discovery, allowing people to ask the big questions, explore different perspectives, and to think critically free from judgment or outside pressure. Libraries help us understand ourselves and others. They preserve history, celebrate diverse voices, and offer stories where people can see their own experiences reflected. Yet without libraries, important ideas and voices would go unheard, and people and communities would struggle to connect. Most importantly, libraries are one of the last places where open discussions thrive. libraries ensure that knowledge is available to everyone regardless of background.
In a time of misinformation and division, libraries stand for truth, intellectual freedom, and civic engagement. Yet without libraries, our democracy is at risk. By providing access to information, learning opportunities, and avenues for free thought, libraries are the foundation of American society. Without them, we wouldn't lose just books, but what libraries represent. Curiosity, growth, compassion, connection, community, and the enduring principles of democracy. Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
[music]
Join the conversation at pastforward.org.
