“I can’t pretend that my time in libraries has been perfect or easy, the racial makeup as a profession often leaves me at odds when it comes to theory versus praxis, to boundaries, concepts of professionalism, and the validity, or lack there of, of the concept of neutrality. But I also know people like me belong in libraries, making decisions in libraries on behalf of community members who look, who think, and who come from backgrounds like me.”
“The role of library staff in the social structure of our society should not be undervalued. In an era where people are more connected digitally they are less connected in other ways. Face-to-face interaction that used to be a daily occurrence can be rare for people working from home or living alone. Isolation and loneliness are real and humans are social creatures. Libraries provide a place to connect.”
“With a single comment and with the library, 1,000 different people will explore 1,000 different things and will become everything and anything at all. Without the library, they’d all be the same and would remain the same as they always were and as they always will be.”
“I’ve been obsessed with words on the page since I was very young. Some of my earliest memories are sitting on the floor of my neighborhood Public library surrounded by Stephen King novels. I could not believe it when the librarian allowed me to check out a stack of books almost as tall as my 11-year-old self.”
“Feels like the inside of my mind is a garden. Each book I’ve ever read a seed in the soil growing over time into something I never could’ve expected. Sometimes a beautiful flower that provides food for other pieces of me. Sometimes a slow growing vine that opens up long forgotten cracks in my head. Sometimes that seed is a tree, growing tall and broad, providing a place for me to lean against, sheltering me from the world.“
“It’s incredibly moving to see yourself reflected in the story that you’re reading. It’s incredibly moving to see your culture reflected and to feel seen. But not seeing yourself in books means that you think you and your culture are worth less than the dominant culture that is always reflected back at you. And if you think your culture is worth less, how much effort are you going to put into preserving it?”
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.
This Microcast was created to provide librarians a platform to share stories about education, discuss current programs, and consider life without libraries.
Without These Libraries is a community-focused limited series. Special episodes are recorded to provide students an opportunity to discuss the challenges of adapting with technology, funding concerns, and the evolving role of libraries.
Created to help writers connect with readers, this Microcast provides authors a platform to share stories about writing, discuss current projects, and consider life without books.
Without These Books is a thank-you-inspired limited series. Special episodes are recorded to celebrate authors, books, and characters that changed us as writers, readers, and as people.
