Author Archive: Tess Wilson

Making Space

By Tess Wilson | November 9, 2021

Creating safety At “Safe Haven: Creating Safe Education Spaces That Destigmatize the Teen Mental Health Experience,” authors Rocky Callen and Nora Shalaway Carpenter—coeditors of Ab(solutely) Normal, a YA anthology of mental health fiction slated for 2023—moderated a panel that examined how youth and teen services staffers can support teen mental health. Callen and Carpenter began … Continue reading Making Space →

United for Libraries 2021 Virtual Conference

Advocacy through Storytelling

By Tess Wilson | August 23, 2021

Sessions underscored that stories—of individuals, of libraries, of communities—are at the core of library advocacy. “It’s really all about storytelling,” observed Beth Nawalinski, executive director of United for Libraries, during the conference. Representation in collections At “Auditing Diversity in Library Collections,” Sarah Voels, community engagement librarian at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Public Library (CRPL), described the … Continue reading Advocacy through Storytelling →

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Elizabeth Coen and Mary Manning write: “In the winter of 2023, we reimagined the curricular design of an undergraduate survey course called American Drama. We wanted students to think deeply about the nature of representation in American theatre, and whose voices are traditionally privileged in play anthologies and theatrical productions and whose voices are not. We also wanted students to examine these privileges and gaps through primary and secondary source research—through group discovery and ‘play’ in the archives and in the stacks.”

TPS Collective, Feb. 14
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Suzan Karabakal writes: “As a UX research and design student at the School of Information, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to conduct user research on Library Search, the University of Michigan Library’s discovery layer, last summer. My goal was to uncover how novice users approach Library Search features and functions, and to identify design opportunities to improve student experiences. After conducting interviews with librarians in the Learning and Teaching division, student employees who provide ‘Ask a Librarian’ services, and undergraduate students, I compiled a list of five key findings and five key design recommendations.”

University of Michigan Library, Feb. 13
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María Evelia Emerson writes: “Diversity audits, like much of librarianship, are not a simple box to check off once complete. Collections, as well as other programs and services, need to be consistently revisited in order to stay abreast of current trends and make sure that libraries strive to be as inclusive as possible. Although this requires time (something few librarians have an abundance of), without consistent check-ins, reviews, and feedback, collections and services are at risk of catering to a specific group of people, without taking into account the variety and differences of experiences and needs that make up our society.”

Portal: Libraries and the Academy, Jan.
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ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services will host “Libraries Respond: Racial Healing and Transforming Communities through Mental Health Practices,” a virtual panel discussion, on February 25 at 3 p.m. Central. The 90-minute event will feature mental health professional Grace Le sharing her expertise on how mental health can impact our individual journeys towards racial healing, and a moderated panel of ALA leaders sharing perspectives and experiences on collective community healing towards racial equity and our roles in our library spaces. Register to receive the Zoom link.

ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and outreach Services
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Michelle Reed and Tova Gaster write: “Neo-Censorship in US Libraries: An Investigation into Digital Content Suppression, a new Library Futures report, dives into an underreported area of library censorship—database bans that restrict youth access to ebooks, research resources, and other digital content. While bans on beloved print books are often more visible, challenges to databases and digital collections risk restricting children from viewing a wide range of content—from breast cancer awareness to resources for identifying and reporting sexual abuse.”

Library Futures, Feb. 13
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K.A. Holt writes: “As a young person I struggled to find any kind of personal representation. I read voraciously, not realizing I was searching for visibility, for recognition, for relevance. When I was unable to find any relevant reflections, I began to morph into who I thought I should be; who I thought would find acceptance and relevance. I stayed cloaked in this carefully constructed camouflage until [one art history professor interrupted me as I parroted] an Old Dude’s Accepted Opinion. No. I want you to tell me how this piece makes YOU feel, not how someone else has told you to feel about it.”

Knowledge Quest, Feb. 14
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Daniel G. Tracy, Elizabeth A. Budd, and Thomas H. Teper write: “With increasing requirements for open access (OA) by funders, academic libraries have begun piloting so-called ‘transformative agreements’ with publishers. This study documents the broad success of two transformative agreement pilots at a large research university and argues that the growth of such agreements could help transition a broad proportion of research to OA at the university and within the consortium. The success of these agreements was true across disciplines and stages of career seniority.”

Library Resources and Technical Services, Jan.

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