Lowrider Librarian

 

[Email from the Oregon Library Association Awards Chair.  Big congratulations and shout out to Marci Ramiro-Jenkins!]   Hello Oregon Library Community! As chair of the Oregon Library Association's  Awards  Committee, I am delighted to widely announce the recipients of the following  awards which were announced at the  OLA  Conference on Friday, April 23.  Presidents’  Award  (conferred by President Kate Lasky and Past-President Elaine Hirsch):  Marci Ramiro-Jenkins    Oregon Library Employee of the year:   Lauren Calbreath Oregon Library Supporter of the year: Barbara Wright EDI Achievement Award (Inaugural award !): Max Macias Oregon Librarian of the year: Librarians and Staff of the State Library of Oregon Children Services Division's Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award : Tehlor Kay Mejia Public Library Division's Pearl Award : Lanel Jackson Congratulations on this well deserved recognition! OLA Awards Committee: El...

Antiracist libraries acknowledge the fallacy of being neutral in the face of racism.   Libraries are racist or antiracist.   Just like individuals—libraries cannot just say they are ‘not racist.’   Being an antiracist library means that they are actively working to dismantle racism and white supremacy in their libraries and communities.   Being antiracist also means they are working to dismantle the oppression of marginalized people. Allowing bigots to perpetuate fear in the community is antithetical to the antiracist library.   The antiracist library is an enemy to bigotry.   The antiracist library is constantly reflecting on ‘neutral’ stances when it comes to ALL library policies.   Collection development, meeting room policies, website design, user satisfaction analysis, usage metrics and all other library policies need to be antiracist, or they are racist.   There is no in between. So, when the library community says, “Libraries are for all!...

 [ Please share widely!] Librarians with Spines and Hinchas Press recognizes that the BIPOC and other oppressed library workers might be feeling stressed about the election, quarantine, the economy or other aspects that are the result of the times we are experiencing.  We wish to offer support, empathy and strength to library workers and others who may feel the need for such support by providing a space for YOU!   If you are not a bigot,  you are hereby invited to our Election Day and Post Election Day support sessions. So, please join Librarians with Spines and Hinchas Press for a special Election Day Support session from 3-5 pm PST. You can just come and talk, lurk, cry, give support, laugh, sing, or anything else you might want to do that is supportive and positive. Session 1  Here are the meeting details: When Tue Nov 3, 2020 3pm – 5pm  Pacific Time - Los Angeles Joining info Join Zoom Meeting portlandcc.zoom.us/j/ 99553357818...   (ID: 9...

Coming in November!

  [Please share widely!] Greetings! Librarians with Spines is proud to bring you another outstanding author showcase recording! Dr. Miguel Juarez, Rebecca Hankins and Jina Duvernay (Librarians with Spines authors) interviewed Anthony Bishop and Kael Moffat (Librarians with Spines authors) on 8/24/2020. Topics discussed: Whiteness in LIS Ethnographies Recruitment of BIPOC into LIS careers Many other LIS topics relevant to students, librarians, library workers and others. Here is the link! https://www. librarianswithspines.com/post/ librarians-with-spines-author- showcase-3-1 Respectfully, 

[This is an unusually long blog post—sorry.] BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are in an abusive relationship with the colonial culture. We are constantly told to assimilate, act 'professional,' be perfect, be natural and authentic...I could go on, won't.   The point is, the abuser—colonial culture knows that we, BIPOC, can never really assimilate, act ‘professional’, be perfect, be natural and authentic—and we might as well add smile 24 hours a day.   The aforementioned ‘professional’ refers to colonial culturally indoctrinated people demanding BIPOC act, read, write and be white to be ‘professional.’   All the while knowing that we cannot—because the colonial culture will not accept us as such--no matter how we behave.   BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are put into a double bind constantly in the US.  This happens from the time we enter elementary school at age 5 into our professional c...