Lowrider Librarian

My backyard in San Jose had two backyards.  One with a garage and a small patio and then a yard way out back that had a garden and some apricot trees.  We hadn't gardened in years and I had just started skating.  This is the story of how a group of skater kids with nothing created a place for others skaters to skate and hang out.  We created our own scene and didn't wait for others to do it for us. We had been hitting Paul's ramp downtown, but he just had to tear it down. "Hey, they had to tear down Paul's ramp!" "We need to build a ramp!" "Can we build one at your place?" "You have that extra backyard!" "I don't know--let me ask my mom!" "Hey Mom, can we build a skateboard ramp in the backyard?" She looked at me like I was crazy and said,  "I don't want someone to get hurt and sue us.  We could lose the house!" "Ah, c'mon ma!  We don't have anywhere to...

It was raining again. Matt hated taking the bus to school. There was a bully and his brother that terrorized the other kids. His name was Manuel--the bully that is, and his little brother's name was Jesus. Their family was tough and the kids roamed the neighborhood beating up the other kids, standing over them and otherwise intimidating them. In my family, if someone tried to bully you

[ Cancelled --we will be back soon with a different, more focused format.    Max] A librarian with a spine hard at work! Please join us for a series of Librarians with Spines Salons. This is a collaboration between Hinchas Press and Lowrider Librarian. We wish to host conversations between Librarians about important issues such as: Information Literacy in the time of Covid-19. Self-publishing and censorship BIPOC Librarian experience ethnographies, or other related topics. Anything you all want to talk about--we are pretty open and can have a conversation about anything... Please join us weekly on Friday evenings from 6-8 pm PST here: JOIN WEBEX MEETING https://educator-jfp.my.webex.com/educator-jfp.my/j.php?MTID=m60611cf105b024e6fa3409d96b27c7ff Meeting number (access code): 627 993 612 Meeting password: GPxVc9YZ6K2 (47982999 from phones and video systems) JOIN BY PHONE +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll Tap here to call (m...

Dropping in.

When 'equity' preconferences, workshops and other trainings are inequitable it defeats the purpose.  I don't mean to call out LJ specifically--this is just an example of the absurdity of the cost of DEI training. If your organization can afford to pay for you--then it is no problem.  But what about those who can't afford it? Ask yourself how does this relate to inclusion and if this is the model libraries want to pursue. We want affordable, practical, impactful equity training now! What role does your State Library play in making equity training affordable for libraries in your state? What role does your state library association play in making equity training available in all areas of your state? Does your library make equity training available to you as a library worker? If yes--that is awesome! If not, what does this mean? Equity work is library work and it should be made available to all library boards, staff, librarians and commu...

Hinchas Press If you have a friend who is a librarian, LIS student or library worker, Librarians with Spines is the perfect gift! You can get it via  Amazon ,  Latin American Book Source , or  Hinchas Press. Some of the Hinchas Press Lineup: Thank you for your support! ✊🏼

[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...