Short notes and thoughts on Congress.gov webinar

I watched this live webinar from the Law Library of Congress on June 11, 2026. Topic was the congress.gov website. Here are some of my notes from the event, mainly for me to look back later, and some small random thoughts. 

Webinar notes: 

• Overview of the website. 
• The search allows for quotation marks on phrases. 
• For things like keeping track of a committee, email alerts are an option, for example, to get a committee's schedule. 
• You can also search for CRS (Congressional Research Service) reports on the website. Before, you had to use FAS (Federation of American Scientists), where they kept a list (apparently no longer there) or Open CRS, which is no longer there either. Those were the days. Now they are in one place in congress.gov. I've often encouraged students where they can to use CRS reports in their research assignments if they find a relevant one. 
• U.S. Constitution Annotated. This includes the Constitution with legal analysis. Note additional features offered.
• Use the Support button (upper right on top) then click on Browse Help Center, then scroll a bit down to Collections. This allows you to see what a specific resource collection may cover and contain. 
• Also under Support, there is a Glossary for federal terms, in case you need them. 
• Under Support you can also find Ask a Law Librarian, if you need help search help, or finding a resource, or an answer from a librarian. 
• In addition to finding members of Congress from the main website, you can find them under Support. Just browse Help Center then Collections.  
• See also and use the Advanced Search for precise and/or specific searches. Use the Query Builder when you have few but specific details of your search. 
• See also Search Tools (on top of main page, next to the Support link). This tells you what tools, wildcards, so on you can use on the search. This is a detail I also encourage my students to do, though I am sure a lot of them ignore it anyhow. When it comes to a database, especially one you may be using often, take a moment to check the Help/Tools (or whatever similar name) section to see what wildcards and other search tips it offers. Knowing things like wildcards (also known as truncation of terms) can save you some time and make your searching better, but you got to put in a little time to learn the tricks. 
• See also More Options under the main search bar for some quick search options. It is a small pull down menu that opens filters and other limiters you may find useful. 
• If you make a congress.gov account, you can save searches and do email alerts. When they are available. There is a note today saying "accounts are temporarily unavailable" as of this post, and I do hope it is a temporary thing. 
• Using filters in searches as much as possible is helpful to narrow a search and make it more specific.  

 

Side notes: 

This is the the kind of thing that regular people need to know and use to see what the federal government does. Librarians certainly need to know this in order to help their patrons wanting information on the federal government, especially Congress and legislation. 

We don't get many U.S. government questions here often, but we do get one now and then. At times I do wonder what they teach in political science when it comes to the federal government. 

At times I also wonder how many librarians show interest in this kind of stuff. I do, and I try my best to keep up my reference skills and knowledge base, but some colleagues could not care less. I've been told that if they get that kind of question, they can always send it to me. And while I do not mind, I think other reference librarians in general need to nurture this kind of knowledge too. 

As I wrap up this post, the thought occurs to me I am sure a few researchers, and more than a few librarians who should know better, would be happy to ask an AI Slop machine to look up the kind of information a site like congress.gov would offer. It is a sad reality, but that is a thought for another time. 

 

  

Article Note: A Bit More on Librarian Sabbaticals

This article was cited in the previous article I read about factors that contribute to librarian turnover. Sabbaticals were discussed a bit in that article. I was able to get a hold of this article, so I figured I would read it too. I will disclose up front that librarians in my small college do qualify for sabbaticals, though there are issues with that I will mention as I comment on this article. 

This article looks at academic librarian participation in sabbaticals. The research was based mainly on a survey sent to library directors that included some open-ended questions; answers to those open-ended questions are discussed in the article. A significant part of the argument for librarians taking sabbatical if they are able is that the experience can provide some respite and refreshing for the librarians. To be honest, for me at least, besides not being able to take a sabbatical (a full one that is), a sabbatical would not be the respite and/or break from the daily grind writes like the author make it out to be. It would just be taking time off to do more work, different work, but still a lot of work, then write reports about it when I get back while catching up on the work I was not able to do while I was gone on said sabbatical. That is not less stress. That sounds like more stress, and I can do without that. 

 

Some takeaways from the article: 

• A 2001 study by Gaskell and Morril, which this article's author relies on quite a bit, found that a bit over half of the academic institutions the researchers surveyed offered sabbatical to academic librarians; however, only the most "avid" librarians applied for the programs (153). 
• I can't imagine why more librarians would not apply. I will disclose also that prior to my current job, I never had sabbaticals as an option, so personally I fail to see the big deal. 
• Author points out that literature related to sabbaticals in academia is small, even smaller when it deals with academic librarians. This literature tends to be either personal narratives or descriptive and informative review articles. In other words, the kind of LIS articles that may get written because someone needs to get tenure, but are not persuasive to administrators. In fact, the author mentions this: "Regrettably, this kind of writing is simply not likely to convince those college administrators, 'who really have not plans or expectations for the library except the hope that it will stay withing the allocated budget and that the faculty and the students...will not complain too strenuously about it'" (154). 
• Then there are administrators who would love to cut the library budget even more (or entirely if they could get away with it), but that is another story. 
• The author discloses: "It is now time to acknowledge that this author is one of the fortunate few within the library profession to currently be enjoying a year-long sabbatical. Yet, my own experience also demonstrates that such 'acceptance into full faculty collegiality is not generally extended'" (154). 
• Must be nice and duh! Further, the author describes their institution: "Our leadership is strong and the staff highly skilled and service-oriented. We work with an exceptional teaching faculty, a reasonably engaged student body and the librarians at my institution look forward to lengthy, fulfilling careers" (154). To be honest, the author's description of their institution does have echoes of Lake Wobegon.
  
• Author goes on to write after that disclosure about a colleague who had a sabbatical project rejected, a project that was related to the library and its work (I guess it was not deemed academic enough). Not exactly a supportive administration there, but not surprising. For me, that is another reason I do not bother applying for sabbatical: I honestly do not think based on local conditions that I can get the upper ups to approve anything I would care enough about to work on during a sabbatical. 
• Adding to my comment above, this finding from the article is not encouraging: "The following respondent's comment was representative, 'there is no specific prohibition against it, but it is unclear if a request for a sabbatical would be approved by the faculty committee or college administration.' Other participants noted that sabbatical leaves could be provided 'on (the) whim' or 'at the discretion' of administrative personnel outside of the library" (155).
   
• Key question from the article author: "...librarians do suffer job-dissatisfaction and burnout. Shouldn't we be making a more determined effort to get out a bit more?" (154). 
• Yes, and it's called taking a vacation, not a sabbatical. 
• Barely 50% of respondents said that sabbatical offerings from librarians were equivalent to what "real" faculty get. The article goes on to state that "a number of respondents report that librarians at their institutions receive sabbaticals that are significantly shorter in duration than those of their teaching faculty colleagues" (158). This also brings up an issue of equity.
  
• I can assure you we would be one of those places where the sabbatical offering for librarians is not equivalent to what the "real" faculty get. Our situation here is very much like situations reported in the article where "another person who also noted that at his/her institution librarian leaves needed to 'coincide with summer, whereas faculty can go for half or full years. . .'" (158). 
• "And yet, the issues described by survey participants in this study are hardly new or earth-shattering" (160).
• And yet this article got written and published. 

 

Citation for the article: 

Molly R. Flaspohler, "Librarian Sabbatical Leaves: Do We Need to Get Out More?" The Journal of Academic Librarianship 35.2 (March 2009): 152-161.  

Additional Notes from US Book Show 2022: Session on "Tik Tok and Books"

Another session I listened to after the conference. This is my last set of notes for the conference this year.

 

This panel featured a BookTok influencer (just one by the way) and rest were book publisher marketing representatives. Part of the reason I listened to this panel was curiosity. A couple of people have suggested to me that I should give Tik Tok a try. I remain skeptical. I recently launched a YouTube channel, bare bones as it is, and to add another bit of work filming content, even if it is very short, sounds like more of a work burden and perhaps too high a price for whatever little additional exposure I may get as reviewer, writer, and cartomancer. But, in part to be aware, I listened to what they had to say.

• As of 2022, Tik Tok has experienced large growth and has become the 3rd most popular social media platform with 1 billion active users as of this year. They are 3rd behind Facebook and Twitter. (Publishers are basically tripping themselves with interest in TikTok, or BookTok, as the niche community of book talkers and reviewers is known, due to the platform's very high engagement numbers. Not too shabby for a channel that features videos of 1 to 3 minutes in length.)
• The short form video is appealing to TikTok users. They also mention that finding content on TikTok is easier versus finding content on YouTube. Overall, this is still about the algorithms both platforms use. 
• They cite the "authenticity" in TikTok, that videos there are less staged than in other platforms. (Given some TikTok videos I have seen, they can be just as staged as any other platform.) In theory at least, there is less need to edit, and users say that is appealing. 
• Diversity of voices is cited as a good element in TikTok (so far in the panel, everyone is just gushing about the service like it's the 2nd Coming). 
• The main demographic is 18-34 years old, and it is mainly women (women predominance is consistent in social media overall). Males may or not exist in BookTok it seems, or if they are there, it is in very niche communities, so not as visible. 
• Common BookTok genres that "work well" include romance, romantic comedy, and fantasy. Also some literary fiction. 
• (In a way, the publishers here sound a lot like many librarians back in the Library 2.0 days, as in wanting to be in spaces where they may or not be wanted.) 
• The panel's lone BookToker argues there are niche areas for some genres, depending on interests. The platform has progressed a bit according to them. 
• They may find new books to read from follower suggestions. Finding other BookTokers they like and trust. 
• Sponsored content does not do well on TikTok. Like other reviewers, publishers and authors, especially indie authors, need to tailor their communications to potential reviewers on BookTok. Mass e-mails get mostly ignored (and as a reviewer, I can agree with that. Mass e-mails asking for a random review are e-mails I delete). It is better for authors and publishers to do their own research, find fans of whatever genre they write in or market, and go from there. 
• On publishers reaching into TikTok. (And by the way, let me say again they needed more than one BookTok influencer on this panel.)
• Pay attention to what people are interested in. Making contacts and networking are important. Keep in mind a BookToker may not be interested in your specific book, but they are likely to know someone who does, and if you have a good relationship with the influencer they may be willing to pass the book suggestion on down their network. 
• Overall, BookTok cannot be forced. It needs to be organic. 
• A question I wish they had answered but left "for a later panel" was how to find time for TikTok. (I would have liked the answer now. Managing social media for me to share my blogging and writing takes a chunk of time as it is.) 
• Is TikTok a flash in the pan? The influencer thinks it will stay. (Personally, I am skeptical.) 
• Currently, TikTok is growing, especially BookTok. BookTok is a reviewers' platform mostly. Not all book authors need to be on TikTok, or if they are, they need to do authentic things other than peddling their books; authors already have made that mistake on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and they need to learn from that mistake. An author "messing up" is basically a "death sentence" on BookTok (i.e. being racist, homophobic, etc.) as BookTokers will just ignore and block them. Also, an author bitching about a bad review is a big mistake, again, one that will earn an author getting ignored and blocked. 
• Transparency for everyone is essential on BookTok. 

 

 

A couple of books I got from US Book Show 2022

As I mentioned in my short video about this, here are two books I received from the US Book Show event courtesy of Beacon Press. 

Book link information from publisher.

• Kavita Das, Craft and Conscience: How to Write about Social Issues. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2022. I requested this in part for curiosity and my personal use. I am hoping to learn some new things about writing, especially about social issues so I can apply it to my blogging and personal writing. I also requested it to see if we should acquire it for our library. This copy is an advanced reader's copy (ARC). 
• Catherine Ceniza Choy, Asian American Histories of the United States. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2022. Requested it mainly for possible library acquisition consideration, but I also intend to read and review it on my blog. This is a finished book copy. 

 Thanks to Beacon Press for the opportunity to read and review these.

 

Additional notes from US Book Show 2022: Libraries are Essential, Part 2 session

This is one of the sessions I watched on demand after the conference. 

 

Session: Libraries are Essential, Part 2. 

Session to look at critical areas, especially in the "post-pandemic" times. 

Access to e-books and digital content:

• Yes, publishers' onerous restrictions on e-book purchases for libraries are inequitable (i.e. nothing new here). Publishers then suing libraries over it is just bullying. The bottom line on this issue is that it is about fair and equitable digital access. Publisher greed is not a good look no matter what lip service they give about libraries being good, etc. 
• On digital lending and e-book demand: 
• E-book usage continues to grow. Foot traffic in libraries fell with the pandemic and is not back to pre-pandemic levels yet in many places. Some libraries in fact encouraged use of electronic resources (my library certainly did). 
• Other libraries do report lower materials circulation. For electronic resources, again, publisher onerous demands and restrictions mean that libraries are less able to meet patron demand at a time when demand is increasing. 
• Defining equitable digital access. Collections bridge content gaps. To provide quality content for all in a safe environment. Equitable access to content that reflects the community. 
• Equitable digital access is difficult given publishers' exploitative pricing on e-books, which is often at least 3 times higher or more than print book pricing. So librarians are more likely then not to "license" more e-books and buy print, but this means many patrons can be left out, thus an inequitable situation. This can be blamed on publishers' greed. 
• Advances in technology have allowed publishers to avoid/refuse to offer fair pricing on e-books and electronic resources. Playing victim for them is a common disinformation tactic in their industry. Meanwhile publishers continue to disadvantage libraries. 
• Despite publishers' clout, some librarians are working to advocate for themselves and their patrons. However, it may be serious time, as stated by the librarian from Maryland, for libraries to withhold funding from publishers, i.e. time for boycotts of certain publishers. 
• Contrary to what publishers say, librarians do defend and support copyright. Libraries and schools teach about copyright. When we help a student cite their sources properly, we are defending copyright. 
• With better terms from publishers (as if, but work with me here), libraries could buy more content, including more diverse authors, debut authors too instead or in addition to just the "usual" bestsellers. Libraries propose digital access should be as access for print resources. Bottom line: librarians need to continue and expand their role as advocates, but also steer themselves and patrons to smaller and indie publishers willing to give libraries a better deal. This means then also to steer away from large exploitative publishers. Libraries need to put contingency plans in place. 

Interview with Jennie Rose Halperin, of Library Futures (advocacy group).  

• Publishers may not see everything libraries do to promote reading, culture, uplift communities, and providing new ways for people to understand their world (this is true as libraries go, but it is a very charitable way to see publishers. I'd say publishers are just willfully blind). 
• On a tech positive future for libraries. There are many reasons we need access and use electronic resources. The world is moving more to digital content, and libraries need to be part of this future. However, libraries, largely due (we are saying it again) to publisher onerous restrictions, face various challenges. 

Panel discussion: "We are still not OK: Protecting library workers after the pandemic." 

 

• (I should mention that I loathe the "after the pandemic" phrasing. At this point, the pandemic is not over no matter how much wishful thinking most of society is doing now.)
• This sessions mostly looks at libraries' work during the pandemic (a lot of this falls under the "we did good" category of library presentation). What many often did not realize was library workers' trauma at the time (and still ongoing). Many library workers remained at work in libraries that stayed open. (I worked even as the campus was, mostly, locked down in the early stages of the pandemic. Personally, I never "went home.) The issue of trauma has an impact on everyone. 
• "Normal" is a problem. The pandemic exposed various critical needs and forms of suffering. 
• Keep in mind that libraries, especially public libraries, had been suffering divestment and defunding before the pandemic. The pandemic just made things worse for libraries. 
• Trauma is endemic at all library levels according to researchers. Yet attitudes in library workers can be cavalier, meaning they may leave the work in libraries, get transferred out of public services, or just "mentally check out." 
• On defining trauma. A key difference is when people feel supported and able to cope they tend to see it more as a "bad experience" than as trauma. 
• The pandemic has disproportionately affected library workers of color (PoC). In addition, issues of low pay, white supremacy, mission creep need to be addressed. Still, the pandemic has shown and exposed changes that need to be done. 
• To library directors: it is a certainty your PoC library staff have endured abuse in some form at the reference desk. You nor the rest of the staff should be OK with that nor just let it slip. Directors, you need to make choices then, including policy changes. As leaders, you need to lead, not tolerate racist or otherwise abusive behavior. Period. Full stop. 
• A question asked: what if nothing changes? (I think that scenario is possible if not very likely.) The speakers believe change will come, even if some need to get out of the way. Thinking in 20th century terms is no longer an option. Overall, the speakers are optimistic (but again, what if nothing changes? As I often say, a magnificent question. I do want to believe.)

Panel on library leadership. 

 

• R. David Lankes, on panel, says library leaders need "radical empathy." However, leaders more than not are NOT in touch with front line workers (not surprising. That is a common situation, and one I have witnessed often. But heaven forbid you point it out if you are like me, i.e. a front line worker with no clout). 
• A lot of healing needs to happen in the profession. Asking your front line workers about "the future of libraries" may not be the best thing for leaders to be doing at this time (yea, you may want to shut up about that topic in the Hard Times, at least in front of your library workers). Instead of trying to speculate about futures take care of your library workers first.
   
• Flexibility is necessary in the Hard Times. Leadership needs to communicate consistently and clearly. It might also help if leaders take the same risks as everyone else (I am definitely not holding my breath on that). 
• Leaders need to do more than give pretty speeches (and this was said without irony given that we are listening to some very pretty speeches).
   

 

 

A side note to thoughts on ALA Annual (Virtual) 2021, including stuff on not being a member

While I was writing the previous post, I decided for some strange reason to check this blog for any previous posts on ALA. I found at least three that I had written between 2005 and 2007. On rereading them I found that much of what I wrote then remains very relevant now. It resonates quite a bit now, for me at least. Here are some of those posts: 

• "ALA and membership." 12/16/2005. These were the days when there was still such as thing as a biblioblogosphere and I found that "this poor fellow who flies under the radar really, really gets to thinking about what exactly the dues do for him." 
• "My last on the membership thing, or librarians as martyrs?" 12/22/2005. My key question in that post, which nowadays I'd call one of those Magnificent Questions: ". . .why should librarians, or other social professions for that matter such as teachers and social workers, be martyrs just to practice their craft? How long do we let others inflict that guilt-trip on us, which is nothing more than excuse to continue exploiting those of a generous nature?"
• "Participation blues, or how many more have to be lost?" 11/13/2007.  Who would have guessed a small bit I wrote then could be prophetic? Keep in mind, these posts are all way before the pandemic. I wrote then: "And it usually boils down to this: Participating in ALA is cost prohibitive; it is pretty much limited to the few who can afford it; it would be nice if they did more things virtually." Imagine that, be nice if they did more things virtually. We have come a bit further along on that front, and the pandemic certainly proved a lot of things can easily be done virtually if there is a will. In the end, well, ALA and such "already lost me. Not that I am a big loss (or a loss of any kind, haha)."

Additionally, while I ran the searches in the blog for posts on ALA, I found other posts on small state conferences I have attended as well as other semi-related topics. I was trying to write up my thoughts on ALA Annual Conference (Virtual) 2021, and I find myself seeing topics I could update or write something new given my experiences over time. I've learned a few things. I've also learned not to give a crap about other things, things that back then as a newish librarian felt like a big deal only to discover they were not, but that may be another post for another time. 

 

Some thoughts and observations from ALA Annual Conference (Virtual) 2021

 

 

This was my first ALA Annual Conference, and I was glad that it was virtual. I was glad not just due to the ongoing pandemic but also because it meant I did not have to travel anywhere. In addition, it also meant that neither me nor my library had to get a small mortgage or a "juice loan" for me to travel someplace, pay for accommodations and travel plus the cost of the conference itself.

Let me disclose upfront that the main reason I went was because the Appalachian College Association (ACA), one of our local consortia, had some spots for college members to send some of their staff to ALA Annual. Apparently there were some leftover professional development funds that had not been used due to the pandemic. At any rate, I applied, and I got them to pay for the conference. Thank you ACA. Otherwise I probably would not have bothered. I have not been an ALA member for years, and a big reason is ALA's prohibitive costs for things, plus I will just say I have other issues with ALA and how they run things, but that is another post for another time. 

ALA Annual is not know for its academic offerings. That is what ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) is for, which I attended once back in 2013 (link to my first post on the conference. If you search the blog you can find the other post notes I made). So I decided to focus more on collection development, specially graphic novels. Our library has an excellent graphic novels collection, and as of this post it is our most circulating collection. I also tried to focus on civics and civil rights issues, topics important to librarians, but that I rarely hear about here. A lot of not hearing about such things here is having to deal with the daily grind of everyday work. There is not much time left to think about things like big picture politics when I am more concerned with working with my students, local projects, so on. But I am digressing, so let me get back on track. 

I did the following sessions at the conference: 

• Wednesday, June 23: 
• Danny Trejo, speaker. Sponsored by Simon and Schuster. I did a few other sessions, but for me this first session set the tone for the rest of the conference, and it was my highlight. Like most speakers at ALA Annual, he was pitching his new book, his memoir Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood. As of this post, I am currently reading the book, and I hope to have a review of it on The Itinerant Librarian soon. Danny Trejo is very strong as a moving and authentically sincere speaker and individual with a raw honesty. 
• Declan Shalvey, author of Time Before Time, presented by Image Comics. I made a note that this title can be a possible addition to our library's graphic novel collection. 
• Darryl Cunningham, the cartoonist of Billionaires: the Lives of the Rich and Powerful, presented by Drawn and Quarterly. I noted this one sounds like a good addition to my personal TBR list as well as possible acquisition for our library. The book looks at the lives of Jeff Bezos, the Koch brothers, and Rupert Murdoch. I think it may be a timely selection in these Hard Times. On a side note, Mr. Cunningham also has a forthcoming graphic novel about Vladimir Putin that sounds interesting too: Putin's Russia: the Rise of a Dictator.
  
• Guy Delisle, cartoonist of Factory Summers, presented by Drawn and Quarterly. In the book, the author looks back at his high school job. During the presentation, author mentions all the years he can spend writing on a book we might read in two hours, but if we are reading it, he feels he has done his work. He adds comics are good for illustration and also for explaining things. As reader and librarian, I've often found a good nonfiction GN can be a great tool to explain and teach on a complex topic (or not so complex but visual works better). 
• Keiler Roberts, cartoonist of My Begging Chart and Joe Ollman, cartoonist of Fictional Father, both from Drawn and Quarterly.
• June 24: 
• I listened to Nicole Hannah-Jones discuss her 1619 Project. She spoke on how in school African American history was never taught. Now that you mention it, I did not get a whole lot of that either in school nor even as an undergrad. I think 1st formal African American history course I took was in grad school.For me, aside from grad school, a lot of what I have learned on this has been effort on my own to find books and resources to learn. 
• Listened to Belgian author Judith Vanistendael now. A new author to me, presented by Europe Comics. The author was a pleasure to listen to, very warm, and the company rep was good too overall. At one point during the presentation, audience member asked about her art process (she is author/illustrator). She has actually pulled out some of her sketches to show us the process of how the book developed, then compared to a book page. Very visual. 
• David Copperfield speaking of magic, his personal magic museum, and his new book David Copperfield's History of Magic.  Presented by Simon and Schuster. Copperfield speaks of magic as an art form. Magic brings out in us a sense of wonder and discovery.
• Via Gibbs Smith, I listened to Peter Hiller, author of The Life and Times of Jo Mora: Iconic Artist of the American West. I knew very little of Jo Mora, so finding this fascinating.
• Listened to the Red Hen Press author showcase featuring Dariel Suarez, Lily Hoang, Thea Prieto, and Kazim Ali. Ali's book, New Moons, sounded interesting and possible acquisition for our library. It is a compilation of Muslim voices in America.At the time of this post, Edelweiss Plus had a review copy of this, which I downloaded. I hope to write a review of it for The Itinerant Librarian after I read it.
• Dr. Leana Wen spoke on public health, COVID-19, the pandemic, and her memoir Lifelines.  Her three takeaways: 
• Public health saved your life today. You just don't know it. 
• All of us and all of you (in libraries) are public health warriors too. 
• We all need to make our own tables, not wait for anyone else to go first.
• June 25: 
• Via Drawn and Quarterly, listened to Sophie Yanow, cartoonist of The Contradictions.
• Stanley Tucci talking about cooking, and of course his new cookbook, Taste: My Life Through Food, was interesting and a bit of fun. 
• June 28:
• I caught the encore of the session on the First Amendment and libraries. What I noted at the time: To be honest, as much as they are trying to be somewhat optimistic, this is seriously depressing given the clusterfuck in the U.S. and how rights are being suppressed in states while the federal administration seems asleep at the wheel.
• And I ended it listening to former President Barack Obama on June 29. What I jotted down at the time: There may be things I do not agree with him (I think like many Dems he can be seriously milquetoast), but some good points, and he seems to mostly act in good faith.

A challenge for me is that the conference offered sessions with many authors and publishers that sounded interesting, so selecting which ones to listen to at the time was not easy. Still, I do appreciate some of the recordings of sessions were available later for me to go back and listen to things I may have missed the first time. 

Since I am not a member, I pretty much ignored the administrivia and member organization meetings. To be honest, if I was a member, I'd probably ignore them too. This makes me glad that as a librarian, I am not on a tenure line or such. One of my colleagues was on a tenure line at a previous place, and she says only reason she had to go to ALA or ACRL was because tenure work required it (the "service" part). 

I took very minimal notes, and at the time I mostly did small live tweets on Twitter mentioning sessions and brief impressions or comments. You can look up my handle (@bloodravenlib) and add the hashtag #ALAAC21 to the search, and you can find my notes if interested. I also used that thread to make a list of titles I was interested in both to read personally as well as for possible library acquisition. 

 

Overall, I did like the virtual experience. Getting some professional development done from my desk without expensive travel was worth it. Would I do ALA Annual again? If they offer a virtual option for folks like me, I'd consider asking if my library would fund it. I am not saying for them not to do in person. Go right ahead, and if travel is your thing and you got the money for it, you do you. I am saying the virtual option should also be available as an alternative for folks who may need a more affordable option, refuse to or cannot travel, so on. 

Article Note: On 2020 Top Trends in Academic Libraries

This article is a summary of what the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee considered to be "top trends" for 2020 for academic libraries. It was looking at the two previous years. Keep in mind this was written before COVID-19 hit. Still some things still apply in the COVID-19 era. This article can be a refresher or an update tool for librarians who may not have kept up on these topics. 

Some things I took away from the article: 

• Change management was a trend. At the time they emphasized a "need for preparing a workforce for uncertainty and ambiguity." Given the COVID-19 era, that is quite an understatement now. Library administrators need to be working on this and doing their best to help their workforce function and be trained to work in these uncertain times. 
• Learning analytics was a trend, and it has become yet another buzzword in academic libraries. The idea is to collect student learning data related to library use in order to understand students better. The idea, supposedly, is to then learn from that date to serve students better and of course, the ever popular making sure the stakeholders know our value. However, "many academic librarians are growing every more skeptical of the value of LA, especially as their use relates to student privacy, student agency, library ethics, and student trust in libraries as institutions." To be honest, when it comes to LA, student privacy and other concerns are rarely if ever considered nor mentioned as we send out yet another survey or assessment tool to collect yet more data. 
• Something to add to information literacy instruction: ". . .libraries should 'consider using information literacy instruction as a vector to introduce algorithmic concept and their ethical implications." 
• Social justice, critical librarianship, and critical digital pedagogy were identified as a trend. These are just a continuation as these have been around for more than two years now. 
• Definition of critical librarianship: "'Critical librarianship acknowledges then interrogates the structures that produce us as librarians, our spaces as libraries, our patrons as students, faculty, and the public.' It is grounded in 'a librarianship that. . . disrupt[s] the status quo, that center[s] a commitment to social justice and social change, . . . and that grapple[s] directly with the problems of power concentrated in the hands of only a few.'"
• As often the case, things like this have good ideals can often become too much theory and not enough practice. The movement as been criticized "for being inaccessible, exclusionary, elitist, and disconnected from the practice of librarianship." Criticizing critical librarianship is certainly not something popular nor something seen very often. 
• Streaming media was a trend, and it has become a bigger trend in the COVID-19 era as professors scramble to put as much of it as they can in their courses, which for the libraries often means scrambling to find content, help the faculty put it up in their online classes, and making sure copyrights are not violated, something that faculty rarely care about when they do things like streaming stuff they get off Netflix. "With increasing support for online and hybrid courses, as well as flipped classroom pedagogy, the appeal and desirability of streaming content is clear." More so in the COVID-19 era. 
• Student wellbeing is identified as a trend. Like what? We did not care about students before? Anyhow, stories about students struggling in the COVID-19 era have been on the rise, so naturally colleges and libraries doing stuff, or at least giving good lip service, on student wellbeing has been on the rise as well. Wellbeing is one of those keywords you hear when concerns arise about things like retention and success. 
• Again, keep in mind, this was written before COVID-19: "As a result, institutions are increasingly looking at supporting students holistically and promoting student wellbeing as possible contributors to their success and retention. Libraries are well-positioned to help, due to their central locations, longer operating hours, and perception as a safe space, with some stressing the importance of collaborating with campus partners, social service agencies, and professionals." 
• Things like longer operating hours are not the case in many libraries, including hours. During an academic term, we went down from opening until midnight to closing at 9p. Decreased traffic in the library meant we could not justify later hours. Much of our services also went virtual, and so have other campus services.
  

 

Citation for the article: ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee, "2020 Top Trends in Academic Libraries: a Review of the Trends and Issues Affecting Academic Libraries in Higher Education." College & Research Libraries, 81.6 (2020). (Link to article: https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/24478/32315). 

Some items from the Notes I would like to look over later: 

• Mary Lee Kennedy, “Research Libraries as Catalytic Leaders in a Society in Constant Flux: A Report of the ARL-CNI Fall Forum 2019” (Association of Research Libraries and Coalition for Networked Information, January 2020): 18, https://doi.org/10.29242/report.fallforum2019.
• Gwen Evans and Roger C. Shonfeld, “It’s Not What Libraries Hold; It’s Who Libraries Serve: Seeking a User-Centered Future for Academic Libraries,” January 23, 2020, https://sr.ithaka.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/OhioLINK_ILSUserCenteredFuture_1.23.20.pdf.
• April Hathcock, “Learning Agency, Not Analytics,” At The Intersection, January 24, 2018, https://aprilhathcock.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/learning-agency-not-analytics/.
• Kyle M. L. Jones, “‘Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should’: Practitioner Perceptions of Learning Analytics Ethics,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 19, no. 3 (July 2019): 408, https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2019.0025.
• Emily Drabinski, “What Is Critical about Critical Librarianship?” Art Libraries Journal 44, no. 2 (April 2019): 49.
• Davin Helkenberg et al., “Education for the Common Good: A Student Perspective on Including Social Justice in LIS Education,” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 59, no. 4 (October 1, 2018): 270.
  
•  Nicole A. Branch, “Illuminating Social Justice in the Framework: Transformative Methodology, Concept Mapping, and Learning Outcomes Development for Critical Information Literacy,” Communications in Information Literacy 13, no. 1 (March 2019): 4–22.
• Karen P. Nicholson and Maura Seale, eds., The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship (Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press, 2018).
• Mary J. Wise, “Naps and Sleep Deprivation: Why Academic Libraries Should Consider Adding Nap Stations to Their Services for Students,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 24, no. 2 (April 3, 2018).
• Ian Godfrey et al., “Supporting Student Retention and Success: Including Family Areas in an Academic Library,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 17, no. 2 (2017).
• Samantha G Hines, “Connecting Individuals with Social Services: The Academic Library’s Role,” Collaborative Librarianship 9, no. 2 (2017).
• Elizabeth Ramsey and Mary C. Aagard, “Academic Libraries as Active Contributors to Student Wellness,” College & Undergraduate Libraries 25, no. 4 (October 2, 2018): 328–34.

 

Booknote: Where are all the librarians of color?

Rebecca Hankins and  Miguel Juarez, Where are all the librarians of color?: the experiences of people of color in academia. Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press, 2015. 978-1-936117-83-3.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: LIS, minority studies, academia
Format: trade paperback
Source: My library (Hutchins Library, Berea College)

This may be one of those books that more librarians should read, especially non-POC librarians. For me, I had some mixed feelings as I read it. In part, much of what I read is stuff that I have experienced; some of it is part of my life experience. Also, after a while, the book can get a bit repetitive on things like arguing for recruiting more minorities and why that is good for the profession. Now, I agree with those ideas, although I am very skeptical of encouraging people to apply for work in a field with  an over-saturated job market. Just run an online search or two to find plenty of tales of woe from unemployed and underemployed librarians. And no, telling people to just "look for alternative career paths" is not exactly a great solution or comfort. So with those concerns, I kept reading the book.

If anything, the best parts are the individual stories of those who made it and are gainfully working in the profession. Also, the parts on mentoring and networking at small, local levels were good. There was not enough of that. However, there were many mentions of ALA programs which,  while they may be good, often boil down to "pay to play" (you have to be a member to gain access, and there is no mention of the significant expenses nor the fact many people of color, or just plain many people, might  not have good enough finances to afford said access) and being the right age. As I discovered from personal experience, being too old even if  you are a newly minted MLS can limit some of your options.

The book is organized as follows:

• A short preface by Loriene Roy.
• An introduction by the editors. 
• Three sections on  the following topics: 
• "Setting the stage for diversity in the profession." 
• "How diversity benefits the profession." 
• "Personal diversity stories." 
• The book has a total of 13 essays.

 The book does provide a good start on an important topic: the experiences of librarians of color in academia. It can be lonely for us in academia, so at least through this book we get reassurance that we are not alone. For librarians of color who keep up, much of the material is likely familiar ground. For everyone else, especially academic administrators, the book may be an important read. It is not a book to read cover to cover as it can be pretty dry as much LIS literature can be. If you read a bit here and a bit there, and maybe talk about it with others, you may get more out of it. 

I liked it, but I think I liked the idea more than the execution. LIS school libraries may want to acquire this one. I would also say that colleges and universities with strong interests in minorities and their condition, such as HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions among others, need to have this. It was part of why I ordered it for our library, the history of our college. Other campuses interested in diversity may want to consider it.

3 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Some additional reading notes:

On  the "pay to play:"

"Such involvement is voluntary and both membership and association work are usually dependent upon the individual paying personal due and creating a plan of involvement-- from attending meetings and conferences to serving on committees and/or election to various offices" (viii). 

No mention of the  often prohibitive cost of membership (and let's not even go into meetings and conference costs, and woe unto you if your employer lacks the funds and/or willingness to send you anywhere). Two, also not mentioned, is that for many on a tenure track line, being involved is often required, so it is not always "voluntary."

The isolation, which is something I can relate to:

"As libraries remain predominantly staffed and structured by the majority White culture, the few librarians of color often find themselves feeling marginalized and without access to a supportive group of similarly diverse-minded colleagues to whom they can relate and confide. This in turn can also affect their own advancement in the profession, as professionals are generally better equipped to grow and succeed when they have such collegial group environments and networks at their disposal" (32).

A quote I liked that I think more libraries should mind:

"Running an effective library goes beyond just doing a 'good thing' for a particular minority group; in other words, doing the best work with all of the staff involved is, at a fundamental level, an ethical, inclusive organizational practice to which libraries should aspire" (34).

Booknote: The Readers' Advisory Guide to Historical Fiction

(Crossposted from The Itinerant Librarian)

Jennifer S. Baker, The Readers' Advisory Guide to Historical Fiction. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2015. ISBN: 9780838911655. 

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: readers' advisory, library science
Format: trade paperback
Source: My local public library

I read this in the interest of keeping up with my skills as librarian and readers' adviser. This is an ALA book, so it is fairly similar to other RA books that ALA publishes. I will admit that historical fiction is not a genre that I usually read. For the most part, if I want to read history, I go read a real nonfiction history book. However, I get that some readers find historical fiction appealing, so I read this in order to learn more about the genre and to have some knowledge in case someone comes asking me about it. In addition, I discovered a book or two I have enjoyed in the past such as The Name of the Rose and The Killer Angels that could fall in this genre. From reading this book, I learned that historical fiction can be a diverse and very flexible genre.

Still, the book's text is a bit on the dry side compared to other guides like this I have read. It reads a bit much like a textbook. So while I appreciated the learning, it's basically a book to consult now and then. For librarians with little knowledge of the genre, it does provide a good start.

3 out of 5 stars.

* * * 

Some additional reading notes:

From the RA series introduction, what a book in this series is designed to do:

"They help advisors become familiar with fiction genres and nonfiction subjects, especially those they don't personally read. They provide ready-made lists of 'need to know' elements such as key authors and read-alikes, as well as tips on how to keep up with trends and important new books and titles" (ix). 

At its most basic, this book accomplishes just that.

How "historical fiction" is defined in the book:

"For our purposes, historical fiction is defined as novels (and sometimes short stories) with settings from a historical period at least fifty years  prior to the work's publication or occurring before the author's memory" (1).

A resource to check out mentioned in the book: http://raforall.blogspot.com.

What can you do if you can't "figure it out on the spot"?

"I try very hard to find something on the shelf for readers to take home and then offer to send them a personalized reading list. This buys me more time, perhaps a day or two, to come up with more suggestions. To create a reading list for a specific reader, I make a list of about five suitable titles; write short annotations, including reasons I think he or she will like each one; then send the reader that document. Personalized reading lists are time consuming but can be a good option to fall back on when you're flummoxed. A good strategy to prevent going blank is training yourself to be more a more versatile readers' advisor. Read several benchmark books in your least familiar genres and know which reference tools can help you in each (24-25). 

Those last two sentences above are why I read books like this one, to build up a bit of my RA knowledge in areas I am not as strong in.

Something to keep in mind:

"Subjects usually touched on in historical fiction don't always match Library of Congress subject headings, and it can be tricky to find good topical historical fiction quickly" (117).

A pro tip:

"Consider making your own subject book lists for those topics you are repeatedly asked about as part of your historical fiction readers' advisory preparedness training!" (117).

On the question of "can you really learn history from historical fiction?" The author says yes, but up to a point. People who read in this genre often say,

". . .that they can learn history painlessly by reading historical fiction" (137). 

However, even if those books are historically accurate,  you can miss details and elements of cultural experience and a historical time. Personally, this is a big reason I prefer to just read history, but I can see how for many folks this genre can be a start.

The author then argues that for RA in this genre, it is important to engage readers with works that have accurate historicity. In addition,

"Readers' advisors should, however, point out the advantages of reading nonfiction material to augment the readers' learning in areas that fiction doesn't pursue" (137). 

Keep in mind that you offer, suggest, and let the reader take it from there.

Some pro tips on how to build your RA reputation as a resource for others to get reading suggestions:

• "Host author readings and events at your library.
• Run several book discussion groups at your library and/or in the community.
• Write regular book reviews for your local paper and library newsletter.
• Post your own staff picks on your website and put your picture by it" (223). 

Using Twitter for on-the-spot RA also works.

"Readers' advisors must take advantage of social media as a way to reach readers and increase community awareness of our libraries' relevance" (223).

The author also suggests for readers' advisors to keep track of what they read and even have reading plans. For me, this is why I write about what I read in my journal and write a few reviews online to share. I do enjoy sharing books with others. On making a reading plan:

"To create a personal reading plan for historical fiction, identify your genre weaknesses, and make a plan to familiarize yourself with the best titles in each area of interest. Your personal reading plan can be as simple or complex as you like" (237). 

That's applicable to any genre by the way. It also means you may read outside your comfort zone, and that is OK.

Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group on Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies

These are my notes from the discussion group. Like other book discussions of the group, there were to be two meetings. This first meeting took place on March 25, 2015. The second meeting was the following week, April 1, 2015, which as I have noted elsewhere was "Holy Shit Week, this chronic bronchitis took me out of circulation" week. So you are only getting this set of notes. I did read and write a review of the book (link to the review) with additional reading notes that may be of interest.

• As a group, we are drawn to read this book for various reasons. 
• Re: consumers: why do they care more about the land, the food (does it have chemicals, so on?), about the animals than about the actual human laborers? 
• The author continually reminds us of the systemic violence. He also goes on to show that for migrant workers, this labor is not just an individual choice. 
• No one in the U.S. speaks of the actual role the U.S. has in forcing the migrants to try and go to the United States. The U.S. basically destroyed their way of life with things like NAFTA. (This is very well explained in the book, and I made a note of it in my review.)
• The author speaks of the intersection of class and race. 
• See also the book The American Way of Eating. (On a side note, Hutchins Library at Berea College has this book.)
• The wrong question to ask is "how do we get food cheaper"? We should be asking how to make food production fair. Yet, we do have to acknowledge, that to many, making it "fair" would mean a price hike they simply cannot afford (many are barely affording food as it is, but that may be a larger question.)
• See pg. 78 of the book for the passage on "marginalization begets marginalization." 
• The author's experience is an example of observing his own privilege. He had to balance when he could use his privilege or not. 
• The possible answer to the question of why Americans disregard immigrants is the American sense of individualism. This is in contrast to much of the world which thinks and acts in terms of community and the common good. This also explains things like Americans resisting universal health care (which pretty much every developed nation has); it is a failure to care and have empathy for others (a.k.a. as the "I've got mine Jack, so fuck you!" attitude). 
• Note that the organic movement is largely driven by selfishness. These consumers of organic foods do it out of self-interest (i.e. concern over what they put in their bodies), not out of environmental concern let alone concern for the fellow man who actually picks up the food. 

Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group on That's So Gay!, Part 1.

These are my notes from the first of two meetings of the Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group to read and discuss Kevin Nadal's book That's So Gay! (link to my booknote and review of the book). The first meeting took place on February 2, 2015. As of this post, the second meeting has not been rescheduled from the original date of February 16, 2015 (this was the day the college closed due to the big snow of 2015). If the second session is rescheduled, I will post my notes in due time (Update note 4/21/15: That second meeting was rescheduled to 3/30/15, which for many was Holy Week and for me was "Holy Shit! I've got chronic bronchitis, and I am bedridden for the week" week. So, no, I did not attend the second meeting). This post mostly contains notes I took during the discussion and some of my impressions of the event overall.

• We start by looking over the "heterosexual questionnaire." We were given a modified form of this document, replacing the word "heterosexual" and its derivations for "straight" and its derivations.
• We also took a moment to look at this site: http://thinkb4youspeak.com/. We focused on that "used on Twitter" sidebar. 
• On the book's preface: 
• Religion can make these conversations difficult. This can be seen at the college. 
• The idea of not having LGBT role models. This has changed somewhat recently. There are more folks in the public eye now who identify as LGBT, but being that is not their whole identity. 
•  On the introduction: 
• How silent are we or not when a microaggression happens? The answer is not as easy as it may appear. 
• Keep in mind, in LGBT communities, microaggressions happen, often dependent on identities. 
• Consider power and the importance of language in marginalized groups. 
•  When dealing with religion, how do you deal with those who have religious beliefs so embedded? To many, this is difficult as the religious feel attacked and viceversa. Yet, some religious folks can and do evolve as they are educated, confronted, so on. (Keyword in that statement is "some.")
• To consider: How does one decide to confront a microaggression or not? Are there times one decides not to speak because it is not worth it, can involve risk, other reasons? These are questions that are continually present. 
• As teachers and educators, awareness of what we do and say is necessary. And then we need to consider how we educate students to be aware of microaggressions. 
• Notice that what institutions do or say, for instance, choices in forms that need to be filled out, can be a preview of that institution's culture. Not saying anything can often still be saying something. 
• See page 27 in the book for the concept of vicarious traumatization. 
• Could we develop a pedagogy of sensitive challenge to those who may think that mistreating LGBT people is acceptable? How we even go about developing it? 

Some additional impressions:

Jumping a bit off the final question, which in ideal conditions I certainly agree with, and it is just the kind of thing the college would foster (or at least give lip service to). However, we do not live in an idea world. Allow me to expand on this. The book for me was not easy to discuss. I will admit that at times I just choose not to engage. Additionally, if someone is given the facts, it has been explained to them that some behavior is offensive and/or hurtful, and they still choose not to change or desist, I have no problem giving up on them and letting them wallow in their ignorance. I know, that may not be the "Berea Way," a term very commonly used here to remind you of the good deeds we should do, but allow me to use Christian terms here. There are moments when you just have to shake the dust off your feet and keep on walking (see Matthew 10:14 and Luke 9:5. Hey, I may be a heathen, but I can certainly quote Scripture as good as any brand name Christian). I have been burned enough to know there are some engagements that are best avoided. Is it the right thing?  Maybe, or maybe not. Sensitive challenge is fine, and as an educator I can certainly agree and work towards that in my pedagogy. Constantly banging your head against a solid wall though is just insanity.

Dean's Faculty Reading Group on Teaching to Transgress, Part 2

These are my notes from the second of two meetings of the Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group to read and discuss bell hooks' book Teaching to Transgress (link to my booknote and review of the book). This second meeting took place on November 10, 2014. This post is mostly notes I took during the discussion and some overall impressions of the event.

• We start out with 8 people. We added 5 latecomers for a total of 13 people attending plus bell hooks. I can't help but wonder what happened to scare the rest. We had between 20 and 25 or so last month, maybe a bit more. Also, there were only two men in the room, including me (make of that what you will). 
• At the opening, there was some expression of discouragement from bell hooks on seeing the world differently. The thinking here was in terms of balance. 
• On a side note, an observation about the many artists here who do "mundane" work to pay the bill, eat, so on and to keep doing art. 
• During the previous week (November 6, 2014), the college featured a convocation with writer Barbara Kingsolver. (This one was a really big deal. They even set up a second watching area in the library where they could stream the event. Personally, I skipped because Kingsolver is not really my cup of tea.). bell hooks and a few others described this convocation as "the middle-aged white women convo" (which is actually pretty accurate from what I heard and from the crowd we got at the library at that time). If nothing else, we think of language, and we could say those women clearly found their language there. 
• Kingsolver did evoke white writers. Virginia Woolf and Charles Dickens look over her shoulder. 
• White bourgeois, according to bell hooks. Working classes would not likely share Kingsolver's brand of humor. 
•  There is still a gulf separating black and white women. 
• How do you express about being hurt with people who look like those who hurt you? Especially when trying to form new relationships in new places? 
• To this day, places are still segregated: beauty shops, churches, funeral homes for example. 
• The importance of spaces to open conversations even in academia. Talking about work is not conducive to discussing deeper issues. 
• We talk a lot about diversity and inclusion, yet we find it very difficult to relate to someone who may be very different, even when that different one is trying to enter and learn. 
• This idea of learning. When is it enough? Is it ever? Or perhaps not so much being enough for we continue learning over our lives. 
• The challenge is the assumptions we make about people. 
• For instance, the faculty convocation for bell hooks, and some other events, where you see a sea of whiteness. Some of us (and here I do mean us, including me) can feel not part of it. 
• A question came up: how do we truly desegregate Berea College. (Yes, in spite or perhaps because of our history, we do have to ask that question and address it.)
• For instance, our downtown area is configured for tourists with money. (Heck, I work here, and I can certainly attest to it.)
• We do lack integrated spaces on campus. 
•  An observation came up during the book discussion about people here being and/or feeling overworked. Working after hours, over the weekend. (This is something I see a lot here. Certain bosses who are sending emails on Sundays from home are an example). Part of it could be the small town atmosphere where people submerge in their work (also, not much to do in the small town, so reinforces the people submerging in their work. Fine if they choose to do so. In my case, my weekends are mine, and once I leave on Friday after work, you are not hearing from me until Monday). 
• Another question: has feminism become something for everybody and therefore meaningless? 
• Intersectionality comes into play here. This is a difficult concept to understand.
• Feminism seems focused on male violence against women. Where does this leave, for instance, upper class women? 
• Border crossing is not really discussed, the notion of crossing lines from one group to another. We are more divided by class than we acknowledge. 
• The book is 20 years old or so by now. Yet it seems so little has changed since it was written. We also reflected on how people see it as relevant today. 
• Again, language is a place of struggle. 
• A good thought from the other guy in the group (remember, there were only two of us this evening): being aware of how little he knows. (I can certainly relate to that)
• Observation: the greatest diversity in the college is in the student body. Not too much diversity in the faculty, even less the staff. 
• For the future, we hope to have more discussions on diversity. 
• How do we exist in places where we may lack a voice or be valued? How then do we help foster change and dialogue? 

Some of my impressions and thoughts after the meeting:

In the end, the discussion was good, but compared to our first meeting it was much more underwhelming. Maybe this was due to less people being there. And yet, I still sense a thirst for people to come into such spaces and discuss these topics. But for some of us, though it is claimed the space is safe, is it really safe? I often sit and listen in order to learn. But for me silence is also a way to avoid the land mines.

On the topic of being overworked, it's not so much that it did not happen elsewhere. It is that folks here seem to embrace it so much. I am sorry, but as I have said before, my weekends are mine. I rotate a Sunday at the reference desk here or there because I have to, but the rest of the time is mine, you all need to learn to chill (or find other hobbies to do in the small town).

As for the diversity thing, let me tell you. Being a Puerto Rican in Berea, Kentucky can be interesting. I may have mentioned (at some point, not sure if it was during the discussion or more likely I just wrote about it  upon reflection) that I don't recall any person of color during my campus interview. It was not something I thought of at the time, but on reflection, it is interesting to ponder. Now, the students I met at that time were diverse in terms of gender and color. But for me, being caught between the history, the "story," and the reality of the campus and area, well, it can be a bit challenging, isolating, exciting, and other feelings. Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe.

Also on a side note, the whole town as a wealthy tourist playground makes me wonder a bit. Allow me a moment of bluntness here. I live here, and I work here, but I sure as heck can't afford a lot of what the artists here produce. However, a lot of people assume that I could afford such things because I work for the college; as faculty member, well, I must be well-heeled (I may have faculty title, but I am a librarian. I can assure you I am not well-heeled. Heck, I am lucky I have heels on the shoes I walk on to work). We are not all well-off academics is all I can say. I am very aware of my fortune (small as it is) and privileges that I do have, but as that wise man once reminded me, there but for (the deity of choice), go I.

Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group on Teaching to Transgress, Part 1.

These are my notes from the first of two meetings of the Dean's Faculty Book Reading Group to read and discuss bell hooks' book Teaching to Transgress (link to my booknote and review of the book). This first meeting took place on October 20, 2014. This post mostly contains notes I took during the discussion and some of my impressions of the event overall. Like most book clubs and discussion groups, this was a blend of the leader using guiding questions and people pretty much saying what they wanted, mostly related to the book.

• bell hooks is here. It is quite a feeling when the book's author is present to lead the discussion. 
• We start with the notion that words are action. Words in a book can be a catalyst of action for readers. Think of intersectionality of words and experience.
• Words can be used to raise awareness. Think of where people are in terms of change, some more ready than others. 
• Our nation (the United States) does not have a national discourse on imperialism; using charged words in daily life. Contrast that with other nations having a higher awareness of imperialism and globalism. 
• When you have diversity, there is no safety. Sooner or later someone will say something that is not harmonious. 
• How do you frame accountability without lessening pleasure in certain things? Say a work of literature you may enjoy yet is sexist or has other issues. The issue is that society puts us in a binary position. 
• Is not being able to enjoy a work, after seeing it in a new light, a price to pay? 
• Often, political radical movements have been against something.  It is difficult to know what actions have political significance in many movements and protests.
• A reminder: learning often comes way after the moment of teaching. Consider the power of experience in transforming learning. 
• This quote was mentioned: "In all cultural revolutions there are periods of chaos and confusion, times when grave mistakes are made. If we fear mistakes, doing things wrongly, constantly evaluating ourselves, we will never make the academy a culturally diverse place where scholars and the curricula address every dimension of that difference" (33). 
• It is important to be able to have difficult conversations. In our pedagogy, encourage students to not think in absolutes; this is part of critical thinking. 
• "The engaged voice must never be fixed and absolute but always changing, always evolving in dialogue with a world beyond itself" (11). 
• We struggle to create a language of intersectionality and of compassion. 
• How do we use knowledge to open up to others, share the knowledge? How do we open up spaces where people, all people, can talk together and reflect?
• In our pedagogies, do we explain/teach fairness in various ways versus simply being righteous about it? 
• In the example of "fairness," maybe the word "justice" is a better word. 
• You cannot bring change without education for critical thinking and consciousness. 
• Theory in the academy has grown and evolved; practice has mostly remained the same. 
• On a side note, very few well educated people are knowledgeable about Appalachia (this is something not often not talked about. As for me, prior to coming here, I did not know that much, though it is a gap I am working to remedy). 
• We need to reflect on how our pedagogies  extend past the classroom. How do we transgress to have newer and liberatory models of learning? 
• Are we only educators in the classroom? (Or I could also ask are we only librarians in the library? I am sure that is a question that could get a few librarians going on either side of the equation, but that is another story). This is a crucial question that needs to be asked. 
• There are always choices in how things are framed? 
• Trust is another issue and question. 
• Interrogation is a tool of critical pedagogy. 
•  "To create a culturally diverse academy we must commit ourselves fully. Learning from other movements for social change, from civil rights and feminist liberation efforts, we must accept the protracted nature of our struggle and be willing to remain both patient and vigilant. To commit ourselves to the work of transforming the academy so that it will be a place where culture diversity informs every aspect of our learning, we must embrace struggle and sacrifice. We cannot be easily discouraged. We cannot despair where there is conflict. Our solidarity must be affirmed by shared belief in a spirit of intellectual openness that celebrates diversity, welcomes dissent, and rejoices in collective dedication to truth" (33). 
• Martin Luther King, Jr. quote, quoted in the book, on technology, society, and a critique of capitalism. Given current events today, the guy was clearly a prophet with vision. Our civilization really is floundering. At time I wonder if we are too late:
•  ". . . the stability of the large world house which is ours will involve a revolution of values to accompany the scientific and freedom revolutions engulfing the earth. We must rapidly begin the shift from a 'thing'-oriented society to a 'person'-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A civilization can flounder as readily in the face of moral and spiritual bankruptcy as it can through financial bankruptcy" (quoted in 27). 
• On a reflection as I type these notes, I later on went on to read Cornel West's book Black Prophetic Fire. In a segment of the book, West speculates about the rise of an American Gibbon to document the rise and fall of the American Empire. Or as I said in my booknote of the book, maybe what Americans, who are notorious for not heeding lessons of history or listening to anybody, really need is a Harry Seldon (though they are just as likely not to listen to that figure neither).
• By the way, the MLK quote comes from MLK's book Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community.
• Integration is a way that silences the experiences of others and the capacity of listening. 
• Sharing reading with others can be important in starting to open spaces, to get others to listen. 
• There is living in the talking and sharing of knowledge. 

A side note, and this will have to remain vague in order to not name names. There was a moment during the discussion where there was a consideration of what I will label "being Appalachian enough" (as in knowing the region, being committed enough to the region, maybe a native of the region even). For a moment, that did make me feel a tad uncomfortable given I am not "Appalachian" (though I am doing my best to learn and adapt to my new adopted home). In many ways, I have had many homes, though I can say of all places, Berea may well be the most welcoming (even with its flaws, and it does have quite a few even if the locals don't always want to talk about them). As a favorite poet of mine wrote:

"Yo vengo de todas partes,
Y hacia todas partes voy:
Arte soy entre las artes,
En los montes, monte soy." --Jose Marti, Versos Sencillos. 

I think that I am at the right place and time to do some good. 

Another thing that stuck with me, and it did stick with a lot of the faculty and staff present in the discussion was the recent failure of Berea to pass a fairness ordinance.  What stuck with me was a quote. It was something a friend of mine from back in Tyler, Texas told me when I shared the news of the ordinance not passing with her. She simply said: you cannot escape Kentucky. Whether we here in the college want to admit it or not, that quote says a lot.