LibVoices
By LibVoices
Hear from librarians of color speak to the fullness of their careers including successes, challenges, and achievements. How do they do it? Join co-hosts Jamia Williams and Jamillah R. Gabriel to find out more about their #LibVoices. Please follow us on all of our social media pages!
LibVoicesMar 10, 2020
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Episode 37: Nicky Andrews on Collaboration, Indigenous Data Sovereignty, and Open Access
Nicky Andrews is the Open Education Librarian at the University of San Francisco. Originally from Aotearoa, they are of Māori and Pākehā descent and an enrolled member of the Ngāti Pāoa iwi. They graduated with a BA in Social Sciences from Auckland University of Technology, a Master of Library & Information Science from the University of Washington, and a Master of Indigenous Studies from the University of Otago. Nicky has participated in many library communities, including as an ALA Spectrum Scholar, ALA Emerging Leader, NCSU Libraries Fellow, and SPARC Open Education Leadership Program Fellow. Their work exposing imposter syndrome's racialized and misogynist nature earned them the 2021 ACRL WGSS Award for Significant Achievement in Women & Gender Studies Librarianship. Outside of libraries, they dabble in poetry, catch Pokemon, and watch dinosaur documentaries with their cat.
Nicky Andrew's website.
Sep 10, 202353:29
Episode 36: Nicollette Davis & Crystal Chen on Citational Justice, Community, and Belonging
Crystal Chen is the Digital Educator Support Manager & Archivist at Facing History & Ourselves. She received her MSLIS from Pratt Institute and is an active member of the Chinese American Librarians Association and Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association. She also serves as a community admin for We Here (wehere. space), a supportive community for BIPOC in LIS.
Nicollette M. Davis (she/her) is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is an assistant librarian. She’s a community admin for We Here, a supportive space for BIPOC library workers and archivists. Before becoming an academic librarian, she spent several years working in public libraries as a supervising Reference librarian and Circulation head. Her interests include critical librarianship, BIPOC community building, community engagement, and critical pedagogy in library instruction. All views and ideas expressed are her own.
Aug 10, 202343:04
Episode 35: Dr. Isabel Espinal on on Outreach, Performativity, and Equity
Isabel Espinal is a Research Services Librarian for Afro-American Studies, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies, Spanish & Portuguese, and Native American & Indigenous Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was born in New York City, two years after her parents immigrated from the Cibao countryside in the Dominican Republic. She has an AB in Romance Languages and Literature from Princeton University, a Masters in Library and Information Studies from UC Berkeley, and an MA and Ph.D. in American Studies, English department, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a past president of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, and has written and given presentations on whiteness and diversity in librarianship, information literacy, the climate crisis and libraries, Dominican women writers in the United States, and Latinx literature, among other topics. Her most recent publication is the book chapter “Microaffections and Microaffirmations: Refusing to Reproduce Whiteness via Microaffirmative Actions,” in the book Dismantling Constructs of Whiteness in Higher Education, edited by Teresa Y. Neely and Margie Montañez and published by Routledge in 2022.
Jul 10, 202342:39
Episode 34: Petrina Jackson on Leadership, Advocacy, and Community
Petrina Jackson began as the Lia Gelin Poorvu Executive Director of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America and Librarian for the Harvard Radcliffe Institute in November 2021. She was the director of the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) at Syracuse University Libraries, where she oversaw the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive, University Archives, and all curated collections. Before Syracuse, she served at Iowa State University as the head of Special Collections and University Archives. Prior to that, she served as the head of instruction and outreach at the University of Virginia’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library and senior assistant archivist for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University. Jackson received a B.A. in English from the University of Toledo, an M.A. in English from Iowa State University, and a master of library and information science degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a widely recognized leader in the field by her active roles within the Society of American Archivists and the American Library Association’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section.
Jun 10, 202344:38
Episode 33: Ashley Watts on Community Involvement, Cultural Awareness, and Leadership
Ashley Watts currently serves as the Assistant Library Director of the Altadena Library District since January 2022. Prior to this position, she served as the Senior Library Supervisor of Children's Services and the Branch Manager of the Pacific Park Library of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture since May 2018. Before moving to California in 2018, Ashley served as a branch manager in New Orleans, where she managed the collection and programming for all ages as the only librarian on staff. Ashley was also a Children’s Librarian for the New Orleans Public Library system for several years, where she assisted with the day-to-day operations of her regional branch, as well as system-wide Children’s Services for all 14 branches. She also handled all outreach efforts, including providing early literacy workshops for daycares and preschools. Ashley enjoys binge-watching TV shows, partaking in self-care activities, and enjoying California weather with her husband Wayne and their 3 boys, Wayne Jr. (age 11), Ayden (10), and Austin (3).
May 10, 202321:28
Episode 32: John Light Jr. on Storytelling, Genealogy, and Empowerment
John Light, Jr. is a Librarian from Richmond, Virginia. "Mister John" started his Librarian journey when he worked in Perry Library at Old Dominion University. Mister John graduated from ODU and then went to work at Virginia Beach Central Library. He worked in the Circulation Department for 7 years. Mister John then relocated and left the library profession altogether for 7 years. Fortunately for Mister John, a trip to the Dale City Branch of Prince William Public Libraries helped him rediscover his love for the work. Mister John began work at Potomac Community Library in PWPL in October 2015 in the Youth Services department. Mister John's experience at Potomac Library was awesomely beneficial.
While there, Mister John learned the art of Storytelling. He has shared stories with the old and young, in schools, community centers, and senior centers. He also found a passion for genealogy. As a result, he was able to discover new family members and restore the family tree.
In December of 2019, Mister John graduated from the iSchool of Syracuse University with an MLIS degree. His time at Syracuse was rewarding and taught him how to be a real Librarian.
In 2020, Mister John published 3 picture books "The Adventures of Joshua and Pip", "The Adventures of Joshua and Pip: Calvin the Catfish" and "Las Aventuras de Joshua y Pip". In 2021, he published the picture book "My Mother's Wildest Dreams".
Mister John is currently a Youth Librarian at Islands Library, a branch in Savannah, GA's Live Oak Public Library system. He is married to Deidre Light, his wife of 20 years, and has 13-year-old twins, Joshua and Jeremiah.
While there, Mister John learned the art of Storytelling. He has shared stories with the old and young, in schools, community centers, and senior centers. He also found a passion for genealogy. As a result, he was able to discover new family members and restore the family tree.
In December of 2019, Mister John graduated from the iSchool of Syracuse University with an MLIS degree. His time at Syracuse was rewarding and taught him how to be a real Librarian.
In 2020, Mister John published 3 picture books "The Adventures of Joshua and Pip", "The Adventures of Joshua and Pip: Calvin the Catfish" and "Las Aventuras de Joshua y Pip". In 2021, he published the picture book "My Mother's Wildest Dreams".
Mister John is currently a Youth Librarian at Islands Library, a branch in Savannah, GA's Live Oak Public Library system. He is married to Deidre Light, his wife of 20 years, and has 13-year-old twins, Joshua and Jeremiah.
Apr 10, 202324:53
Episode 31: K.C. Boyd on Advocacy, Representation, and Belonging
K.C. Boyd is currently a school librarian with the District of Columbia Public Schools System. She has previously worked as the Lead Librarian for the East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, IL., as an Area Library Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools, and as a District Coordinator for the Mayor Daley Book Club for Middle School Students. She is a second-generation educator and holds Master’s degrees in Library Information Science, Media Communications, and Education Leadership. Boyd is currently the national 2022 School Library Journal “Librarian of the Year.”
Boyd currently serves on the executive boards for the District of Columbia Library Association and Washington Teachers Union. She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C. and EveryLibrary Institute/Advisory Board. Boyd is also a member of the District of Columbia Public Schools Library Corps and serves on the AASL School Library Event Promotion Committee. Boyd currently is a National Ambassador representing the Washington D.C. area for Checkology Virtual Classroom and The News Literacy Project. She is also the recipient of the American Consortium for Equity in Education 2022 Excellence in Equity Award and the 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
A staunch advocate for school libraries, she is widely known and respected for her work in educating parents, teachers, and district officials on promoting leisure reading for children and teens. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. It is Boyd’s belief that all children, despite economic circumstances, have the right to read and should have access to books that reflect themselves and encourage inquiry. Boyd can be reached through her website: www.kcboyd.com/.
To get professional development go to www.kcboyd.com/the-clubhouse.html
Boyd currently serves on the executive boards for the District of Columbia Library Association and Washington Teachers Union. She is an active committee member for the American Library Association Chapter Council representing Washington D.C. and EveryLibrary Institute/Advisory Board. Boyd is also a member of the District of Columbia Public Schools Library Corps and serves on the AASL School Library Event Promotion Committee. Boyd currently is a National Ambassador representing the Washington D.C. area for Checkology Virtual Classroom and The News Literacy Project. She is also the recipient of the American Consortium for Equity in Education 2022 Excellence in Equity Award and the 2022 National Association of State Boards of Education “Policy Leader of the Year Winner”
A staunch advocate for school libraries, she is widely known and respected for her work in educating parents, teachers, and district officials on promoting leisure reading for children and teens. Additionally, she is a sought-after and popular keynote speaker and conference presenter at the local, state, and national levels. It is Boyd’s belief that all children, despite economic circumstances, have the right to read and should have access to books that reflect themselves and encourage inquiry. Boyd can be reached through her website: www.kcboyd.com/.
To get professional development go to www.kcboyd.com/the-clubhouse.html
Mar 10, 202348:32
Episode 30:Loida Garcia Febo on Solidarity, Inclusion, and Leadership
Loida Garcia-Febo, International Library Consultant expert in library services to diverse populations and human rights. President of the American Library Association 2018-2019. At IFLA: Governing Board 2013-2017, Co-Founder of New Professionals, two-term Member/Expert resource person of FAIFE, two-term member of CPDWL. Currently: CPDWL Consultant, Info Coordinator of the Management of Library Associations Section. At ALA: Chair, ALA UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Task Force and Chair, Women’s Issues in Librarianship. Born, raised, and educated in Puerto Rico.
Dec 10, 202233:07
Episode 29: Jimmy Zavala on Community Archives, Counternarratives, and Student Empowerment
Jimmy Zavala is the Teaching & Learning Librarian for UCLA Library Special Collections. Prior to joining UCLA, Jimmy was the Project Coordinator Librarian for Transforming Knowledge, Transforming Libraries, a three-year IMLS-funded research project analyzing the intersection of Ethnic Studies and Community Archives at UC Irvine. He received his MLIS from UCLA and also holds a BA in Latin American Studies and an MA in History from California State University, Los Angeles.
Nov 10, 202239:47
Episode 28:Rhiannon Sorrell on Traditional Knowledge, Community, and Tribesourcing
Rhiannon Sorrell (Diné) is an Assistant Professor at the School of Arts, Humanities, and English and is the Instruction and Digital Services Librarian at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Born to Red House People and Tangle People Clans, Rhiannon has an interdisciplinary background in information literacy instruction, creative nonfiction, digital humanities, and special collections and archival services to Indigenous populations. She is a member of the 2018 cohort of ALA’s Emerging Leaders and serves on the executive board of the American Indian Library Association. Rhiannon is a partner and Diné coordinator for the NEH-funded project, “The Afterlife of Film: Upgrading and Tribesourcing Southwest Materials in the American Indian Film Gallery,” and a member of the 2021-2023 cohort of RBS-Mellon Cultural Heritage Fellows.
Oct 10, 202237:53
Episode 27: Ricky Punzalan on Colonization, Repatriation, and Access
Ricardo “Ricky” Punzalan, Associate Professor of Information and steering committee member of the Museum Studies Program at the University of Michigan, is a scholar of archives and digital curation. In particular, he studies the access and use of digitized anthropological archives and ethnographic data on academic and Indigenous researchers. He believes that archives and legacy research data must not only advance academic research but also contribute to the wellbeing of communities. His research has had the greatest impact in the area of virtual reunification and digital repatriation of cultural heritage collections. This research brought to the fore a critical challenge faced by underserved and Indigenous communities and created dialogues between communities and cultural institutions. To do this work, he designs and carries out community-based, participatory research projects, which incorporate the perspectives of cultural heritage stakeholders beyond academic researchers. He is currently a research associate at the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives. He recently concluded his tenure as a Council member of the Society of American Archivists.
Sep 10, 202246:12
Episode 26:Stanton Biddle on Community, Representation, and Leadership
Dr. Stanton F. Biddle holds a bachelors degree in government (Howard University, 1965), a masters degree in Library Service (Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA, 1966), a masters degree in Public Administration (New York University, New York, NY 1973), and a doctorate in Library and Information Studies (The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 1988).
He spent his entire working career as a librarian beginning as a library page in the Rochester (NY) Public Library while in high school and as a library assistant at the U.S. Library of Congress while completing his undergraduate work in college. Upon receiving his library degree, he held increasingly responsible positions at the Municipal Reference and later the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. In 1973 he was appointed Associate Director of Libraries at Howard University in Washington, DC; in 1979 Associate Director of Libraries at the State University of New York at Buffalo; and in 1984 Chief Librarian at Baruch College of the City University of New York. Between 1988 and his retirement in 2011, he held a number of senior positions within the College and City University of New York system.
Stanton has been an active member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for 48 of its 51 years. He served on the Executive Board for three terms, as president from 1994-96 and Treasurer from 2002-2008. He edited the proceedings of the first two National Conferences of African American Librarians and served as Conference Treasurer for five of the ten conferences.
Dr. Biddle lives in New York City, where he volunteers with a number of genealogy and family history research organizations and institutions and is still actively involved with the Black Caucus of ALA.
He spent his entire working career as a librarian beginning as a library page in the Rochester (NY) Public Library while in high school and as a library assistant at the U.S. Library of Congress while completing his undergraduate work in college. Upon receiving his library degree, he held increasingly responsible positions at the Municipal Reference and later the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. In 1973 he was appointed Associate Director of Libraries at Howard University in Washington, DC; in 1979 Associate Director of Libraries at the State University of New York at Buffalo; and in 1984 Chief Librarian at Baruch College of the City University of New York. Between 1988 and his retirement in 2011, he held a number of senior positions within the College and City University of New York system.
Stanton has been an active member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association for 48 of its 51 years. He served on the Executive Board for three terms, as president from 1994-96 and Treasurer from 2002-2008. He edited the proceedings of the first two National Conferences of African American Librarians and served as Conference Treasurer for five of the ten conferences.
Dr. Biddle lives in New York City, where he volunteers with a number of genealogy and family history research organizations and institutions and is still actively involved with the Black Caucus of ALA.
Aug 20, 202230:41
Episode 25: Jennifer Brown on Leadership, Uplifting Others, and Attribution
Jennifer Brown is a Black speculative fiction writer & Undergraduate Learning & Research Librarian at UC Berkeley. Critical pedagogies not only guide her day-to-day librarianship, but they also bedrock her work as one of the Community Managers for We Here, an organization that provides a safe & supportive community for Black and Indigenous folks, and People of Color, in library and information science professions.
Learn more about her work by visiting her website, at www.jencbrown.com.
Aug 20, 202249:18
Episode 24: Madeline Pena on Mentorship, Community, and Solidarity
Madeline Peña is the Digital Content Manager at the Los Angeles Public Library. She comes from a background in graphic design, marketing, and TV production and has worked in public libraries for over 12 years. An active member of REFORMA, The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, she served as 2018-2019 President and was the recipient of the 2015 REFORMA Dr. Arnulfo D. Trejo Librarian of the Year (LOTY) Award.
Jun 10, 202227:14
Episode 23: Nichelle Hayes on Recruitment, Diversity, & Advocacy
Nichelle M. Hayes MPA, MLS, is Vice-President of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and works as the Leader of the Center for Black Literature & Culture (CBLC) ~ Indianapolis Public Library. She is a lover of poetry and a lifelong learner, she blogs at https://thetiesthatbind.blog, where she discusses genealogy and keeping families connected. Hayes is a native of Indianapolis and a civic leader who is active in her local community.
May 10, 202243:45
Episode 22: Dr. Safiya Noble on Knowledge Spaces, Passion, & Technology
Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Department of Information Studies, where she serves as the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2). She also holds appointments in African American Studies and Gender Studies. She is a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford and has been appointed as a Commissioner on the Oxford Commission on AI & Good Governance (OxCAIGG). She is a board member of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, serving those vulnerable to online harassment, and serves on the NYU Center Critical Race and Digital Studies advisory board. She is the author of a best-selling book on racist and sexist algorithmic bias in commercial search engines, entitled Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism (NYU Press), which has been widely-reviewed in scholarly and popular publications. Safiya is the co-editor of two edited volumes: The Intersectional Internet: Race, Sex, Culture, and Class Online and Emotions, Technology & Design. She currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies and is the co-editor of the Commentary & Criticism section of the Journal of Feminist Media Studies. She is a member of several academic journals and advisory boards and holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a B.A. in Sociology from California State University, Fresno, where she was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2018. Recently, she was named in the “Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers of 2019” by Government Technology magazine.
Apr 10, 202236:53
Episode 21: UrbanLibRoom on Community, Commitment, and Care
Natalie + Mieka are two black cis women who are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends to many. We both work + live in North Philly and absolutely love connecting with the patrons within the library in authentic and transparent ways. We truly believe that at the heart of library work, there is learning and growing with the community we serve as well as our fellow co-workers!
Mar 10, 202230:54
Episode 20: Ziba Perez on Recruitment, Uniqueness, and Zines
Ziba attended graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, receiving a Master of Science in Library and Information Science, 2012. In graduate school, Ziba received a certificate of specialization in archives and special collections while interning at the American Film Institute's Louis B. Mayer Library Special Collections and the University of California in Irvine's Special Collections & Archives. Ziba is a current co-organizer of Long Beach Zine Fest & has been on the organizing team since 2016 working with social media, workshops, panels & exhibitor selection, LBZineFest.com. Ziba recently started back up in public radio on KLBP 99.1 FM in Long Beach, KLBP.org. Ziba hosts a music show, Channel Z, every Saturday at 6pm!
Dec 10, 202123:45
Episode 19: Holly Smith on Collaboration, Meaningful Representation, and Radical Empathy
Holly A. Smith is the College Archivist at Spelman College. She received her B.A. in History and Black Studies from The College of William and Mary, an M.A. in History from Yale University, and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. She co-authored the article “This [Black] Woman’s Work: Exploring Archival Projects that Embrace the Identity of the Memory Worker” (KULA Journal) and authored the piece “Radical Love: Documenting Underrepresented Communities Using Principles of Radical Empathy” (Journal for the Society of North Carolina Archivists). She is passionate about community archives and archival advocacy related to collections for historically under-documented communities.
Nov 10, 202145:04
Episode 18: Shannon Jones & Beverly Murphy on Representation, Retention, and Trailblazing
Shannon Jones (she/her/hers) is the Director of Libraries for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Prior to her arrival at MUSC, Shannon worked as the Associate Director for Research and Education for Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Shannon focuses her research on staff recruitment and retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion in libraries, and leadership in academic health sciences libraries. Shannon is the co-editor of Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success. She holds an MLS from North Carolina Central University and an M.Ed. in Adult Learning from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D in Educational Leadership at Charleston Southern University. Beverly Murphy (she/her/hers) serves as the Assistant Director of Communications and Web Content Management at the Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives where she manages and maintains the Library’s website, marketing, and digital communication. Beverly has been a librarian for 40 years and is an alumnus of North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, where she received a BS in Biology and a Masters in Library Science. She is a Distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and has served in a variety of capacities for the Medical Library Association (MLA) including serving as the first African-American President of the Association, an MLA Fellow, MLA Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Board Liaison (now Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee), and Chair of the MLA Professional Recruitment and Retention Committee. In addition to MLA activities, Beverly is active in the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of MLA and the Association of North Carolina Health and Science Libraries (ANCHASL). Along with Shannon Jones, Beverly is co-editor of Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success which was published in August 2019.
Oct 10, 202151:23
Episode 17: LaQuanda T. Onyemeh & Lorin K. Jackson on Empowerment, Intentionality, and Solidarity
LaQuanda T. Onyemeh is from Western New York and currently resides in Houston, TX. She is a Training & Consulting partner at ProQuest. LaQuanda is the Co-Founder of WOC+Lib and serves as the Director of Marketing & Outreach. Prior to her current roles, LaQuanda was employed as a mental health professional, teacher, and academic librarian. LaQuanda’s academic accomplishments are just as varied as her professional ones. She is a 2017-2018 ALA Spectrum Scholar, 2018 NASIG’s John Riddick Student Grant Recipient, and 2020 Past-Chair of American Library Association, NMRT Online Programs Committee. LaQuanda earned a dual Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology from State University of New York, Brockport. She received her Masters of Library of Information Studies from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and a Masters of Education in Educational Technology from Texas A&M University. In her spare time, LaQuanda enjoys painting, visiting family and friends, and music.
Lorin works as a Research and Instruction Resident Librarian at Swarthmore College, proud recipient of a 2019 Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Excellence in Academic Libraries award. Before becoming an academic librarian, Lorin worked with under-served youth in the non-profit and educational sector for a decade. During this time, she held positions as a teacher and Program Associate in after-school youth development programs in the Bay Area. In her spare time, Lorin likes animation, photography, DJing, and crafting.
Sep 10, 202142:34
Episode 16: Jina Duvernay on Leadership, Representation, and Self-Advocacy
Jina DuVernay is the Program Director for Engagement & African American Collections at Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library. Jina was the Collection Development Archivist for African American Collections at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library at Emory University. Prior to that, she was the Special Collections Librarian at HBCU, Alabama State University while pursuing her MLIS from the University of Alabama. Jina serves as an editor of both Women of Color and Libraries (WOC+LIB) and the new Library Diversity and Residency Studies journal. She is passionate about engagement and outreach to communities of color, as well as recruiting, promoting, and retaining library professionals of color. Jina was a 2018 ALA Emerging Leader.
Aug 10, 202119:47
Episode 15: April M.Hathcock on Effective Communication, Compassion, and Openness
April M. Hathcock is the director of scholarly communications and information policy at New York University on Manhattan, an ancestral island of the Lenni Lenape. Her work involves educating the campus community on issues of ownership, access, and rights in the research life cycle. She has a JD and LLM in international and comparative law from Duke University School of Law and, before entering librarianship, practiced intellectual property and antitrust law for a global private firm. Her research interests include anti-racism and anti-oppression in librarianship and higher education, cultural creation and exchange, and the ways in which social and legal infrastructures benefit the works of certain groups over others. She was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2018. April identifies as queer, femme, Black, and Indigenous and is the author of the article “White Librarianship in Blackface: Diversity Initiatives in LIS,” as well as the blog At the Intersection, which examines issues at the intersection of feminism, libraries, social justice, and the law.
Jul 10, 202122:47
Episode 14: Joyce Gabiola on Care, Intentionality, and Amplifying Voices
Joyce (pronouns: they/them) is the brand spankin' new Head Archivist of Lambda Archives of San Diego, a community-driven organization that preserves and shares LGBTQ+ history.
They co-created and are an inaugural editor for up//root, a new publication/media space for Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC) to share research and meditations on knowledge, systems, experiences and/or ways of being associated with libraries, archives, and other information environments. Partnered with We Here, up//root is an intervention that endeavors to unapologetically center and uplift the works of BIPOC exclusively.
Lastly, Joyce would like to take this moment to give a shout-out to their beautiful theyby, Evan. Your laughter brings never-ending joy, even during a pandemic.
They co-created and are an inaugural editor for up//root, a new publication/media space for Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC) to share research and meditations on knowledge, systems, experiences and/or ways of being associated with libraries, archives, and other information environments. Partnered with We Here, up//root is an intervention that endeavors to unapologetically center and uplift the works of BIPOC exclusively.
Lastly, Joyce would like to take this moment to give a shout-out to their beautiful theyby, Evan. Your laughter brings never-ending joy, even during a pandemic.
Jun 10, 202147:23
Episode 13: Rose Chou & Annie Pho on Advocacy, Mentorship, and Publishing
Rose L. Chou (she/her/hers) is Budget Officer at the American University Budget Office, where she works with academic and administrative units on budget oversight and development. Previously, Rose worked in a number of roles at AU Library: Budget & Personnel Manager, Budget Coordinator, Reference Librarian, and Circulation Specialist. She was also Reference Archivist at the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives. Rose received her MLIS from San Jose State University and BA in Sociology from Boston College. Rose is co-editor of Pushing the Margins: Women of Color and Intersectionality in LIS, and is a series editor of the Litwin Books/Library Juice Press Series on Critical Race Studies and Multiculturalism in LIS. Annie Pho is the Instruction Coordinator and Assessment Librarian at the University of San Francisco. She has a Bachelor's in Art History from San Francisco State University and a Master's in Library Science from IUPUI. She is the co-editor for the book Pushing the Margins: Women of Color and Intersectionality in LIS, as well as the co-editor of the Critical Race and Multiculturalism Series for Library Juice Press. Her research interests include intersectionality and women of color in LIS, student research behavior, and feminist pedagogy in information literacy instruction. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her cat, explore the SF Bay Area, and spends way too much time reading comments on the internet.
May 10, 202148:00
Episode 12: Dr. Renate Chancellor on LIS Education, Mentorship, and Care
Dr. Renate Chancellor is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Library and Information Science at the Catholic University of America. Her research focuses on human information behavior, organizational leadership, and social justice in LIS. She has presented her research in both national and international venues. Her recent publications include: Struggling To Breathe: COVID-19, Protest, and the LIS Response, HBCUs and LIS Education: Revisiting Du Mont 35 years later and her book, E.J. Josey: Transformational Leader in the Modern Library Profession. Dr. Chancellor is recipient of the ALISE Leadership Award and the ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award.
Apr 10, 202120:51
Episode 11: Eboni Henry on School Librarianship, Advocacy, and Forward-Thinking
Eboni Henry was born and raised in New York City. She attended Tuskegee University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English, as well as Clark Atlanta University where she received her Masters in Library Science and Information. She has worked as a librarian for sixteen years and is an active member of ALA, BCALA, DCLA, AASL, and ALSC. She currently serves on the ALA Executive Board, ALA International Relations Committee, Chair of ALA Public Awareness Committee, and Co-Chair of BCALA International Relations Committee.
Mar 10, 202138:59
Episode 10: Laura Tadena on Inclusivity, Creating Spaces, and Leadership
Laura Tadena (she/her/hers) is an Inclusive Services Consultant at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin, Texas. She is Tejana from South Texas and a former school and diversity resident librarian. She is also one of the site admins of a national resident Slack Workspace that provides a safe community space for individuals currently or who have previously been in resident librarian positions. Laura is passionate about the advancement, recruitment, and retention of BIPOC library staff and increasing opportunities for mentorship and leadership development. Laura's background is in architecture and education. She specializes in addressing inequities in the built environment, creating inclusive and welcoming library spaces and services, and developing accessible and culturally competent educational opportunities.
Dec 10, 202029:51
Episode 9: Lalitha Nataraj on Creativity, Inspiration, and Kindness
Lalitha Nataraj is the Social Sciences Librarian at California State University San Marcos. She holds an MLIS from UCLA and a BA in English Literature and Women’s Studies from UC Berkeley. Her research interests include: feminist pedagogy, relational-cultural theory in LIS, South Asian Americans in librarianship, mindfulness practices and contemplative pedagogies in the IL classroom, as well as the intersection of sartorial representation and teacher & student-scholar identities.
Lalitha also used to be a public librarian working primarily in youth services, and has served on several youth book selection committees, including the John Newbery Award, Michael L. Printz Award, and the Amelia Bloomer Project (a list of feminist books for ages 0-18). She strongly believes that books are mirrors into which all children can see themselves represented. Lalitha resides in Carlsbad, a couple of miles from the Pacific Ocean, with her husband, two sons, and a couple of lovely cats; in her spare time, she enjoys running, reading PoC romances, cooking, and collecting Hello Kitty/Sanrio.
Nov 20, 202031:55
Episode 8: Nisha Mody on Self-Compassion, Sovereignty, and Radical Acceptance
Nisha is a South Asian American librarian, writer, podcaster, and coach. She is a Chicago native and LA transplant. Nisha has also worked as an IT consultant, IT recruiter, voiceover artist, and speech therapist. She writes creative non-fiction and is a host of MigrAsians, a podcast that invites creative and political Asians to talk about their story of migration and how it informs the work they do. This combines her interests in social justice, storytelling, and connecting with others. Currently, Nisha works at the UCLA Library as a Health & Life Sciences Librarian and the Lead for Teaching and Learning. She is also a cat mom to sister cats Sonya and Vera.
Oct 10, 202035:03
Episode 7: Dr. Raymond Pun on Engagement and Community Building
Dr. Raymond Pun (he/him) is an academic/school librarian in the Bay Area, California. He has been in the profession for over 15 years. He is an active member of ALA and the ethnic affiliates. He is currently a member of the ALA Policy Corps., and has published and presented extensively in the field. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, MA in East Asian Studies, and a MLS in Library Science.
Sep 10, 202040:32
Episode 6: Nataly Blas & Jennifer Masunaga on Communities of Practice and Mentorship
Nataly Blas is a Latinx librarian, first generation student, and coffee enthusiast. She is interested in mentorship in LIS and women of color in leadership. Nataly is currently the Business Librarian at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. Jennifer Masunaga identifies as a mixed race, Mexicanese (Mexican American-Japanese American) librarian. She recently became an Instruction and Reference Librarian at California State University, Los Angeles. She is a native Angeleno, an ALA Spectrum Scholar and her research interests include diversity in librarianship, Library UX and assessment and library emergency preparedness
Aug 10, 202044:12
Episode 5: Derrick Jefferson on Representation, Empathy, and Self-Love
Derrick Jefferson is a member of the library faculty at American University in Washington, DC. His research is focused on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion issues, specifically in higher education libraries, and mentoring new librarians to the profession. Representation matters and he is keen on encouraging marginalized and underrepresented people of all walks of life to librarianship. Born and raised in Southern California, he once thought he’d become a pastry chef, and loves to cook and bake for friends. He enjoys tacos, golden age hip-hop, collecting records, and fellow introverts.
Jul 10, 202026:34
Episode 4: Trevor A. Dawes on Leading the Way
Trevor A. Dawes is the Vice Provost for Libraries and Museums and May Morris University Librarian at the University of Delaware. In this role, he oversees the operations of the campus libraries, museums, and the University of Delaware Press. Prior to assuming this post, Dawes was an associate university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis. In this role, he had responsibility for the work of the Scholarly Services Department, and the school and departmental libraries serving Business, Chemistry, and Engineering, and Earth and Planetary Sciences. He also oversees the libraries’ diversity and outreach and scholarly communication operations. Dawes was previously a circulation services director at the Princeton University Library and held several positions at the Columbia University Libraries before joining Princeton. He has also been an adjunct instructor at the College of Computing and Informatics (formerly the College of Information Science and Technology) at Drexel University since 2006
Dawes had two book chapters published – both on the topic of leadership. These chapters appear in Creating Leaders: An Examination of Academic and Research Library Leadership Institutes and Crucible Moments: Inspiring Library Leadership. His previous publications include being co-editor of Twenty-first Access Services: On the Frontline of Academic Librarianship (ACRL), 2013; co-author of, “Assessing Reserve Management Systems: Do They Deliver on Their Promises?,” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Electronic Reserve (Haworth Press) vol. 20, no.2, April 2010; editor of, “Marketing and Managing Electronic Reserves” (Haworth Press), 2006; and co-author of, “SPEC Kit #290: Access Services,” The Association of Research Libraries, 2005.
Dawes had two book chapters published – both on the topic of leadership. These chapters appear in Creating Leaders: An Examination of Academic and Research Library Leadership Institutes and Crucible Moments: Inspiring Library Leadership. His previous publications include being co-editor of Twenty-first Access Services: On the Frontline of Academic Librarianship (ACRL), 2013; co-author of, “Assessing Reserve Management Systems: Do They Deliver on Their Promises?,” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Electronic Reserve (Haworth Press) vol. 20, no.2, April 2010; editor of, “Marketing and Managing Electronic Reserves” (Haworth Press), 2006; and co-author of, “SPEC Kit #290: Access Services,” The Association of Research Libraries, 2005.
Jun 10, 202034:48
Episode 3: Kaetrena Davis Kendrick on The Authentic-Self at Work
Kaetrena Davis Kendrick earned her MSLS from the historic Clark Atlanta University School of Library and Information Studies. She is co-editor of The Small and Rural Academic Library: Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations (ACRL 2016) and the author of two annotated bibliographies: The Kaleidoscopic Concern (ACRL 2009) and Global Evolution (ACRL 2007).
Kendrick also offers professional development opportunities and organizational consultations designed to promote empathetic leadership in North American libraries.
In 2019, Kendrick was named the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. Learn more about Kaetrena’s mission and activities.
Kendrick also offers professional development opportunities and organizational consultations designed to promote empathetic leadership in North American libraries.
In 2019, Kendrick was named the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. Learn more about Kaetrena’s mission and activities.
May 10, 202028:40
Episode 2: Dr. Nicole Cooke on Putting Yourself First
Our next voice is Dr. Nicole Cooke!
Dr. Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her research and teaching interests include human information behavior, mis/disinformation, critical cultural information studies, and diversity and social justice in librarianship. She was the 2019 ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, and she has also received the American Library Association’s 2016 Equality Award and the 2017 Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award presented by ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy & Outreach. Cooke has edited and authored several books, including Information Services to Diverse Populations and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-truth Era.
Learn more about The Augusta Baker Lecture Series.
Apr 10, 202036:54
Episode 1: Jennifer Ferretti on Embracing Our Own Spaces
Our first voice is Jennifer A. Ferretti!
Jennifer A. Ferretti (she/her/hers) is an artist and Digital Initiatives Librarian at the Maryland Institute College of Art on Piscataway Land (Baltimore, Maryland). She is a first-generation American Latina/Mestiza whose librarianship is guided by critical perspectives, not neutrality. With a firm belief that art is information, she is interested in the research methodologies of artists, particularly those highlighting social justice issues. Jennifer is a Library Journal 2018 Mover & Shaker and a founding member of We Here and Shades Collective.
Mar 10, 202035:57
Welcome to LibVoices!
Welcome Listeners! LibVoices is a podcast sharing the voices and stories of librarians of color. In this episode, you’ll meet the co-hosts, Amanda M. Leftwich, Jamia Williams, and Jamillah R. Gabriel. This podcast was created to amplify the voices of librarians of color. We look forward to sharing these stories with you. Enjoy!
Mar 10, 202002:02