Resources
A selection of resources compiled and consulted for professional development and countinued learning.
Journals, Publications, and Blogs • Organizations • Collections and Booklists • Miscellaneous
Journals, Publications, and Blogs
up//root. (2024). [Logo]. https://www.uproot.space/
Much befitting its name, up//root is a community + publication platform devoted to critical voices in libraries and archives running counter to typical (read: predominantly white) academia. Originally an outgrowth of the organization We Here, up//root seeks to build a repository of institutional knowledge not just about BIPOC information workers, but made by BIPOC information workers, for BIPOC information workers, and of BIPOC information workers. This includes incisive writing and surveys on pressing topics such as the ongoing genocide in Palestine, alongside multimedia collections of personal reflections, like HOME: being and belonging in resistance.
In the Library with the Lead Pipe. (2023). [Logo]. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/
Running for 15 years and counting, In the Library with the Lead Pipe is an open access journal discussing hot and/or controversial topics outside the printed bounds of textbooks as they shift in real time. A decade and a half might be a drop in the bucket of the history of libraries, yet Lead Pipe's willingness to go against the grain on longstanding values—such as publishing the article coining the seminal term vocational awe—makes it a valuable publication for the digital age.
WOC+Lib. (2024). [Logo]. https://www.wocandlib.org/
WOC+Lib, spelled out as Women of Color plus Librarians, is exactly what it says on the tin: a digital publication primarily for women of color information workers. WOC+Lib's library runs the gamut of written pieces, from editorials on diversity in the industry to commentary on political happenings, from interviews with working librarians to genre-crossing memoirs about work experiences.
Book Riot Literary Activism. (2024). [Logo]. https://bookriot.com/category/literary-activism/
With the palpably charged atmosphere of libraries today—attempts on book censorship increasing over a hundredfold, growing threats of violence, and even some successful attempts at closing spaces and modifying policy for worse, all liable to flare up without warning at libraries around the country—it can be a challenge to keep track of what's going down and where. While presumably never intended to be so, Kelly Jensen has been running one of the best methods of keeping current, the Literary Activism newsletter at BookRiot, documenting book censorship attempts around the country each month and reporting about major developments shortly after they happen.
critlib. (2023). [Logo]. http://critlib.org/
critlib, short for “critical librarianship,” is an informal movement of library workers dedicated to integrating critical perspectives and social justice theory into the profession. To facilitate open dialogue, these chats are conducted through (the social media platform formerly known as) Twitter, where anyone regardless of professional background can contribute. While the pandemic and progressive instability of their chosen platform threatens future prospects, leftover records and resources from their activities have created a valuable repository for anyone looking to widen their own critical lens of librarianship.
Organizations
We Here. (2023). [Logo]. https://www.wehere.space/
Born out of the quiet tenacity of minorities keeping one another afloat, We Here is focused on creating a safe and supportive network of communication and resources for BIPOC librarians. Although its growth and continued operation out of private communities might make its membership seem too exclusive, its continued presence on social media makes it easy for any minority to join and access its groups, publications, mentorship opportunities, job board, and more.
Virginia Library Association. (2023). [Logo]. https://www.vla.org/
As the representative organization of my home state, the Virginia Library Association is committed to serving as the beacon of learning, jobs, and networking for librarians in Virginia. And since many libraries in the state contribute to VLA’s efforts, such as my current workplace, or even provide complimentary membership for their employees, it’s almost guaranteed that l’ll interact with some of their offerings in the future.
Public Library Association. (2023). [Logo]. https://www.ala.org/pla/
Established in 1944, the Public Library Association is one of the oldest divisons of the American Library Association, an arrangement that has allowed it to become the premier online repository for public libraries. PLA's website offers specific resources for continued education and professional development, data initiatives, guidance on particular issues, and, of recent use to me, informational surveys charting the changing landscape of public libraries over the years.
ALA Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table. (2024). [Logo]. https://www.ala.org/gncrt
It is perhaps passé to say that comics are a staple of library collections these days, a complete 180 from their obscurity before the new millenium. Given that the ALA's Graphic Novels & Comics Roundtable is still a mere sub-organization, knowledge of how to foster engagement with comics has yet to become common knowledge. The GNCRT continues to provide gudiance for just that, through resources their staple Best Graphic Novels and other themed lists, webinars and toolkits for when a comic or graphic novel is challenged, or even grants for directly funding comic collection development, among other things.
ALA Games and Gaming Round Table. (2024). [Logo]. https://games.ala.org/
Not unlike comics not long ago, games have historically been absent from public libraries outside of the occasional event. With tabletops and video screens and all sorts of surfaces occupied by games for all age ranges today, gaming has ascended to near ubiquity as a recreational activity—and the ALA's Games & Gaming Roundtable is here for any library looking to start offering them in their services. The Gaming Roundtable's resources include a metadata guide for cataloging board games, interviews with gaming librarians, quarterly lists of video game releases, lots of articles about running events and vouching for game-related programming, and more.
Collections and Booklists
Queer Liberation Library. (2024). [Logo]. https://www.queerliberationlibrary.org/
Ambitious in name but humble in goals, the Queer Liberation Library is a digital OverDrive/Libby library of LGBTQIA+ books accessible by anyone in the United States (with an internet connection). With 47% of the books targeted for censorship in 2023 being those by minority authors (American Library Association, 2024), the QLL was established that same year to provide and preserve access to a vital source of art and culture for queer folk. It may as well be setting an example by being the most complete collection of modern English-language queer books around: as of August 2024, the QLL has more than 1,800 eMaterials available for borrowing.
Queer Comics Database. (2024). [Logo]. https://queercomicsdatabase.com/
Another resource encapsulated by its title, the Queer Comics Database is a thoroughly-categorized database of LGBTQIA+ comics and graphic novels. Basic categories such as type of queerness and/or relationship, intended audience, and genre can be filtered and searched; but the Queer Comics Database goes a step further, filing its entries by physical or digital mediums, main character ethnicity, and even narrative tone and art style. While its reliance on user submissions limits its breadth compared to what's out there, anyone searching for English-language titles of even minor renown will be able to find comics close to the exact flavor they fancy.
Manga in Libraries. (2024). [Logo]. https://mangainlibraries.com/
Coming of age right in the midst of Japanese culture's meteoric ascent into pop culture, "keeping up" with manga was (outside of my own fixations) done by just listening to what my classmates were talking about. Although my ingrained understanding has persisted and been bolstered by language studies, I have little clue what kids these days like outside of what's blaring in the zeitgeist and/or passes through my hands the most. Manga in Libraries, then, proves especially useful with its book-and-website combo, providing cultural context and booklists for the unfamiliar, toolkits for managing collections, and even guidance on how manga can be used for teens' socio-emotional learning.
Colorín Colorado. (2023). [Logo]. https://www.colorincolorado.org/
But there's still more to read! Colorín Colorado, named after a Spanish phrase resembling "that's all, folks!", is a Spanish-English billingual repository for English language learning (ELL) resources. Though primiarily meant for educators, the increasing presence of primarily Spanish-speaking populations and subsequent increase in ELL programming in libraries make this an increasingly valuable site to reference. Colorín Colorado's selection of booklists organized by topic and age will be useful for anyone developing collections for Hispanic populations, too.
Miscellaneous
Comics Devices Library. (2024). [Logo]. https://comicsdevices.com/
[description forthcoming]
Picture Book Builders. (2024). [Logo]. https://picturebookbuilders.com/
[description forthcoming]