Since Portland is hosting the conference this year, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give shout-outs to some great sessions from library workers in the state. While I’ve lived in Oregon since 2015, there are plenty of libraries I haven’t visited and library workers I haven’t met yet. I’ve really enjoyed networking with colleagues and learning about the wonderful goings-on in our beautiful state.
Author: Alec Chunn
Alec B. Chunn is a librarian in the Pacific Northwest. He holds joint masters degrees in library science and children's literature from Simmons College.
Censorship Preparedness at #PLA2022
Censorship is a hot topic right now and a genuine concern for libraries everywhere. To my knowledge, my community hasn’t yet had any formal challenges. Still, I like to be prepared. So, I nervously and dutifully tuned into “Prepare Your Library for Today’s Censorship Battles.” As if the topic itself weren’t enough, the presenters were ALA staffers: Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Kristin Pekoll from ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and Megan Murray Cusick of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office.
Queering the Library at #PLA2022
A “cardigan” of librarians has taken over the Oregon Convention Center for the week—and I’m so happy to be among them! If there was a theme to the first day of my first PLA conference, it was serving underserved populations. Specifically, I attended sessions focused on: LGBTQIA+ patrons incarcerated youth patrons experiencing housing insecurity
And the Work Continues — #alaac17
It has been such a pleasure live blogging for this conference. I wish I could impart every last nugget of knowledge to all of you who were #alaleftbehind. But, alas, even my copious handwritten notes don’t do the thoughtful, intelligent, perspective-changing presentations I attended justice.
Libraries Are Not Neutral Spaces — #alaac17
I know that, to some, “social justice” is a scary word. A radical word. So, I was heartened to see how many people showed up early Sunday morning to attend a panel titled “Libraries Are Not Neutral Spaces: Social Justice Advocacy in Librarianship.”
The World At Your Fingertips — #alaac17
Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of hearing about books from outside the United States from an amazing panel.
Storytime Saves the World — #alaac17
Storytime Underground held its first ever guerilla preconference earlier today at the Harold Washington Library. The theme for the morning? Children’s librarianship is social justice work. And it can save the world. Don’t believe me? It’s true.