Social Justice and Activism in Libraries

Su Epstein is the director at the Saxton B. Little Free Library in Columbia, Connecticut. Her writing has appeared in several publications as well as the blog Public Libraries Online. A Michigan resident, Carol Smallwood has practiced in school, public and special libraries. Her primary interest is practical librarianship, and she is the author of journal articles and editor of numerous books. Vera Gubnitskaia has worked as a library manager, consultant, and reference librarian in public and academic libraries in Russia and the United States. She has contributed chapters to several professional publications, edited multiple anthologies, and published book reviews. She is currently an art fellow at Crealde School in Winter Park, Florida.

“Should be used as the framework for a new curriculum in information studies...the most important contribution in a generation.”—Eino Sierpe, the Visual Library of Social Justice

• Table of ContentsForeword (Wanda Kay Brown)Preface (Su Epstein, Vera Gubnitskaia and Carol Smallwood)Part I—Bringing Underrepresentation to the ForefrontLiteracy Support for the Intellectually Disabled: A New Frontier for Library Outreach (Matthew Conner and Leah Plocharczyk) Prison Libraries and Social Justice: Helping Inmates Succeed (Andrew Hart)Buttressed Beliefs, Informed Action: Black Lives Matter, an Academic Library and Building Critical Community Discourse (Ian Boucher)Improving Everyday Lives: Free Administrative Legal Assistance and Critical Trans* Politics in Libraries (Elliott Kuecker)Part II—Establishing PartnershipsFood for Thought: Feeding Mind and Body at Public Libraries (Amber H. Williams, Erica Freudenberger and Cindy Fesemyer)Partnering for Social Justice: Social Work Students’ Placement at Public Libraries (Sarah C. Johnson)Unidos por la Causa: ­Community-Driven Collection Development for Chicanx Archives (Zoe Jarocki and Amanda Lanthorne)Part III—Building CommunitiesRethinking the Role of Libraries as Active Social Spaces (Carrie Fishner and Lisa Tessier)Building Community in an Academic Library (Carolyn Frey and Jami Powell)Critical Librarianship in Action: Supporting ­Campus-Wide Dialogues (Maureen Rust and Aimée C. Quinn)Part IV—Administering with DiversityAdvocacy from Within: Employees with Disabilities (JJ Pionke)Healing Justice: An Approach of Caring for Intersectional LIS Professionals (Melissa ­Villa-Nicholas, Tonyia J. Tidline and Tracy S. Drake)Encouraging Social Justice Professional Development (Laura Francabandera)Reflecting Diversity in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (Elizabeth Hobart)Part V—Supporting ActivismThe Archival Is Political: Archival Practice as Political Practice (Anna J. ­Clutterbuck-Cook and Jeremy Brett)Hip Hop and Activism: Bridging Boundaries and Healing Through Hip Hop Pedagogy (Kai Alexis Smith)Bringing Critical Race Theory to the Library Bill of Rights: From the Past to the Future (Celeste ­Bocchicchio-Chaudhri)Collaborative Justice: ­Gender-Based Activism in the University LibraryCarrie Moran and Leandra ­Preston-SidlerPart VI—Generating ProgrammingCreating Communities Through Living Books: The Human Library Experience at Southern New Hampshire University (Heather ­Walker-White and Joshua Becker)Check(Out) Your Privilege, or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Putting on a Diversity Event (Damon Campbell, Lydia Harlan and Rachel Lilley)Moving Beyond Just Talk: Diversity Programming at an Academic Library (Martin L. Garnar)Getting Serious in the Public Library with “Current Conversations” (Jamie L. Huber, Whitney R. Gerwitz, Heather M. Wefel and Melanie Foster)Part VII—Expanding TeachingTeaching Social Justice with Special Collections and Archives: Critical Information Literacy and Primary Source Analysis (Julie M. Porterfield)Research Skills in International Issues and Social Justice Programs: Talking Points and Literature Review (Paul Jerome McLaughlin, Jr.)Advocating for Diversity Through Embedded Librarianship (Faith L. Bradham)About the ContributorsIndex