For Black librarians like me, libraries also symbolize the literacy that was denied.

"This book will contribute to the discourse on ways of increasing anti-racism, empowerment, and representation in the LIS field and beyond. It continues in the civil rights legacy of African American librarian pioneers including Dr. E.J. Josey, Dr. Virginia Lacy Jones, Dr. Carla Hayden, and Dr. Eliza Atkins Gleason"--

"Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, a moral panic gripped the US and UK. To atone for an alleged history of racism, statues were torn down and symbols of national identity attacked. Across universities, fringe theories became the new orthodoxy, with a cadre of activists backed by university technocrats adopting a binary worldview of moral certainty, sin and deconstructive redemption through Western self-erasure. This hard-hitting book surveys these developments for the first time. It unpacks and challenges the theories and arguments deployed by 'decolonizers' in a university system now characterized by garbled leadership and illiberal groupthink. The desire to question the West's sense of itself, deconstruct its narratives, and overthrow its institutional order is an impulse that, ironically, was underpinned by a more confident and assured Western hegemony, which is now waning and under great strain. If its light continues to dim, who or what will carry the torch for human freedom and progress?"

Mychal Threets’ sudden rise to fame as a pusher of ‘library joy’ isn’t over despite his exit from his job to focus on himself

"Confronting White Nationalism in Libraries is a resource by and for library workers to use when bigoted groups try to organize in our communities. We believe that sharing common experiences can shed light on the truth and promote learning. Through actual scenarios that our libraries have encountered, we suggest ways in which library workers can use tools we already have at our disposal to resist white nationalism - whatever our position in the library. There is a significant body of literature addressing racism in libraries (and this toolkit is part of that overall work), but the toolkit's specific focus is on responding to the social movement of white nationalism through our library work."--Page 4

Libraries are increasingly on the frontlines of defending democracy, and resisting growing efforts to disrupt LGBTQ+ programming, ban books focused on inclusivity, and attack critical race theory. Western States Center’s toolkit gives librarians, administrators and communities the tools needed to effectively push back against these efforts. Written by and for librarians in collaboration with Western States Center, this toolkit is organized around six realistic scenarios, highlighting proactive and reactive practices for taking action along with communications approaches. The toolkit is part of the Western States Center’s ongoing efforts to strengthen those on the frontlines of defending democracy against white nationalism, especially in public institutions like schools and local governments that often need support.

By Marlena Okechukwu (Follow us on LinkedIn) Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash Conferences are big business. In fact, globally, the Meetings industry generates trillions of dollars annually – …

"In September 2020, President Trump issued an executive order excluding from federal contracts any diversity and inclusion training interpreted as containing Divisive Concepts, Race or Sex Stereotyping, and Race or Sex Scapegoating."