Social Movements & the Law

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

The Dee J. Kelly Law Library in conjunction with Texas A&M Law's Women of Color Collective (WOCC) curated a book display honoring Women's History Month. The display, entitled Courageous Voices: Women of Color in Legal Leadership, highlights several women of color who were pioneers in the legal field. From federal and state court judges to legislators and academics, the display chronicles their achievements and features scholarly works from the library's collection detailing their pursuits. From Pauli Murray and Constance Baker Motley to Patsy Takemoto Mink and Sonia Sotomayor among many others, the exhibit celebrates these pioneering legal leaders. Visit the library's Reading Room to view the display now through the end of March.

A look at how an 1862 act impacted Native lands and eventually led to UA's fossil fuel use despite climate pledges.

There was celebration at a press conference in Berkeley a day after Berkeley’s City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance giving the title of the land to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.

The 519’s Glossary of Terms, facilitating shared understandings around equity, diversity, inclusion and awareness.

"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

"Struggle and Solidarity presents seven key pieces of federal legislation and demonstrates how public policies--even when not explicitly mental health related--can shape social determinants and improve mental health"--

"This book is a collection of voices that persist in a profession that still lags behind in hearing them. We share these stories because the profession is enriched by the stories and the lawyers who tell them. This book is a form of virtual mentoring to build up the next generation of woman advocates so that they, too, may add their stories. In this book, we provide information about the status of women in the legal profession, and stories about identifying and overcoming bias and the hidden hazards in the practice of law, for men and women, while addressing the business of law. The stories in this book then go on to explain the value of being true to ourselves, establishing unique career paths, and finding guideposts and beacons to help enlighten us along the way to success"--

"Librarianship has been conceptualized as a vocation or calling--rather than a profession--since the 1800s. Within this historical context, librarians are encouraged to think of ourselves as possessing a natural disposition to showing perpetual engagement, enthusiasm, and self-regulation in pursuit of our shared vocation. These assumptions about the profession can sometimes shield us from introspective criticism, but they can also prevent us from recognizing and managing the systemic occupational issues that afflict us. Academic Librarian Burnout can help librarians develop the agency to challenge the assumptions and practices that have led to so much professional burnout. In five thorough parts, it offers ways to discuss burnout in our work environments, studies burnout's nature and causes, and provides preventative intervention and mitigation strategies: Reframing Burnout; Conditions that Promote Burnout; Lived Experiences; Individual Responses to Burnout; and Organizational Responses to Burnout. Chapters explore the relationship of burnout in academic libraries and illness, intersectionality, workload, managerial approaches, and more, while offering real-life stories and ways for both individuals and organizations to address the symptoms and causes of burnout. The emotional, physical, and mental investment we require of librarianship--to go above and beyond to serve the ever--evolving needs of our patrons while perennially justifying our existence to library stakeholders-can come at the expense of our well-being. Academic Librarian Burnout addresses unsustainable work environments and preserves and celebrates the unique contributions of librarians"--

Tribal climate action plans are being stymied by state-owned land within reservation borders.

The urgency of the green transition hasn’t made tribal concerns any less important.

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.

Forcing Indigenous people out of protected areas they help manage and rely on is not the way to achieve biodiversity and climate goals.

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is making kiosks available in key locations so tribal members can access important information for their judicial and law enforcement systems. It’s part of a multi-phase effort to make their official procedures more transparent and accessible. They plan on ultimately providing digital access to their entire law library, court decisions and other documents that improve citizens’ understanding and engagement with government functions. We’ll talk with tribal representatives from Saint Regis and other tribes putting a priority on transparency and openness.

This webinar offers up-to-date information on enforcement mechanisms at the southwest border including the implementation of the new, abbreviated removal process dubbed Circumvention of Lawful Pathways.

This webinar showcases authors featured in the upcoming edition of Human Rights, which focuses on current issues and recent developments regarding Native American rights.

Extractive industries filling public university coffers on stolen land. Here's how 14 land-grant colleges took 8.2 million acres from 123 Indigenous nations.

The Moving Image and Sound Branch of the National Archives doesn’t just hold motion pictures.  It’s also home to over 300,000 sound recordings, including those from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court began recording its proceedings in 1955, but the court’s opinions were not recorded until the 1980s.  The recordings are organized chronologically.  Since cases are often argued over multiple days, cases can be split up between different recordings. Some newly digitized landmark cases include: Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 required states to Read More

Librarians in at least three states are asking the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to intervene after they were fired for refusing to ban books.

A library in rural Southeast Washington could be the first in the nation to close over a fight about removing books. The debate revolves around a group of books in the library’s kids and young adult sections that some residents say aren’t age-appropriate. Seattle Times reporter David Gutman is here to explain how things got to this point, with some help from life-long Dayton resident John Hutchens.

No longer are just books under fire, but also the library administrators, teachers and long-beloved librarians who are defending them.

The number of reported challenges and attempted bans to books doubled in 2022 according to data released by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom Monday.

A conservative campaign to ban certain books from schools is prompting other parents to push back. The issue is often framed as the latest "culture war" battle, but some see democracy itself at stake.

Senate Bill 81 would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by school and public libraries.

"Conversations in Cultural Heritage" is 5-episode series that highlights the background and work of People of Color in cultural heritage organizations, supported by the Rare Book School’s (RBS) Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Heritage.

Adding new narrations to historical films, Tribesourcing brings untold or suppressed stories to Native communities. Diné Librarian Rhiannon Sorrell shares how inaccurate or culturally uninformed films are a way to reclaim indigenous voice.

Nothing About Us Without Us

Autistics for Autistics Ontario (A4A) is Canada’s national autistic self-advocacy organization. We are an international affiliate of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). We are an autistic-led organization. We work in partnership with other disability groups to educate the public and transform Canada’s autism policies from a charity perspective to a RIGHTS perspective. Along with our Parent Alliance, we advocate for our federal, provincial and territorial governments to consult directly with autistic people when developing the policies that affect our lives.

To ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends, and to learn from their mistakes.

Content about autism by autistic and neurodivergent people. A resource for autistic adults, parents of autistic children, educators, and physicians.