We are highlighting two areas that are informing our work deeper, driving conversations internally, and prompting more reflection about how we are learning this month: National Book Lovers Day on August 9th and Women’s Equality Day on August 26th.
To celebrate National Book Lovers Day and commemorate Women’s Equality Day, we wanted to dig deeper into ways that libraries give us access to knowledge, books, and resources and how we can inform our thinking and advocacy around gender equality in the U.S. and around the globe through literature.
Resources we are finding especially informative this month are:
We were ecstatic and inspired to learn about the generous funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) used to address financial shortfalls in public library budgets across the United States. Funding opportunities like these not only expand communities’ access to broadband service, but also help libraries connect people to vital services and support education and workforce needs in some places.
Houston Independent School District’s new state-appointed superintendent recently announced various restructuring and reform efforts, including converting 28 school libraries into “Team Centers” for students with behavioral issues. News like this is disheartening as we know how much this move will negatively impact students, especially those of color and low-income communities. However, the next article shifted our approach to ways to support local libraries, especially in communities like Houston where school libraries are being defunded and closed.
This article from EveryLibrary provides five actionable strategies for organizing and advocating in support of local libraries. It was a good reminder of the power of engaging in various methods, from volunteering and participating in book drives to voting and protesting. For Talent Citizen, public libraries hold a special place in our hearts and have served as working spaces for many members of our remote team.
To round off this month’s post, we wanted to highlight this list of exciting and important intersectional feminism works that can help guide conversations and inform thinking about women’s equality and equity efforts. Hopefully you (and us!) can find many of these at your local library!
