Working as a remote part-time graduate assistant and a public library circulation clerk makes me often feel like I’ve got my feet in two different spaces. One minute I’m helping young patrons build a foam fort in the DVD section, and the next minute I’m discussing the merits of trauma-informed librarianship with my entire library management class. It’s a weird yet fulfilling duality.
Thankfully, the Public Library Association (PLA) made it possible for me to meet many more librarians who embrace these and other roles during this year’s 2024 PLA Conference. Through their newly expanded scholarship program, the PLA awarded 151 scholarships to under-represented librarians, part-time librarians, student librarians, and rural librarians, making their attendance possible, (and mine!) I was elated when I received the email confirming my scholarship award, which prompted the realization that I would soon be meeting some of the most integral librarians within today’s public library sphere. Little did I know how significant these three days of learning would soon become to me.
The first day of the conference programming was a flurry of information, introductions, and flagrant fangirling. One of my favorite sessions that day was, Anti-Racist Reader Services: Beyond the Basics with Becky Spratford, Robin Bradford, and Yaika Sabat. If ever there was a rally cry to keep fighting the good fight for representation and well-rounded readers advisory, it was this one-hour session, with librarians sitting wall-to-wall on the carpet floor.
“Change does not happen until you are uncomfortable, if you don’t feel challenged, you need to go deeper,” said Spratford.
With a crowd filled with practice-based questions, Bradford, Sabat, and Spratford, gave us each tools, inspiration, and real-world advice on tackling difficult situations to make our libraries a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Frankly, the sense of coming home is a sentiment folks often share when they’ve found a space that makes them feel welcomed, valued, and supported. While that feeling certainly came to light when I switched my career path from marketing to public librarianship; sitting amongst these rows of librarians and community advocates, I understood that I’d finally found a group, and a profession, where I not only felt welcomed, but encouraged, supported, and celebrated. Not a single person at the conference heard me say “I work in a rural library,” and rolled their eyes, or slowed in conversation, rather, they did the opposite. With the additional context, conversations often became more engaging, with attendees offering additional resources to help me learn about practices and programs they had already implemented. It was during this conference that I got to know the heart that beats within the field of public librarianship, so naturally, I fell in love with the profession all over again.
However, the excitement didn’t stop there. During lunch on that first day, I had another core-memory come to life while meeting Molly Knox Ostertag, author, and illustrator, at the Audio Publishing Association luncheon event. For folks who have not yet read the incredible graphic novels by her, I not only highly recommend them, but insist you give them a try if you are so able! As an LGBTQIA+ creator, Knox Ostertag was one of the first authors I turned to upon moving through my own coming out journey. Her debut novel, The Girl by the Sea, is filled with intimate and complex female relationships, mixed with a supportive sapphic narrative, and imagery that will forever and always feel like a warm hug. Getting to listen to her and other authors speak at the luncheon event, meeting Knox Ostertag, getting my books signed, and then receiving custom illustrations inside the books, all made my heart do cartwheels in a way I’d forgotten was possible. All this to say, fangirling, asking for pictures, and sharing Dungeons & Dragons stories all made me feel like being a graphic novel nerd was not only a benefit to the libraries I serve, but personally fulfilling for me as well. This entire luncheon event was a much-needed reminder that serving and taking care of myself is just as important as serving and taking care of my patrons and my community.
Another personally impactful program from Wednesday’s sessions was Building a Gender-Inclusive Library: Birth Through Early Elementary with Pearl Bashakevitz and Beckett Czamecki. These two amazing librarians from the Denver Public Library helped me and other participants learn vocabulary and techniques to confront discrimination head-on while supporting gender nonconforming patrons.
One example, I appreciated was learning not to say, “Boys and girls,” when kicking off a children’s story time, but rather “Okay everyone,” or “Okay friends.” Thankfully, one brave audience member approached the microphone and shared another phrase that they used at her library.
“Hello critters and creatures!”
It made my heart sing to hear the room burst with applause and laughter, and to have our lovely presenters insist on using it themselves at their next story time.
While there are many aspects of myself that can feel undesirable when living in small-town Iowa, at the PLA conference I found a renewed sense of self, and belief in the work I’m doing. As one of my mentors often remind me, “Showing up as yourself gives others permission to do the same.”
The rest of the conference was filled with making meaningful connections, cheering on our Iowa presenter, and getting to know public library leaders from across the country. On the final day of my trip, I was sad to leave, but also immensely grateful for the countless strangers and new friends who took the time to pour into my cup over these past three days. Driving out of Columbus, I made myself promise that one day, I would be back at PLA, only then, I’d be a MLIS graduate and full-time librarian (perhaps even with a presentation of my own!) Until then, I’ll be putting my new knowledge to use and reading as many graphic novels as I can carry.