{"id":6811,"date":"2021-11-29T09:51:33","date_gmt":"2021-11-29T14:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=6811"},"modified":"2021-12-08T16:34:15","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T21:34:15","slug":"librarians-out-loud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/fall-2021\/librarians-out-loud\/","title":{"rendered":"Librarians. Out Loud."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The stereotype of the stern woman who haunted the library\u2014the one with the bun, the frown, and the finger pressed to her lips\u2014bears little resemblance to today\u2019s librarians. This generation of librarians is leading some of the most important conversations of our times. And they want to get you talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

117 West from I-95 North will get you to the West Warwick Public Library by way of Suited Devils Ink tattoo parlor, AJ\u2019s Restaurant, Valley Fuel, and Henault-Gallogly Funeral Home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporated in 1913, West Warwick, R.I., is the youngest town in the state, but it has a worn appearance that hints of hardship. The Riverpoint Congregational Church advertises a rummage sale. There are no chic boutiques or tony coffee shops. Jerry\u2019s Supermarket proclaims itself the \u201cKing of Meats,\u201d but it\u2019s the old Royal Mill Complex, with its crenelated clock tower overlooking the Pawtuxet River, that ranks first for most imperious structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This town doesn\u2019t likely benefit much from the $1.7 billion haul the Ocean State nets during tourist season. This is a town designed for business, not pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you were driving in the vicinity of the library at around 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 26, you might\u2019ve seen that dilapidated pickup truck flying the Confederate and American flags from the back corners of its bed as it drove past the library. And if that were your destination, it might\u2019ve made you uneasy. Because that day\u2014a hot day for early June, with 89% humidity\u2014the library was celebrating Pride Month by hosting Drag Story Time, a local version of the national Drag Queen Story Hour, in which professional drag queens read aloud to children and their parents at libraries, bookstores, and schools with a view to destigmatizing gender fluidity. And that had some people upset. In the weeks leading up to the event, two local priests demanded it be canceled. Other residents voiced their anger on social media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibrarians are unsung heros. The stereotype that persists is that we’re just the keepers of the books. We’re so much more.\u201d
\u2013Mary Moen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though committed to holding the event\u2014conceived of and organized by West Warwick Public Library staff members Rashaa Al-Sasah, M.L.I.S. \u201917, head of youth services, and Emma Brelsford, \u201919, M.L.I.S. \u201921, youth services librarian\u2014the library\u2019s director, Colin McCullough, M.L.I.S. \u201916, felt compelled to make a formal statement on the library\u2019s website. The drag story hour\u2019s message is that people shouldn\u2019t be bullied or teased for what makes them different, wrote McCullough. \u201cWe recognize that not every program we offer matches the interests or the values of every member of our community and patrons may or may not attend at their own discretion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will, however, continue to ensure that issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion inform and enrich everything that we do,\u201d McCullough continued. \u201cOur message is simple\u2014libraries are for everyone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mary
Mary Moen, M.L.I.S. \u201903, Ph.D. \u201915, assistant professor in 溏心vlog免费B站’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, in front of Rodman Hall on the Kingston Campus, where the program is housed.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a common refrain among librarians, or at least among 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (GSLIS) alumni. Their career paths are anything but similar, and they hardly personify the stereotypical librarian. 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s accelerated, online, American Library Association-accredited GSLIS program prepares students for careers in public and school libraries, archival work, and medical and law libraries, among other things. The program trains librarians for the diverse audiences they\u2019ll serve, say the program\u2019s director, Valerie Karno, and assistant professors Melissa Villa-Nicholas and Mary Moen, M.L.I.S. \u201903, Ph.D. \u201915. It is nimble and topical, making issues of social justice, equity, and information literacy part of its curriculum and mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibrarians are unsung heroes. The stereotype that persists is that we\u2019re just the keepers of the books. We’re so much more,\u201d Moen says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re exploring how to bring activism and scholarship into librarianship; we want to go further with social justice in library and information studies,\u201d Villa-Nicholas says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karno characterizes librarians as superheroes springing into action against the villainous triumvirate that is COVID-19, racism, and fake news. \u201cLibrarians all over the country have pivoted to provide crucial community services during this pandemic. Last spring, we had the speaker series, \u2018Voices of Information Equity,\u2019 which was very well attended,\u201d Karno explains. \u201cWhat we are trying to do is fundamentally support the field of information professionals, information curators, and libraries all over the country as our alumni come from and go into all kinds of fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn how GSLIS graduates are preserving history, leading community conversations, enriching the lives of children and the elderly, elevating historically underrepresented voices, supporting academic scholarship and lifelong learning, and helping people find what they need in an atmosphere that makes them feel welcome. And heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

STEPHANIE MILLS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a beg-borrow-and-steal librarian. I\u2019m always running the book fair and doing things to increase our budget when times are tough. The library is for everyone, and that means having a broad range of titles.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhode Island\u2019s 2020 School Librarian of the Year, Stephanie Mills \u201903, \u201909, M.L.I.S. \u201907, looks at the honor as something of a vindication. \u201cIt verifies and solidifies for me the important role of school libraries,\u201d she says. \u201cThe library is the heart of the school; it\u2019s the hub, the place that brings together a community of readers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interest in reading wanes in middle school when children\u2019s parents stop reading to them, Mills, school librarian at Park View Middle School in Cranston, R.I., notes. Her response has been to focus on information literacy and literature appreciation. School curriculums now include lessons on how to discern between fact and propaganda. Mills wants to encourage students\u2019 desire to read by providing \u201cchoice and voice for students so that they\u2019ll continue enjoying reading because they\u2019ve found a good story. Not everything we do or teach has to be tied to a grade,\u201d Mills says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When COVID-19 caused schools in Rhode Island to close, Mills created pop-up libraries outside, rolling book carts around her school\u2019s parking lot so students could check out books. \u201cAnd I had a delivery service where I was running from room to room delivering what they\u2019d requested through Google forms. So, we used modern technology to do a simple thing: Get books in the hands of the kids,\u201d Mills says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unfortunate consequence of COVID-19, locally and nationally, has been the loss of library materials. Hundreds of library books are missing from Park View\u2019s collection, in part because students haven\u2019t been back to school in 18 months. Mills is replacing titles with grant money and with help from the school\u2019s parent-teacher group. It\u2019s not a one-for-one replacement of titles, though, Mills notes. Her purchasing decisions address broader concerns. \u201cWe have a diverse population, so I\u2019m looking for books that represent diverse voices and are written by authors who are members of the marginalized populations they\u2019re writing about,\u201d Mills says. Mills has an evangelist\u2019s zeal for her profession. \u201cI am as enthusiastic today about doing this job as I was when I started,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s a measure of how great the profession is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Good Read:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Vanishing Half<\/em> by Brit Bennett. Mills says, \u201cIt\u2019s about Black twins growing up in a segregated area in the South. In their town, over time, the African Americans have become lighter. It\u2019s something the people there are proud of. One of the twins decides to leave and pretend to be a white woman because the opportunities are so plentiful for her. But she has to shut out her family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Reference Desk: <\/strong>Americans check out an average of eight books a year. They spend $36.96 a year for the public library\u2014about the average cost of one hardcover book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014American Library Association<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

LARRY SPONGBERG<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was loud. I can have a pretty loud voice, but it was loud. I don\u2019t even think they could hear me. So, I climbed up on the table. I don\u2019t think I was thinking of doing that when I first walked into the room, but it did get their attention very quickly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry Spongberg, M.L.S. \u201975, has three dresser drawers full of mementos from his 40-plus years as a librarian at Assumption University\u2019s Emmanuel d\u2019Alzon Library in Worcester, Mass. Even in retirement, he can be relied upon to fill in as needed and to keep the library\u2019s collection organized. Known as \u201cLarry the Librarian\u201d to the students of Assumption, Spongberg\u2019s energy and way with students grew into legend. He\u2019d ply them with puns and once even climbed onto a table to quiet a room. \u201cI only had to stand on it that one time, which is good because it wouldn\u2019t have had the same shock value later,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I never noticed that it got that loud again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibraries are places where people should feel welcomed and encouraged to ask questions.\u201d
\u2013Larry Spongberg<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, it was ironic that during my first year I became known for quieting down that group that time, because that was against my inclinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibraries are places where people should feel welcomed and encouraged to ask questions,\u201d Spongberg says. \u201cI\u2019d always hoped to be able to help people and deal with the public. Being a librarian enabled me to do that. Tremendously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spongberg studied history in college. It was his aunt, a town librarian, who encouraged him to consider library school. \u201cBut back when I was a college student, librarians had the reputation of being people who wanted to collect fines and tell other people to be quiet. My friends said, \u2018Why would you want a job where you just go around telling everybody to shut up?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Good Read:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How To Win Friends & Influence People<\/em> by Dale Carnegie. Spongberg says, \u201cI found great ideas about how to relate to people, which helped me in my career.\u201d
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed Garcia <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibraries are a trusted space.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A decade out of college, Ed Garcia \u201903, M.L.I.S. \u201908, wanted a change. A history major who deejayed for WRIU, Garcia worked for Sony Music then fundraised for nonprofits. Michael Havener, then-director of the GSLIS program, convinced him to become a librarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Havener showed me librarians can do so much more than people think,\u201d says Garcia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe year I graduated, 2008, the economic meltdown started. I spent most of my day helping people search for jobs. Public libraries can be a safety net for people who may not have the skills or the access to information or technology,\u201d Garcia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recipient of the GSLIS 2018 Alumni of the Year award, Garcia has been active in the American Library Association (ALA). In 2010, he was the first 溏心vlog免费B站 graduate named an ALA Emerging Leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, Garcia, director of the Cranston (R.I.) Public Library, and his team are focused on equity issues regarding everything from the purchase of e-books to naming conventions around collections. \u201cWe are building inclusive collections that reflect our community, which includes examining how materials are cataloged in our collections. The Dewey Decimal System, a Western, white male-centric system, does not reflect the diversity of our communities. We started by changing the subject heading \u2018illegal aliens\u2019 to \u2018undocumented immigrants.\u2019 We had GSLIS intern Tessa Mediano work with our cataloging librarian, Christine Hall \u201903, M.L.I.S. \u201914, to look at the subject headings and call numbers of our Native American collections. We created subject headings for all local tribes, rather than grouping them all under the heading of \u2018North American Indians.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Libraries also provide potentially life-altering services, Garcia says. The Cranston Public Library has served patrons from more than 33 countries; conducted classes in English as a second language, citizenship, and computers; served free lunches to children during school vacation; and hosted diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
\u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of discussions on racial equity, climate change\u2014a lot of topics,\u201d Garcia notes. The library is a safe space that is trusted by the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Good Read: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island<\/em> by Christy Clark-Pujara. Garcia says, \u201cEven after Rhode Island outlawed slavery, the business of slavery was happening here. This book goes into depth about a forgotten part of our state\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference Desk: <\/strong>73% of public libraries assist patrons with job applications and interviewing skills.
68% of public libraries help patrons use databases to find career openings.
77% of public libraries offer health resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014American Library Association<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ashley Selima<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery day in the archives is a unique experience. Any job is going to have its moments when you\u2019ve had one too many meetings for the day, but how many people can duck into a vault and look at the Bill of Rights?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sifting through public records might seem like dull work, but those documents can bring history to life, says Rhode Island state archivist and public records administrator Ashley Selima, M.L.I.S. \u201912, M.P.A. \u201913. In 2020, before COVID-19 derailed traveling exhibitions, Selima was putting together a traveling exhibition celebrating the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. In her research, she found a record, circa 1919, from the president of the National Suffrage Association. \u201cShe wrote to a Southern congressman that if he wanted to keep his white majority, he should let white women vote in order to keep segregation in the South\u2014that it benefitted him to give women more rights, but only white women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHelping people become more civically engaged is rewarding.\u201d
\u2013Ashley Selima<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a woman looking back 100 years at these women I\u2019ve always seen as heroes\u2014their work means I get to vote in my presidential election\u2014I see there\u2019s a reality to history that we can only learn from these handwritten documents, which show the true complexity of people and, sometimes, the dark side of history. That moment solidified for me the importance of what we do as archivists: We preserve history that doesn\u2019t always want to be seen, but needs to be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other aspects of the job bring joy, though, Selima says. \u201cBeing a small part in helping people become more civically engaged is a really rewarding thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Good Read: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies<\/em> by Haley Nolan. Selima says, \u201cShe\u2019s one of the most maligned women in history. I\u2019ve always been fascinated by Tudor history. I heard about this book on the podcast, You\u2019re Wrong 溏心vlog免费B站<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Reference Desk: College libraries receive less than 3 cents of every dollar spent on higher education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014American Library Association<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

David Kelsey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe serve everybody, every single person that comes into our library, no matter their background or values. And that is the beautiful thing about a library: We\u2019re inclusive.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Kelsey, M.L.I.S. \u201912, outreach services librarian at St. Charles (Ill.) Public Library and 2021 president of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services, cherishes vivid memories of his childhood trips to the library. \u201cMy mother would take me to the Wheaton (Ill.) Public Library once a week during the summer. We\u2019d spend hours just looking at books. \u201cThe books that really got me reading were the Harry Potter books. My friends and I would pretend we were in Harry Potter, and the stories would magically come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Library school was the perfect fit and 溏心vlog免费B站, an adventure, Kelsey says. A recipient of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s 2019 GSLIS Alumni of the Year award praises the program. \u201cI had opportunities that I wouldn\u2019t have had anywhere else. It makes my heart happy to see all the great work they\u2019re doing for the next generation of librarians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelsey\u2019s education and experience reinforce his belief that a library has a civic responsibility for inclusiveness. He supervises an outreach team whose specialty is serving library patrons living in senior facilities. His was the first library in the country to do virtual programming for senior facilities during the pandemic. To hear Kelsey speak of his work is to realize the event is incidental; it\u2019s the effect that matters. \u201cSeniors can be a forgotten population, but they are still patrons and part of our library family. Just because they can\u2019t come to the library doesn\u2019t mean the library shouldn\u2019t come to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Good Read: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Library Book<\/em> by Susan Orlean. Kelsey says, \u201cIt\u2019s thoroughly fascinating and speaks to libraries\u2019 uniqueness. My mother just finished it, and she thought the history of libraries would be helpful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Reference Desk: <\/strong>Public libraries offer 4.3 million programs a year, and 95% provide online homework assistance and summer reading programs for children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014American Library Association<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lisa Villa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe idea of open access is to reduce the barriers to authors sharing their work because they want to keep their field moving forward and to spread their knowledge.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, with neither blueprint nor formal guidance, Lisa Villa, M.L.I.S. ’95, digital scholarship librarian at College of the Holy Cross’ Dinand Library (Worcester, Mass.), was tasked with building the digital equivalent of a cathedral. She undertook the creation of a digital archive, an open-access institutional repository with an ambitious aim: to advance research and scholarship at Holy Cross, while also creating a historical record readily accessible and responsive to all inquiries. The archive would be flexible and capacious enough to contain the college\u2019s output of scholarly articles and publications, reports, research, and creative works\u2014in effect, a repository of significant contributions to the institution\u2019s overall intellectual capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now nearing 5,000 items, the CrossWorks repository holds, among other things, the student literary journal, The Purple<\/em>, to which two-time U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins was once a contributor; the only known model of the East Indiaman ship, Earl of Abergavenny, an 18th-century ship captained by poet William Wordsworth\u2019s brother, John, who died when the ship sank off the coast of England in 1805; an oral history of LGBTQ students\u2019 experiences at the college; and copies of scrapbooks kept by former Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor James Michael Curley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the benefit goes beyond preservation, Villa says; the archive is a valuable teaching tool for the school\u2019s next generation of scholars. In her role as digital scholarship librarian, Villa talks to students about the scholarly communication process, copyright, and open access. \u201cFaculty understand CrossWorks\u2019 value and now they\u2019re encouraging their students to submit\u2014not so that they get 100 hits on their English paper, but because many of them will go on to do graduate work and they are just that much more primed for the quality of research they\u2019ll be expected to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen students are aware that they\u2019re writing for a global audience, they tend to approach their work differently. They\u2019re no longer just writing a paper. They\u2019re writing a paper that will be seen\u2014and possibly critiqued and used\u2014by other people, and that knowledge raises the level of output.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Good Read: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail<\/em>, by Ben Montgomery. Villa says, \u201cI couldn’t put it down. I had never heard of Gatewood, and now I want everyone to know about her\u2014especially since the Appalachian Trail runs through New England.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Reference Desk: <\/strong>Reference librarians in the nation\u2019s public and academic libraries answer nearly 6.6 million questions weekly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014American Library Association<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Colin McCullough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Library<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLibraries are engines of social justice.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming a librarian was a career change for Colin McCullough, M.L.I.S. ’16, director of the West Warwick (R.I.) Public Library, who previously worked for a humanitarian aid organization. He thought he\u2019d become an academic librarian and worked at the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning Commons while he was a student in 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s GSLIS program. But working in the Knight Memorial Library in South Providence, one of the poorest communities in Rhode Island\u2019s capital city, changed his mind. \u201cI loved the part the library played in the community, so when the West Warwick job came up, there were similarities that attracted me,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re functioning as a community center almost as much as a library,\u201d McCullough muses. Awareness of this influences the staff\u2019s purchasing and programming decisions. In West Warwick, for instance, a menstrual health program where free products are distributed might well benefit the community more than a reading by a best-selling novelist. \u201cHow do you make those programming decisions? Is it underpinned by social justice in some way?\u201d McCullough asks, answering with certainty, \u201cYes.\u201d He continues, \u201cMy personal feeling is that libraries are engines of social justice. Anyone can walk through our doors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCullough recalls an anecdote from early in his career. A middle-aged woman came into the library. English wasn\u2019t her first language, and she needed a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to apply for a factory job. They spent an hour writing the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and cover letter and uploading it to the company website. \u201cI thought, \u2018Well, something\u2019s been accomplished here. You know, maybe she\u2019ll get the job.\u2019 I got as much out of that as she did because I had the sense that I was actually making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Book<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Good Read: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland<\/em> by Patrick Radden Keefe. McCullough calls it \u201ca well-researched and nuanced picture of the troubles in Northern Ireland. In a wider sense, it’s insightful on the effects of hatred and the futility of violence.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Parasol Patrol at the West Warwick Public Library’s Drag Story Time in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to the West Warwick Public Library\u2019s Drag Story Time: That Saturday, McCullough stood outside between the two groups that had formed at the library despite the oppressive, wet heat. The protesters claimed the lawn facing Main Street. One of the priests arrived. A sole protester marched back and forth yelling, \u201cStop sexualizing our children!\u201d But otherwise, the group was quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

A second larger group set up beach chairs in the library\u2019s small parking lot and brought coolers filled with water and ice pops. Some wore adult-sized butterfly wings or carried rainbow umbrellas\u2014these were members of the Parasol Patrol, adults whose fashion choices function to shield children from the angry protestors. Others wore T-shirts identifying themselves as members of Free Mom Hugs, a group that supports LGBTQ+ people by offering hugs at Pride parades. Some of the winged ones spread their wings and shimmied a bit to the Lady Gaga music pumped in from a house across the street. A pair of policemen made small talk with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But nothing much else happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even that day, there were more people in favor of the event than against it, McCullough noted afterward. \u201cAnd on Facebook, you\u2019ll see that there was overwhelming community support and people saying things like, \u2018We should try to have a Pride parade here.\u2019 In some sense, we\u2019ve kind of opened a door, you know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I see that event doing is leading the conversation and setting the tone for how librarians and libraries are performing functions that extend beyond the circulation desk,\u201d McCullough says. \u201cTo me, dialogue and communication are good things.\u201d \u2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marybeth Reilly-McGreen <\/strong>is a 溏心vlog免费B站 content strategist and frequent contributor to <\/em>溏心vlog免费B站 Magazine. An award-winning writer, she has profiled Dr. Anthony Fauci; poet laureate Billy Collins; Peabody Award- winners Christiane Amanpour \u201983, Hon. \u201995, and Vlad Duthiers \u201991, Hon. \u201917; Pulitzer Prize- winner Thomas Farragher \u201973, Hon. \u201917; and Tony Award- winner Andrew Burnap \u201913.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHOTOS: Nora Lewis, courtesy Larry Spongberg, David Kelsey, and Marybeth Reilly-McGreen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The stereotype of the stern woman who haunted the library\u2014the one with the bun, the frown, and the finger pressed to her lips\u2014bears little resemblance to today\u2019s librarians. This generation of librarians is leading some of the most important conversations of our times. And they want to get you talking. By Marybeth Reilly-McGreen 117 West […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[304],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall-2021","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6811"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7309,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811\/revisions\/7309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}