https://kathleenmccook.substack.com/p/culture-in-the-anteroom-to-hell?utm_source=substack&publication_id=321273&post_id=157677936&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=51xvh&triedRedirect=true

Short Video about Astronaut Ronald McNair and Segregated Libraries (From Black World Black History)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dPKfDtVwMQE

Review of a Children’s Book on McNair (The Marginalian)

Ronald McNair’s Civil Disobedience: The Illustrated Story of How a Little Boy Who Grew Up to Be a Trailblazing Astronaut Fought Segregation at the Public Library

Ronald E. McNair Life History Center (Lake City, South Carolina, USA)

https://lakecitysc.gov/239/Ronald-E-McNair-Life-History-Center

Animation by StoryCorps to Share with Children…

By Carol Ng-He and Elizabeth Meinke

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/719378?journalCode=adx

https://www.loudounnow.com/getoutloudoun/happenings/the-murrays-one-couples-push-to-desegregate-the-purcellville-library/article_4fee4cd8-e499-11ef-a878-ab083013ad26.html

https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/using-tech-to-spread-the-story-of-the-1939-library-sit-in

Libraries are not confined to traditional institutions; they exist in a myriad of unexpected places, serving diverse communities in innovative ways. From lighthouses and artists’ studios to mobile book vans and digital platforms, libraries continue to evolve, offering knowledge and resources in creative and unconventional settings. This call for papers seeks to explore the rich and often overlooked world of libraries that exist outside the norm-whether in remote villages, repurposed structures, personal collections, or virtual spaces.

We invite scholars, librarians, historians, and researchers from various disciplines to present their research at the 2025 LHRT Research Forum, which will focus on how libraries in unexpected places serve communities, preserve history, and expand access to knowledge. The forum aims to highlight historical studies of library outreach and development, including 20th and 21st-century topics. Single-case studies, theoretical perspectives, and other approaches are welcomed, but use of primary sources is expected. Each speaker will be asked to present for approximately 20 minutes, with a 10-minute Q&A to follow.

To accommodate as many attendees as possible, the 2025 Research Forum will be held virtually after the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, on Wednesday, July 23, 2:00-3:30 EST.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• Libraries in Unconventional Spaces
  • Libraries and library collections housed in unique buildings or premises.
  • Personal and private libraries with public impact.
  • Community-based initiatives such as Little Free Libraries and other book-sharing projects.
  • Rural and mobile libraries that reach remote and underserved populations.
• Library Outreach and Collaboration
  • Librarians bringing books and services to nontraditional settings.
  • Novel partnerships between libraries and other institutions and organizations. 
  • Efforts to preserve and document library collections that exist outside formal institutions.
• Access Beyond Physical Spaces
  • Online and open-access libraries in areas lacking traditional library services.
  • Hybrid models that combine physical and digital library services to reach broader audiences.
  • The role of technology in expanding knowledge beyond geographic and economic barriers.

Submission Guidelines:

We welcome submissions from a variety of perspectives, including historical studies, case studies, ethnographic research, theoretical analyses, and reflective essays. We will consider research projects already underway or, if at the beginning of the project, a discussion of new methodologies to be used in the work. Please note that projects or project plans should include a primary source research component.

• Each proposal must include the paper title, an abstract (up to 500 words), and the presenter’s one-page vita. Please indicate in the abstract whether the research is in progress or completed.
• Proposals are due March 15, and decisions will be communicated shortly thereafter.
• Completed papers are due May 31.

Please submit proposals and direct inquiries to Jennifer Bartlett, LHRT Vice Chair/Research Committee Chair, at jen.bartlett@uky.edu.

We encourage interdisciplinary approaches and diverse voices to contribute to this exciting exploration of libraries in unexpected places. If you have a unique perspective or case study that falls outside these categories but aligns with the theme, we welcome your proposal! We look forward to your submissions and to celebrating the vast and varied ways libraries continue to inspire, adapt, and serve.

Research Committee Members:

Jennifer Bartlett

Bernadette Lear

Catherine Minter 

Deborah Smith

Rachel Trnka

——————————
Jennifer Bartlett
Oral History Librarian
University of Kentucky Libraries
jen.bartlett@uky.edu

https://kaylabythesea.substack.com/p/the-enduring-importance-of-a-personal?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

“Please join Library Trends in celebrating Mary Niles Maack’s life and career in a webinar featuring guest editors and authors from 72 (3) Feminist and Global Perspectives on an Evolving Profession: Papers Honoring Mary Niles Maack.“

Full details: https://ischool.illinois.edu/news-events/events/2025/02/20/webinar-honoring-legacy-mary-niles-maack

ALISE 2025 conference theme:
“Decolonising Pedagogies: Agency, Identity, Practices”

“This theme infers a profound respect for how we, in LIS education, engage with agency, identity, and practices in our pedagogy. The theme invokes a critical inquiry into our pedagogy as a holistic and authentic expression of each of us as diverse, complex, and divine human beings who research, teach, and practice library and information science. By honoring our best selves, we share that self with our students and community members to inspire them to walk with empathy and care of the human condition as an intricate labyrinth of interdependent identities and heritages essential for knowledge sharing, professional success, and personal happiness.”

Find full details at https://ali.memberclicks.net/2025-call-for-proposals