Speakers
Keynote address
"'The Hill We Climb': Towards Equity and Inclusion in Library and Information Science"
Dr. Renate Chancellor
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is driven by social and professional imperatives that have challenged the Library and Information Science (LIS) profession to prioritize internal work, examine our own implicit biases, and to actively educate ourselves on what antiracism requires as individuals and as an organization. Dr. Chancellor will discuss how the profession triumphs and struggles to uphold the democratic principles that it was founded on and explores the broader historical context of the struggle for equity and inclusion in LIS.
Short-Form Library History: Writing Book Reviews, Blog Posts, and Newsletter Articles
Writing for professional blogs, newsletters, and review columns is a great way for new authors to get started and for others to stay engaged with the discipline. Editors will briefly describe the scope, opportunities, and workings of their publications. They will also provide tips for writing short-form manuscripts in general. At least 15 minutes will be devoted to audience Q&A, so feel free to bring questions. This session is ideal for graduate students and others who are new to blog-, book review-, and newsletter authorship.
Panelists include:
Kristin Pekoll, Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association, Editor of OIF’s Intellectual Freedom Blog
Jordan Sly, University of Maryland, Book Review Editor, Library Quarterly
Brett Spencer, Penn State Berks, Book Review Editor, Libraries: Culture, History, and Society, and Editor, LHRT News and Notes
Emily Spunaugle, Oakland University, Associate Editor, SHARP News
Getting Your Historical Research Published: Q&A with Journal Editors
For the first time, editors of 6 different English-language publications relating to library history are gathered in one space! Each editor will briefly describe the current scope and interests of their respective publication, and share their top 3 tips for successful authorship. At least 15 minutes will be devoted to audience Q&A.This session is ideal for those who are new scholarly journal publishing, and for others who are interested in new venues for their work.
Panelists include:
Kendra Albright, Goodyear Endowed Professor in Knowledge Management, School of Information, Kent State University, and Co-Editor of Libri
Greg Barnhisel, Professor of English, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, Duquesne University, and Co-Editor of Book History
Andrew Dillon, Professor of Information Studies, School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin, and Co-Editor of Information & Culture
Jill Dye, Librarian, St. Hilda’s College, Oxford University, and Co-Editor of Library & Information History
Paul T. Jaeger, Professor and Director of the Library Science Program, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, and Co-Editor of Library Quarterly
Bernadette A. Lear, Behavioral Sciences and Education Librarian, Penn State Harrisburg Library, and Co-Editor of Libraries: Culture, History, and Society
Getting Started with Research: Biographical, Institutional, and International
Biographical, institutional, and international library history research involve distinct approaches and sources. Each of this session’s panelists have abundant experiences and insights to share: Stewart on biography; Glynn on institutional research; and Nguyen on international projects. At least 15 minutes will be devoted to audience Q&A. This session is ideal for those who are new to any of the 3 methodologies covered in the session and want tips for getting started.
Panelists include:
Tom Glynn, British & American History/Political Science Librarian, Rutgers University, and author of Reading Publics: New York City’s Public Libraries, 1754-1911 (Fordham University Press, 2017)
Cindy Nguyen, Postdoctoral Fellow, History Department, Brown University, “Reading and Misreading: The Social Life of Libraries and Colonial Control in Vietnam, 1865-1958”
Kate Stewart, Project Archivist, Arizona State Museum, and author of A Well Read Woman: The Life, Loves, and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport (Little a, 2019)
Writing Library History for General Audiences: Q&A with Children's Nonfiction Authors
In recent years, numerous children’s, young adult, and popular materials with book history or library history themes have appeared on bookshelves. Reading them, academic scholars can learn important lessons about selecting stories and crafting engaging narratives for general audiences. Our panel of award-winning children’s authors will describe how they came to write about library history and how to hone those stories for non-scholarly audiences. At least 15 minutes will be devoted to audience Q&A, so feel free to bring questions. This session is ideal for anyone seeking to make library history more engaging to the general public, or those interested in intersections between children and library history.
Anika Denise, author of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré (HarperCollins, 2019): https://www.anikadenise.com/
Sharlee Glenn, author of Library on Wheels: Mary Lemist Titcomb and America’s First Bookmobile (Abrams, 2018): https://www.sharleeglenn.com/
Sue Macy, author of The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come (Simon & Schuster, 2019): https://www.suemacy.com/
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, author of The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore (Carolrhoda Books, 2015): https://vaundamicheauxnelson.com/
Questions? Contact Bernadette Lear at bal19@psu.edu.