Library Research Notes #53
The newsletter is back in session
Library Research Notes is a product of hippiegrrl media, where we believe that Black Lives Matter, Climate Change is real, Treaties should be honored, Bodily autonomy is essential, Love is love, No human is illegal, Science=Truth, Unions work, Gun Reform is imperative, and the time for Trans Liberation is now! We value your readership. If you enjoy the Library Research Notes newsletter, please share it with a friend.
Hello dear readers!
I hope you are all having a good summer and staying hydrated! The heat has been pretty unbearable everywhere this season and the earth is crying out for us to change our ways. As evidenced by the extreme weather we are having all over the planet, it cannot be more obvious that global climate change is real and change is needed to right the wrongs we have done to the earth. I’m not going to get into the science of it all, but if you are interested in how one well-funded right-wing organization has provided the majority of disinformation on climate change, check out the video below.
Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Governor Ron Desantis decided that it would be a good idea to give PragerU access to the Florida school system. Although the new ‘supplemental’ curriculum will not be required for teachers, they can use PragerU videos in the classroom without repercussions. Teachers may choose not use the materials, but if they want to push misinformation in their classrooms, this move with PragerU opens the door. (thehill.com)
Speaking of disinformation - it feels like it is time to get back to the root of what Library Research Notes was intended to be. This is not to say that I won’t stray into various topics here and there, but I do want to continue to engage and enlighten you with various research techniques and ways to dispel disinformation and misinformation. The internet has not improved when it comes to countering harmful narratives, so we must be vigilant in our interactions online. We must stay skeptical but open-minded, while always questioning and researching.
This is exactly why I started the newsletter - to arm you with tools that will help you be better readers and not fall for nonsense when it is presented as fact. So, having said all that, I hope you stick with me as we travel back to the origins of Library Research Notes and get back to the business of combating confusion through data!
Thank you, as always, for reading my work. I greatly appreciate you and would love to interact further in the comment threads.
And we’re back…
This summer has been a bit of a break for me and the newsletter. I haven’t had the summer off from my full-time job, but I did feel it necessary to take some time to recuperate on the weekends and not stress too much about writing every other week. Now that we are easing into Autumn, I’m feeling the drive to get back to both writing and advocacy.
Today, the Tennessee General Assembly reconvened for a special session. This session is one week long and is supposed to be focused on gun safety in the state. Governor Bill Lee has promised to push the legislature toward meaningful reform and we are hoping that he follows through on that promise. Members of many progressive organizations in Nashville will be out in full force rallying, all week, to keep the legislators honest. Even with a super majority, we are hoping that something positive can come out of this week-long session.
If you are interested in keeping up with this special session and all that is about to unfold, please visit the live feed area of the Tennessee General Assembly site, here: What’s streaming now?
There are many progressive groups on the ground in Nashville this week, so if you would rather get up to the minute REAL information from people who are at the scene, check out these Instagram accounts:
East Nashtivists | AwakeTN | Rise & Shine TN | Equity Alliance Fund
Tennessee Equality Project | Moms Demand Action | Everytown for Gun Safety
Kids Not Guns TN | Protect My Care | TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood
Going forward, I’m still going to post updates on the Tennessee Legislature, but not as intensely as I did back in May. I want to keep the focus on what is happening here in my state of residence, but also make sure that we are all staying aware of issues in other states that threaten our safety, security, autonomy, and democracy. So stay tuned for that as we move through the later part of 2023 and beyond.
Good news from the stacks
Thank you, again, for reading this newsletter. I am forever grateful to have a community of people who are reading along with me. As we ease back into bi-weekly posts here are some of the good things that have been happening in the last few weeks in libraries. Yes - librarians have been under attack, of late, by right-wing smear campaigns and calls to pull books from shelves without the standard challenge process, but they keep showing up for work and kicking ass.
How Library Cards Became the Jay-Z Merch of the Moment (nytimes.com)
Gabriel García Márquez Library Seamlessly Co-Exists With Nature (settingmind.com)
The Library is Open: On Party Girl, Budget Cuts, and the Future of Women’s Work (lithub.com)
Interactive exhibit exploring history of ‘redlining’ coming to Lexington Public Library (wkyt.com)
New Vanderbilt University and Nashville Public Library Program will Explore History of Diversity in Nashville (tntribune.com)