Books have the power to inspire and enlighten. Diversity in books, especially in literature published for youth, is essential. All children must see themselves in the pages of the books they read, especially as we inspire and motivate the next generation of Great Lakes and water leaders. The library continues to develop our collection to reflect the diverse members and experiences in our community of readers.

AGUA, AGUITA
By Jorge Argueta; illustrated by Felipe Ugalde; translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Houston: Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press, 2017.

ALL THE WAY TO THE OCEAN
By Joel Harper, illustrated by Marq Spusta. Claremont, CA: Freedom Three, 2006.

ALL THE WORLD
by Liz Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Marla Frazee. New York : Beach Lane Books, [2009]

ANISHINAABE COLORING AND ACTIVITY BOOK
Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, 2016.

BUZZING WITH QUESTIONS: THE INQUISITIVE MIND OF CHARLES HENRY TURNER
By Janice N. Harrington, Janice N. Honnesdale, PA: Calkins Creek, 2019.

CHANGING THE EQUATION: 50+ BLACK WOMEN IN STEM
By Tonya Bolden. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2020.

A COOL DRINK OF WATER
by Barbara Kerley. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2012.

THE EARTH BOOK
By Todd Parr. New York: Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers, 2010.

EARTH DANCE
By Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Norman Gorbaty. New York, NY: Henry Holt, 1996.

EARTH BOOK FOR KIDS: ACTIVITIES TO HELP HEAL THE ENVIRONMENT
by Linda Schwartz ; illustrated by Beverly Armstrong. Santa Barbara, Calif. : Learning Works, c1990.

FARMER WILL ALLEN AND THE GROWING TABLE
By Jacqueline Briggs Martin; illustrated by Eric-Shabazz Larkin. Bellevue, WA: Readers to Eaters, 2013.

GANAWENIMAA NIMAMAINAN AKI = RESPECT OUR MOTHER EARTH: A KID’S ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITY BOOKLET
By Sue Erickson; Dennis Soulier; Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission. Odanah, WI : Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, [2005?]

GIMAAMAA-AKIIMINAAN GIMIIGWECHIWENDAAMIN : THANKFUL FOR OUR MOTHER EARTH: A KID’S MANOOMIN ACTIVITY BOOKLET
By Dylan Jennings; illustrated by Welsey Ballinger. Second edition. Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, 2017.

GIMAAMAA-AKIIMINAAN GIMIIGWECHIWENDAAMIN : THANKFUL FOR OUR MOTHER EARTH: SPEARING THROUGH THE ICE, ACTIVITY BOOKLET
By Dylan Jennings; illustrated by Welsey Ballinger.  Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, 2016.

GREEN, GREEN: A COMMUNITY GARDENING STORY
By Marie Lamb and Baldev Lamba. Pictures by Sonia Sanchez. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017.

GROWING UP OJIBWE
By Joshua M. Whitebird, Joshua M.; illustrated by Edward Benton-Banai. Odanah, WI : Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, 2018.

HEH, WATER!
By Antoinette Portis. New York: Neal Porter Books,2019.

HEROES OF THE ENVIRONMENT: TRUE STORIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HELPING TO PROTECT OUR PLANET
By Harriet Rohmer, illustrated by Julie McLaughlin. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009.

IQBAL AND HIS INGENIOUS IDEA: HOW A SCIENCE PROJECT HELPS ONE FAMILY AND THE PLANET
By Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Rebecca Green. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2018.

KEEPERS OF THE EARTH: NATIVE AMERICAN STORIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
By Michael J. Caduto. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub., 1997

KENYA’S ART
By Linda Trice; illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, 2016.

THE LITTLE MERMAID
By Jerry Pinkney. New York: Little Brown, 2020.

THE MAGIC FISH
By Trung Le Nguyen. New York: Random House, 2020.

THE MESS THAT WE MADE
By Michelle Lord, illustrated by Julia Blattman. Brooklyn, NY: Flash Light Press, 2020.

NANBOSHO, SOARING EAGLE AND THE GREAT STURGEON
By Joe McLellan, illustrated by Rhian Brynjolson. Winnipeg: Pemmican, 1993.

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE GREAT LAKES
By Stuart A Kallen. San Diego, Calif.: Kidhaven Press, 2004.

THE OJIBWA: WILD RICE GATHERS
By Therese DeAngelis. Mankato, Minn.: Capstone, ©2004.

ONE PLASTIC BAG: ISATOU CEESAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA
By Miranda Paul; illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2015.

ONE WELL: THE STORY OF WATER ON EARTH
By Rochelle Strauss; illustrated by Rosemary Woods. Toronto: Kids Can Press, ©2007.

OVER AND UNDER THE POND
By Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2017.

RECYCLING DAY
By Edward Mille. New York: Holiday House, [2014]

A RIVER RAN WILD: AN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
By Lynne Cherry. San Diego: Harcourt Inc., [2002]

THE SACRED HARVEST: OJIBWAY WILD RICE GATHERING
By Gordon Regguinti; Dale Kakkak; Michael Dorris.  Minneapolis : Lerner Publications, 1992.

SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE: SCIENCE IS FOR EVERYONE
By Jeanette Davis; illustrated by Philbert Washington. Atlanta, GA.: Mynd Matters Publishing, 2019.

SEEDS OF CHANGE
By Jen Cullerton Johnson, illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler. New York: Lee and Low Books, 2010.

SNOW FOR EVERYONE
By Antonie Schneider and Pei-Yu Change.  New York: North South Books, 2019.

STEPPING STONES: WALKING LAKE MICHIGAN
By Carol Ann Trembath. Evanston, IL: Lakeside Publishing, 2017.

THE STORY OF MANOOMIN
Cloquet, Minnesota : Fond du Lac Head Start, [2014]

THIS IS OUR WORLD: A STORY ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE EARTH
By Emily Sollinger, illustrated by Jo Brown. New York: Little Simon, 2010.

TROUT ARE MADE OF TREES
By April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Kate Endle. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2008.

WANGARI MAATHAI: THE WOMAN WHO PLANTED A MILLION TREES
By Emmanuel Mbogo. Dar es Salaam: Vision Strategic Impact Limited, 2015.

THE WATER WALKER
By Joanne Robertson. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Second Story Press, 2017.

WATER WALKERS
By Carol Ann Trembath. Evanston, IL: Lakeside Publishing, 2014

WATER WALKERS: WALKING LAKE SUPERIOR
By Carol Ann Trembath. Evanston, IL: Lakeside Publishing, 2016.

WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS
By Carole Lindstrom; illustrated by Michaela Goade. New York, NY : Roaring Brook Press, 2020.

WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING GREEN?
By Jacqui Bailey. Hauppauge, NY:  B.E.S. Publishing, 2010.

WHERE’S RODNEY?
By Carmen Bogan; illustrated by Floyd Cooper. San Francisco, CA: Yosemite Conservancy, Yosemite National Park, 2017.

YOUNG WATER PROTECTORS…A STORY ABOUT STANDING ROCK
By Aslan Tudor, co-written by Kelly Tudor. [n.p.] Eaglespeaker Publishing, [n.d.]

Anyone in Wisconsin can borrow these books. Just email askwater@aqua.wisc.edu.

Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day!

First, we take this day to acknowledge the Indigenous people of Wisconsin, the past, current, and future stewards of this land we stand on. The Wisconsin Water Library at the University of Wisconsin–Madison occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. The place we now call Wisconsin is the ancestral land of many Native nations who call this place home, and we are honored to be a place of stories, memory, and living tradition for all.

Today, Wisconsin is home to twelve Native nations and indigenous people are an inextricable part of Wisconsin’s past and present, and yet, they are missing from our history and from the way we care for our earth. Wisconsin Sea Grant and the library acknowledge the crucial work we must do so that all approaches to water science and environmental stweardship are incorporated.

The Wisconsin Water Library is taking deliberate steps to expand its holdings of materials related to traditional knowledge and water. We acknowledge our collection is incomplete so please email Anne Moser with your suggestions (akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu).

Some of our favorites are:

• An indigenous peoples’ history of the United States for young people by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz ; adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese
• Dibaajimowinan : Anishinaabe stories of culture and respect edited by H. James St. Arnold, Wesley Ballinger, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission.
• Fry bread : a Native American family story by Kevin Maillard
• Growing up Ojibwe by the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, Joshua Whitebird, Joshua M., illustrator
• Braiding sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad : a tribal climate adaptation menu by the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission
• Talking sky : Ojibwe constellations as a reflection of life on the land by Carl Gawboy
• Honor the earth powwow : songs of the Great Lakes Indians

Map of Wisconsin First Nations — Treaty lands in 1800 and present-day tribal lands. This map is an adaptation of the Native Nations Map from The Ways.

Ceded Territories, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission https://www.glifwc.org/

To learn more about American Indians in Wisconsin, check out https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/

By Anne Moser and Laura Killingsworth

What is environmental justice?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as the “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.”

How does it relate to social justice?

In the United States, structural racism is inextricably linked to environmental racism. A disproportionate burden of environmental harm falls on BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities and on working class neighborhoods.1 Harmful infrastructure such as landfills, poor drinking water systems and lack of safe play spaces and harmful practices including a lack of investment in communities, leads to poorer physical and mental health. As our society continues to grapple with the very real effects of climate change, these negative consequences will continue to displace marginalized communities at an even more severe level.

Without environmental justice, can we have full social justice?

There is no environmental justice without full social justice, and there is no full social justice without environmental justice. Our core values as librarians surround access to information, and how various societal issues prevent that from happening. We have a duty to dismantle these systemic barriers, meaning that every societal issue is a library issue as well, and something we should be addressing. There is much work to do in terms of advancing social justice and anti-racist initiatives for the black members of our community, and to affirm that black lives DO matter.  Further, these conversations belong at the center of any conversation surrounding environmental justice.

Reading List

We have created this reading list as a means of providing information and facilitating critical thinking surrounding these topics. This list is meant to be an introduction, and is by no means exhaustive. If you have resources or readings to add regarding environmental justice and social justice, please send an email to Anne Moser akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu.

Books and articles

As Long as the Grass Grows: the Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to… Standing Rock by Dina Gilio-Whitaker.
Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney
Clean and White: a History of Environmental Racism in the United States by Carl A Zimring.
Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future by Mary Robinson.
Confronting Environmental Racism: Voices from the Grassroots by Robert Doyle Bullard.
Creating a Climate for Change: Communicating Climate Change and Facilitating Social Change edited by Susanne C Moser and Lisa Dilling.
Defending Mother Earth: Native American Perspectives on Environmental Justice by Jace Weaver.
Diamond: a Struggle for Environmental Justice in Louisiana’s Chemical Corridor by Steve Lerner.
Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality by Robert D Bullard.
Cleere, Rickie, “Environmental Racism and the Movement for Black Lives: Grassroots Power in the 21st Century” (2016). Pomona Senior Theses.
Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman.
From the Ground up: Environmental Racism and the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement by Luke W Cole and Sheila R Foster.
Garbage Wars: the Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago by David Naguib Pellow.
The Human Right to Water: Legal and Policy Dimensions by Salman M A Salman.
Justice and Natural Resources: Concepts, Strategies, and Applications edited by Kathryn M Mutz; Gary C Bryner; Douglas S Kenney.
Landrigan, P. J., Rauh, V. A., & Galvez, M. P. (2010). Environmental justice and the health of children. The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, New York, 77(2), 178–187.
Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance by Nick Estes.
Polluted Promises: Environmental Racism and the Search for Justice in a Southern Town by Melissa Checker.
Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage by Dianne D. Glave.
The Quest for Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution by Robert D Bullard.
Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor by Rob Nixon.
Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in a Time of Climate Crisis by Vandana Shiva.
Struggle for the Land: Native North American Resistance to Genocide, Ecocide and Colonization by Ward Churchill.
A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind by Harriet A. Washington.
There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities by Ingrid Waldron.
Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution and Residential Mobility by Dorceta E. Taylor.
Trace: Memory, History, Race and the American Landscape by Lauret Savoy
What Is Critical Environmental Justice? by David Naguib Pellow.
Why Race and Class Matter to the Environmental Movement, article in Grist

Readings on the Flint Water Crisis

A Case Study of Environmental Injustice: The Failure in Flint by Carla Campbell, Rachael Greenberg, Deepa Mankikar, and Ronald D. Ross. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Oct; 13(10): 951
Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis by Benjamin J. Pauli.
Iowa State University Libraries Libguide on Flint Water Crisis
The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy by Anne (Anna Leigh) Clark.
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City by Mona Hanna-Attisha.

Books for Youth

It’s Our World, Too! Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference by By Phillip Hoose.
A River Ran Wild: an Environmental History by Lynne Cherry
Read a previous post from our blog about young activists raising their voices about climate change: https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/our-new-library-display-kids-take-action/

Curated Book Lists

New York Times June 5, 2020 – Read Up on the Links Between Racism and the Environment

Other resources

US EPA Environmental Justice – https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice
Resources from the Student Environmental Resource Center at UC Berkeley.
The American Environmental Justice Movement from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (peer-reviewed)
Bowling Green State University Libraries Libguide on Environmental Justice

1 Pellow, D. (2016). TOWARD A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STUDIES: Black Lives Matter as an Environmental Justice Challenge. Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 13(2), 221-236. doi:10.1017/S1742058X1600014X

During this time of social distancing, I am sad to be writing at home to say goodbye to a friend and collaborator I have had the honor of working with over the past several years.  For a long time, as an outreach librarian, I wanted to teach kiddos about underwater exploration but had no idea how to approach it. I sought help from Maritime Archaeology program at the Wisconsin Historical Society and they paired me with an intern, Tori Kiefer. Tori and I have worked closely over the years to expand what Wisconsin Sea Grant and the library can offer in shipwreck education. She brought her expertise to me and we worked together to produce an informal education program that kids and adults have loved. I shall forever remember how cool the Silver Lake is, the only double centerboard scow schooner shipwreck found in the Great Lakes.  I will probably never don a wet suit and dive for shipwrecks, I owe my passion for teaching the subject to my friend.

I wish her well as she moves on to her next adventure. Tori: you will be missed!!

Like so many institutions around the world, the Wisconsin Water Library has temporarily closed its doors today, March 16, 2020 until the UW Madison opens again (after spring break and the alternative instruction period), tentatively scheduled for April 10. Though the physical space is closed, library staff are here in the virtual space to help with your library or research needs.

Library resources include:
For faculty, staff, and students section of the library website
Water Resource Guide – updated March 16, 2020
Askwater reference service – library staff can be reached via email for all reference questions and research inquiries that may arise during this time.
Follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Take good care.

Anne and Laura

2019 was a big news year in regards to the climate crisis. With scientists warning the public about the potentially devastating effects of climate change on Earth and its inhabitants, young people in particular have really felt called to action.  According to a poll by the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 70% of children and young adults believe that climate change will cause a moderate or great deal of harm to people in their generation. And young activists are trying to do something about it.

Almost 25% of teenagers (ages 13-17) have participated in a school walk-out, participated in a protest, rally, or other event, or written a letter, emailed or phoned a government official in an effort to combat the climate crisis and make their voices heard. There has been an increase in participation worldwide in school climate strikes, with over 6 million students participating in September 2019.

While Greta Thunberg became the face of the youth climate change movement, there are many other activists worldwide who are doing incredible work. Jamie Margolin, a queer, Jewish, Latina climate activist, co-founded Zero Hour, an organization dedicated to helping youth activists who are wanting to take concrete action against climate change and environmental injustice. Xiye Bastida actively participates in “Fridays for Future” to protest at the United Nations in New York City, and actively works to bring indigenous voices and knowledge into the conversations surrounding the climate crisis. Irsa Hirsi is the co-founder and co-executive of the US Youth Climate Strike and is part of a youth coalition titled, MN Can’t Wait. Vox, NPR, and EarthDay.org have all highlighted these activists and more in their publications, and we are inspired just reading about them!

It is because of students like them that we decided to make a book display devoted to kids stepping up and taking action on behalf of the Earth. “The Science of Climate Change: A Hands On Course” come from our curriculum collection, and has 18 activities you can do to teach students about the environmental crisis. “Kenya’s Art” follows the story of a young girl as she upcycles and reuses some of her old or broken possessions to create new art. “10 Things I Can Do To Help My World” offers simple examples of ways that kids can start to become more conscious of their own energy usage. We encourage you to check out one of these books or something else from our display to help inspire the kids in your life!

Suggested readings

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh
All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper, illustrated by Marq Spusta
Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment by Linda Schwartz
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles Book by Deborah Hopkinson and Philippe Cousteau Jr.
George Saves the World by Lunchtime by Jo Readman
Heroes of the Environment by Harriet Rohmer
Kenya’s Art by Linda Trice
Recycling Is Fun (My Little Planet) by Charles Ghigna
The Science of Climate Change by Blair Lee, illustrated by Alina Bachmann
This Is Our World: A Story about Taking Care of the Earth (Little Green Books) by Emily Sollinger
The Tantrum that Saved the World, by Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French
What Milly Did: The Remarkable Pioneer of Plastics Recycling by Elisa Moser
The World without Fish: How Kids Can Help Save the Oceans by Mark Kurlansky

Books by and about Greta Thunberg

Greta and the Giants by Zoe Tucker, illustrated by Zoe Persico.
Greta’s story: the schoolgirl who went on strike to save the planet by Valentina Camerini
Our House Is On Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet by Jeanette Winter.
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
We are all Greta: be inspired to save the world by Valentina Camerini

When Sarah FitzSimons first heard of the Wisconsin Water Library, she was inspired. “It was just so poetic and lovely” says the artist. Sarah, who is a faculty member in the UW-Madison Art Department, began thinking about the ways in which various bodies of water have impacted her life. This led her to the creation of her own personal Water Library.

Sarah’s water biography is comprised of bodies of water that she has lived near that have become important and meaningful to her. She has built individual water books that are filled with a sample of the water from these locations which she holds dearly. Currently, there are 10 water books from the following bodies of water:  Lake Erie, Euclid Creek, Cuyahoga River, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Tejo River, Douro River, Tuela River, Lake Michigan, and Dugway Brook. Sarah plans to add an additional 5 books to her water biography.

As with any type of biography, there are personal stories attached to these books. Sarah said that her strongest connection is to Lake Erie, as she grew up in Cleveland. Sarah recalls childhood memories of swimming in Lake Erie, having bonfires on the beach, and watching sunsets. She also remembers bringing a water bottle filled with water from the Pacific Ocean back to Wisconsin, to remind her of her time living in Los Angeles and living just moments away from the ocean.

The Wisconsin Water Library is thrilled to have received a volume of the Lake Michigan book as a donation from Sarah to have as a part of our collection. Sarah has also donated the Atlantic Ocean book to the Kohler Art Library. The remaining volumes are available for viewing at the Faculty Exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art, which runs from February 1st through May 10th. Sarah will also be giving a presentation at the Chazen about this collection on Tuesday, April 21^st at 5:30.

For more information on any of these topics, please visit Sarah FitzSimon’s website, the Chazen Museum of Art, or the Wisconsin Water Library.

Laura Killingsworth has joined the Wisconsin Water Library’s staff in January 2020 as a Project Assistant.  She will be working with Anne Moser as well as other members of the team.  Read on to learn more about Laura:

Laura Killingsworth, Wisconsin Water Library Project Assistant Photo by Adam Ruechel

Can you tell us a little bit about your educational and professional background?

I graduated from UW-Madison in 2014 with a BS in Rehabilitation Psychology and certificates in Global Health and European Studies.  Following graduation, I worked at Rogers Behavioral Health in a variety of clinical and research positions before deciding to return to graduate school for a master’s in Library and Information Studies.  I will be graduating from UW’s Information School in May 2020.

What positions in libraries have you held?

During high school, I worked as a page at my hometown library in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.  In college, I worked as a member of the Reserves and Circulation Services Staff at College Library.  Since starting my graduate program, I have worked as a Reference Student Assistant at College Library and as a member of the Web Services and Usability Assessment Team, as well as some collection development work for the 4W Initiative here on UW’s campus.

Why did you decide to work in the library profession?

Since high school, I have always kept librarianship in the back of my mind as something that I would enjoy doing.  I was not feeling completely satisfied in my behavioral health career and decided to go back to the drawing board about other possible helping professions.  I love the educational aspect of librarianship, as well as the vital role that libraries play in society.

Do you have a role model as a librarian?

I am lucky to already have so have many role models and mentors in my short time in the field!  Ian Benton at College Library was my supervisor during undergrad, and was willing to meet up with me years later to discuss librarianship as a career when I was thinking of making a change.  Hearing how enthusiastic he was about his job and the field of librarianship in general ultimately led me to pursing my master’s degree.

What is your favorite book of the last year? 

When They Call You a Terrorist:  A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Asha Bandele and Patrice Cullors was one of my favorites I finished earlier this year.  I also really enjoyed On the Come Up by Angie Thomas and Becoming by Michelle Obama.  Currently, I am reading Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien.

What is your dream vacation?

As someone who loves the outdoors as well as Lord of the Rings, I really want to go to New Zealand!

What are your hobbies?

I love being active, and I’m not too picky about what I’m doing:  running, yoga, climbing, tennis, hiking, skiing, you name it!  You can also usually find me outside enjoying whatever the season has to offer.

Photo by Laura Killingsworth