Our Library Display: Kids Take Action!

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