Libraries and civil discourse
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This webinar discussed how libraries can promote civil discourse in their communities during times of social movements and controversy. Examples provided included the Ferguson Municipal Library remaining open as a safe space during protests over the Michael Brown shooting. The Nashville Public Library partners with the police department to provide civil rights training using their collection. The North Dakota Public Library hosted discussions on the Dakota Access Pipeline issue. The Indianapolis Public Library exhibited artwork addressing gun violence and provided resources on social issues. Participants were asked to share examples of how their own libraries support civil discourse.
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Libraries and civil discourse
- 1. Libraries and Civil Discourse Webinar 2/28/17 We will have intermittent sound checks before the webinar begins at 11:00
- 2. Indiana State Library’s Social Media Archived Trainings https://continuinged.isl.in.gov/archived-trainings Facebook.com/ IndianaStateLibrary @State_Library pinterest.com/ INStateLibrary Instagram.com/state_ library youtube.com/user/ INstatelibrary
- 3. Indiana State Library Events Calendar http://indianastatelibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar?ln=ALL
- 4. LEU’s Within 30 Days.. Kimberly Brown-Harden 317-650-8492 Kbrown-harden@library.in.gov
- 5. Libraries and Civil Discourse Kimberly Brown-Harden Nichelle Hayes Christine Kujawa
- 7. Agenda: • Welcome and Introductions • What is Civil Discourse? • Libraries and the Social Movement:
- 8. Agenda: • #BlackLives Matter: Ferguson and Baltimore • Occupy Wall Street: The People’s Library • Nashville Public Library: Civil Rights Training • #DAPL Dakota Access Pipeline: North Dakota Public Library • Kin Killing Kin: Indianapolis Public Library
- 9. Agenda: • Discussion: What are you doing at your libraries?
- 11. Civil Discourse: • Engagement in discourse (conversation) intended to enhance understanding.
- 12. Our founding Fathers had a deep and abiding belief in self-governance: the idea that power ultimately resides in the voices and wisdom of the people.” -Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer
- 13. Caution: The following topics may be considered controversial to some people. Please note that we are talking about libraries, librarians, and how we remain NEUTRAL and supportive of ALL communities we serve.
- 15. Black Lives Matter: Ferguson, MO • Ferguson, MO, is an older suburb of St. Louis, founded in 1855. • Approximately 25 percent of Ferguson residents have income below the poverty level. • Shooting sparked unrest in Ferguson. By LittleT889 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curi d=53359532.
- 16. Black Lives Matter: Ferguson, MO By Jamelle Bouie - File available on Flickr here as a set. This is the individual photo., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? curid=35442332. By Jamelle Bouie - File available on Flickr here in the set. This is the individual photo., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid =35442328.
- 17. Black Lives Matter: Ferguson Municipal Library • Stayed open during the riots after the Michael Brown shooting • They became a place of community and learning while schools closed • Created healing kits • Hosted an art exhibit: “Hands up Don’t Shoot”
- 18. Black Lives Matter: Ferguson Municipal Library • We are open 9-4. Wi-Fi, water, rest, knowledge. We are here for you. If neighbors have kids, let them know teachers are here today, too.”(#Ferguson Library@fergusonlibrary)
- 19. Black Lives Matter: Baltimore • Freddie Gray arrested by Baltimore PD • Gray fell into a coma while being transported in a police van. • Circumstances of his injuries were initially unclear. By Veggies (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
- 20. Black Lives Matter: Baltimore
- 21. Black Lives Matter: Enoch Pratt Free Library • Branch managers acted quickly to keep patrons, staff safe. • Governor declared a state of emergency • Staff wanted a safe place the community could go to.
- 22. Occupy Wall Street: The People’s Library
- 23. Occupy Wall Street Library: New York • Collective, public, open library-the people’s library! • library 3.0 • Items cataloged on LibraryThing • Books do not have to be returned!
- 24. People’s Library in Pictures: All images used with permission from Michael P. Oman-Reagan, Occupy Wall Street
- 29. Nashville Public Library Civil Rights and a Civil Society
- 31. “In a civil society, diverse individuals’ voices are heard and respected, and communities have power and access to enact social change for justice and equality.” ~Jennifer B. Kahn, Doctoral Student, Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University~
- 32. Civil Rights and a Civil Society: • Focus was to connect Nashville’s historic civil rights history and leadership • Program uses the Nashville PL’s Civil Rights Room collections • Civil rights room has materials related to the Nashville Civil Rights Movement • Participants gather to discuss community dynamics
- 33. Civil Rights and a Civil Society: • Partnership with law enforcement started with the goal of introducing new recruits to past injustices • Intent of the program was to use history at the center of engagement • Police department trainers wanted to convey empathy. • 817 people received program experience/training
- 34. Civil Rights and a Civil Society: • Includes multiple ways of engagement: • Historical truths • Social commentary • Developing counter narratives • Socratic method
- 35. Civil Rights Room: • Has been part of the library since 2003 • The space includes Nashville’s complicated history • Photos documents momentous civil rights events
- 36. Civil Rights Room: • Dedicated to engaging communities in conversations about current issues of equality and intercultural development
- 37. New Recruits from Police Department:
- 39. Dakota Access Pipeline #NoDAPL #DakotaAccessPipeline #WaterisLife
- 40. Dakota Access Pipeline: • Transport domestically-produced, light, sweet crude oil from North Dakota to major refining markets • Entire pipeline is underground • 99.98% of the pipeline is installed on privately owned property in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois
- 41. Dakota Access Pipeline: • Advertised as one of safest, most technologically advanced pipelines in the world. • Keeps prices lower for refined products such as gasoline • Approx. 1000 certificates, permits and approvals were granted for the pipeline.
- 42. The Controversy: • Developer ignored the Obama administration’s request to voluntarily halt construction on federal land. • Standing Rock Sioux feels it threatened their public health and welfare, water supply, and cultural resources. • Project passes through their ancestral land
- 43. The Controversy: • The Tribe sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Army Corps took an illegally narrow view of its responsibilities • Standing Rock Sioux elder, LaDonna Brave Bull Allard established a camp
- 44. #DAPL Movement in Pictures:
- 45. #DAPL Movement in Pictures:
- 46. #DAPL Movement in Pictures:
- 47. North Dakota Library’s Role: • Rented meeting room space • Provided safe space for discussion of the issue • Maintained a neutral role
- 49. Kin Killing Kin Indianapolis Public Library
- 50. Kin Killing Kin: Indianapolis Central Library
- 51. James Pate - Artist Bing Davis – Curator
- 52. Kin Killing Kin: Indianapolis Central Library • Exhibit is a personal statement that art can be a change agent • Visual call to action • Centerpiece of the Stand4Peace Initiative
- 53. Resources
- 54. Stand4Peace • Part of a community conversation • Explored the conditions of violence • Provided a way for people to pause, reflect, and express their feelings
- 55. Center for African American Literature, Culture & the Black Experience - R.B. Annis West Room Central Library
- 56. Center for African American Literature, Culture & the Black Experience - R.B. Annis West Room Central Library • Goal to provide Windows and Mirrors
- 57. Other Movements
- 58. Women’s March: • Teens at Westchester Library made posters for the march in Chicago • Teens expressed themselves with supplies they brought and set up
- 59. Discussion: • What are you doing at your libraries to promote civil discourse? • How do you support your communities?
- 60. Thank you! Kimberly Brown-Harden, Northwest Regional Coordinator, Indiana State Library Kbrown-harden@library.in.gov 317-650-8492 Nichelle M. Hayes, Librarian, Center for African American Literature, Culture and Black Experience nhayes@Indypl.org 317-275-4117
Editor's Notes
- To keep up with events and trainings at the Indiana State Library, you can follow these social media accounts As well at the website for the Professional Development’s Archived Trainings website
- You can also visit the Indiana State Library Events Calendar to find out about events at the Indiana State Library, scheduled webinars and other library events around the state of Indiana.
- Hello and good Morning everyone! Welcome to our Libraries and Civil Discourse webinar. My name is Kimberly Brown-Harden and I’m the Northwest Regional Coordinator from the Indiana State Library’s Professional Development Office. I’ll be co-presenting and moderating today. My guests this morning is Nichelle Hayes, Librarian from the center for African American Literature, Culture, and Black Experience at the Indianapolis Public Library. And Christine Kujawa, Director, Bismarck Public Library. I’d like to start off the webinar with a few announcements, this webinar is provided as part of the Library Trends and Hot Topics series, to register for other webinars available for this theme or other trainings available from the Professional Development Office, please see the Indiana State Library’s Events calendar which can be found on our website at library.in.gov. For a full list of our current in-person training menu, please see our Continuing Education Website. The Indiana State library has many ways we try to stay connected to library staff across the state. For weekly updates on upcoming trainings and to learn more about what’s happening in libraries across the state please subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter, the “Wednesday Word”. We also offer a blog which provides information about the Indiana State Collection, interview spotlights on Library staff from across the state, and information about upcoming events at the Indiana State Library. If you have a question, just type it in the chat box on the upper left side of the screen. I'll be watching and will get your question to one of the presenters as soon as there's a good opportunity. There should also be time near the end for questions. The session is 1 hour, so you'll get 1 LEU for today. I will be sending those out sometime in the next few weeks along with a link to this webinar in case you want to refer to it in the future. If at any point during the webinar you experience any technical issues, please enter your issue into the chat box. Now let’s get started with today’s webinar!
- There are many other libraries in the United States that offer spaces, programming, and resources to a variety of social issues. These are just a few examples. Libraries are vital in the communities we serve as meeting places and a place to go to for freedom of expression and information. I want to stress that libraries play a vital role in discourse, but we are always neutral. Our very nature of being information providers make us a magnet for the community.
- Let’s take a brief look at what civil discourse means..
- Kenneth J. Gergen describes civil discourse as "the language of dispassionate objectivity", and suggests that it requires respect of the other participants, such as the reader. It neither diminishes the other's moral worth, nor questions their good judgment; it avoids hostility, direct antagonism, or excessive persuasion; it requires modesty and an appreciation for the other participant's experiences. In Book III of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), John Locke contrasts between civil and philosophical discourse (or rhetorical discourse) with the former being for the benefit of the reader, and the public good https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_discourse.
- This quote is taken from the National Institute for Civil Discourse. http://www.nicd.arizona.edu/about. National Institute for Civil Discourse.
- Let’s take a step back and take these matters into context. While these things may look scary now, when we look from a historical perspective, the suffrage and Civil Rights Movement were seen as radical and un-American at the time .
- #BlackLivesMatter was created by Alicia Garza, Patrice Cullers, and Opal Tometi as a call to action after the death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin. It was a response to the racism experienced by African-Americans. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and purposefully targeted for violence and death. It is an affirmation of African-American contributions to this society, humanity, and resilience in the face of oppression. The Black Lives Matter movement is not anti-white, but an opportunity to appreciate, celebrate and uplift black lives. Source: http://thefeministwire.com/2014/10/blacklivesmatter-2/.
- Currently, 67 percent of the 21,000 people who live there are African American. In August 2014, Michael Brown, a young African American man, was shot and killed by a member of the Ferguson Police Department. The circumstances around the incident and the manner in which the police handled the situation after the shooting were controversial at the time and remain so. The case ignited protests and vigils as well as looting and rioting, with skirmishes between protesters and police, on-the-scene media, and others in authority. Gov. Jay Nixon imposed curfews that were sometimes ignored and called in the National Guard. All of this was featured in the national, and global, news. The "hands up" account was widely circulated within the black community immediately after the shooting and it contributed to the strong protests and outrage about the killing of the unarmed man. The U.S. Department of Justice did not conclude that the "hands up" account was inaccurate until months later.[13] Believing accounts that Brown had his hands up in surrender when he was shot, protesters chanted, "Hands up, don't shoot." Protests, both peaceful and violent, along with vandalism and looting, continued for more than a week in Ferguson; police established a nightly curfew.
- In November 2014, when the policeman responsible for the shooting was found not guilty, another wave of protests and riots broke out in Ferguson. Calls for further investigation of the Ferguson administration came from all levels of government. The schools were closed, the streets were in chaos, and the emotions of the residents were at a breaking point. FMPL, concerned for the safety of its citizens, especially children, again stayed open throughout the crisis, providing a place for learning and in which students and teachers could meet to create a level of normalcy. FMPL became the center of community support. It was where people came to get help. FMPL did many things to support the emotional recovery of the people of Ferguson. The library created Healing Kits, each a backpack with the library logo on it. Inside are books and worksheets about coping, source material on civil rights history, a list of resources for adults to get free or inexpensive mental health information nearby, and, of course, a teddy bear. Patrons could check out the whole thing and later return the backpack and the books but keep the teddy bear and the worksheets. FMPL also served as one of the galleries hosting an art exhibit entitled “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” The show was organized by the Alliance of Black Art Galleries to give local artists the chance to respond to Brown’s killing. It opened October 17, 2014, and ran through December 20. Artwork was exhibited in more than a dozen galleries throughout the area.
- On the left: sculpture in front of the library. On the right: a tweet sent out by Ferguson Library Director, Scott Bonner, in response to the violence and unrest in Ferguson. When violence erupted, Scott was the only librarian on staff and he kept the library open. When he reached out via social media, many volunteers and supporters around the nation joined him in offering one glimmer of light during a very dark time in the community.
- On April 12, 2015, Freddie Carlos Gray, Jr., a 25-year-old Black American man, was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department for possessing what the police alleged was an illegal switchblade under Baltimore law. Gray died on April 19, 2015; his death was ascribed to injuries to his spinal cord.[4] On April 21, 2015, pending an investigation of the incident, six Baltimore police officers were suspended with pay. Baltimore erupted in angry protests on the afternoon of Monday, April 27, 2015 following the funeral service for Freddie Gray, an African American man who died in police custody earlier in the month. Locals clashed violently with Baltimore law enforcement, burned cars, and looted businesses, and more than 200 arrests were recorded. The intersection of Pennsylvania and West North Avenues saw the city’s worst damage, with a CVS pharmacy, a Subway restaurant, and a check cashing business all burned.
- By The National Guard (Maryland National Guard) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
- The Pennsylvania Avenue branch of EPFL, located across the intersection from the CVS, was directly in the path of the crowd of protesters. EPFL CEO Carla Hayden called several members of the leadership team, and after consulting with security officers and branch managers, decided to keep the buildings open—although staff members were offered the option to leave without penalty. As for the Pennsylvania Avenue location, Hayden left that to the discretion of branch manager Melanie Townsend-Diggs. Together, Townsend-Diggs and Hayden agreed that the library would lock its doors if there appeared to be any danger to patrons or staff but would allow them to remain in the library. The library had about 20 customers inside along with staff, about 30 people total, they decided to lock the door. Staff didn’t make a big deal about it; they…told the customers that were in there that there was an emergency situation.” Staff offered to usher anyone who wished to leave out through a side door. The branch manager said that “the attitude of the customers was, ‘We’re safe in here. We don’t want to go.’” Patrons continued to use the computers and browse the stacks. “We went on that way for a while,” . “We even watched the vehicles ablaze across the street.” Administration and staff agreed unanimously to remain open the following day since schools were closed. The community was here, the community leaders were cleaning up the area…. Administration and staff wanted to have a safe place that people could come in. there were reporters outside and they knew that reporters needed restrooms, places to charge up, use Wi-Fi. So it was natural to think the library needed to be open. All the staff made it in—staff from Central, the director and chief, extra security…. The Library received tremendous support.” Not one window was broken Tuesday morning at the library. Every one of the 22 branches were safe. http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/05/public-services/baltimores-enoch-pratt-free-library-provides-haven-in-troubled-times/#_
- Occupy Wall Street leaderless resistance movement. It began September 17, 2011. It was Located in the northeast corner of Liberty Plaza.
- During the height of the occupation, the library provided free, open and unrestricted access to our collection of books, magazines, newspapers, ‘zines, pamphlets and other materials that had been donated, collected, gathered and discovered during the occupation. Library 3.0: consists of a few mobile units – shopping carts, crates – used by librarians to ferry free books in and out of the OWS storage facility and to Liberty Plaza and actions around the city. A volunteer showed up and kept collecting books, tagging books, organizing books and keeping them dry. She proposed taking responsibility for the library and got approval from the group at a General Assembly and became Librarian of the Occupy Wall Street Library. The library is entirely made up of donations. As the week went on, more books and more people joined the library. The library collection grew exponentially. By the end of the week, a working group of more than 15 people was assembled for the organization, development and promotion of the library. These were the members of the library working group who made library decisions by consensus through the ongoing conversation held both online and on the ground. Taken from: https://peopleslibrary.wordpress.com/
- All images and content used with permission by Andrea Blackman, Nashville Public Library
- Image used with permission by Andrea Blackman, Nashville Public Library; with recent conflicts between minority citizens and police across the nation, the Nashville Tennessee Public Library partnered with the Nashville Police department to have a revolutionary diversity education initiative to improve understanding an communication between police forces and citizens.
- https://civilrightsroomnashville.com/about-civil-rights-today/
- The creation of the program began as an equivalent of ongoing protests for racial justice in the US and library staff members asking ‘how are we responding to what is happening in society?’ NPL was contacted initially by the local police department’s training team to give a historical overview to class of new police recruits. Library questioned how they could combine the request of the police department with the library’s desire to develop innovative programming in response to the outcry of the country. Civil rights room collections-this is done to spark dialogue and learning among Nashville Police Officers. The room overlooks the intersection of Church St. and Seventh Ave. North, where nonviolent protests against segregated lunch counters took place over 50 years ago Through historical framework the goal is to raise understanding and empathy within the community. Civil Rights and a Civil society program was created to have productive conversations about today’s prevalent issues affecting law enforcement and an increasingly diverse population. Through a historical lens, participants discuss today’s complex community dynamics in an environment that encourages open, honest conversation and greater understanding.
- Intent: conversations about otherness that somehow conversations would help in developing those virtues that are important in civil society. Police department: as recruits encounter new neighborhoods, people, and actions they have developed another layer of empathy, a skill desperately needed in a civil society and one vital to remove divided communities. 817: this number is mostly adults. 167 civilians (students, nonprofits, community groups, government employees), 650 law enforcement personnel (statewide, not just Nashville)
- Socratic method example: the team asked questions for clarification such as: “How does this image of John Lewis being dragged off a stool at a lunch counter relate to our discussion on ___? The team would ask questions that examine assumptions. Design also includes questions about viewpoints and perspectives: example: what is another way to look at it?
- Space: includes a replica of a lunch counter as the centerpiece.
- The room offers a current voice and venue for open dialogue and discover. They also host events and organizations promoting social diversity.
- The Dakota Access Pipeline is a 1172-mile underground 30” pipeline extending from the Bakken oil fields/Three Forks production area in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. It crosses beneath the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, as well as under part of Lake Oahe, near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
- The DAPL can eliminate 500-740 rail cars, and/or 250+ trucks needed to transport crude oil every day.
- 2. Efficiently moving natural resources to market efficiently spurs economic growth 3. that’s about one permit or approval for every mile of pipeline.
- The Dakota Access Pipeline protests are a grassroots movement that began in early 2016 in reaction to the approved construction of Energy Transfer Partners’ Dakota Access Pipeline. What began as a small protest camp in April on the Standing Rock reservation has since morphed into an encampment with over 1,000 people. Over the past few months, the Sacred Stone Camp, as it is now called, has been the site of a number of antagonistic face offs between protesters and the oil company. the pipeline would pass through areas of great cultural significance, such as sacred sites and burials that federal law seeks to protect. Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/understanding-controversy-behind-dakota-access-pipeline-180960450/.
- which is the primary federal agency that granted permits needed for the pipeline to be constructed. to protect and engage the Tribe when it granted the permits. The lawsuit alleges that the Corps violated multiple federal statutes, including the Clean Water Act, National Historic Protection Act, and National Environmental Policy Act, when it issued the permits. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the pipeline company—Dakota Access, LLC—intervened in the lawsuit, making them a full party as well. 3. This represented as a center for cultural preservation and spiritual resistance to the pipeline; over the summer the camp grew to thousands of people. Much of the pipeline has been completed as of late 2016, so the Missouri crossing has been an increasingly controversial topic Source: http://standingrock.org/data/upfiles/media/STANDING%20ROCK%20LITIGATION%20FAQ%20FINAL%20(1).pdf.
- Map of the Great Sioux Reservation and Native American lands in South Dakota/North Dakota Photos taken from the Sacred Stone Camp Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pg/CampOfTheSacredStone/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1570972376525128.
- Photos taken from the Sacred Stone Camp Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pg/CampOfTheSacredStone/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1570972376525128.
- Photos taken from the Sacred Stone Camp Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pg/CampOfTheSacredStone/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1570972376525128.
- Meetings were held at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, a full-service municipal library that handles the needs of Bismarck and Burleigh County residents. Now, I will turn over the mic to Christine Kujawa, Library Director and she can speak about the experience and how this tied into what we provide our citizens.
- Library’s meeting room. They allowed the group to use the space to discuss the Dakota Access Pipeline efforts.
- I will give the mic to Nichelle Hayes, who’ll talk about Kin Killing Kin.
- Kin Killin' Kin, the centerpiece of the Library's two-month Stand4Peace initiative, During Stand4Peace, the Kin Killin' Kin exhibit is presented as homage to the city's 2014 homicide victims, and as a catalyst to initiate discourse on local issues and interaction through wrap-around activities. This is a visually powerful exhibit composed of graphic images created by James Pate, one of the most important African American artists in the United States. His work addresses one of the critical social issues of our time - the epidemic of youth violence in the African-American community. http://www.imcpl.org/events/kinexhibit/index.html http://www.imcpl.org/events/kinexhibit/index.html The website also gives resources to Organizations in the doing work regarding Peace and acceptance. 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, Inc. American Graduate Let's Make It Happen End Bullying Now: Indianapolis Eskanazi Health Violence Prevention Programs Indianapolis Cultural Trail Glick Peace Walk Indianapolis Peace & Justice Center Indianapolis Peace Institute (Indianapolis Peace House) Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition Indy Going Blue for IMPD Landmark for Peace Memorial McCoy Youth Directory: Bullying Prevention Awareness Our Streets, Our Stories Taking Back Our City, One Story at a Time Peace Dove Sculpture Peace Learning Center Veterans for Peace Indianapolis Chapter 49 West Indianapolis Peace Park
- James Pate - was moved to use art as a means of illustrating this tragedy;" Every piece that He completes is a way of accepting some of the responsibility for these acts of violence. Every piece is a moment of silence and dedication to the people who have had to deal personally with our losses. Bing Davis - Kin Killin' Kin is a powerful and thought-provoking series of images that reflect artist James Pate's deep love for our youth and great concern for the epidemic of youth violence in the African American community. Pate is a master visual artist who has directed his artistic vision to the issue of youth violence because it is one of the most critical social ills of our time.
- No library program would be complete without of lists of books. This helps the participants to continue think about the subject and determine who they can participate if they are moved to do so.
- Central Library – Indianapolis . Funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. through the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation
- Central Library – Indianapolis . Funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. through the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation The goal is to provide windows for other cultures to learn about the rich history and experience of African Americans and mirrors so that people of African descent can see themselves in literature , culture and other things in the community.
- I was happy to see teens expressing themselves and choosing the library as a "safe" nonjudgmental place. To me this means we are doing something right here; providing a comfortable, free environment for our community members, including our youth! Julia Christensen, Branch Librarian, Westchester Public Library.