I really need to go back to IL this summer to see my folks but I don’t know if I can get there and back without driving my whole car instead 😬

Some people in Jamelle's comments are reading "political ambition" as an insult, but ambition can dovetail with courage and leadership—it's what makes some politicians take worthwhile risks

Libraries aren’t failing businesses. Government isn’t a product. This piece cuts through decades of platform logic and reminds us what public systems are actually for.

Four of the Big Five Publishers Sign Letter Urging Congress to Restore IMLS Shuttering IMLS would be "an act of monumental neglect, violating the very foundation of America and what it stands for as a country," the publishers assert.

Four of the Big Five Publishers Sign Letter Urging Congress to Restore IMLS 📚
www.wordsandmoney.com/four-of-the-...

Libraries Hit by IMLS Defunding Libraries across the country have started feeling the effects of the IMLS being effectively shut down and having grants cancelled. If you search for IMLS on any social media site you will see disma…

Libraries Hit by IMLS Defunding
📚📜

Firing all of IMLS right before National Library Week is sickening.

I’m so sorry for your loss, and may his memory be a blessing for you and your family. He sounds like the best kind of family: one you would choose as a friend.

Congratulations! I hope you will consider a proposal for CALM as a stop on the way to a paper or book proposal (there is a whole book in here if you want it)!

Understanding IMLS's “Shall” and “May” Language EveryLibrary Institute is a 501c3 organization that supports library funding in the United States.

Here’s an explainer re possible impacts to the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). It “enumerates which programs are "shall" programs and duties, meaning that they are mandated by Congress, and which programs are "may" programs, meaning that they are discretionary for IMLS”

"Thus far, academic librarians have been privileged to be sheltered from these attacks. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves, advocate for our public and school library colleagues, and partner against book-banning practices."

Read this. Then read it again. 📚

crln.acrl.org/index.php/cr...

these people swore an oath to defend the constitution but i guess that’s just too hard

*Jon Ossoff* just announced he's voting no. You think that happened out of nowhere? CALL YOUR SENATORS. 👇

Josh is obviously far more plugged in than I and he also thinks it’s worth trying

Can’t stop thinking about all the people who’ve lost their jobs. Losing your job in this country, it’s like annihilation—not least because it usually means losing health care, too. And for so many people, their entire sector has been eviscerated. I wouldn’t be able to feed my kids. It’s terrifying.

Yesssss, please support your local library! I joined our library's advisory board a while back and now chair it.

And, uh, I dunno what others are like but we desperately need more participation from people Gen X and younger. Even Boomers!

My latest for @truthout.org reports on librarians who are running for office and taking power. As Ilana Stonebraker says, we need to imagine ourselves as the deciders.

Cover of the zine “Radical Books That Aren’t a Slog : Leftist Book Recommendations for Newly Radical Folks” featuring gentle color blobs

📣 New zine! "Radical Books That Aren't a Slog : Leftist Book Recommendations for Newly Radical Folks." If you're a baby leftist looking for a place to start imagining new possibilities, here's 17 books to get you started! violetbfox.info/radicalbooks/ 📚

I repeat…

While I wait for the email that tells me whether I’ve been fired or spared, here’s a thread of things I’ve had the privilege of working on, experiencing, and accomplishing in my 10 months as a federal employee at the Storm Prediction Center.

1/?

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IN CASE OF ICE: CONOCE TUS DERECHOS EN CASO DE ENCUENTRO CON ICE:

DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR. ICE cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. Tell the agents to show you the warrant by sliding it under the door. NO ABRAS TU PUERTA. ICE no puede entrar a tu casa sin una orden firmada por un juez. Diles a los agentes que te muestren la orden deslizándola debajo de la puerta.

ASK THEM TO LEAVE. If ICE doesn't have a warrant, tell them you do not consent for them to enter your home and ask them to leave. At work, ICE cannot enter employee-only areas without permission. 2 PÍDALES QUE SE VAYAN. Si ICE no tiene una orden judicial, diles que no das tu consentimiento para que entren a tu casa y pídeles que se vayan. En el trabajo, ICE no puede ingresar a áreas exclusivas para empleados sin permiso.

REMAIN SILENT. You have the right to remain silent. If the agents ask you questions, tell them, "I wish to remain silent." PERMANECE EN SILENCIO. Tienes derecho a permanecer en silencio. Si los agentes te hacen preguntas, diles: "Deseo permanecer en silencio".

It is perfectly legal to know your rights and to educate others about them, too.

EVERYONE in the United States, citizen or not, has rights. I will not allow this administration to intimidate us from helping you know about them.

Here’s our shareable guide ⬇️: (pt. 1/2)

Is someone out there capturing documents and information from the ERIC database? I don’t have the personal or professional resources to do so, but it is a critical resource for many educators and students!

Dane County judge strikes down Act 10 Judge Jacob Frost ruled that certain sections of the law were unconstitutional.

BREAKING: Collective bargaining powers for public workers in Wisconsin have been restored by a judge's ruling.

Judge Jacob Frost ruled that certain sections of Scott Walker's notorious Act 10 are no longer enforceable.

spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee...

Divorce was finalized on 10/10 and I am much relieved! Back to the name you first knew me by…

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #229,010, Joanna M-K ‪@jmkimmitt.bsky.social‬, joined on Jul 3, 2023"

*taptap* this thing on? Sorry, it has been a TIME.
Anyone know how to change a username? That isn’t going to be my last name much longer.

There is also a group on FB that is strictly for resale of Universal Standard clothing - can’t remember the name offhand but comes recommended by folks I trust!

Universal Standard has great blazers! Go for them on Poshmark if you want to give them a try first. I think a size S will fit 14/16 (they are size-inclusive and their M is an 18/20).

💯 this! I do some kind of physical engagement with the stacks, the building, something every week to both get some thinking time and to see (and hear) what is actually going on. The library is more than the stats reports I run on the ILS or the people counter or Ref Analytics….

I think the article on college students and declining reading comprehension calls attention to an important topic. But I also think about how many US college students are living in their cars, can't afford to eat, or have survived a school shooting.

Okay, I lied, one more. When I was widowed in 2015, the trauma from that event took years to heal. I literally couldn’t handle a book-length text for 18 months. I was exhausted by reading poetry and scholarly articles. Could the collective trauma of the pandemic be exacerbating this further?