Libromancer's Apprentice

So in a few weeks I'm presenting a webinar for the Massachusetts Library System! Disability on the Shelf – Looking for Representation in Library Collections When asked, we all can think of a book, movie, or TV show that features a disabled character, but we don’t often think about the representation itself. With diversity and representation increasingly a part of our Collection Development practices, it is important we don’t continue to overlook this aspect. In this webinar, we invite participants to learn about disability, to gain an awareness of representation, and learn vocabulary and resources to evaluate materials. Learning Outcomes: Introduction to disability as a facet of diversity representation Concepts of disability Awareness of tropes, stereotypes, and representation in popular media Vocabulary to discuss and evaluate materials Resources Interested?  Sign up here: http://calendar.masslibsystem.org/event/3893912

I went into work today to find an email that included the following: I am in the process of planning a Diversity Summit, hopefully for next April. My first undertaking is to put together a task force to help plan the summit. I really enjoyed your presentation at NELA. I was wondering if you would like to be on the task force? When I recovered enough to do more than make incoherent noises, I obviously accepted.  Then I basically spent the day at work trying not to happy cry. I was recently asked how I got into disability representation as a focused area of interest.  The short answer, personal battles with mental health aside, is my mom.  I think I've talked about this a little bit before on my blog.  Honestly, I'll probably talk about this in the future again as well. My mom suffered from bi-lateral neuritis and carpal tunnel in both arms, with a very severe flare up when I was little.  Actual timing is fuzzy due to my very young age, but I can remem...

Cause I had 3 links total for February.  Various side projects are keeping me a bit busy. 179. Goblins, Magical Librarians, and Fantasy Writing: An Interview with Jim C. Hines Fun interview with an awesome author. Zoe Quinn: Why I Just Dropped The Harassment Charges The Man Who Started GamerGate. Her reasons are completely understandable, but it's still heartbreaking.  The whole situation is heartbreaking.  Of course, even if she didn't drop the charges and ended up with a win I think people would still see to it that it was a loss. The Big Idea: Victor LaValle I'm dying to read The Ballad of Black Tom , everything I hear about it sounds amazing.   For some reason no library in my consortium of 155 libraries has it .  I have recommended it as a purchase at my library to fix this.  Here LaValle talks about dealing with the realization that a literary idol is problematic. Towards a taxonomy of cliches in Space Opera Charles Stross talking about Sp...

Like always, Arisia was chaotic and awesome.  For the past few years I've attended primarily in the capacity of staff which takes up a good chunk of my time, and this year we had to truncate our attendance due to work on Friday and Monday.  I also took part in three panels this year over the two days we were in attendance, so fun times.  Next year we're going out early Friday and coming back Monday evening... it really does make a difference. I only had a brief time in which to check out the art-show, after the auction closed Sunday night.  The one frustration I've regularly had with Arisia is the hours things are open.  I'm used to late opening vendor rooms, but usually hand-in-hand with a vendor room opening at 10am or later, is that it stays open until maybe 8 or 9 (or later).  Maybe the few fandom conventions that I'm used to are the exception to the rule.  I was excited that the vendor room was open later than normal, which meant until 7PM inste...