I wrote recently about my experience conducting a research interview with a senior librarian at another school. As challenging as this assignment has been for me, the interactions that I had with my interviewee have been wonderful. She was happy to meet with me in my needed format, we took our time in our discussion, … Read more
Interviews are a great way to move information from one brain to another. Sometimes that information transfer is intended to be the basis of an article or TV segment, for evaluating an applicant for a job position, or just to get to know someone better. Sometimes one-directional, sometimes two. But no matter the format or … Read more
I am autistic. I am transgender. I fall in love with all kinds of people and don’t want to sleep with any of them. I have collected L, G, B, T and Q. And even though none of these things have any direct impact on them, some people are upset about this. Anyone paying attention … Read more
I am autistic. One of the ways I try to contribute to the communal well being of autistic people is to participate in research studies. I recognize that my participation comes from a place of privilege in that I have the capacity and financial and time security to be able to afford to do this … Read more
It’s more likely than you think! Accessibility is a hot topic for libraries. Usually this takes the form of making sure shelving is far enough apart for navigating with a wheelchair. More progressive libraries might have discussions about having non-quiet hours for folks who can’t control their speech, or installing lights that don’t flicker to … Read more
Smiling isn’t free, some people don’t like to be addressed, can we talk about that? I am autistic. I enjoy spending time in libraries because they are often quiet, serene, calming places where I can bury my nose in a book and no one will bother me. It’s a space where I can engage with … Read more
This summer, I’m taking a class on information ethics. That is, ethics as applied to information. As one can imagine from that description, it’s a pretty broad field! And it’s condensed into 7 weeks, which is going to make it extra challenging for me as someone who needs longer than a neurotypical person to digest … Read more
I am autistic. I am a graduate student in library and information sciences. And I’ve just finished my first semester. I want to take a moment to reflect on this experience, and share some of the things I’ve learned. Start the accommodation process early. Having diagnosis paperwork ready helps here, since self-identifying isn’t valid in … Read more
I am a student. My field of study is library and information science. It’s been 15 years since I was last in school, finishing up my degree in computer science. During those 15 years, I’ve been on teams made up almost exclusively by cisgender heterosexual white men. And while I am white, those other labels … Read more
I am autistic. Library and information science is currently a SpIn of mine, which is great in that it lets me deeply focus and immerse myself in the material of my classes. I love learning about all the intricacies of data organization and indexing, and the social justice and equity aspects as well. It’s fantastic … Read more
