Organizers' Toolkit
Want to host your own workshop to break down library silos for social justice? Or maybe you just want to know how we did this thing? Check out our BLS4SJ Toolkit, full of planning resources to help future information activists.
Access Toolkit Here
Want to host your own workshop to break down library silos for social justice? Or maybe you just want to know how we did this thing? Check out our BLS4SJ Toolkit, full of planning resources to help future information activists.
Access Toolkit Here
The inaugural Breaking Library Silos for Social Justice workshop was held on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at Space12 on east twelfth street in Austin. Generously funded by the Awesome Foundation Innovation in Libraries Chapter, this free workshop united information folks from various institutions (academic, school, government, public, legal, nonprofit, corporate) for a day of discussion and critical reflection about how we can work collaboratively to bring principles of social justice to our work here in Austin, Texas. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from our colleagues who are currently serving vulnerable communities.
Throughout the day's discussions and presentations, we also learned about and discussed intersectionality in librarianship. The goal was to create a safe forum for this dialogue and to lay the groundwork for future community conversations. The skillshare is grounded in feminist pedagogy and is directly inspired by the work of the organizers of the 2015 Portland #critlib unconference, the Boston Radical Reference Collective, and Radical Reference. |
Notepad Takeaways
Each breakout session had its own notepad for collecting ideas, takeaways, and additional resources. Download the file below to read a transcription of the notes gathered.
Each breakout session had its own notepad for collecting ideas, takeaways, and additional resources. Download the file below to read a transcription of the notes gathered.

notepad_transcriptions.pdf | |
File Size: | 227 kb |
File Type: |
2018 Workshop Coordinators
aems emswiler Cindy Fisher Jennifer Hecker Emily Hersh Ayshea Khan Kristy Sorensen |
Workshop Panelists
Emily Hersh, AISD School Librarian Amanda Jasso, Latinx Community Archivist Lisa Rush, Travis County Law Library Manager Rachel E. Winston, Black Diaspora Archivist Guest Facilitators Itza Carbajal & Molly Hults |
Header image credits:
[Female Travis County Jail worker offering books to a female inmate], photograph, 1970~; (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth125077/m1/1/?q=librarian: accessed July 2, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. |
Resources from our Panelists
- Rachel E. Winston's presentation text