Save the date of Thursday, February 2 at noon for presentations and a discussion about our rights to access, create, and publish information here in this era of networked technologies. This event features academics and practitioners who are digging into thorny questions like: How as a society might we balance copyright protections with free and equal access to information? Where does our individual right to privacy end and the public’s right to know begin? What is needed to reify and further the mission of providing equitable access to digital infrastructure? How might we utilize this infrastructure to the benefit of our communities? 60-ish minutes of presentations will be followed by a 30-minute forum. Please come through to listen, find community, and participate in this necessary conversation. This event is a co-production between METRO Library Council and Library Futures. Learn more about Library Futures at https://www.libraryfutures.net.

Join the code4lib NYC for a code & coffee Zoom the first or second Friday of each month. These calls are generally casual discussions about projects we are working on, cool tools we have come across in the past month, and a casual forum for technical questions of all kinds.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where do I start?” after attending a webinar on trauma-informed librarianship, empathy, or serving diverse needs, these workshops are for you! Join us for two sessions focused on closing the gap between those theories and the active practice of working with people. Each session will include an overview of theories, a demonstration of tools to and how to use them, time to engage in exercises and space to reflect and discuss our experiences. Following Part 1, you'll be able to: Identify the six parts of emotional intelligence Define the concepts of beliefs, values and attitudes Examine their own beliefs and recognize them in action This series is based on EmmaKarin Eriksson’s well-attended “Uh Oh, People: Working With The Public” presentation at the Urban Librarians Unite Conference in September 2022. You do not need to have seen the original presentation in order to attend these sessions. See Part 2 of this series here. About our presenter: Emma Karin Eriksson (she/her) is an activist-academic whose personal and professional life is driven by a commitment to social justice. Believing deeply in people over property and profit Emma sees libraries as a place of liberation. She is a Senior Young Adult Librarian for the Brooklyn Public Library, a radical facilitator, and zine maker. To learn more about her, her work, or to get in contact visit www.bit.ly/emmakarin. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join us to learn about the emerging movement in librarianship to engage those with intellectual disability (ID), who have previously been largely overlooked. Over two sessions, Leah Plocharczyk and Matthew Conner will discuss two intertwined case studies in academic libraries. They will then unpack the lessons they learned and how to apply them in academic, public, and school libraries. In Part 2, Leah and Matt will provide a framework for examining the issues that came out of their experience. They'll discuss the lifecycle of a DL-focused library program, including recruitment, instruction theory, specific activities, collection development, assessment, and more. Attendees can expect to: Understand the “lifecycle” of library engagement with those with intellectual disability (ID), starting with recruitment Have a firm grasp of the theory, design, and practice of programming for those with ID Be able to make use of a set of resources and contacts to apply to programming in the participant’s library See Part 1 of this series here. About our presenters: Leah Plocharczyk is the Director of the John D. MacArthur Campus Library at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Jupiter campus and became a professional librarian at FAU in 2007. She has an MLS from the University of South Florida and an MA from FAU. She is active in mentoring students, as well as leadership and library outreach. Her publications include articles on library collaboration with marine mammal stranding networks and conflict management within libraries. She co-authored a book about the importance of library book clubs as educational tools for adults with intellectual disabilities. Her book club is a member of the Next chapter Book Club. Matthew Conner has an MLS, an MA and a PhD in English. He is the author of The New University Library: 4 Case Studies (ALA, 2014) and co-author of Libraries and Reading: Intellectual Disability and the Extent of Library Diversity (Emerald, 2020). He is also the former President of the Librarians Association of the University of California. He currently works as Student Services Librarian at the University of California, Davis where he serves as the subject liaison for the University Writing Program. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join us on Wednesday, February 15th from 2-3PM for a BIPOC Community Call. This call is meant for BIPOC cultural workers only; we kindly ask that allies who identify as non-BIPOC to sit this one out. Our intention is to create a space that offers community, joy, and conversation during this time. Please come with a spirit of openness and empathy as we share thoughts and feelings without judgment. This call will be facilitated by Traci Mark (Program Manager - Equity, Archives & Media Preservation) and Zakiya Collier (Community Manager for Documenting the Now (DocNow).

If you’ve ever wondered, “Where do I start?” after attending a webinar on trauma-informed librarianship, empathy, or serving diverse needs, these workshops are for you! Join us for two sessions focused on closing the gap between those theories and the active practice of working with people. Each session will include an overview of theories, a demonstration of tools to and how to use them, time to engage in exercises and space to reflect and discuss our experiences. Following Part 2, you'll be able to: Explain and demonstrate critical reflective practice Define empathy and identify it in practice Practice grounding and reflection-in-action techniques This series is based on EmmaKarin Eriksson’s well-attended “Uh Oh, People: Working With The Public” presentation at the Urban Librarians Unite Conference in September 2022. You do not need to have seen the original presentation in order to attend these sessions. See Part 1 of this series here. About our presenter: Emma Karin Eriksson (she/her) is an activist-academic whose personal and professional life is driven by a commitment to social justice. Believing deeply in people over property and profit Emma sees libraries as a place of liberation. She is a Senior Young Adult Librarian for the Brooklyn Public Library, a radical facilitator, and zine maker. To learn more about her, her work, or to get in contact visit www.bit.ly/emmakarin. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Save the date of Thursday, February 23, 2022 for an event on copyright and fair use for libraries. Why does copyright and fair use matter for libraries and librarians? This event features lawyers and librarians who will share historic and legal frameworks for copyright, provide helpful information about our rights to fair use, and give an understanding for how these concepts have (and have not) evolved within our rapidly evolving technological environment. 60-ish minutes of presentations will be followed by a 30-minute forum. Please come through to listen, find community, and participate in this necessary conversation. This event is a co-production between METRO Library Council and Library Futures. Learn more about Library Futures at https://www.libraryfutures.net.

Join us for a lunchtime chat with Diana Moronta and Alyssa Brissett, editors of the newly published Practicing Social Justice in Libraries. Diana and Alyssa will join us to chat about putting all we’ve learned about social justice in the past years into practice. They’ll share strategies, resources, and tools for how library workers can keep moving toward social change in their daily work. This discussion will be moderated by Davis Erin Anderson. We look forward to including questions for our audience as well. From the publisher’s website: “Practicing Social Justice in Libraries provides practical strategies, tools, and resources to library and information workers and students who wish to drive change in their classrooms, institutions, and communities and incorporate social justice into their everyday practice. With contributions from a diverse group of librarians, who have experience working in different types of institutions and roles, the book showcases the actions information professionals, largely from historically marginalized groups, are taking to create a more socially responsible environment for themselves and their communities. The chapters reflect on personal experiences, best practices for programming, professional development, effective collaboration, building inclusive community partnerships, anti-racist practices in the classroom, and organizational culture. Exploring how and why library workers are incorporating anti-racist and anti-oppressive work within their everyday roles, the book demonstrates that library workers are increasingly sending messages of protest and advocating for equity, justice, and social change. Highlighting their experiences of marginalization and exclusion, contributors also reflect upon the impact social justice work has on their mental health, careers, and personal lives. Practicing Social Justice in Libraries is essential reading for library and information workers and students who are searching for practical ways to implement more inclusive practices into their work.” About our panelists Alyssa Brissett is an academic librarian. Her research interests include critical library practice, organizational change and culture, and social justice in libraries. She graduated with her MLIS from Wayne State University and has a Master of Arts in childhood education from New York University. Diana Moronta is an academic librarian. Her research interests include critical library instruction, open educational resources, and social justice in libraries. She graduated with her MSLIS from Pratt Institute and her BA from Hunter College, City University of New York. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join Climate Stories Project for a three-part series of interactive climate storytelling workshops. Workshop facilitators Jason Davis and Kelly Hydrick will work with participants to gain a deeper engagements with our myriad responses to climate change, increased confidence in their ability to speak with members of their communities about the changing climate, and an enhanced conviction to confront the climate crisis. During the first session, participants can expect to: Learn what climate storytelling is Understand why climate storytelling is important for confronting the climate crisis Gain strategies for brainstorming and crafting climate stories This workshop will take place via Zoom meetings. Combined, these gatherings will help prepare you for building your own climate-focused program at your library. About our presenters: Jason Davis is a musician, educator, and the director of Climate Stories Project, an educational and artistic forum for sharing personal stories about the changing climate. Since 2014 he has been collecting and sharing stories from around the world of people speaking about their personal responses to climate change in their home places. He leads climate storytelling workshops in which participants craft their own climate stories and learn to speak confidently about personal and community connections to the climate crisis. Jason also writes and performs music pieces which integrate elements of recorded climate stories, creating a vivid portrait of the changing climate as expressed through sound and personal testimony. Jason has a doctorate in music from McGill University and teaches at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Kelly Hydrick is Program Manager for Climate Stories Project (CSP). At CSP she is the lead instructor for the Climate Stories Ambassador Initiative where she teaches online workshops in climate storytelling and oral history skills to participants from around the world. She also works at MIT Libraries and has a masters degree in Archives Management from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. About Climate Stories Project: Climate Stories Project (CSP) is an educational and artistic forum for sharing stories about personal and community responses to climate change. CSP focuses on personal oral histories, which bring an immediacy to the sometimes abstract nature of climate change communication. Some of us may recount dramatic events such as floods and wildfires, or we may address our observations of changes in seasonal patterns and our fears for the future of our families and communities. We may discuss how climate change is forcing our communities to adapt to extreme weather and sea level rise. Or we may speak about how we are getting involved in movements to build more resilient futures and to fight the fossil fuel industry through community organizing or nonviolent protest. There is no "right" way to talk about climate change as it is a vast topic that is increasingly touching every corner of our lives. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join the code4lib NYC for a code & coffee Zoom the first or second Friday of each month. These calls are generally casual discussions about projects we are working on, cool tools we have come across in the past month, and a casual forum for technical questions of all kinds.

What makes libraries the perfect place for period advocacy? Brooklyn Public Library’s Rakisha Kearns-White will share how she became a period advocate and why she decided the public library was the perfect place for her advocacy. She'll discuss the different positive outcomes of starting this initiative and the many ways menstrual literacy can look in a library. Library workers in public, school, and academic libraries will learn how they can be centers for menstrual literacy and help challenge period poverty. Attendees can also expect to: Understand what menstrual literacy is, and how it differs from from sex and reproduction education Learn how to bring stakeholders on board Know how to locate funding to support menstrual initiatives About our presenter: Rakisha Kearns-White is the 2022 recipient of Brooklyn Public Library’s Dr. Lucille C. Thomas Award for Excellence in Librarianship. She is Brooklyn Public Library’s sex positive, BTS-loving, period equity advocate Young Adult Librarian. She has worked for the past 18 years in the Youth Wing at the library’s Central Branch. Her focus over the past five years has been facilitating puberty and sexuality education for teens; advocating for the prevention of compassion fatigue in library workers; and making the public library a welcoming space for all. During 2022, Rakisha has been spreading her message of the importance and appropriateness of teaching Sexuality Education in public libraries. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. In March, the discussion will center on disability and abolition. Explore zines (independently created and published mini-magazines) focused on the experiences of disabled people within the carceral state and the importance of centering disability justice within abolition: Alternatives to Policing Based on Disability Justice Abolition Is a Disability Justice Issue Optional: Prisoners with disabilities lack scaffolding for success (PBS News Hour video, 7 min) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Save the date! Our series of conversations with library workers who well, work in various settings continues with a conversation with folks working in corporate or business settings. This event will be presented in partnership with SLA NY.

Save the date of Thursday, March 16 at noon for presentations and a conversation about ownership and licensing and how they pertain to library materials. The right of first sale allows libraries (among everyone else) to provide access to materials they’ve purchased. In the digital era, however, libraries usually license content rather than own it, often at great expense to libraries and at times to consternation on the part of the public. This event features academics and practitioners who will share context for how and why this came to be, provide factual information as to the impact on libraries and their readers, and detail a more equitable and just approach for how we might balance the interests of copyright with the public interest in providing access to high-quality knowledge. 60-ish minutes of presentations will be followed by a 30-minute forum. Please come through to listen, find community, and participate in this necessary conversation. This event is a co-production between METRO Library Council and Library Futures. Learn more about Library Futures at https://www.libraryfutures.net.

Are you ready to Excel? Microsoft Excel, that is! Many tasks are well suited to Excel, including managing budgets, tracking project deliverables, and creating forms. Join us to learn more about how Excel can be used in your work, and get curious about exploring the range of features that this software offers. Because budget management includes coordinating with people and data, we’ll also look at the range of inputs that are involved in tracking budgets. Who do you need to work with to track expenses? What kind of reporting will you need to be able to support, and what types of checks and balances can you put in place to create an accountable process? Participants will learn to: Track a project budget Use Excel features to analyze data Explore free Excel templates Consider how to approach budget changes and stakeholders About our presenter: Kendra Morgan is a Senior Program Manager with WebJunction, providing continuing education services to state and public libraries. She is particularly interested in the role libraries play in supporting healthy communities, including through opioid-related programming and services and the COVID-19 pandemic, and has successfully applied for and managed a number of grant-funded programs that address those issues. Kendra received her MLIS from the University of Hawai'i; and prior to joining OCLC in 2007, she provided training and technology support in hundreds of libraries as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Libraries Program, and served as a technology consultant at The Library of Virginia. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join Climate Stories Project for a three-part series of interactive climate storytelling workshops. Workshop facilitators Jason Davis and Kelly Hydrick will work with participants to gain a deeper engagements with our myriad responses to climate change, increased confidence in their ability to speak with members of their communities about the changing climate, and an enhanced conviction to confront the climate crisis. During the second session, participants can expect to: Learn skills for recording interviews with community members about their climate stories Get an overview on successful audio/video recording and editing techniques Expand the climate storytelling framework from the first workshop This workshop will take place via Zoom meetings. Combined, these gatherings will help prepare you for building your own climate-focused program at your library. About our presenters: Jason Davis is a musician, educator, and the director of Climate Stories Project, an educational and artistic forum for sharing personal stories about the changing climate. Since 2014 he has been collecting and sharing stories from around the world of people speaking about their personal responses to climate change in their home places. He leads climate storytelling workshops in which participants craft their own climate stories and learn to speak confidently about personal and community connections to the climate crisis. Jason also writes and performs music pieces which integrate elements of recorded climate stories, creating a vivid portrait of the changing climate as expressed through sound and personal testimony. Jason has a doctorate in music from McGill University and teaches at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Kelly Hydrick is Program Manager for Climate Stories Project (CSP). At CSP she is the lead instructor for the Climate Stories Ambassador Initiative where she teaches online workshops in climate storytelling and oral history skills to participants from around the world. She also works at MIT Libraries and has a masters degree in Archives Management from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. About Climate Stories Project: Climate Stories Project (CSP) is an educational and artistic forum for sharing stories about personal and community responses to climate change. CSP focuses on personal oral histories, which bring an immediacy to the sometimes abstract nature of climate change communication. Some of us may recount dramatic events such as floods and wildfires, or we may address our observations of changes in seasonal patterns and our fears for the future of our families and communities. We may discuss how climate change is forcing our communities to adapt to extreme weather and sea level rise. Or we may speak about how we are getting involved in movements to build more resilient futures and to fight the fossil fuel industry through community organizing or nonviolent protest. There is no "right" way to talk about climate change as it is a vast topic that is increasingly touching every corner of our lives. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Join the code4lib NYC for a code & coffee Zoom the first or second Friday of each month. These calls are generally casual discussions about projects we are working on, cool tools we have come across in the past month, and a casual forum for technical questions of all kinds.

Join Climate Stories Project for a three-part series of interactive climate storytelling workshops. Workshop facilitators Jason Davis and Kelly Hydrick will work with participants to gain a deeper engagements with our myriad responses to climate change, increased confidence in their ability to speak with members of their communities about the changing climate, and an enhanced conviction to confront the climate crisis. During the third session, facilitators will lead the group in debriefing and sharing climate stories and experiences from the previous workshops. Participants can expect to: Learn how to engage library members with climate storytelling Understand and work with the challenging emotions that can arise with climate storytelling Gain ideas for how to use these ideas in your own workshop programming This workshop will take place via Zoom meetings. Combined, these gatherings will help prepare you for building your own climate-focused program at your library. About our presenters: Jason Davis is a musician, educator, and the director of Climate Stories Project, an educational and artistic forum for sharing personal stories about the changing climate. Since 2014 he has been collecting and sharing stories from around the world of people speaking about their personal responses to climate change in their home places. He leads climate storytelling workshops in which participants craft their own climate stories and learn to speak confidently about personal and community connections to the climate crisis. Jason also writes and performs music pieces which integrate elements of recorded climate stories, creating a vivid portrait of the changing climate as expressed through sound and personal testimony. Jason has a doctorate in music from McGill University and teaches at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. Kelly Hydrick is Program Manager for Climate Stories Project (CSP). At CSP she is the lead instructor for the Climate Stories Ambassador Initiative where she teaches online workshops in climate storytelling and oral history skills to participants from around the world. She also works at MIT Libraries and has a masters degree in Archives Management from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts. About Climate Stories Project: Climate Stories Project (CSP) is an educational and artistic forum for sharing stories about personal and community responses to climate change. CSP focuses on personal oral histories, which bring an immediacy to the sometimes abstract nature of climate change communication. Some of us may recount dramatic events such as floods and wildfires, or we may address our observations of changes in seasonal patterns and our fears for the future of our families and communities. We may discuss how climate change is forcing our communities to adapt to extreme weather and sea level rise. Or we may speak about how we are getting involved in movements to build more resilient futures and to fight the fossil fuel industry through community organizing or nonviolent protest. There is no "right" way to talk about climate change as it is a vast topic that is increasingly touching every corner of our lives. Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Pervasive current and historical trauma necessitates a new approach to community engagement. It is imperative to take into account the psychological needs of community members and avoid re-traumatization triggers, which “traditional” models of community engagement may ignore or exacerbate. Being trauma-informed can equip libraries and other cultural arts institutions to better serve our complex communities. In this webinar, Ozy Aloziem, MSW, will discuss how adopting a trauma-informed approach to community engagement can create an environment of collaboration and trust and enable individuals to access the resources and support they need. Viewers will learn: What trauma is and why we should care about it What trauma-informed community engagement looks like in practice How individuals may be impacted by doing trauma-informed community engagement How individuals can take care of themselves while helping others About Our Presenter: Ozy Aloziem is the founder and principal advisor of HEAL INC LLC. She is a TEDx speaker, an award-winning Igbo social work scholar, and professor deeply committed to collective liberation, justice, radical imagination, and healing. Ozy was the Denver Public Library's first Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Manager. During that time, she was a 2021 Library Journal “Movers & Shaker” award winner for her racial equity research and advocacy. She is a well-regarded skilled facilitator and speaker and has served as a racial equity and racial healing consultant for numerous organizations across the nation and globe. She is currently living in Mexico City, attempting to learn Spanish and rest.

Join the code4lib NYC for a code & coffee Zoom the first or second Friday of each month. These calls are generally casual discussions about projects we are working on, cool tools we have come across in the past month, and a casual forum for technical questions of all kinds.

Studies by the Society for Human Resource Management show that 41% of employees feel burnt out and 45% feel emotionally drained from work. These studies show that the risk for depression among U.S. workers has risen to 102% and, more specifically, to 305% for those between the ages of 20 and 39 as a result of the pandemic. A bad situation is an excellent time to be good and kind and gentle with ourselves and one another. During times of crisis, it is extremely important to work on our mental health. With the chaos, uncertainty, and speed of life these days, it’s easy to feel stressed, anxious, and burnt out. The good news is there are numerous strategies you can use to help manage these feelings. When things get stressful, we tend to live more in our minds than in the present moment—but finding your “anchor” can help you get grounded again. In this webinar, Ozy Aloziem, MSW, will share some tips for promoting wellness at the individual and community level. Viewers will learn: Why we must prioritize wellness in the workplace How to employ the eight dimensions of wellness How to utilize the elements of organizational wellbeing How to promote wellness at the individual and community level About Our Presenter: Ozy Aloziem is the founder and principal advisor of HEAL INC LLC. She is a TEDx speaker, an award-winning Igbo social work scholar, and professor deeply committed to collective liberation, justice, radical imagination, and healing. Ozy was the Denver Public Library's first Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Manager. During that time, she was a 2021 Library Journal “Movers & Shaker” award winner for her racial equity research and advocacy. She is a well-regarded skilled facilitator and speaker and has served as a racial equity and racial healing consultant for numerous organizations across the nation and globe. She is currently living in Mexico City, attempting to learn Spanish and rest.

Join the code4lib NYC for a code & coffee Zoom the first or second Friday of each month. These calls are generally casual discussions about projects we are working on, cool tools we have come across in the past month, and a casual forum for technical questions of all kinds.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. In June, the discussion will focus on the historical and current experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals both in and recently out of prison: The Women’s House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison, by Hugh Ryan (available at BPL, NYPL, QPL, and Bold Type Books Incarcerated LGBTQ Americans find little to no support system upon release (PBS News Hour video, 9 min) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. In September, the discussion will focus on the concept of parole and its far-reaching impacts after individuals have been released from prison: Life on Parole (Frontline documentary, 53 min) Parole in New York: Broken, Costly and Unjust (Article from New Yorkers United for Justice) Why Illinois Needs a Parole System (zine) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). The Prison Library Support Network is collaborating with METRO in 2023 to host Abolitionist Futures: A PLSN Discussion Group, which will meet quarterly on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We invite you to join with kids, double task with your dinner, have your camera on OR off, engage with the materials, and contribute to the discussion however you feel comfortable. Do not feel pressure to read, listen to, or watch everything listed! This is a casual space. The final discussion of the year will look at the day-to-day price tags incarcerated folks face when accessing prison commissaries and other essential services on the inside: PLSN Presents: What Is a Prison Commissary? (PLSN's Instagram) The Whole Shabang (Ear Hustle podcast, 46 min) Optional: The Company Store: A Deeper Look at Prison Commissaries (Report from the Prison Policy Initiative) Please review our Code of Conduct, our Statement on Viewpoints, and details on Interpreter Services.