Dear readers, We are excited to share this quarter’s newsletter with you! Since our own time for professional development and curiosity has been stunted recently, we’ve heavily relied on guest contributors. We are so thankful for Natalie Bota, Megan Jackson, and Melissa Schultz for writing and sharing their expertise. If there’s a topic you would like to write about in the future, please don’t hesitate … Continue reading May 2021
Hello neighbors, We hope you all have had a good start to 2021! As you know, we took January off to evaluate the future of The Cardigan. 2020 took a toll on all of us, and we wanted to make sure that we were taking care of our own mental health, as well as contributing quality content to this newsletter. Therefore, the Cardigan will have … Continue reading February 2021
We made it folks! The end of 2020 is nearly in sight. In retrospect, it feels amazing that Allie and I have been able to still release monthly content in the midst of a quarantine, buying and moving into a new house, dealing with various illnesses, and the emotional labor of just trying to stay alive. With that said, it does feel like a struggle … Continue reading December 2020
Hello neighbors, I am working on this intro from my coworker Julianna’s house – Oklahoma was hit with a terrible ice storm this week and it looks like most of the Oklahoma City area will be out of power for the next week or so. Thankfully, Julianna texted me as soon as she learned I was without power and offered to board me and my … Continue reading November 2020
Hello neighbors! Happy October! Katherine and I just finished watching some great content from the ALSC Institute. Wow! It was so great to connect with other children’s librarians and such great information. If you attended, we’d love to hear your thoughts as well! At the moment, our staff is still adjusting to having customers back in our building. Our city also has a mask ordinance … Continue reading October 2020
Hello neighbors! We have made it another month. Katherine did a question on our Instagram (make sure you’re following us @thecardigannewsletter) about how you all are doing. 39% of you said that you’re doing okay, but 61% of you said that you are struggling. Friends, we hear you! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I, too, am struggling to adapt to all the changes … Continue reading September 2020
Dear neighborhood, We finally moved! Thank you to everyone who has followed us to our new platform and has patiently dealt with our technology issues… One advantage to the website format: it allows readers to comment. We hope you will feel free to comment on our newsletters and start a conversation! As part of our commitment to engaging in an on-going discussion about systemic oppression … Continue reading August 2020
Hello neighbors, As we mentioned in the last newsletter, we want to use our platform to unequivocally state that Black Lives Matter and commit to continually dismantling our own internalized racism, and supporting anti-racism work. While we have many sections this month on racism in libraries, we sincerely hope this will be in ongoing discussion. We want to highlight and support librarians of color as … Continue reading July 2020
Dear neighbors, There is a lot to grieve right now: secure employment, routine, a sense of safety and predictability. We recognize that we are all still very much in a transition stage in our personal and professional lives. Allie and I have been doing curbside pickup for about a month now, and by the time this newsletter reaches you, we will be back to having … Continue reading June 2020
May 2020 It takes a Neighborhood to Nourish a Children’s Librarian Dear Neighborhood, Katherine and I continue to read articles about libraries and librarians struggling in this scary time. Whether this is being laid off, required to use paid leave, or the library being opened without taking care to secure the safety of staff, we grieve with you the many changes and difficulties that have … Continue reading May 2020
