Podcast appearances and mentions of Wayne A Wiegand

The Context of White Supremacy welcomes Dr. Wayne A. Wiegand. A White man, historian and author, we'll discuss Dr. Wiegand's 2024 publication, In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries. The text does a masterful job detailing the history of White people controlling what books are in public libraries, if black people have access to those libraries, and if black people will be allowed to work in a book conservatory. Many core counter-racist principles are on display in this text as well as the years of deliberate White Supremacy that explain why black people have a culture that is mostly opposed to reading. Dr. Weigand tells us about growing up in the Racially Restricted Region of Michigan where he heard countless Racist Jokes and said his own White family was a part of the local System of Racism. We discuss how White Women exercise White Power in the classroom and the library as well as a 1960's image of a White North Carolina student in blackface. The Racist teen blackened up for "Book Week" as the beloved negro character from Nights With Uncle Remus. Importantly, the White female librarian beams a smile wide enough to light up the entire Carolina state while tenderly touching the blackface lad. Another White staff member stands behind the Racistchild, also brandishing a proud, toothy grin. #ReadingIsMoreImportantThanWatchingTelevision #TheCOWS16Years INVEST in The COWS – http://paypal.me/TheCOWS Cash App: https://cash.app/$TheCOWS CALL IN NUMBER: 605.313.5164 CODE: 564943#

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/education

Librarians around the country are currently on a battleground, defending their right to purchase and circulate books dealing with issues of race and systemic racism. Despite this work, the library community has often overlooked—even ignored—its own history of White supremacy and deliberate inaction on the part of White librarians and library leadership. Author Wayne A. Wiegand takes a crucial step to amend this historical record. In Silence or Indifference: Racism and Jim Crow Segregated Public School Libraries (University of Mississippi Press, 2024) analyzes and critiques the world of professional librarianship between 1954 and 1974. Wiegand begins by identifying racism in the practice and customs of public school libraries in the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. This culture permeated the next two decades, as subsequent Supreme Court decisions led to feeble and mostly unsuccessful attempts to integrate Jim Crow public schools and their libraries. During this same period, the profession was honing its national image as a defender of intellectual freedom, a proponent of the freedom to read, and an opponent of censorship. Still, the community did not take any unified action to support Brown or to visibly oppose racial segregation. As Black school librarians and their Black patrons suffered through the humiliations and hostility of the Jim Crow educational establishment, the American library community remained largely ambivalent and silent. The book brings to light a distressing history that continues to impact the library community, its students, and its patrons. Currently available school library literature skews the historical perspective that informs the present. In Silence or Indifference is the first attempt to establish historical accountability for the systemic racism contemporary school librarianship inherited in the twenty-first century. Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University. Often referred to as “the Dean of American library historians,” he is author of many scholarly articles and books, including Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey; Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library; and American Public School Librarianship: A History. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. Jen edits for Partnership Journal and organizes with the TPS Collective. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom and The Social Movement Archive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-south

Jess deCourcy Hinds is the solo librarian at the Bard High School, Early College library in Queens, New York. In 2010, she received a new order of books about the civil rights movement, but Hinds noticed something strange: all of the books had Dewey Decimal numbers in the 300s, meaning they were supposed to be shelved in the social sciences section. She thought that some of the books belonged in the 900s, the history section. Like books on President Obama. Because texts about the 44th President were classified as social science, he would be separated from all the other books about U.S. presidents in her library. It seemed like part of a trend. "When it came to the LGBTQ books, and the women's history books, and books on immigrant history, all of those were in the 300s as well," says Hinds. So she and her students decided to rebel, to put books about President Obama into the history section: "we just started moving them." The Dewey Decimal Classification System is a method that dates back to 1876 and is used by most libraries around the world. The second most popular system, the Library of Congress Classification System, was published in the early 1900s and based on the organization of Thomas Jefferson's personal library. These systems help patrons find books on the shelves and facilitate resource-sharing between libraries. But they also encode bias into the structure of libraries. To understand what that means for our current collections, On the Media producer Molly Schwartz spoke with Wayne A. Wiegand, a library historian and author of Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey, Caroline Saccucci, former Dewey Program Manager at the Library of Congress, Emily Drabinski interim chief librarian of the Mina Rees Library at CUNY, and Dartmouth librarian Jill Baron from the documentary Change the Subject.   This segment originally aired in our September 3, 2021 program, Organizing Chaos. 

A debate has been raging among the librarians of the world, and it's all about order. The Dewey Decimal System became our way of managing information long ago, but it may be time to reassess. Plus, how one man's obsession with ordering the natural world took a very dark turn. 1. Lulu Miller [@lmillernpr], author of Why Fish Don't Exist and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab, charts the quest of taxonomist David Starr Jordan to categorize the world. Listen. 2. On the Media producer Molly Scwartz [@mollyfication] takes a deep dive into one imposition of human order so commonplace most of us never notice: the library. But the famed Dewey Decimal System is not an unbiased ordering machine. Featuring: Jess deCourcy Hinds [@HindsJess] librarian at the Bard High School, Early College library in Queens, New York, Wayne A. Wiegand a library historian and author of Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey, Caroline Saccucci, the former Dewey Program Manager at the Library of Congress, Emily Drabinski [@edrabinski] interim chief librarian of the Mina Rees Library at CUNY, and Dartmouth librarian Jill Baron [@jillebaron] from the documentary Change the Subject. Listen. Music from this week's show: Nocturne For Piano in B flat minor- Frédéric Chopin  Il Casanova di Federico Fellini Tomorrow Never Knows - Quartetto D'archi dell Orchestra Sinfonica Songs of War - US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps  The Dewey Decimal System - Jason Munday On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

A debate has been raging among the librarians of the world, and it's all about order. The Dewey Decimal System became our way of managing information long ago, but it may be time to reassess. Plus, how one man's obsession with ordering the natural world took a very dark turn. 1. Lulu Miller [@lmillernpr], author of Why Fish Don't Exist and co-host of WNYC's Radiolab, charts the quest of taxonomist David Starr Jordan to categorize the world. Listen. 2. On the Media producer Molly Scwartz [@mollyfication] takes a deep dive into one imposition of human order so commonplace most of us never notice: the library. But the famed Dewey Decimal System is not an unbiased ordering machine. Featuring: Jess deCourcy Hinds [@HindsJess] librarian at the Bard High School, Early College library in Queens, New York, Wayne A. Wiegand a library historian and author of Irrepressible Reformer: A Biography of Melvil Dewey, Caroline Saccucci, the former Dewey Program Manager at the Library of Congress, and Emily Drabinski [@edrabinski] interim chief librarian of the Mina Rees Library at CUNY. Listen. Music from this week's show: Nocturne For Piano in B flat minor- Frédéric Chopin  Il Casanova di Federico Fellini Tomorrow Never Knows - Quartetto D'archi dell Orchestra Sinfonica Songs of War - US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps  The Dewey Decimal System - Jason Munday

This month we’re discussing Adventure Fiction! We talk about bears (and bear fighting), spies, secret tunnels, robots, survival, thrillers, male romance, geese, pirates, stolen smartphones, shipwrecks, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards | Robert Hamaker Things We Read The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy There are ten sequels to this book! And spin-offs! Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Muppet Treasure Island - Professional Pirate (featuring Tim Curry) The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss Robinsonade (Wikipedia) Pirates! by Celia Rees The Wild Robot by Peter Brown The Anomaly by Michael Rutger Matthew forgot this bit of the book that he also really hates:  “We were guaranteed a spread in Ancient American magazine, and maybe a mention in Obscure Academic Quarterly About Indigenous Peoples (circulation: 151 copies worldwide, hidden in college libraries where no one under the age of forty goes expect to make out).” The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber Celtic Empire by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler Dirk Pitt (Wikipedia) Sahara (2005 film) (Wikipedia) The photo that RJ shared with everyone Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia Rick Riordan Presents (Wikipedia) John Henry (folklore) (Wikipedia) Steel (John Henry Irons) (Wikipedia) Can RJ find a book in this genre by a trans author? Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg Other Media We Mention You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place by Janelle Shane Conan the Barbarian (Wikipedia) The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope Hawkins (Wikipedia) The Shadow (Wikipedia) The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (Wikipedia) Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests by Diana Tixier Herald, Wayne A. Wiegand The Executioner (Wikipedia) Deathlands (Wikipedia) The Young Indiana Jones series of kids books Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Ghost Twins Series by Dian Curtis Regan The Boxcar Children (Wikipedia)  My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George The Talking Earth by Jean Craighead George The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Wikipedia) Heinlein juveniles (Wikipedia) Indiana Jones (franchise) (Wikipedia) Tomb Raider (Wikipedia) Uncharted (Wikipedia) Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer Links, Articles, and Things Episode 059 - Food and Cooking Episode 084 - Political Non-Fiction Posts from the AI Weirdness blog tagged as “recipes” Something Something Soup Something (the “soup or not soup” game) "The Lectores Who Read to Cuba's Cigar Rollers" Jack London (Wikipedia) Adventure fiction (Wikipedia) Suggest new genres! Fill out the form to suggest genres! Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email! Join us again on Tuesday, December 17th for our Best of 2019 episode! Then on Tuesday, January 7th we’ll be talking about the non-fiction genre of Art!

Yee-haw! Episode 29 has us reading Westerns! We discuss whether Westerns need cowboys, if stories featuring Mounties count as Westerns (maybe?), the idea of black hats and white hats, and Mr. Coffee Nerves! Plus: Matthew shows his ignorance of US history and everything rural. You can download the podcast directly, find it  on Libsyn, or get it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray Recommended The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout True Grit by Charles Portis The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt Far Out & Far Out 2 (in French) by Gautier Langevin and Olivier Carpentier Did Not Finish Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Riders of The Purple Sage by Zane Grey Links and Stuff The Lone Ranger Matthew’s pretty sure he watched this version. The space western BraveStarr in action Lucky Luke by Morris (and others) (Belgian Comic) The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt Firefly and Serenity The most recent Jonah Hex series ran for 70 issues from 2006 - 2011, All Star Western then ran for a further 34 issues from 2011 - 2014. None of you care. Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Ríos (Matthew was wrong, there are 10 issues) Loveless by Brian Azzarello and others Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (Genreflecting Advisory Series) by Diana Tixier Herald, edited by Wayne A. Wiegand (There are more recent editions; this is just the one we have with the essay Anna read and recommended.) Maple syrup rustlers Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve Dudley Do-Right Mountie pulps are called “Northerns” or “Northwesterns” and apparently Zane Grey was influential in this genre too! There are some serious fans who keep track of this stuff! Heritage Minutes: Sam Steele - the RCMP of the Wild West There is also a cool podcast episode from Library and Archives Canada on Canadian Pulps! You should listen to it! Due South - our Canadian ‘90s moment The Spur Award (& the winners) from the Western Writer of America Awards When Matthew says what sounds like “beh day”, he’s actually saying "bd", with a terrible French Accent, for “bande dessinée”, meaning the Franco-Belgian comic tradition Zane Grey is fascinating The Wikipedia page for Riders of the Purple Sage is elaborate (and spoilery) Postum shows up in old restaurant menus and in a marketing campaign using Mr. Coffee Nerves. Search for it in New York Public Library’s historical menus. Zorro, a story and character that existed long before Antonio Banderas Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner Or, if you are like Matthew, instead you could watch Cadillacs and Dinosaurs or read the comics called Xenozoic Tales The Oregon Trail game (a Western?). Play it on archive.org! Cowboy Batmans can be seen in: Batman: The Blue, The Grey, and the Bat Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4 Say “Hello” Upcoming events we’ll be attending. Tweet at us if you’ll be there! LA Zine Fest, May 28, 2017 (Anna and Matthew) LJ Day of Dialogue, Book Expo America, & Book Con, May 31-June 4, 2017 (Anna) ALA Annual Conference, June 23-26, 2017 (Anna and Matthew) Questions Do cattle rustlers still exist? Does a Western have to be historical? Can anyone tell us about any Spanish Language tradition of literature similar to Westerns? Is Oregon Trail (the game) a Western? Check out our Pinterest board and Tumblr posts for all the Westerns people in the club read (or tried to read), follow us on Twitter,  and join our Facebook Group! Join us again on Tuesday, June 5th for an episode on rereading. Then come back on Tuesday, June 19th, when we will inflict upon you the genre of QUILTBAG/LGBTQ+ NonFiction!

Sep. 15, 2015. The public library is a "part of our lives," argues a new book on the history of American libraries as told through the testimonies of those who use them. Library historian Wayne A. Wiegand makes the case for why the library has survived and flourished in the 21st century, "despite dire predictions in the late 20th century that public libraries would not survive the turn of the millennium." Speaker Biography: Wayne A. Wiegand is the F. William Summers professor emeritus at the School of Information at Florida State University and one of the nation's leading library historians. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=7171

On May 1, 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago opened its gates to an expectant public eager to experience firsthand its architectural beauty, technological marvels and vast array of cultural treasures gathered from all over the world. Among the most popular of the fair's attractions was the Woman's Building, a monumental exhibit hall filled with the products of women's labor, including more than 8,000 volumes of writing, by women and collected by women -- the first important library of its kind. Hundreds of thousands of women visited the library and took what they learned to develop local libraries. Speaker Biography: Sarah Wadsworth is associate professor of English at Marquette University and author of "In the Company of Books: Literature and Its 'Classes' in Nineteenth-Century America." Speaker Biography: Wayne A. Wiegand is F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies Emeritus at Florida State University and author, most recently, of "Main Street Public Library: Community Places and Reading Spaces in the Rural Heartland, 1876-1956." For transcript, captions, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5514.