Movers

Lydia Lopez’s work opened access to services for Miami-Dade county residents who might not otherwise have had them—lifesaving medical tests and vaccines, entry into one’s home following a hurricane or fire, or even just the opportunity to reserve government-owned tennis courts—all because they don’t meet the requirements to obtain a driver’s license or state-issued identification.

The Librarian Parlor (aka LibParlor), which Chelsea Heinbach cofounded and operates with Nimisha Bhat, Hailley Fargo, and Charissa Powell, is a platform for library workers and LIS students to ask questions, discuss issues, and share expertise on developing, pursuing, and publishing library research. The project was conceived when Heinbach attended her first large library conference and encountered likeminded library workers who also felt the need for a centralized meeting place.

For researchers at North Carolina State University, computing and data resources are plentiful. However, finding and employing the right tools for a particular project can be challenging, whether for a researcher still in the planning or discovery phases of a project or an administrator. Susan Ivey’s mission as director of the new Research Facilitation Service: Cut through that confusion.

Karla Alvarez has come full circle. While in high school, she got her first job at the San José Public Library as an after-school tutor. Today, after more than 15 years spent traveling to work in conflict studies and community building—a journey that included Mexico, Belize, Kenya, the Philippines, and more—the San José native is back at the city’s library system as Community Programs Administrator, Equity & Inclusion Services. Throughout, she has focused on eliminating barriers and strengthening access to services.

While serving as Open Educational Resources (OER) and Student Success Librarian at Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries, Gong launched a student-centered OER program in 2019 to address the overwhelming barriers of affordability and access students faced. At the time, fewer academic libraries utilized free open learning, teaching, and research materials.

In 2016, Frost founded Sewing Rebellion at Boulder Public Library's BLDG 61 to encourage people to make their own clothes or repair damaged clothing rather than buy new. The program became popular in Boulder as the upcycling and creative reuse movements grew. In 2019, Frost retired Sewing Rebellion. But when approached by a colleague about joining a project called Slay the Runway, in collaboration with the library and local LGBTQIA+ organizations, Frost jumped at the chance.

In 2019, Lambert was selected to be part of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Equity and Action Forum. ISTE wanted participants to work on a yearlong project involving equity in education.

On any given day, Schuylerville Public Library patrons might find director Caitlin Johnson stacking apples or cleaning the public produce fridge. Collaboration with local farmers, food pantries, and the Southern Adirondack Library System, NY, as part of the Farm-2-Library program has allowed SPL to offer tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce to patrons free of charge.

Rakisha Kearns-White established the Cycle Alliance, a teen advocacy group that fights period poverty and the stigma of menstruation. Since spring 2020, more than 170 teens have attended workshops, helped with distribution days, or volunteered for Cycle Alliance programs. The Cycle Alliance has partnered with international and local organizations to offer period-product distribution days and safe-sex workshops, giving out 200 period kits since 2021.