I decided to write this month’s Must Read blog post a little early because this topic has been on my mind for a while now. I’ve been thinking about updating my Must Read book list by removing a few titles and doing a better job of highlighting books that truly align with where I am… Continue reading Must Read Books Update
This week, I decided to switch my schedule around a bit. I haven't had the time to dive into the new scholarship needed for my journal club, so I am excited to write about my favorite librarian conference, the Association of College and Research Libraries Conference. This year's theme was Democratizing Knowledge, Access, and Opportunities. Reflections… Continue reading 2025 ACRL Conference
In this Let’s Talk About it blog post, I wanted to write about how theory without praxis isn’t enough and can be harmful. Lately, I’ve found myself feeling disappointed, and if I’m honest, sometimes even hurt, when I see people present or write about theories, particularly ones rooted in justice, healing, or liberation, without any… Continue reading Let’s Talk About It: Theory without Praxis
Let’s Talk About It: #LibraryTwitter and the Power of Digital Community In this Let’s Talk About it blog post, I want to dive into the digital community that I found on #LibraryTwitter and reflect on what it meant to me. Also, grapple with the fact that early career librarians must find a digital community in… Continue reading Let’s Talk About It:#LibraryTwitter and the Power of Digital Community
In this Let’s Talk About It blog post, I want to discuss a little bit of my journey into health sciences librarianship. If you had told me years ago that I’d end up as a health sciences librarian, I probably would have looked at you sideways. Because after undergrad, I had a plan. I was… Continue reading Let’s Talk About It: Health Sciences Librarianship
I apologize for the delay, I was supposed to write this up for last month’s professional development post; however, I was preoccupied with executive orders taking up my life minutes. In December, I had the privilege of attending the Women of Color & Allies Amplifying Equity and Upward Mobility for All event hosted by Positive… Continue reading Women of Color & Allies Amplifying Equity and Upward Mobility for All
In this Let’s Talk About It blog, I want to reflect on the surge of interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Before this, in librarianship, DEI was often seen as an optional topic, a “nice-to-have” rather than a necessity. When the shift happened, I couldn’t… Continue reading Let’s Talk About It: DEI in 2025
Hey everyone! This is my Journal Club with Jamia January 2025 vlog post. Today, I’m diving into a thought-provoking article that sheds light on the experiences of mid-career academic librarians of color. Titled "Are We Still Here at Mid-Career?: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experiences of Academic Librarians of Color" by Brittani Sterling, Brittany Paloma… Continue reading Journal Club with Jamia: January 2025
Hey y’all! December has been a whirlwind, and I didn’t get a chance to post on the blog this month because I was knee-deep in wrapping up other writing projects. But let me tell you, it’s been worth it! I’m so excited to share that I completed two book manuscripts in just two months, revised… Continue reading 2024 in Review: Closing Chapters and Embracing New Beginnings
Today’s Must-Read Monday blog post is about The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee, the latest book I’ve finished—and let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint. Written by yet another brilliant Black woman, this book dives deep into the ways racism doesn’t just harm Black… Continue reading Must Read Monday: 11.25.24
Today’s professional development blog post highlights my experience at the 12th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL XII) in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was my first time attending the conference in person, making it an especially meaningful opportunity. Having previously contributed to the conference planning as a member of the programming and evaluation committees… Continue reading NCAAL XII
This month's journal club was about the book "Person-Centered Management in Academic Libraries" edited by Dani Brecher Cook, Maoria J. Kirker, and Diann Smothers. I had the privilege of writing the book chapter "How the Push toward Normalcy Undermines Faith" in the book. https://youtu.be/4g76tDHEw9E November Journal Club TranscriptDownload Music in the video by Ironclad Media.
I remember a post on Instagram by Jodi Ann Burney that when you are seen as a disrupter, your inaction is seen as mean. And she pushed back on this notion. This post prompted this week’s blog post and made me ponder why those of us seen as disruptors are expected to speak ALL the… Continue reading Let’s Talk About It: Being a Disrupter
Today's "Must Read Book” blog post is all about Kiley Reid because this author deserves the spotlight! Normally, my reading list leans toward nonfiction, but when I dive into fiction, I seek stories centering on marginalized characters, especially Black people, and Reid delivers. For this post, I’m featuring two books by Reid that blew me… Continue reading Must Read Monday: 10.28.24
Hello! It has been way too long since I have posted here. Unfortunately, I have written this statement more often than I would like. However, these last four years have been so different for me because I have been trying to prioritize myself and my professional goals. I had to remember that I initially created… Continue reading Self-Study
The Debut of the Let’s Talk About It Series. I want to start my Let’s Talk About It Series. This series will be my thoughts on a variety of librarianship topics. I want this to be an opportunity for me to flesh out my opinions.
This is an update on the Month in Review posts coming to an end.
Hello! I miss writing on my blog. During my time away, I have been heavily involved in writing, leading me to create a new page titled Publications & Features. On this page, I have listed my scholarly works and the websites where I have been featured. The first piece that I wrote was published on… Continue reading New Page Alert! Publications & Features
February is Black History Month and my birthday month, so I love it for both reasons. There were so many great programs in February due to the mostly accepted movement of Black Lives Matter. I felt like more institutions were being intentional about their Black History Month programming. However, it did not go without some… Continue reading February in Review
January was the start of the Spring semester as it was for many of my colleagues that work in academic libraries. In this new year, there are still virtual events happening which is fantastic for me. The list of webinars that I attended: Open Educational Resources (OER) in the HumanitiesOpen Educational Resources (OER) in the… Continue reading January in Review
“That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?”Angie Thomas, page 252. The next Must Read Monday book that I think you… Continue reading Must Read Monday 03.01.21
The month in review section in my blog will be a new addition for 2021. I want to review the previous month by listing webinars, conferences, books that I started reading, and social activities that I attended. Last month was a busy one even though it was holiday time for so many people. Books that… Continue reading December in Review
A few months ago it came up in a conversation about the name of my blog. Why keep it the diversity fellow blog when I am no longer a diversity fellow? Great question! I wanted to keep the name to remind myself and to inform others that this was my way into this profession. I… Continue reading What’s up with the name?!
“Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don't yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it's actually going to be possible.” Angela Davis Here I am in my #InFormation shirt that I was so happy and proud to purchase in support of #BlackLivesMatter in LIS. So the question that I will… Continue reading 2 years & I am still here!
What day is it?! This past year has been a unique year. We had to navigate a pandemic which led to my professional world and my personal world coming together. Being a parent and working from home was so tough. So I had to figure out a balance that made sense for me. At first,… Continue reading 2020 Reflections & 2021 Intentions
I want to say thank you Chelsea Misquith for leading other librarians to write a letter of support for 5 Black Librarians. I appreciate your time and energy. If you haven’t seen the letter, here it is, An Open Call for JMLA and Medical Librarianship to Support Black Colleagues When I saw the letter circulating… Continue reading Thank you for the support!
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou It has been some time since I have written on my blog. Most of my time has been spent writing so that my written work can be in a journal and/or a book. As a tenure track faculty, I have to… Continue reading When publishing goes wrong
Photo by Kelly Lacy on Pexels.com The next Must Read Monday pick is How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide by Crystal Marie Fleming. This book challenged me and encouraged me. I appreciated Crystal’s unapologetic writing style. For instance, she wrote, “We are surrounded by racial stupidity.… Continue reading Must Read Monday 10/5/20
Photo by Janko Ferlic on Pexels.com I accepted a job as the Health Sciences Librarian at SUNY Brockport's Drake Memorial Library. Currently, I serve as a liaison to the following academic programs, African & African-American Studies, Biology, Health Science/Healthcare Studies, McNair Program, and Nursing. SUNY Brockport is where I received my Bachelors of Science degree… Continue reading New Job!
Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com Hello! Normally I update my Must Read Section of the blog when I write a post on a "Must Read" book. I was thinking that the Must Read Section of my blog can list all the books that I have read and that I recommend. Then once I write… Continue reading Update to the Must Read Book Section
The next book that I strongly suggest you read is How to Be an Antiracist written by Ibram X. Kendi. When I first saw the title of this book, I knew that I had to read it as soon as possible. I am glad that I read this book because for so many years I… Continue reading Must Read Monday: 07/13/20
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels I decided to write a quick post about the books that I am currently reading. You may wonder how can I read so many books? I mostly listen to audio-books which helps me get through books quicker. Audio-books saved my life when I was in High School. Once I found out that… Continue reading What am I reading?
Photo by Drigo Diniz from Pexels I know that it has been a long time but Must Read Mondays are back! Now that we are quarantined, I have time to listen to my audio-books. Also, I finally tried out Libby through the Monroe County Library system which is an application that you can access e-books and audio-books. I… Continue reading Must Read Monday Book Selection 06.22.20
Hello! I don't know about you but I had plans for 2020. But COVID-19 and white supremacy had other plans for my life. So I am writing a quick blog post to just check-in and to stick to some of my plans. Personally and professionally I felt like I was in survival mode and I… Continue reading I am back!
I was given the great opportunity to speak at Syracuse University’s Library and Information Science Student Assembly’s(LISSA) Filling in the Spaces(FitS) event. For more information about this annual event, check out LISSA's Day of FitS event At the annual event, I wanted to encourage and inspire our future librarians. I gave a presentation entitled, “The… Continue reading Filling in the Spaces: FitS 2019 Conference
So I have to admit something. I did not know about the human library until last year. Sorry, we did not talk about this unique and wonderful concept in graduate school. So when my mentor Twanna told me about the human library, I knew that I would want to experience this one day. Syracuse University… Continue reading The Living Library
I was the Librarian and Diversity Fellow at the SUNY Upstate Medical University Health Sciences Library. I accepted a position as a Liaison Librarian at Edward G. Miner Library at the University of Rochester. As a result, my fellowship has come to an end at the Health Sciences Library. During my time at Upstate I… Continue reading Big News!!!
I have decided to do a monthly Must Read Monday book instead of weekly. June's Must Read book selection is Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor's Reflections on Race and Medicine written by Damon Tweedy M.D. Dr. Damon took me on a journey in this profound book about becoming a doctor. He was honest… Continue reading Must Read Monday Selection: 06/10/19
I am happy to start my Must Read Monday series on my blog! I am a health sciences librarian who is grateful to be apart of our faculty book club that was started between our Libray staff and our Student Affairs staff. The book that I want to recommend was the first book that we… Continue reading Must Read Monday Selection: 05/13/19
So one of the librarian stereotypes that I truly embrace is that I love to read. Since I am a commuter I have so much time to listen to audiobooks. Usually, I can read at least 4 books in a month. I will be adding a must read section to my blog. There are so… Continue reading Coming Soon!
I attended the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) 2019 Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The conference was held from April 10th to April 13th. Thankfully, I received ACRL's early career scholarship and the Central New York Library Resource Council (CLRC) professional development grant so that I could attend the conference. These awards allowed for… Continue reading ACRL 2019 Conference
My first rotation began in mid- August 2018 and ended at the beginning of December 2018. I started my rotation in Access Services where I was able to learn about the circulation desk duties, the library as a facility, and the scheduling of the staff in that area. During this time I worked at the… Continue reading First Rotation Access Services & Reference Services
I attended the Rochester Regional Library Council(RRLC) 2018 Conference on October 23rd. This was my first professional presentation. The experience was surreal because it was happening at the Strong Museum of Play and we were co-presenting with the University of Rochester. At the time of the conference, my family and I had a membership at… Continue reading RRLC Inclusive Conference 2018
I attended my first Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter(UNYOC) of the Medical Library Association(MLA) Conference in 2018. The conference occurred from November 14th to the 16th at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Driving to the hotel was peaceful and serene I felt like I was in a holiday movie. The smell of the chimneys from the homes… Continue reading UNYOC Conference 2018
I was able to attend my first New York Library Association(NYLA) Conference in 2018. The conference occurred from November 7th to November 10th. My experience was amazing. I was able to connect with various types of librarians that work in New York state. I apologize for my delay in writing about my time at the… Continue reading NYLA Conference 2018
In front of the Library Diversity Institute 2018 Banner The ACRL(Association of College and Research Libraries) Library Diversity Institute 2018 was held in Greensboro, North Carolina during Labor Day weekend. This Institute was held for Academic Librarian residents and fellows from the United States and Canada. The purpose of the meeting was to meet and… Continue reading ACRL Diversity Resident Institute 2018
Now that I can take the time out to process my first 30 days of being a Diversity Fellow, I will let you in on my reflections. I want to narrow this blog post down to 5 things that I have experienced in my first 30 days. I am a Librarian. This sentence might seem… Continue reading My First 30 Days
Hello, my name is Jamia Williams. I am currently a Librarian and Diversity Fellow at the Health Sciences Library. You might ask what is a Diversity Fellow? Hopefully, my blog posts will answer that question for you. In a short description I was given an opportunity to work at this Library because I am an… Continue reading Hello World!
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The Diversity Fellow's Blog 