Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Other’ Category

A Radical Librarian

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , on October 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday’s quote on radical empathy was the perfect set-up for today’s post about a woman who is practicing it. With books!

Baltimore Woman Brings Free Books to Hundreds of Kids With Magical Trolley

Ms. Maze, who calls herself a “radical street librarian,” has gone viral on TikTok for delivering free books to hundreds of children in the Baltimore area via a trolley. The green and gold vehicle transports children to a “magical” place where they can discover which genres excite them and develop an appreciation for reading…

How wonderful!

* * *

Photo by Catherine Hammond on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Stay Radical

Posted in Other, tagged , , , on October 13, 2026| 1 Comment »

“Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.” — Gloria Steinem

* * *

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Pretty Simple, Really

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on October 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Bertrand Russell on the Secret of Happiness – The Marginalian

“The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.”

* * *

Photo by Ravi Patel on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

You Know You Want to Know!

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on October 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Here’s a little science for your Friday.

How Often do Asteroids Hit the Earth? Crash Course Geology #20

How worried should we be about giant asteroid impacts? In this episode of Crash Course Geology, we’ll learn how to tell an asteroid from a meteorite, what happens when space rocks approach the Earth, and how scientists track potential threats before they reach us.

* * *

Photo by NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Low-Level Awesome

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , on October 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Some days I am suddenly filled with a low-level feeling of joy. Everything sparks with at least a touch of beauty, the world has a bit magic to it, and it’s easy to find the best in all things. 

Today, I’m happy to say, is one such day. (Is it a coincidence that I just delivered a big work project and can now take some time to smell the flowers? Perhaps not.)

Hope your day has a little magic in it too!

* * *

Doesn’t this look amazing? Photo by Photos of Korea on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Freedom to Read

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , on October 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Oh look, it’s Banned Books Week in the US.

Banding Together for Banned Books Week 2026

Banned Books Week, taking place October 4–10 this year, concentrates and amplifies the messaging of right to read organizations. Libraries, bookstores, and literary associations are hosting in-person and virtual events, featuring authors, educators, and advocates.

Interested in examples of books that have been banned this year?  Here’s a list: Banned Books List 2026 – PEN America

In the near future, Offred is a handmaid in an authoritarian society who is not permitted to read. We’ll let that sink in.

And if you are a teenager in a library system that is banning books, Books Unbanned is for you.

A Books Unbanned library card gives teens across the United States free digital access to ebooks and digital resources, including banned and challenged books—no matter where they live. Books Unbanned helps ensure teens can read what they like, explore new ideas and form their own opinions.

Whether you support your local library, attend an event, read a book that’s been challenged to see what You think, or something else entirely, I hope you take a moment to appreciate the right to read without censorship. Because that benefits us all!

* * *

Photo by Ravi Sharma on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

You Get to Build It Yourself

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on October 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

In some ways, this quote expresses a very Monday sort of sentiment, but I like that you can flip it from “must do” to “get to.”

“No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

* * *

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Any Human Ever

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , on October 4, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Some days you come across something on the web that helps you remember why people thought it was a good idea in the first place. For today’s entry into that ledger, I present Any Human Ever.

Any Human Ever: one life from over 100 billion

So: what would happen if stories were drawn from actual data, randomized to give a valid representation of the human story? That’s the question that was stuck in my head, and that drove this project forward. If you could draw a life at random from all of human history, what would it look like? Roll the dice, and see a genuinely random life, depicted as well as the data allow. Do it again and again, and what kind of pointillist painting emerges from all those colorful drops of humanity?

I love this idea. Do statistics have their place? Absolutely. Is this perfect? Maybe not, but I spent some time in grad school arguing for the humanization of data, and that debate solidified my belief that one of the best ways to connect people to ideas is through stories.

Have fun exploring 100 billion of them.

* * *

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Don’t Panic!

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Oh look, I’m way behind today. Did I plan to get lots done? I did. Oh well!

“l often come back to a story I love about a wave panicking as it neared the shore, afraid it was about to disappear. Then, a smaller wave reminds it: You’re not a wave—you’re water. Plans will change. Your path will shift. And that shouldn’t be something to fear.” — Melinda French Gates

* * *

A close-up view of a curling ocean wave, showcasing vibrant shades of green and blue water and frothy white spray.
Photo by Mark Harpur on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

What’s It Like to Be a Librarian?

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

You probably know that it’s the 250th anniversary of the United States, but did you know that this year is also the 150th anniversary of the modern American library system? I didn’t! 

To mark the occasion, and to get a better understanding of what life is like for librarians today, reporters went to the annual American Library Association conference in Chicago this summer and interviewed almost 50 librarians about their work. What is it like to be a librarian in America today? 

Librarians Discuss the Challenges and Triumphs of Running a Library Today

A lot has changed since the American Library Association was established in 1876 — even just over the past decade. The library has gone from a building full of books to arguably the most versatile civic center in any community lucky enough to have one… But most of all, they want you to know what the library really is: a safe place for people to gather around books, ideas and one another.

The work these often under-appreciated folks do touches so many communities in so many positive ways. Which reminds me, it’s about time to donate to my local library again!

“The misconception about libraries to me is that they feel irrelevant because we’re in a digital information age, but I would say they’re more relevant now than ever before because we’re conflating content with information and information with knowledge.” — Sam Helmick, Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City Public Library

* * *

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »