“Your Library is on stolen land and what are you going to do about it?”- Dr Kristen Thorpe
Evoke: Empower. Inspire. Connect was the theme of this year’s QPLA Conference and I believe the conference did just that. The quote above by Dr Thorpe is a powerful example of the thought-provoking ideas and discussions had at the conference and shines a light on the fact that the fight for Indigenous People’s rights, history and wellbeing is far from over. Dr Thorpe discussed collection bias, critical cataloguing, and the topic of censorship, bringing many ideas I had never considered and continue to think about since the conference close.
I wrote down another quote, this one from speaker Jennie Garner, a library director at the North Liberty Library in Iowa:
“Radical trust and radical kindness shouldn’t be radical”
This one really has stuck with me and goes hand in hand with many of the discussions had with Ryan Dowd on homelessness in libraries and the fact that no matter who you are libraries should be a safe and welcoming space regardless of background or situation.
The QPLA Conference gave a fresh look and new perspective on the possibilities available within libraries, from learning what other libraries offer, to new vendors and programming, to feeling like you truly make a difference in the community. This was my first year attending the QPLA Conference 2022 and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to attend.