The Skillset Podcast

The Skillset Podcast S2 E7: Exploring Morale in the Workplace with Kaetrena Kendrick

Kaetrena Davis Kendrick is Dean of the Ida Jane Dacus Library and Louise Pettus Archives & Special Collections at Winthrop University (SC), where her research interests include professionalism, ethics, racial and ethnic diversity in the LIS field, and the role of communities of practice in practical academic librarianship. In 2019, she was named ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the Year for her research into the phenomenon of low morale, and taking a deeper dive into the subject, Kendrick has now documented behavior and cultures that specifically enable the low morale experiences of racial and ethnic minority academic librarians.

The Skillset Podcast S2 E6: People-Centered Service with David Seleb

Nicole A. Cooke talks with Oak Park Public Library (Illinois) Executive Director David Seleb, a lifelong Chicago area resident who has pursued what he calls "people-centered" library services to the residents of his community. In this wide-ranging discussion Seleb talks about working to serve the most vulnerable of the community, how to identify and eliminate barriers to service, how to discern and advance community objectives, and how he his leadership has benefited from his personal and professional engagement with the Harwood Institute.

The Skillset Podcast S2 E5: Reflection and Mindfulness with Amanda Leftwich

Nicole A. Cooke talks with Amanda Leftwich, the Student Success Librarian at Montgomery County Community College (PA). Leftwich's work focuses on utilizing reflective practice and mindfulness to help navigate microaggressions, prevent burnout, and find community. She is the founder of the “Mindful in LIS” virtual communities on Instagram and Twitter and she is also co-creator ofLibVoices a podcast that shares stories of librarians of color.

The Skillset Podcast S2 E4: The Power of Diversity and Equity with Jennie Marie Durán

Jennie Marie Durán is the Assistant Vice Chancellor and System-wide Affirmative Action Officer for the State University of New York (SUNY). Durán has significant experience in affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act, diversity management, as well as policy and law. The crux of her work has been diversity and equity compliance guidance to campuses in Higher Education, and as a librarian, Durán firmly believes in the power of information and storytelling.

The Skillset Podcast S2 E3: Mental Health Awareness with Abby Phillips

Dr. Abigail Phillips is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where her research interests include cyberbullying, youth, social media, empathy, librarianship, libraries, making, critical librarianship, neurodiversity, and mental health advocacy. She is a member of the #LISMentalHealth team. The #LISMentalHealth initiative aims to raise awareness of mental health among library and archives workers through online discussions, blog posts, resource-sharing, and the “Reserve and Renew Zine” series.