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Blue Marble Library Guide: Blue Marble Librarians

Massachusetts Libraries Collaborate on Climate Preparedness and Sustainability

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Image Credit:  NASA

Our team name is inspired by the first image of the Earth taken by the Apollo 17, which generated great awe and reverence for the planet. 

About the Blue Marble Librarians

About the Blue Marble Librarians

 Purpose: The Blue Marble Librarians’ main purpose is to support CREW’s efforts around Climate Prep Week (CPW) and Climate Resilience Hubs. 

 Activities:

  • Reach out to Massachusetts libraries to encourage participation in CPW
  • Create webinars to support libraries participation in CPW and Climate Resilience Hubs
  • Press relations: blogs, interviews, announcements, social media
  • Co-design CPW programming with CREW
  • Offer tech support for CPW programming 
  • Host periodic "meet and greets" for library workers, inviting their input and involvement

Blue Marble Librarians

Leadership:

  • Advisor: Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst Libraries
  • Massachusetts Library System: Michelle Eberle
  • Organizer: Corey Farrenkopf, Eastham Library
  • Social Media, Publicity, Web Presence: Gabrielle Griffis, Brewster Ladies' Library 

Active Members:

  • Laura Bogart, Massachusetts Library System
  • Andrea Bunker, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
  • Celeste Bruno, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
  • Reni Cunningham, Concord Free Public Library
  • Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School Library
  • Kate Gomes, Holbrook Public Library
  • Esme Green, Sudbury Library
  • Sarah Levin-Lederer, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Region 7
  • Kira Williams, David & Joyce Milne Public Library, Williamstown

Founding Members:

  • Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst Libraries
  • Michelle Eberle, Massachusetts Library System
  • Chris Glass, Boston Public Library
  • Gabrielle Griffis, Brewster Ladies Library
  • Ayoola White, Newark Public Library
  • CJ Wong, Merrimack College Library

Former members:

  • Clayton Cheever, Morrill Memorial Library (Norwood)
  • Bernie Davidow, Wilbraham Public Library
  • Liz Reed, Morrill Memorial Library (Norwood)
  • Elizabeth Cousins, Boston Public Library
  • Laura Pattison, Boston Public Library

Publications featuring the Blue Marble Librarians

Publications featuring the Blue Marble Librarians

Emerging Timeline

Emerging Timeline

Sept. 2018 - Chris Glass, Research Services Librarian at Boston Public Library (BPL) hosted a Climate Prep Week event, “Librarians, Climate Change and Community Resilience.”  He invited Madeleine Charney, Research Services Librarian at UMass Amherst to facilitate part of the program. She had recently presented a series of workshops in all six New England states to provide librarians with the confidence and skills to facilitate community conversations about climate change.  In attendance at the BPL event was Aaron Troncoso, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW), the group behind Climate Prep Week. 

Oct. 2018 - Impressed with librarians’ passion around climate change matters, Aaron asked Chris and Madeleine to consider how libraries could play a continued role in CREW activities. Chris and Madeleine invited Michelle Eberle, Massachusetts Library System to a meeting with Aaron and Craig Altemose, Executive Director of CREW. The outcome was the idea of Massachusetts libraries partnering with CREW for Climate Prep Week 2019.  

May 2019  - Chris, Madeleine, and Michelle convened an all-day meeting at Lamar Soutter Library,  UMass Medical. In attendance were  librarians CJ Wong (Merrimack College), Ayoola White (Simmons LIS student, who attended the 2018 BPL event), Heather Diaz (Forbes Library), Gabrielle Griffis (Wellfleet Library), Catherine Carr and Jessica Kilham (UMass Medical).

At a recent civic engagement presentation, Michelle had given each of her attendees a blue marble inspired by a presentation she attended at the American Evaluation Association Conference about Blue Marble Evaluation. Her idea was to encourage “blue marble librarianship” -- focusing on global sustainability*  If you’re not familiar, the Blue Marble is the first image of the Earth taken by Apollo 17, which generated great awe and reverence for the planet. With a surplus of marbles in her possession, she handed everyone at the UMass Medical meeting their own blue marble and the Blue Marble Librarians were officially born!  

Theme

This resource guide is a collaboration of the Massachusetts Library System, the Blue Marble Librarians, and Communities Responding to Extreme Weather.

CREW Communities Responding to Extreme Weather

Blue Marble Image Credit:  NASA