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Climate Preparedness Week : Blue Marble Librarians: Get Support

Massachusetts Libraries Collaborate with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW)

Network and support one another as change making library professionals

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Image Credit:  NASA

Blue Marble Librarians

 You can reach out to the Blue Marble Librarians for support or ideas for Climate Prep Week programs.

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. 

  • 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 
  • Laura Bogart, Massachusetts Library System
  • Andrea Bunker, MBLC 
  • Reni Cunninham, Concord Free Public Library
  • Elizabeth Cousins, Boston Public Library
  • Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School Library
  • Chris Glass, Boston Public Library
  • Kate Gomes, Plymouth Library 
  • Esme Green, Sudbury Library
  • Liz Reed, Morrill Memorial Library (Norwood)
  • Ayoola White, Newark Public Library
  • CJ Wong, Merrimack College Library

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

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!  

Publications featuring the Blue Marble Librarians

 

Theme

The Weather is Changing:  Are You Prepared?

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

Gabrielle Griffis, Assistant Youth Services Librarian at the Brewster Ladies' Library, developed the book lists for this project.

CREW Communities Responding to Extreme Weather

Blue Marble Image Credit:  NASA